Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19

Wednesday, July 4th, 2018 1:39AM CDT

Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al Views: 25,153

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Grimlock Rushes In
(Spoiler free-ish)

Synopsis
Years ago, the crew of the Lost Light fought a demonic Cybertronian mutant that fed on its victims’ souls. Years later, Rodimus and Co. are about to discover that the only thing worse than a sparkeater… is an army of sparkeaters!

cue title

Story
Despite the scheduling issues, despite the digital vs print clashes, despite everything in-universe and out, we're here. We're actually here, at the end of The Quest, with a gaggle of questions still needing answers, and an army of sparkeaters at the proverbial door: Lost Light enters its last story arc, and we're here for it. Are you?

Probably not

The question is obviously rhetorical, as you're reading the review - but there is a sense of dread even in the lighter moments that the comic tries bringing with the best new pairing (that was bound to happen, and now that it does, yes, very much so), hinting at several heavy moments if not in this issue then most definitely in the arc. So I ask again: are we ready?

Swervefire? Misswerve?

The best character and related moments that stand out, ignoring the above for one moment, have to do with the dinobot that was told to wait - and obviously will not and didn't: Grimlock. He's powerful, he's sweet, he's charming and caring, and he gave fellow staffer ScottyP a fanboy blush* during his reading of the issue.

MAGNUS YES

If, then, we consider all the plot propelling and thread gathering - and if this has been said before for a previous issue I realise I was very naive but we're here now - and the way in which those are done, used, and employed throughout the issue, I'll have really only one thing to say: this is very much a Roberts script, and a fine display of his skills.

Art
As we have known for a while now, art duties will be shifting across the final arc to ease the double monthly billing (ahem), meaning that we see an old flame of the Transformers comics make his return for this issue: E.J. Su! Many fans will be very pleased about this, and the lineart is indeed very very good - but I can't let one critique slide: the shading and crosshatching that shows up over a number of characters, scenes and elements of the otherwise great visual work overall, casting.. well, a shadow unnecessarily.

see Thunderclash's chest

The colours provided by Joana Lafuente do attempt to ease some of the scratchier, more jarring linework, but with a base so dark already, even her impressive skills at keeping visual continuity and coherence with the regular art seen so far in the book cannot mask what can result very distracting indeed (see above for example).

moooody

Again, letterer Tom B Long ensures not only that the pacing of the interactions hit their mark, but also takes clearly a lot of pleasure and fun in some of the louder, wider pages of action and noises, with some of the best screams and KRUNCHes that I had seen in the series so far (see above!).

The main cover art, featuring Nick Roche and Josh Burcham displaying Team Rodimus ready to face whatever is thrown their way, is darkly mirrored by the duo's own counterpoint offered in the variant you can see in the thumbnail - and also found in our databse entry here - the two sides that used to be one has to tug at someone's strings hard.

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

As I said in my opening remarks: we're here. And so is everyone else. Something that Roberts has unmistakenly been able to do since his first appearance as an official writer on the IDW comics, has been to seed (or retroactively make it so) plot points and details for the reader to almost entirely forget before bringing them back for a wider tapestry. And in this final arc, that skill is turned up to what seems to be at least a 12 - here's looking forward to a satisfying landing, with a run-up this sizeable.

It begins

All in all, it's a number of a series that will confirm to be liked by most readers who enjoy this style of script, will bring in fans looking for some official EJ Su Transformers artwork (my caveat above remains), and will not be liked by those who dislike the narrative techniques deployed in MTMTE and LL so far.

out of

*I thought of many jokes involving dinosaurs and bones, be thankful I avoided them until this postscript.

Credit(s): IDW

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Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968589)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 4th, 2018 @ 4:19am CDT

Thanks for the review va'al, it's sad to see this ending but I'm happy he's getting to end it his way unrushed (personal opinion may differ) I've seen other writers fail to tell an end in a convincing manner (I'm looking at you Tite Kubo, bleach could have been saved...)

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968596)
Posted by Big Grim on July 4th, 2018 @ 5:45am CDT

Looking forward to this. Heck, I've been rereading MTMTE and Lost Light and blimey. There's a LOT I missed last time round! It really has come together in a remarkable way.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968598)
Posted by Randomhero on July 4th, 2018 @ 6:38am CDT

This is a great issue! I don’t have anything be critical over. It’s fast paced, there’s actions, good use of exposition. If anything the only gripe would be that those sparkeaters really are just standing around letting stuff happen but I’d argue they seem domesticated so it’s fine.

It’s a bit predictable but that’s been LL for a while. I said the crew were the sparkeater army, Getaway and starsaber were more than likely the only ones not turned and Tyrest would be coming back as one of the Grand Architects lieutenants but I’m not gonna praise me figuring it out. There’s just loose ends and when you’ve only got 7 issues left it’s been easy to see what’s coming in sorts.’

No I liked this issue. It’s amping up. Wonderful to see EJ back and doing art. It may be more appropriate for OP but I’m just happy to see him back in transformers.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968631)
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on July 4th, 2018 @ 9:35am CDT

"Mutineer 1 and Mutineer 2, I'll get to you later" or something like that :lol:

Also, Swerve and Misfire are the perfect pairing here

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968650)
Posted by Ishin Ookami on July 4th, 2018 @ 11:31am CDT

Misfire (to Grimlock): Hows the Baby
Ultra Magnus: Nothing makes sense anymore.

Easily my favorite part.

I'm loving so much of where this is going. Though I'm hoping Thunderclash finally gets to shine. The guy has been stricken with an Illness, turned inside out, and cleaved in half. I want to see him finally live up to his rep.

Also I didn't expect to see Sporponok show up again. His and Rodimus's rematch should be interesting.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968653)
Posted by Randomhero on July 4th, 2018 @ 11:53am CDT

That’s the point. Thunderclash is a joke. He’s Ace Rimmer. Everyone talks about how amazing he is but you don’t see how great he is. He is literally a gag character.

Why would you think scorponok wouldn’t return? He’s behind so much with the Cog machinations .

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968654)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 4th, 2018 @ 12:01pm CDT

Random...who's your post directed at? No one mentioned scorponok...

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968658)
Posted by Randomhero on July 4th, 2018 @ 12:35pm CDT

ZeroWolf wrote:Random...who's your post directed at? No one mentioned scorponok...

you don’t see it either?! WTF!? It’s not on the board but it’s on the article! I thought it was glitchy or something on my end! Go to the article on the site, not the board user ishin ookami has a post that Thunderclash and Scorponok.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968660)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 4th, 2018 @ 12:52pm CDT

Randomhero wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:Random...who's your post directed at? No one mentioned scorponok...

you don’t see it either?! WTF!? It’s not on the board but it’s on the article! I thought it was glitchy or something on my end! Go to the article on the site, not the board user ishin ookami has a post that Thunderclash and Scorponok.

Well that's weird. You're right, it's there but not... :HEADHURTS:

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968661)
Posted by SkyFire Prime on July 4th, 2018 @ 1:11pm CDT

I really liked the line work!

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968665)
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on July 4th, 2018 @ 1:37pm CDT

ZeroWolf wrote:
Randomhero wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:Random...who's your post directed at? No one mentioned scorponok...

you don’t see it either?! WTF!? It’s not on the board but it’s on the article! I thought it was glitchy or something on my end! Go to the article on the site, not the board user ishin ookami has a post that Thunderclash and Scorponok.

Well that's weird. You're right, it's there but not...

He's a brand new user, his forum post hasn't been approved yet. Burn or another mod will approve the post as soon as they are on. I can see it on here because I'm staff, so I do know it's here.

As for why it's visible on the front page, that's weird. But the swear filter doesn't work and lots of forum pics don't show up either, so there is that.

Also, wonder if Cyclonus is gonna take on just Star Saber and Rodimus the other 2? Still really hoping Getaway gets a triple pipe blast to the brain

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968686)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 4th, 2018 @ 3:10pm CDT

I see, thanks for the explanation d-max :-)

as for getaway...death is too good for him, I really hope he breaks down and realises he's beat by someone better than him.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968690)
Posted by Ishin Ookami on July 4th, 2018 @ 3:45pm CDT

ZeroWolf wrote:I see, thanks for the explanation d-max as for getaway...death is too good for him, I really hope he breaks down and realises he's beat by someone better than him.

Pretty sure Next Issue will be Getaway hanging back and firing off taunts as Cyclonus fights Star Saber and Rodimus fights Scorponok

I'm also curious to see what he meant when he said his life had lost meaning.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968716)
Posted by Randomhero on July 4th, 2018 @ 6:16pm CDT

ZeroWolf wrote:I see, thanks for the explanation d-max as for getaway...death is too good for him, I really hope he breaks down and realises he's beat by someone better than him.

That line about there’s little to live for makes me think he’s more a slave than a partner in all this. Please don’t victimize Getaway Roberts. Getaway has done some bad stuff and we’re too far in to sympathize him.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968719)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 4th, 2018 @ 6:41pm CDT

I agree, I like relatable villains but some times, we do need irredeemable scumbags who are in it just for themselves. They all can't be "I only did these mean things because some one else told me to do it"

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968726)
Posted by Randomhero on July 4th, 2018 @ 7:46pm CDT

ZeroWolf wrote:I agree, I like relatable villains but some times, we do need irredeemable scumbags who are in it just for themselves. They all can't be "I only did these mean things because some one else told me to do it"

Exactly, no one forced Getaway to use Tailgate as collateral damage, form a mutiny, murder 30+ autobots for Sunder. This is on him. I get a Lando vibe off him with that line. He made a deal to save his own skin at the expense of everyone else. For all intended purposes Tyrest would have had him executed right away when seeing him but it continues my theory Getaway has knowledge the Grand Architect needs or has some use for him. It seems like he(it) forces people into servitude. We saw that with Scorponok. Scorponoks obviously not loyal, he doesn’t wear the cog symbol and we know he’s been scheming against the grand architect from the final scavengers story.

Really makes me start to wonder who the Grand architect is. He(it)’s obviously that giant spark...could he be the knights of Cybertron all merged together not unlike what Megatron was planning in Beast Machines and gained omnipotence. I hope this isn’t an Ego from a guardians of the Galaxy vol 2 plan but I can see it going that way. They mention drilling...could it be some insane plan to merge all life into one being? I mean come one...”till all are one”

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968727)
Posted by Quint on July 4th, 2018 @ 8:00pm CDT

Randomhero wrote:That’s the point. Thunderclash is a joke. He’s Ace Rimmer. Everyone talks about how amazing he is but you don’t see how great he is. He is literally a gag character.

Why would you think scorponok wouldn’t return? He’s behind so much with the Cog machinations .

Yeah I see where you're coming from with Thunderclash, and that does work...

... Right up until the moment Thunderclash joins the crew and is demystified :lol:

As we near the crunch, so many big characters are seemingly demoted to de-powered peripheral players, such as Thunderclash and Tyrest; the latter's reveal didn't even warrant a final page panel.

Roller too, and he's a prime example of Roberts' sophomoric will to outwit the audience precluding narrative sense or value. Roller's basically just room meat, whereas he could have been so much more, albeit now-dead.

Nonetheless, as messy and frantically rushed as it all is, it's an entertaining read.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968731)
Posted by Randomhero on July 4th, 2018 @ 9:03pm CDT

For all intended purposes Thunderclash should have died when he was shot in the head. I wouldn’t have said a negative thing if he hadn’t been with them and first aid said “we lost Thunderclash on the way to save him”

He’s been regarded as the greatest autobot ever. Someone even Optimus Prime looks up to and now he’s here and literally just a grunt to a point here he saluted to Rodimus and Magnus and yells “SIRS!” Someone will that large of reputation-guilty or not of participating in the mutiny- would be the guy you’d resign your command to. Not unlike prowl did so to Jazz and Kip in All Hail megatron. He’s the guy who’s said have lead the most successful campaigns out of anyone there.

It’s an issue with roberts and it’s been an issue through the entire run. Building character to be super powerful to stupid and ridiculous degrees. overlord, the DJD and Thunderclash. Characters who for reasons should just be background characters because they can’t be used properly. overlord was made indestructible so it’s literally “how do you defeat him?” The DJD wiped out phase sixers and over 200 quantum autobots but needed an army and high tailed it when they were coming for Shockwave when he called for backup. Thunderclash who is the perfect autobot and now he’s around you can’t really use him how you’ve built him up.

Little nitpick but it’s there and a minor issue.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968784)
Posted by AlphaBass on July 5th, 2018 @ 9:20am CDT

Other minor issue - guess this means Defensor's death is real.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968790)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 5th, 2018 @ 9:55am CDT

AlphaBass wrote:Other minor issue - guess this means Defensor's death is real.

True but we'll just mark that down now as wanting to make star saber a legitimate threat. Besides no one will be alive in this continuity soon ;-)

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968812)
Posted by Randomhero on July 5th, 2018 @ 10:58am CDT

ZeroWolf wrote:
AlphaBass wrote:Other minor issue - guess this means Defensor's death is real.

True but we'll just mark that down now as wanting to make star saber a legitimate threat. Besides no one will be alive in this continuity soon

It’s so hard not to think that way. What is there? 20 issues left all together? It’s hard not to look at “we’ll the universe is closing so all bets are off” but shouldn’t have that mentality. It takes away depth but like I said it’s difficult not to think that way.

It’s like I’ve said before I don’t believe it’s all going to end with Unicron devouring the universe. I do think he’s going to be defeated and they will have a happy ended. There will be collateral damage but a 13 year old continuity deserves it a good send off.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968816)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 5th, 2018 @ 11:12am CDT

Don't let allnewsuperrobot hear you say that, he thinks unicron needs to be allowed to destroy everything so he can be seen as a proper threat. My other post is in jest though a little as I can't see them not honouring the end of the animated movie and the marvel comics run. I also wonder still if they could segue from unicrons destruction to the new continuity ala transformers cybertron

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968821)
Posted by Randomhero on July 5th, 2018 @ 11:41am CDT

ZeroWolf wrote:Don't let allnewsuperrobot hear you say that, he thinks unicron needs to be allowed to destroy everything so he can be seen as a proper threat. My other post is in jest though a little as I can't see them not honouring the end of the animated movie and the marvel comics run. I also wonder still if they could segue from unicrons destruction to the new continuity ala transformers cybertron

I’ve thought about that too. Not unlike what DC dieting new 52 where the universe gets remade.

It’s like I’ve joked before “EVERYONE INTO THE FUNCTIONALIST UNIVERSE! MEGATRON HAS BEEN PREPPING IT FOR US!”

There’s gotta be plans to bring him back to the comics someday. Years down the road he shows back up. It even make a miniseries of his tales there. If it wasn’t all concluding I would have liked to see James do that after LL ended.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968824)
Posted by AlphaBass on July 5th, 2018 @ 12:10pm CDT

Randomhero wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:Don't let allnewsuperrobot hear you say that, he thinks unicron needs to be allowed to destroy everything so he can be seen as a proper threat. My other post is in jest though a little as I can't see them not honouring the end of the animated movie and the marvel comics run. I also wonder still if they could segue from unicrons destruction to the new continuity ala transformers cybertron

I’ve thought about that too. Not unlike what DC dieting new 52 where the universe gets remade.

It’s like I’ve joked before “EVERYONE INTO THE FUNCTIONALIST UNIVERSE! MEGATRON HAS BEEN PREPPING IT FOR US!”

There’s gotta be plans to bring him back to the comics someday. Years down the road he shows back up. It even make a miniseries of his tales there. If it wasn’t all concluding I would have liked to see James do that after LL ended.

I'd be very curious to see and Optimus/Megatron team up - even if it's set in the Functionist universe, I'm intrigued about them and how easily they could take over the galaxy. Maybe Prime decides Megatron's pacifist ways aren't enough to get things done and pushes Megs to a shades of grey area where it seems like the ends justify the means.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968825)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 5th, 2018 @ 12:24pm CDT

AlphaBass wrote:
Randomhero wrote:
ZeroWolf wrote:Don't let allnewsuperrobot hear you say that, he thinks unicron needs to be allowed to destroy everything so he can be seen as a proper threat. My other post is in jest though a little as I can't see them not honouring the end of the animated movie and the marvel comics run. I also wonder still if they could segue from unicrons destruction to the new continuity ala transformers cybertron

I’ve thought about that too. Not unlike what DC dieting new 52 where the universe gets remade.

It’s like I’ve joked before “EVERYONE INTO THE FUNCTIONALIST UNIVERSE! MEGATRON HAS BEEN PREPPING IT FOR US!”

There’s gotta be plans to bring him back to the comics someday. Years down the road he shows back up. It even make a miniseries of his tales there. If it wasn’t all concluding I would have liked to see James do that after LL ended.

I'd be very curious to see and Optimus/Megatron team up - even if it's set in the Functionist universe, I'm intrigued about them and how easily they could take over the galaxy. Maybe Prime decides Megatron's pacifist ways aren't enough to get things done and pushes Megs to a shades of grey area where it seems like the ends justify the means.

That sounds like it would lead to a shattered glass situation

I would like to see this take on megs again, there's still a lot to do with him.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968826)
Posted by Randomhero on July 5th, 2018 @ 12:41pm CDT

The closer we get to the end the more apparent I think it was that the first arc of LL was just to get Megatron off a book he was never intended to be in. As great as he was in MTMTE he left zero impact except for Dying of The Light. Getaway was already planning the mutiny before megatron was announced as coming on board as co-captain with him already being unimpressed with rodimus’s leadership and him and atomizer already concocting a fake list to blackmail Rodimus.

Seeing as how things are being played out it just seems more and more James wanted him on the book with season two and to get back on track he needed to find a way to remove him.

Megatron has some amazing moments and it’s argued on him being the best version of Megatron ever but when you look at MTMTE/LL as a whole you do see his inclusion was a side step in it all.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968838)
Posted by AlphaBass on July 5th, 2018 @ 1:31pm CDT

Randomhero wrote:The closer we get to the end the more apparent I think it was that the first arc of LL was just to get Megatron off a book he was never intended to be in. As great as he was in MTMTE he left zero impact except for Dying of The Light. Getaway was already planning the mutiny before megatron was announced as coming on board as co-captain with him already being unimpressed with rodimus’s leadership and him and atomizer already concocting a fake list to blackmail Rodimus.

Seeing as how things are being played out it just seems more and more James wanted him on the book with season two and to get back on track he needed to find a way to remove him.

Megatron has some amazing moments and it’s argued on him being the best version of Megatron ever but when you look at MTMTE/LL as a whole you do see his inclusion was a side step in it all.

The most interesting I found him was slaughterhouse. The interactions between him and Ravage, him and the rest of the team, I thought it could've been explored a lot more in detail.

Him going back in time, for example, and seeing how beautiful Cybertron once was (instead of Cyclonus) could've been a really interesting arc for him - knowing what he's known and been through, was it worth it? Could there have been a different way?

And I wasn't suggesting SG Prime, but more of a Prime that acted like Prowl.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968845)
Posted by Randomhero on July 5th, 2018 @ 2:02pm CDT

AlphaBass wrote:
Randomhero wrote:The closer we get to the end the more apparent I think it was that the first arc of LL was just to get Megatron off a book he was never intended to be in. As great as he was in MTMTE he left zero impact except for Dying of The Light. Getaway was already planning the mutiny before megatron was announced as coming on board as co-captain with him already being unimpressed with rodimus’s leadership and him and atomizer already concocting a fake list to blackmail Rodimus.

Seeing as how things are being played out it just seems more and more James wanted him on the book with season two and to get back on track he needed to find a way to remove him.

Megatron has some amazing moments and it’s argued on him being the best version of Megatron ever but when you look at MTMTE/LL as a whole you do see his inclusion was a side step in it all.

The most interesting I found him was slaughterhouse. The interactions between him and Ravage, him and the rest of the team, I thought it could've been explored a lot more in detail.

Him going back in time, for example, and seeing how beautiful Cybertron once was (instead of Cyclonus) could've been a really interesting arc for him - knowing what he's known and been through, was it worth it? Could there have been a different way?

And I wasn't suggesting SG Prime, but more of a Prime that acted like Prowl.

That question itself was raised in elegant Chaos when rewind murdered him. He says the functionalism made a future even worse for cybertronians but the rest of the universe prospered. HOWEVER in dying of light revealed his plan was to escape and go into the past till he realized he cant run or hide or change anything and he had to accept what he did and accept it. Megatron going back and having that moment cyclonus had wouldn’t have worked because it wasn’t a beautiful cybertron that megatron dreamed of like cyclonus. Megatron wouldnt gasped in awe of prewar cybertron. He would have looked at it as a senate controlled cybertron where function dictates who you are. It’s the cybertron that made him do what he did.

Having him see that Cybertron and someone ask “was it worth it?” Megatron would have looked at whoever is asking and point at a disposable class bot or sad construction bot being pushed around by senate thugs and said said nothing because that’s what Megatron would have done.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968855)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 5th, 2018 @ 3:01pm CDT

AlphaBass wrote:
Randomhero wrote:The closer we get to the end the more apparent I think it was that the first arc of LL was just to get Megatron off a book he was never intended to be in. As great as he was in MTMTE he left zero impact except for Dying of The Light. Getaway was already planning the mutiny before megatron was announced as coming on board as co-captain with him already being unimpressed with rodimus’s leadership and him and atomizer already concocting a fake list to blackmail Rodimus.

Seeing as how things are being played out it just seems more and more James wanted him on the book with season two and to get back on track he needed to find a way to remove him.

Megatron has some amazing moments and it’s argued on him being the best version of Megatron ever but when you look at MTMTE/LL as a whole you do see his inclusion was a side step in it all.

The most interesting I found him was slaughterhouse. The interactions between him and Ravage, him and the rest of the team, I thought it could've been explored a lot more in detail.

Him going back in time, for example, and seeing how beautiful Cybertron once was (instead of Cyclonus) could've been a really interesting arc for him - knowing what he's known and been through, was it worth it? Could there have been a different way?

And I wasn't suggesting SG Prime, but more of a Prime that acted like Prowl.

Oh I know as the club shattered glass didn't have any shades of grey like you were suggesting. I thought it offered a more role reversal swap of megs and prime. In fact on a slightly less serious note I would love a not in continuity comic just showing the (mis)adventures of buddy cops megs and prime. The banter would be fantastic.

I feel that if megs got proof what the Functionist universe was like, he would have got support from bots and cons alike.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968864)
Posted by Randomhero on July 5th, 2018 @ 3:59pm CDT

We got to see that at the end of that first arc in LL.

One thing to always remember is Megatron still believed what he did was right. He fully admits he went too far and regrets the violence he caused but he never stopped believing in his philosophy. He still regarded what he did as a revolution.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968945)
Posted by Quint on July 6th, 2018 @ 3:04am CDT

Nevertheless he committed a plethora of crimes against the Transformers and organic species across the universe, including genocide no less. However, given the apparent demise of the Knights, it seems he will indeed escape the judgement - let alone punishment - he originally, purportedly, sought.

Prowl was right, and Prime was a fool for letting him go.

No doubt he'll be along to save the day before the close, but they've written themselves into a ridiculous ethical and moral dead end with Megatron's story.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968946)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 6th, 2018 @ 4:03am CDT

I don't think we'll see megs again, likewise I doubt he'll be mentioned at all in unicron. So yes he has gotten away with it but really autobot megatron was more than worth it as otherwise he would have been left to rot which is a waste of storytelling potential. Though he wasn't going to get that punishment anyway being trapped in the functionist universe.

Another comparison would be what happens at the end of Transformers Prime Predacons Rising with a newly resurrected megatron basically throwing his arms in the air and quitting and being allowed to walk away.

Though we all know what version of megs we'll end up getting in the reboot. A return to 80s super villain, a villain so competent the writers had to do his job and give him cybertron off screen.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968950)
Posted by Quint on July 6th, 2018 @ 4:23am CDT

False dichotomy there.

In-story, they were clearly wrong to let him go.

Judged as a narrative, there were still other opportunities to see Megatron brought to justice prior to his escape. It's a little facile to compartmentalise Megatron into schisms of before/after putting on the Autobrand. Repentance is not equivalent to justice in of itself... and even then, has Megatron even shown genuine contrition? He's said that he's changed, but has he sought forgiveness? As far as I'm aware, he hasn't.

It actually doesn't even require a depiction of punishment, just an acknowledgement that justice has not been served to the billions of lives he was responsible for ending.

I don't think Roberts/IDW know how to deal with a criminal of that magnitude, a murderer on that scale. So concerned are they by the minutiae of one-on-one relationships they've kind of checked out of processing the consequences of someone who could order a planet's by inches. It reminds me of this bit from Eddie Izzard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk_pHZmn5QM

I'm unfamiliar with the latest Transformers cartoons, but it's also reminiscent of Magneto in that last, terrible X-Men movie. He tears a city asunder, killing thousands, perhaps millions, but is left to walk away because he made friends with Professor X at the end. Incredible.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1968954)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 6th, 2018 @ 6:28am CDT

Except he didn't escape into the functionist universe, he was abandoned there. Or are you on about the thing with the Knights? If so he was 9n course for that judgment till getaway happened and then the djd attack. Also prime let it happen because that's who prime is. Had he ordered megs to die then he would be no better, killing isn't justice. Now maybe you would have preffered that they had his spark contained but then again would that have worked with his strange body work after dark cybertron?

I think random hero said it best a couple of posts above with that plans for him went so far but were not part of the actual story of lost light, otherwise he would have appeared in this last arc. No point being bitter about it Megs is trapped in a functionist universe where he gets a do over, after all the cons were bad but the functionists are just as bad, if not worse

Now I wonder if the reboot will ever dare to get to point again, megs in chains, maybe ten years from now?

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969074)
Posted by YoungPrime on July 6th, 2018 @ 1:55pm CDT

Really enjoyed this issue I give it an 8.5 out 10. They art could've been better but it's not bad.
Can't wait for the next issue.

Really gonna miss this book when it's gone.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969081)
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on July 6th, 2018 @ 2:05pm CDT

Quint wrote:False dichotomy there.

In-story, they were clearly wrong to let him go.

Judged as a narrative, there were still other opportunities to see Megatron brought to justice prior to his escape. It's a little facile to compartmentalise Megatron into schisms of before/after putting on the Autobrand. Repentance is not equivalent to justice in of itself... and even then, has Megatron even shown genuine contrition? He's said that he's changed, but has he sought forgiveness? As far as I'm aware, he hasn't.

It actually doesn't even require a depiction of punishment, just an acknowledgement that justice has not been served to the billions of lives he was responsible for ending.

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.

Quint wrote:I don't think Roberts/IDW know how to deal with a criminal of that magnitude, a murderer on that scale. So concerned are they by the minutiae of one-on-one relationships they've kind of checked out of processing the consequences of someone who could order a planet's by inches.

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.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969085)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 6th, 2018 @ 2:21pm CDT

How would you end a war like that then? One were all the combatants are mentally corrupted to some degree...like prowl for instance. Marvel found a way, sunbrow found a way. Beast wars had a way but never explained it too well. Energon also ended the war at the beginning...then again at the end till Cybertron came about. Prime also ended it by having megs say "screw it, I quit!"

Haven't seen all if rid 2015 so don't know what they did.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969091)
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on July 6th, 2018 @ 2:31pm CDT

The point is it doesn't happen over night.

In our own history exists The Hundred Year War. Wherein due to life spans etc of the time, the generation who started the war were not the same as those at the end. To that end, it ceased to be War and becomes something more sinister than that, it became everyday life.

Now stretch that out to Four million years. Albeit I didn't like the concept, the NAILS demonstrated this to a degree. Any dissent towards the war would have left at the outset. After a couple million years, those still participating are there by choice. It became their entire existence. It would be commonplace for both Autobot and Decepticon to murder each other on sight and not think twice about it. From Wheelie to Sixshot.

All the psycho-babble about PTSD is largely redundant as they would mentally be long past that. Both sides would be exactly the same.

"Peace" for them, as we would understand it, would take millions of years more. With both sides being apathetically murderous in the interim.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969094)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 6th, 2018 @ 2:40pm CDT

But it's a bit much for a kids franchise and I have a gut feeling that many who complain about idw at the moment would complain about that as well...then again they would want the war to never end...can't win really

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969097)
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on July 6th, 2018 @ 2:47pm CDT

Ultimately, I think that's why the -Ations was dumbed down into AHM. Furman blurred the line too much, wherein he seemed to realise that the tired old cliché of "The Heroic Autobots fighting The Evil Decepticons" doesn't really hold up to anyone beyond the age of 10.

Unless explicitly stated, ALL comics/cartoons/etc are aimed at kids. Yet that doesn't mean you have to patronise them with a condescending view of adult themes. It is part of the reason licensed properties such as Transformers are still not taken as seriously as even the more tradition comics of established publishers.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969099)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 6th, 2018 @ 2:53pm CDT

Well it was said that ahm was intended as a reboot, for that reason probably as well as wanting a more, back to basics idea. Hence old alt forms and megs into a gun.

If they had kept it as a reboot, would that mean that we would have settled into maybe a seasonal style with a reboot after a big arc? On the other hand I wonder what would have happened if they allowed Furman to finish properly and do the expansion...wheres a portal to a parallel universe when you need one.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969100)
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on July 6th, 2018 @ 2:58pm CDT

Lest we forget, Megs got his gun mode back in the dreadful (and canon) Transformers/Avengers crossover...

I think at least with Furman's Expansion we would have gotten something a lot more interesting that CHAOS or Dark Cybertron >:oP

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969121)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 6th, 2018 @ 4:24pm CDT

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Lest we forget, Megs got his gun mode back in the dreadful (and canon) Transformers/Avengers crossover...

I think at least with Furman's Expansion we would have gotten something a lot more interesting that CHAOS or Dark Cybertron

I liked dark cybertron but chaos was abysmal, the deceptigod especially. I'd forgotten that avengers crossover and that it was canon...thanks for reminding me :-P

now I have to force myself to forget it again.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969151)
Posted by Quint on July 6th, 2018 @ 6:32pm CDT

ZeroWolf wrote:Except he didn't escape into the functionist universe, he was abandoned there. Or are you on about the thing with the Knights? If so he was 9n course for that judgment till getaway happened and then the djd attack. Also prime let it happen because that's who prime is. Had he ordered megs to die then he would be no better, killing isn't justice. Now maybe you would have preffered that they had his spark contained but then again would that have worked with his strange body work after dark cybertron?

Again, you're setting up false dichotomies here. The simple fact is Megatron has escaped punishment for his crimes and, more incredulously, been forgiven for them, both in-story and by some readers, it seems. There aren't two Megatrons, before and after. Just the one dude who perhaps had a change of thinking. However that guy still carries the responsibility of his actions.

Also... didn't Prime execute Galvatron (who had just surrendered)?

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 :lol:

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.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969208)
Posted by Rodimus Prime on July 6th, 2018 @ 11:24pm CDT

In my opinion, Dark Cybertron was the highlight of the last reboot. No single story arc was as good, either in MTMTE or RID. A few came close, but none surpassed it. I had high hopes for both Combiner Wars and Dying of the Light, but they both fell short. And now that apparently the Unicron story will be connected to Dark Cybertron through Shockwave, it might end up even more pivotal in the IDWverse, depending on how the Unicron story ends.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969232)
Posted by Va'al on July 7th, 2018 @ 1:54am CDT

The weekend brings us not, not two, but three previews for new comics from the Transformers universe (and what is left from the Hasbro Universe too, I suppose) of IDW Publishing comics!

The next preview, mirrored below with description and pages, is directly from IDW Publishing via their Issuu documents, and features the next issue in the Lost Light saga with number 20, and part 2 of Crucible, in which we find out more about Grand Architects, Scraplets, Mutineers, deranged plans, and head towards Rodimus vs Getaway! Check it out, and join the conversation in the Energon Pub before its release next week.

Rodimus vs. Getaway! Finally!

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969233)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 7th, 2018 @ 2:03am CDT

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

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969288)
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on July 7th, 2018 @ 9:40am CDT

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 :lol:

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.

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969308)
Posted by ZeroWolf on July 7th, 2018 @ 12:15pm CDT

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?

Re: Review of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #19 (1969313)
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on July 7th, 2018 @ 12:33pm CDT

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.

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