Preview for IDW Transformers: Lost Light #20

Well the sparkeaters were beaten quite quickly...and it's going to be so good when roddy punches getaway...when he fails to get-away

Quint wrote:

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:
I think that speaks more to the contrived means of his "surrender". A publicly made propaganda speech, renouncing himself and his actions. The -Ations said it best, the only difference between the two factions in IDWverse is the brands they wear. Every planet that fell was crushed between the two factions, in equal measure. Everything other than one side achieving supremacy was deemed acceptable losses, to Megatron and Prime.

Among other things, the Autobots didn't engage in the infiltration process, which led to the extinction of myriad organic species through the Phase Six onslaught. Guys... this is textbook false equivalency, come on

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:
Of course not, that is why they made him "Auto-Megatron". In the same respect as they didn't know how to "end" a four million year civil war of attrition, so you got faux peace instead.

Yeeeeeah... specious reasoning there. See above.

Cute but no

When you actually read between the lines of what's in print, your entire counterpoint is based on the premise that the Autobots were not just as equally entrenched in the same worlds as the Decepticons. Which is nonsense.

They were on these worlds together. The Autobots were never fighting to free these worlds, they were fighting the Decepticons on just another battlefield. Each trying to hamper the resources of the other. The inhabitants of each world were irrelevant to both sides, a means to an end.

Think back to their discussions on Phase Six, the Autobots were sketchy on the details, because by that point they had already written off that particular front and moved onto the next.

Again, this isn't me pulling out silly ideas out of thin air, this is based on the printed page. Interesting to read none the less, but you're wrong in your assumptions.

Yeah it's been hinted that the bots hands are far from clean, after all, from what I can recall, only humans are bothered by what faction the tfs are, all other aliens hate then both...why would that be I wonder?

Exactly. At the end of the day, to the outsider looking in, this is a Civil War between Cybertonians. Colours may be different but they are the same race.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

Quint wrote:

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:
I think that speaks more to the contrived means of his "surrender". A publicly made propaganda speech, renouncing himself and his actions. The -Ations said it best, the only difference between the two factions in IDWverse is the brands they wear. Every planet that fell was crushed between the two factions, in equal measure. Everything other than one side achieving supremacy was deemed acceptable losses, to Megatron and Prime.

Among other things, the Autobots didn't engage in the infiltration process, which led to the extinction of myriad organic species through the Phase Six onslaught. Guys... this is textbook false equivalency, come on

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:
Of course not, that is why they made him "Auto-Megatron". In the same respect as they didn't know how to "end" a four million year civil war of attrition, so you got faux peace instead.

Yeeeeeah... specious reasoning there. See above.

Cute but no

When you actually read between the lines of what's in print, your entire counterpoint is based on the premise that the Autobots were not just as equally entrenched in the same worlds as the Decepticons. Which is nonsense.

They were on these worlds together. The Autobots were never fighting to free these worlds, they were fighting the Decepticons on just another battlefield. Each trying to hamper the resources of the other. The inhabitants of each world were irrelevant to both sides, a means to an end.

Think back to their discussions on Phase Six, the Autobots were sketchy on the details, because by that point they had already written off that particular front and moved onto the next.

Again, this isn't me pulling out silly ideas out of thin air, this is based on the printed page. Interesting to read none the less, but you're wrong in your assumptions.

Your argument is becoming still more nebulous , I'm afraid.

At this point you're going to have to show me specific references. Which issue states or, ha, implies "between the lines", that Prime's Autobot army directly and intentionally committed genocide

If it helps you as a starting point, try addressing Rewind's rationale for killing Megatron in MTME 38. No arbitrary abstractions such as 'reading between lines' required

Also, try not to refer to any unreliable narrators, even if there are such examples of the convention available to you. Instead, rationalise the actions in the comics depicted firsthand, such as in All Hail Megatron. Where is the Autobot equivalent?

Good luck!

You're trying very hard to put the bots in a good light. Why do all alien races hate them and not just the cons?

The truth is, I haven't had to try very hard at all.

It's just a good-natured debate, anyway.

Trying a bit too hard. Veering towards Fanboying, which being the lowest opinion of all, I generally refuse to engage with as it's pointless.

Anyway, There is nothing nebulous in what I'm referring to, you just have to have read it. It's a little thing called "The -Ations", it began with Infiltration and (technically) went on to Devastation. Read it, it's all there.
A relevant quote based on your limiting criteria would be the entire exchange between Megatron and Optimus Prime in Escalation. Also Drift's need to conceal his appearance from other races in his mini-series of a couple years ago (Empire of Stone). Literally any dialogue in which the Galactic Council is mentioned.
The Aequitas trials referred to in Last Stand of The Wreckers etc etc etc etc
We all know AHM was a (poor) reboot designed to bring IDWverse closer to a low-brow "easy to understand" Sunbow level. As such nothing within bears too much relevance to what came before or after.

Anyone think Banzaitron is gonna show up? He’s been off the grid for 10 years and he was obsessed with the magnificence and any kind of advanced tech

Randomhero wrote:Anyone think Banzaitron is gonna show up? He’s been off the grid for 10 years and he was obsessed with the magnificence and any kind of advanced tech

It would be interesting and a good call back, but I think much like Gigatron, we won't be seeing him again in this continuity.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

Randomhero wrote:Anyone think Banzaitron is gonna show up? He’s been off the grid for 10 years and he was obsessed with the magnificence and any kind of advanced tech

It would be interesting and a good call back, but I think much like Gigatron, we won't be seeing him again in this continuity.

Well gigatron was just a giant nothingness. Banzaitron was actually a character. He ran the Decepticon secret intelligence and was all thought out the -ation series. I don’t know, I know there’s not a lot of time left but it would be nice to see him show back up in the final arc of lost light as being part of the the architects plans. I just reread spotlight hotrod and said “Oh wow that jerk never came back.”

That spotlight was one of the best and (alongside Spotlight Doubledealer) really gave Hot Rod a standout debut.

Banzaitron, Gigatron, Sixshot and Thunderwing all boarded The Revenge, helmed by Ramjet. Later, using Transwarp engines, they have escaped this reality into the next...

Except ramjet, thundering and sixshot are all confirmed dead.

Randomhero wrote:Except ramjet, thundering and sixshot are all confirmed dead.

...Sigh


Also, unless you have the printed panel with the demise of Thunderwing and Sixshot, they're not dead. It's just lazy writers who can't be bothered to use them.

At least ramjet got a fun confirmed death

Do we have any good leads on who the architect is then?

ZeroWolf wrote:Do we have any good leads on who the architect is then?

DUN, DUN, DUNNNN

You mock but it could be

ZeroWolf wrote:You mock but it could be

As long as it isn't Shockwave, or Prime (Nemesis or any other) or Auto-Megatron, it can only be an improvement.

Won't be shockwave, nova prime A stretch, megs, nah I think the architect was being seeded before he was even a bot.

ZeroWolf wrote:Won't be shockwave, nova prime A stretch, megs, nah I think the architect was being seeded before he was even a bot.

So was Onyx Prime, no?

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

Randomhero wrote:Except ramjet, thundering and sixshot are all confirmed dead.

...Sigh


Also, unless you have the printed panel with the demise of Thunderwing and Sixshot, they're not dead. It's just lazy writers who can't be bothered to use them.

Considering there’s only a handful of issues left and the throttlebots are a pretty reliable group sixshot is dead. If they said they finally killed him they killed him. And thundering was already dead, his body was just being remotely controlled by Jhiaxus. Plus it was last seen battling the wreckers. They’re not a group to just leave it where he was.

There’s never been an opportunity to use them in the stories that were told.

Randomhero wrote:
Considering there’s only a handful of issues left and the throttlebots are a pretty reliable group sixshot is dead. If they said they finally killed him they killed him. And thundewing was already dead, his body was just being remotely controlled by Jhiaxus. Plus it was last seen battling the wreckers. They’re not a group to just leave it where he was.

Yeah, the LEGENDARY Throttlebots, killed the Phase Six (World Destroying) Multi-Former? Yeah, that's not BS writing at all. It's like saying Jubilee killed Apocalypse

Thunderwing took the combined firepower of everyone present and was only stopped (not defeated) by falling into a near-bottomless chasm. Second time around took the fire power of everyone and only stopped (didn't die) because he ran out of power. The Wreckers are good, they don't have that much firepower though.

Randomhero wrote:There’s never been an opportunity to use them in the stories that were told.

This is the actual truth, not the BS excuses above that they palmed fans off with.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

Randomhero wrote:
Considering there’s only a handful of issues left and the throttlebots are a pretty reliable group sixshot is dead. If they said they finally killed him they killed him. And thundewing was already dead, his body was just being remotely controlled by Jhiaxus. Plus it was last seen battling the wreckers. They’re not a group to just leave it where he was.

Yeah, the LEGENDARY Throttlebots, killed the Phase Six (World Destroying) Multi-Former? Yeah, that's not BS writing at all. It's like saying Jubilee killed Apocalypse

Thunderwing took the combined firepower of everyone present and was only stopped (not defeated) by falling into a near-bottomless chasm. Second time around took the fire power of everyone and only stopped (didn't die) because he ran out of power. The Wreckers are good, they don't have that much firepower though.

Randomhero wrote:There’s never been an opportunity to use them in the stories that were told.

This is the actual truth, not the BS excuses above that they palmed fans off with.

A Titan stomped on sixshot multiple times. He was already badly beaten. His body was broken.

And thundering is dead. He’s a just a giant husk. They did defeat him the first time and his corpse was found my Bludgeon and used ore-13 to power it back up and use a harness to control it. His body was greyed out when it was found showing that he had died. The only thing left was small traces of memory.

Also ya know..the writer confirmed thundering finished off by the wreckers. He’s gone.

Randomhero wrote:A Titan stomped on sixshot multiple times. He was already badly beaten. His body was broken.

And thundering is dead. He’s a just a giant husk. They did defeat him the first time and his corpse was found my Bludgeon and used ore-13 to power it back up and use a harness to control it. His body was greyed out when it was found showing that he had died. The only thing left was small traces of memory.

Also ya know..the writer confirmed thundering finished off by the wreckers. He’s gone.

Metroplex stepped on Sixshot once. The Throttlebots still wouldn't have the combined firepower to take him out.

Likewise the Harness was destroyed and the memories illustrated there was still some (albeit a trace) of his consciousness within the body itself. Let's also note that Bludgeon was left a vegetable by the end of that story too and "got better", because a writer actually wanted to use him.

Again, Comic book rules: if they didn't show Thunderwing being destroyed, it didn't happen. It's irrelevant what a writer says after the fact if it wasn't shown in print.

Barber could say Windblade is the reincarnated Queen of Sheba. Means just as little, without a book to show for it.

I do think the author's intent can be overruled if there's a story to tell but for all intents, their stories were finished. Bludgeon, being a Furman favourite was spared as he was a fan favourite because of the marvel comic run.

ZeroWolf wrote:I do think the author's intent can be overruled if there's a story to tell but for all intents, their stories were finished. Bludgeon, being a Furman favourite was spared as he was a fan favourite because of the marvel comic run.

Exactly, intent is meaningless without an end result. As I've said before all the characters from pre-DoOP, that didn't fit into Transformers: House of Cards and/or Transformers: Red Dwarf, were cast aside. That is the literal truth of the matter.

Don't forget windblades three series which got characters like ironhide and another couple of oddities.

Most of which soon got rolled into TF: House of Cards...

I'd rather characters be used because the writer has a story to tell with them than just bringing them back for the sake of it.

I'd prefer them to shuffle the deck and show some creativity with everything they have at their disposal. Rather than stick to the same handful over and over.

You make characters popular by using them, after all.

But it's not just down to the comics to make them popular, the other media does its part as well

Perhaps, but the comic should always be at the forefront of pushing The New over the old.

Yes but then we reach problems with the fanbase. Exhibit A: Alpha Bravo and Off Road. IDW should have helped sell these new guys to the fans who were in revolt over their addition to the areialbots and stunticons respectively. We didn't get that though, AB got two lines and I think Off Road got one. For a franchise that's built on change, it's surprisingly hard to get the fanbase on board with change. Though people forgot how much change beast wars was and how beloved that was.

Exactly the point. My background with Transformers has been at the cusps of change. The Movie, swept all the Old away for The New. Loved it. Beast Wars moved away from G1 altogether and into the future. Loved it.

Moving forward is paramount. Also need to start factoring in the stranglehold of the original fanbase is waning now, as they grow older and older. As good a time as any but to give them no choice but to move with the times, just as Beast Wars did.

Actually guys, pretty sure after Metroplex stomped Sixshot there was a panel at the end of SixShot twitching like he wasnt dead

Flashwave wrote:Actually guys, pretty sure after Metroplex stomped Sixshot there was a panel at the end of SixShot twitching like he wasnt dead

It was after that, when the Throttlebots escaped the planet, that Sixshot came after them and got shot down and killed.

I'm personally not 100% sure we won't see Sixshot again. I feel like he could show up. We have several things in the solicitations that indicate cons coming back to cybertron has Unicron attacks

We finally have the full previews for this week's comics from IDW Publishing featuring Transformers, and we're headed for a number of endings - continuing with Lost Light #20 below! Check it all out, and join the discussion in the Energon Pub as we prepare our review for the release date this new comic book day.

Transformers: Lost Light #20—Cover A: Jack Lawrence
James Roberts (w) • Casey W. Coller (a) • Jack Lawrence (c)
Rodimus vs. Getaway! Finally!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Lost Light #20—Cover B: Jack Lawrence
James Roberts (w) • Casey W. Coller (a) • Jack Lawrence (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Cyclonus vs. Star Saber!
It’s a battle for the heart and soul of the Lost Light!
A story years in the making!
B&W variant cover by Jack Lawrence!

Who's saving roddy then? Who's the bets on?

Gareth Southgate, manager of the England soccer team.

ZeroWolf wrote:Who's saving roddy then? Who's the bets on?

I don’t know but I do know that with Thunderclash being interrupted on the last panel he’s probably dead on the next page.

ZeroWolf wrote:Who's saving roddy then? Who's the bets on?

Who knows? Maybe he can activate the ejection mechanism that he had Brainstorm build into the pilot's chair now that he's close enough....and send Getaway flying right into Scorp's unprotected back.

It's a thought.

Does this version of Grimlock have a toy representing it, or a figure that's at least close? (This is technically a toy question, but I didn't know where to ask in the toy discussion forum. Sorry.)

Rodimus Prime wrote:Does this version of Grimlock have a toy representing it, or a figure that's at least close? (This is technically a toy question, but I didn't know where to ask in the toy discussion forum. Sorry.)

I got the Fansproject one for this purpose but it's not really super close, especially in T-Rex mode. Nothing's taken the comic design and really used it. MMC showed some renders so maybe in 3 or 4 years they'll deliver a Swoop

Part 2 of the final story in the larger More Than Meets The Eye and Lost Light saga has arrived, with a big promise found in the solicitation: at last, Rodimus and Getaway are set to do battle!

To make this a long, wordy review will almost definitely spoil someone on something even if I don't intend to. If you're here just to find an answer to the question "is this issue good?", then the answer is "Yes, it's great - and you can stop reading this review now."


As highlighted by Va'al in his review of issue 19, there is a great deal going on. In issue 20, there still is, but the amount that is addressed in satisfying ways is nothing short of incredible. While not every pertinent question is answered, those within the context of the main events of this particular issue get some form of an answer. Telling you how complete these answers are may imply plot details, which I'm desperately trying to avoid in this review. Praise nonetheless is deserved for the pacing and intensity delivered by every page of this important chapter of the story.


There is one side plot in particular among the several that get attention which felt somewhat truncated and short, at least upon a first reading. If you know me at all, you might know what I'm referring to, but if not, you probably will after reading. After taking some time to think about it over the last several days, it was close to the best choice that could have been made considering the wider narrative. Did it get space? Yes. Would I have liked for it to have gotten more? Yes. Would the plot have been better served with said "more" space? No. This issue had a purpose, and this part of the story was not the focus for a reason.


The focus is exactly what was promised in the solicitation: Rodimus vs Getaway. Getaway stole the Lost Light during a mutiny in More Than Meets The Eye #50, which was published on March 9th, 2016. Two years, four months, and two days later, the confrontation you've been waiting for arrives. It's the focus of the issue, it deserves that focus, and James Roberts absolutely delivers. Page 16 is absolutely chill-inducing, and the entire creative team deserves your $4 pretty much just based on it alone.


Speaking of the creative team: Casey. Freaking. Coller. One of the great missed opportunities of the IDW run is that Coller wasn't chosen for more interior work. Ever since the incredible Ironhide mini-series, I've been absolutely blown away by his work and the output on Lost Light #20 did so all over again. I couldn't post many of the best panels without spoiling stuff that shouldn't be spoiled, but his work on the action scenes breathes another level of life into them, telling a story within the story. The panels with more talking look great too (scroll up for that look at Rung and Wipe Out - wow!) and if this ends up being Casey Coller's last work on an IDW Transformers book, then it's one hell of a last hurrah.

Joana Lafuente's colors aren't to be ignored either, bringing the look right into "definitely Lost Light" territory. Despite there now being six interior artists (apologies if I missed someone) throughout the run of the series, you can always know what book it is just by taking a glance at a few pages. Tom B. Long provides all the "THUD"s, "HFF"s, and "THWACK"s you could ask for along with the usual stellar letter work, with some clever twists in the "speech" of the alien characters that calls right back to a previous plot-line. Regular series artist Jack Lawrence provides two covers, with Lafuente again on colors, with the "A" cover shown in this news story's thumbnail. As always, you can look up all the covers, credits, and potentially-spoiler-laden character appearances in our Vector Sigma Database entry for Lost Light #20.


This is what you've been waiting for. The main undercurrent for the main character of the series crashes to the shore in Lost Light #20, and it's a great ride. Read, experience, and enjoy. There are only so many more times you can.



Bonus! James Roberts' soundtrack suggestions for this issue were not available as of this writing, either that or I've forgotten how Twitter works on a desktop. Here's my own suggestion, because why not, and because it just works for this one:

• Stars - "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"

A very very good review, and deserved praise for Coller!

I'm happy to hear that this delivers on the promise of getaway getting exactly what he deserves. I'm going to enjoy reading this one I think.

This was a really enjoyable issue.

I honestly didn't expect to see this part of the plot wrap so soon, and it was VERY satisfying. Star Saber went down quickly, but he's been little more than a plot device in this series so that's to be expected. The Getaway/Rodimus confrontation was perfect.

With Getaway gone it looks like Roberts will have plenty of space to tell the Grand Architect's story. I wonder to what degree it will intersect with the Unicron event. Is he "the Beast" Tyrest spoke of? Is Unicron coming through that portal at the end?

MrBlack wrote:This was a really enjoyable issue.

I honestly didn't expect to see this part of the plot wrap so soon, and it was VERY satisfying. Star Saber went down quickly, but he's been little more than a plot device in this series so that's to be expected. The Getaway/Rodimus confrontation was perfect.

With Getaway gone it looks like Roberts will have plenty of space to tell the Grand Architect's story. I wonder to what degree it will intersect with the Unicron event. Is he "the Beast" Tyrest spoke of? Is Unicron coming through that portal at the end?

You’re not reading the other books are you? Unicron has been slumbering pretending to be a planet for eons. There’s no portal for him to come through and lost light is not partaking in the Unicron event
. Everything we’re gettjng is what James set up 6 years ago. this is their story.

I am reading the other books.

I think it's still open to have at least a minor crossover. Lost Light seems to be running behind the other books in the timeline. We saw Unicron wake, but haven't seen exactly where he came from. I think there's enough there for it to be an open question, if unlikely.

Good issue I give it an 8/10.

Loved the way one particular Bot bought the farm. Another long awaited "conclusion" was too cut and dry though.

Not sure what that was at the end though but I'm looking forward to finding out in the next issue.