Can I just say "Wow."

Seriously. I feel a bit like a broken record saying this over and over but it HAS to be said: THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. THIS ISSUE IS AMAZING. THIS IS THE BEST TRANSFORMERS HAS EVER BEEN WRITTEN, EVER, BY ANYONE.

It really was like a chapter in a really really great mystery novel. Woo. Just beautiful on all fronts. And SO much there. Even after the preview it felt like a LONG issue. If I didn't know better I would have thought this was a double sized issue with how it reads.

So much great backstory and characterization and world building you hardly know where to start when commenting.

My favorite bits:

Spoiler

1) When Prowl says the most Ironic thing ever. (And in general, the continuity between this and RiD on his character arc. He has character! His character has a REAL LONG ARC. It's like I'm not even reading TFs.   )

2) The old relationship between Prowl and Chromedome and Rewind's reaction to it.

3) The names "Flatfoot" and "Trepan."

4) Whirl almost breaking my heart with "i want my hands back." and Impactor's logical and yet surprising (to Rewind) reaction to his cellmate.

5) Orion's Swerve-thrilling entrance and his putting it all together and taking charge on the last page

-ZacWilliam, really I could probably go one for a long long time picking out amazing things to praise. This book is so good I wonder if I've died a little early and am reading it in heaven. Every TF fan EVER needs to buy James Roberts a drink on sight. Forever.

 

It's a travesty that this quality of writing is restricted to the comics. James Roberts should be the head of the Transformer storytelling division. I'm so glad this is an ongoing.

Spoiler

So incredible, the entire ploy by Sentinel, the Institute being explained (and going a long way to explaining Skids, since he hasn't been seen since the heist that happens next issue and his gun came from the Institute) the character dialogue, Whirl, it was all gold. This is what epic is. This is amazing. No grand imagery overlaid on melodramatic dialogue. Just real quality intrigue, storytelling and world-building. The plan to register all Decepticons in order to brainwash them is devious in it's brilliance. And on top of all that, blame a mass murder on them to turn the public against them.

Also, I noticed three things on the panel with pre-war Skids. One, his eyes were blue before the war (and he's accidentally coloured with blue eyes in the present panel afterwards) and second, the red robot behind him seems to be the same "class" as Whirl, (since it's discovered here that Whirl was rebuilt to be as he is) resembling his pre-war design quite a bit. And third, is it me or is that same red robot wearing the mind-reading gizmo from Back to the Future?

Storytelling time is hilarious, with backseat narrators, Rewind having to steer conversations, Whirl's hilarious outbursts ("This was turning into the Chromedome and Prowl show!" "It's just a frikkin' cameo as it is!") and Tailgate's, well, just Tailgate.

Aso seems like next issue we finally find out who really beheaded Red Alert, and who was controlling the medical drone. Also Cyclonus is so frank with people. "I liked him because of his flaws." "If I wanted him dead he'd be dead and I'd be gone." It's really hard to dislike his tell-it-like-it-is personality even if he can be kind of a dick.

My God, every panel here was gold. If I pointed out every single noteworthy gag, reference, homage, world-building element and brilliant writing quirk I'd be here forever. Every issue feels jam-packed nd not a single scene, or even panel, feels wasted or arbitrary. There's zero padding, everything has purpose. Why can't Prime be like this?

 

I wonder who did that to red alert. After all this could it has been chromedome seeing him and prowl are such friends

 

"Impossible our laserfire is just making him stronger!"

Oh Swerve you so silly!

 

FINALLY! Man I have been waiting for this. And I was not disapointed in the least!

 

GAH! Part 3?! This wait is a killer!

And yet another great issue, I do wish however that Pax look from Spotlight Blurr had remained.....

 

Does anyone else think Roller looks a heck of a lot like Skids? Like the head? I mean, change the central crest a bit and they're the exact same.

Coincidence?

 

Awwww man this is sweet, just sweet.

Spoiler

I was so close to nailing what the Institute is, and I was almost so right with my theory a while ago that the Hiest was on a Relinquishment Clinic, then I changed it to the Institute, and I was sort of right both times! It's definite that Skids ends up there working for them.

I have to agree, my heart bled for Whirl, a Clockmaker and they took his hands, so cruel.

Gotta love the irony of Prime and the Autobots actually trying to defend the Decepticons rights over the evil Senate, it's just delicious, delicious storytelling. Everything about this book is dripping with context and meaning.

Loved Rewind cutting off Chromedome as he talked about him and Prowl, jealous much? And Roller drinking a juice box of Kremzeek juice tickled me something rotten.

Swerve was amazing, Cyclonus is such a dude, just brilliant, amazingly brilliant stuff. This book just makes me exhaust every single superlative.

 

Comicbook store closed early......

....grrrr......

 

Just finished reading this and man.. it's so engrossing that you forget why they're telling the story to begin with.

Man I love these characters, the stories..

 

Curious to see if Chromedome's visit to the relinquishment clinic here was the visit that had to do with him meeting Rewind for the first time. Not sure how, unless it turns out Trepan is Rewind, haha.

 

Was I the only one who didn't know this was a three-parter?

I'm sure it will be better if I wasn't reading it month-to-month, but the dual stories running are really slowing the usual breakneck pace of the book down. Definitely had a feeling of moving pieces into place before the big finish. First Aid's tease is killing me.

But that's against the usual background of awesomeness and worldbuilding. I'm really liking how confidently some of the weirder relationships from Chaos Theory are brought in, and how Orion Pax feels like a hero who's earned it. And oh god Whirl...

 

Man Chromedome and Rewind act like lovers. When is the DJD and Overlord plot coming back in focus?

 

Never. The DJD's ship was sucked into a black hole as soon as they left Clemency, and Overlord's chamber was mistaken for the garbage room and he got ejected out of the ship with a bunch of junk.

 

 

If you ask SMOG they are.

 

? I don't get it.

 

Oh yeah I think he mentioned that in another thread.

 

As to the DJD and Overlord,

Spoiler

Issue 12 supposedly has the crew running up against the Scavengers (as Tailgate seems to be defusing Fulcrum on the cover), so it's probably only a matter of time before the DJD show up as well. And I'm certain that we might get some reference to Overlord once Red Alert's "killer" is revealed.

.

 

Don't the Cerebroscientists of the Institute look like Necrobot? (especially a glowing part on chest)