Sneak Peek - IDW The Transformers #49 iTunes Preview

There are too many smiles going on in firefights. Other than that, I enjoy the art here.

Hooray! Tracks isn't dead!

Well, this certainly is going to be a good issue. Love all the art too! amazing!

IDW, on behalf of all fans everywhere, i respectfully ask you to stop reminding us of All Hail Megatron.

Microraptor wrote:IDW, on behalf of all fans everywhere, i respectfully ask you to stop reminding us of All Hail Megatron.

Honestly, I still really don't mind that macro-arc.

Va'al wrote:

Microraptor wrote:IDW, on behalf of all fans everywhere, i respectfully ask you to stop reminding us of All Hail Megatron.

Honestly, I still really don't mind that macro-arc.

I don't either since I read it WAAAY after the fact, but I can understand why it's so reviled. It soft-rebooted everyone to more basic personalities, put emphasis on new, not well liked characters, and undid a lot of groundwork that the Ations series had laid.

Shuttershock wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Microraptor wrote:IDW, on behalf of all fans everywhere, i respectfully ask you to stop reminding us of All Hail Megatron.

Honestly, I still really don't mind that macro-arc.

I don't either since I read it WAAAY after the fact, but I can understand why it's so reviled. It soft-rebooted everyone to more basic personalities, put emphasis on new, not well liked characters, and undid a lot of groundwork that the Ations series had laid.

Yeah, all of that stands true, I agree. But at the same time, a lot of the -ations had, in my opinion, already run their course by that stage. Sure, it would've been nice to not have the storylines shoved into Revelation and Maximum Dinobots, but I feel like the aftermath of AHM is the real bad part of how that really took place.

I'll take AHM over the Costa run any day.


Back on topic though, I am REALLY looking forward to where this storyline is headed, and how they're going to make Optimus' intervention make sense in the grand scheme of things, other than what we've seen in the conversation with Aileron and Victorion.

Also, I wonder where Prowl might fit into any of this, post Sins of the Wreckers. OR maybe... hmmm...

Va'al wrote:

Shuttershock wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Microraptor wrote:IDW, on behalf of all fans everywhere, i respectfully ask you to stop reminding us of All Hail Megatron.

Honestly, I still really don't mind that macro-arc.

I don't either since I read it WAAAY after the fact, but I can understand why it's so reviled. It soft-rebooted everyone to more basic personalities, put emphasis on new, not well liked characters, and undid a lot of groundwork that the Ations series had laid.

Yeah, all of that stands true, I agree. But at the same time, a lot of the -ations had, in my opinion, already run their course by that stage. Sure, it would've been nice to not have the storylines shoved into Revelation and Maximum Dinobots, but I feel like the aftermath of AHM is the real bad part of how that really took place.

I'll take AHM over the Costa run any day.


Back on topic though, I am REALLY looking forward to where this storyline is headed, and how they're going to make Optimus' intervention make sense in the grand scheme of things, other than what we've seen in the conversation with Aileron and Victorion.

Also, I wonder where Prowl might fit into any of this, post Sins of the Wreckers. OR maybe... hmmm...

After Prime takes control, Prowl steps out of the shadows, gives him a big hug and whispers "I'm so proud of you."

All he ever wanted.

All hail was alright, but still not my favorite. Chaos Theory is my favorite arc pre-MTMTE/RiD, with the Infiltration arc close behind

Va'al wrote:All he ever wanted.

I want a toy of that Optimus SO BAD.

Microraptor wrote:IDW, on behalf of all fans everywhere, i respectfully ask you to stop reminding us of All Hail Megatron.

On behalf of all fans, don't speak for us. Your opinion is not everyone else's

Randomhero wrote:

Microraptor wrote:IDW, on behalf of all fans everywhere, i respectfully ask you to stop reminding us of All Hail Megatron.

On behalf of all fans, don't speak for us. Your opinion is not everyone else's

No need no need.

Randomhero wrote:

On behalf of all fans, don't speak for us. Your opinion is not everyone else's

No need to act like a hero Randomhero





wait...

Shuttershock wrote:Hooray! Tracks isn't dead!

I was sooooo relieved to see that. Tracks is my 2nd favourite TF and I was devastated to see him gunned down last issue.

Bleak5170 wrote:

Shuttershock wrote:Hooray! Tracks isn't dead!

I was sooooo relieved to see that. Tracks is my 2nd favourite TF and I was devastated to see him gunned down last issue.

Probably still has to knock some sense into his brother!

Microraptor wrote:

Va'al wrote:All he ever wanted.

I want a toy of that Optimus SO BAD.

It's like a weird mash-up between Evasion Mode Optimus (the legs in particular) and Legends Class Optmius.

The end of the Conquerors arc of The Transformers arrives from IDW next week, leading directly into All Hail Optimus - what is in store for the various factions, willingly and unwillingly caught in the middle of high-end politics? Check out the preview below, via Newsarama (ish), and head back here for a review on Wednesday!

Transformers #49
John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a & c)
CONQUERORS: CONCLUSION! The most dramatic action ever taken by an AUTOBOT sets the stage for next month’s mammoth issue 50. Earth and CYBERTRON. OPTIMUS PRIME and GALVATRON. SOUNDWAVE and COSMOS. It all comes together at four billion miles an hour.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The end of the world as we know it!
Leads directly into next month’s epoch-changing issue 50.
They always say “this changes everything.” Hey, we’ve done it, too. But hold tight, TF fans—because the last page of this issue changes everything.
Variant Cover by Alex Milne!

This issue has the potential to get really nasty, but still cool

There goes the helicopter chick from Redemption.


If she is dead but knowing Arcee most likely is a goner.

mirageandjazz1197 wrote:There goes the helicopter chick from Redemption.


If she is dead but knowing Arcee most likely is a goner.

Swift is her name. And I dunno. I don't think she'll be killed. Just a feeling.

Bounti76 wrote:Swift is her name. And I dunno. I don't think she'll be killed. Just a feeling.

Looks like a death to me and if not she is getting a major scar on her face or she is now blind.



Also sounds like a death scream it's no SHEEAAAGH! but I think it's possible she died.

Nah, just a glancing blow. Nothing fatal yet: she still has to learn that the cons are not where she needs to be

Synopsis
CONQUERORS: CONCLUSION! The most dramatic action ever taken by an AUTOBOT sets the stage for next month’s mammoth issue 50. Earth and CYBERTRON. OPTIMUS PRIME and GALVATRON. SOUNDWAVE and COSMOS. It all comes together at four billion miles an hour.



Story

Here we are, at the end of the big build up everything after Dark Cybertron, through Combiner Wars, across the Transformers universe as we know it, with old gods, fake gods, heroes, villains and conquerors converging into one single spot, one moment in time: Earth, Now.



And to be entirely honest, it falls short of ..well, everything. All of the build up, all of the hype. It feels rushed, glossed over, reasons and motivations don't hold up, the major arcs created for however many past issues are just half-resolved without much else to go on. The various settings and scenes are just glomped together.



I am not sure what John Barber did with this issue, as his big landmarks usually pan out much better. It is likely that issue #50 will develop those shortcomings into something that sticks better together as the piece of a wider, universal puzzle. As it stands, however, the pieces are all mismatched and a little scattered.



The characters do, to an extent, still work, of course - but some of them just feel like they're going along with whatever Optimus has decided to do, for whatever reason. Galvatron's side of the story may be the most interesting here, and the repercussions it has among the Decepticon idealists hit hard - but everything else is just - there.


Art

On the other hand, I have no complaints whatsoever with the art. Sara Pitre-Durocher's style is a delight to follow through the various scenes, with some peaks in Skywarp's moments to shine (heh) and there is heavy emotion felt by the various characters - and the readers. The moments with Soundwave and Cosmos carry some serious weight, in light of the events taking place.



The colours are also magnificent, blending fantastically well with Pitre-Durocher's lighter linework. Josh Perez and Josh Burcham are a wonderful team, and bounce off each other's style easily and seamlessly, bringing one of the crispest issues I've noticed in a while.



Tom B. Long has a lot of playground space in the lettering sandbox, too, to work his own stuff, filling in the various silent spaces with good-looking sounds. Why do letterers never get enough praise? With all that action, we are still able to see what is being said. The covers are also great, with Alex Milne/Perez continuing the massive mural (thumbnailed), Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente dabbling with Victorion's hefty presence, and Andrew Griffith emulating Klaus Scherwinski.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

If I sound disappointed, it's because I am. I had been seriously looking forward to the development, and preliminary conclusion, to this arc - to see what Galvatron was to do, to see how the Autobots would respond, how Soundwave in particular would respond, how the various characters would play out against each other and together, depending on their circumstances. I don't feel we got any of that, unfortunately.



A less coherent, more Soundwave/Cosmos/Skybyte response: Seriously? Windblade and crew are just going along with Optimus' decision? Sideswipe, Alpha Trion and Arcee in a shuttle forever, just to get punked by Brawl and Needlenose? I do hope that the next issue, and All Hail Optimus in general, has more time, and space, to start straightening the puzzle out. I really do.

See, I don't know why, but MTMTE 48 (and I'm anticipating 49) and then this feel very rushed. Like Barber and Roberts have plans that suddenly they ran out of room to add preliminaries. Has to be the lead up to 50, cause all the rush does feel very uncharacteristic.

Also: RIP Sideswipe. Dammit you guys! You killed 2 of my 3 favorite transformers of all time!! (Trailbreaker being my first). Stop giving me heartache

I very disagree I really liked this issue. It wasn't really a conclusion,! it really felt like the first half of a maxi-series and it kinda is. It didn't conclude anything it just built up and I'm pumped for All Hail Optimus now. Personally I felt it was a solid issue that was paced fine.

Let's be honest about Sideswipe, he's more than likely not dead. Sorry I'm not putting spoiler italics around but they don't work for whatever reason on the site. Sunstreaker, Kup, Cyclones, Rung, and more are but a small list of people that for all intended purposes have "died" in the past 5 years and are fine lol. Let's just wait and see before being upset.

Randomhero, I really want you to be right. Trailbreaker's death hurt cause I love that guy,and Sideswipe is my 2nd favorite, with Brainstorm being right there too. Since he's on the cover of 50 I have hope, but getting blown up and then shot in the head by Brawl doesn't fill me with confidence, especially since the story notes for 50 implied someone would die

I don't know why, but I really liked seeing Soundwave losing his cool. He just had his dreams of a peaceful Deceptifuture smashed, and he's ready to fight for it.

A little confused seeing Frenzy and Rumble working with Galvatron against Soundwave's ideals, but they haven't really been as associated with 'Wave in this universe, have they?

CombaticonsCombine? wrote:I don't know why, but I really liked seeing Soundwave losing his cool. He just had his dreams of a peaceful Deceptifuture smashed, and he's ready to fight for it.

Same here. I love Barber's Soundwave. I really do, and I really feel for the guy.

Randomhero wrote:I very disagree I really liked this issue. It wasn't really a conclusion,! it really felt like the first half of a maxi-series and it kinda is. It didn't conclude anything it just built up and I'm pumped for All Hail Optimus now. Personally I felt it was a solid issue that was paced fine.

That's obviously fine, we are allowed to disagree!

I just came away from my first read with '..is that it?', the second as 'Well, meh' and just a sense of growing frustration at the condensed version of a story that feels like getting to a point and sort of spilling part of its contents as it skips ahead. I am looking forward to AHO, but not because this issue built it up for me.

CombaticonsCombine? wrote:A little confused seeing Frenzy and Rumble working with Galvatron against Soundwave's ideals, but they haven't really been as associated with 'Wave in this universe, have they?

I'm curious about that too, but it might just come down to proximity - they're not suicidal, and telling big purple that they don't feel like being a Galvacon anymore when he's standing right there is a mite dangerous.

That, or they're just going with whoever offers them the most opportunities to get in scraps and break stuff. They are simple folk.

Come on, IDW! Why do you guys keep killing all the cool characters? Trailbreaker, Hardhead, Sideswipe, and, for the love of god, SWINDLE! You guys fucking killed Swindle! Have you seen the reaction to these deaths? These are beloved characters we're talking about.

Genericon #378 wrote:Come on, IDW! Why do you guys keep killing all the cool characters? Trailbreaker, Hardhead, Sideswipe, and, for the love of god, SWINDLE! You guys **** killed Swindle! Have you seen the reaction to these deaths? These are beloved characters we're talking about.

Psst.. swindle lives

Genericon #378 wrote:Come on, IDW! Why do you guys keep killing all the cool characters? Trailbreaker, Hardhead, Sideswipe, and, for the love of god, SWINDLE! You guys **** killed Swindle! Have you seen the reaction to these deaths? These are beloved characters we're talking about.

Of those, only the first two feel definite. Swindy got shot in the chest, climbed over to Rattrap and said whispered he had info that could take down Starscream. Rattrap calls over to Starscream that Swindle's totaaallllyyyy dead, don't worry boss, especially don't come over and check, you can trust me!

As for Sideswipe, sincerely doubting we've seen the last of him. Was only two or so issues ago Kup got ripped to shreds and an observer said "oooo look how dead he is. dang".

Show me the brain or spark being explicitly destroyed or total disintegration, then I'll believe the death will stick.

Va'al wrote:

CombaticonsCombine? wrote:I don't know why, but I really liked seeing Soundwave losing his cool. He just had his dreams of a peaceful Deceptifuture smashed, and he's ready to fight for it.

Same here. I love Barber's Soundwave. I really do, and I really feel for the guy.

Randomhero wrote:I very disagree I really liked this issue. It wasn't really a conclusion,! it really felt like the first half of a maxi-series and it kinda is. It didn't conclude anything it just built up and I'm pumped for All Hail Optimus now. Personally I felt it was a solid issue that was paced fine.

That's obviously fine, we are allowed to disagree!

I just came away from my first read with '..is that it?', the second as 'Well, meh' and just a sense of growing frustration at the condensed version of a story that feels like getting to a point and sort of spilling part of its contents as it skips ahead. I am looking forward to AHO, but not because this issue built it up for me.

And I totally respect your opinion and the review. I can see this issue polarizing people. You either loved it or didn't. The solicites very much sold this as a conclusion and if you were looking for a conclusion I can understand frustration. The solicites are getting pretty bad in my opinion anymore. It said Optimus vs Galvatron, didn't happen. Cosmos vs soundwave, didn't happen. It all comes together! It didn't.

Personally with the last issue centering around buster and DOC I figured that it wouldn't and it didn't.

I totally understand both opinions.

Swindle has to live so they can form Bruticus (which Windblade #7 strongly implied was going to happen) and I really am hoping Sideswipe lives. Trailbreaker is definite dead cause his brain was crushed and I don't get Hardhead's death: Cyclonus and him were both ex-DU, and Cyclonus survived having his shield destroyed, but Hardhead disintegrated. I don't get that (some explain please?)

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Swindle has to live so they can form Bruticus (which Windblade #7 strongly implied was going to happen) and I really am hoping Sideswipe lives. Trailbreaker is definite dead cause his brain was crushed and I don't get Hardhead's death: Cyclonus and him were both ex-DU, and Cyclonus survived having his shield destroyed, but Hardhead disintegrated. I don't get that (some explain please?)

-COUGH STILL A BRIEFCASE WITH PARADOX LOCKS IN PLAY COUGH-

Randomhero wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Swindle has to live so they can form Bruticus (which Windblade #7 strongly implied was going to happen) and I really am hoping Sideswipe lives. Trailbreaker is definite dead cause his brain was crushed and I don't get Hardhead's death: Cyclonus and him were both ex-DU, and Cyclonus survived having his shield destroyed, but Hardhead disintegrated. I don't get that (some explain please?)

-COUGH STILL A BRIEFCASE WITH PARADOX LOCKS IN PLAY COUGH-

Forgot about that. Interesting...

Still, my question stands: why did Cyclonus live and Hardhead die? Same circumstances, different bot

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Swindle has to live so they can form Bruticus (which Windblade #7 strongly implied was going to happen) and I really am hoping Sideswipe lives. Trailbreaker is definite dead cause his brain was crushed and I don't get Hardhead's death: Cyclonus and him were both ex-DU, and Cyclonus survived having his shield destroyed, but Hardhead disintegrated. I don't get that (some explain please?)

-COUGH STILL A BRIEFCASE WITH PARADOX LOCKS IN PLAY COUGH-

Forgot about that. Interesting...

Still, my question stands: why did Cyclonus live and Hardhead die? Same circumstances, different bot

I CAN ANSWER THAT! Lol

The dead universe was being controlled by Nova Prime. He can can manipulate that universe. When hardhead's sheild was destroyed he became undead again and Nova disintegrated him! Nova was very vain too, he probably wanted to keep Cyclonus around to gloat.

Or: hardhead may be hard, but Cyclonus is harder.

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Swindle has to live so they can form Bruticus (which Windblade #7 strongly implied was going to happen) and I really am hoping Sideswipe lives. Trailbreaker is definite dead cause his brain was crushed and I don't get Hardhead's death: Cyclonus and him were both ex-DU, and Cyclonus survived having his shield destroyed, but Hardhead disintegrated. I don't get that (some explain please?)

-COUGH STILL A BRIEFCASE WITH PARADOX LOCKS IN PLAY COUGH-

Forgot about that. Interesting...

Still, my question stands: why did Cyclonus live and Hardhead die? Same circumstances, different bot

Vector Sigma.

After the whole deal with Kimia and the (aptly titled, whoever came up with this name) Galvacons before MTMTE started, Cyclonus sacrificed himself to stop Galvatron. He was supposed to die, but since he was in Vector Sigma's chamber when it released the energy wave that reformatted Cybertron (I think it's the same wave? Not sure.), he got a facefull of resurrection.

Hardhead is deadsauce though.

Deadhead? Harddead? I dunno.

Randomhero wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Swindle has to live so they can form Bruticus (which Windblade #7 strongly implied was going to happen) and I really am hoping Sideswipe lives. Trailbreaker is definite dead cause his brain was crushed and I don't get Hardhead's death: Cyclonus and him were both ex-DU, and Cyclonus survived having his shield destroyed, but Hardhead disintegrated. I don't get that (some explain please?)

-COUGH STILL A BRIEFCASE WITH PARADOX LOCKS IN PLAY COUGH-

Forgot about that. Interesting...

Still, my question stands: why did Cyclonus live and Hardhead die? Same circumstances, different bot

I CAN ANSWER THAT! Lol

The dead universe was being controlled by Nova Prime. He can can manipulate that universe. When hardhead's sheild was destroyed he became undead again and Nova disintegrated him! Nova was very vain too, he probably wanted to keep Cyclonus around to gloat.

Or: hardhead may be hard, but Cyclonus is harder.

This does make sense. Maybe Nova didn't even know cyclonus was infected, or maybe cause Hardhead was the only true threat to him immediately and he wanted to make an example of him is why he killed him and not Cyclonus

CombaticonsCombine? wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Swindle has to live so they can form Bruticus (which Windblade #7 strongly implied was going to happen) and I really am hoping Sideswipe lives. Trailbreaker is definite dead cause his brain was crushed and I don't get Hardhead's death: Cyclonus and him were both ex-DU, and Cyclonus survived having his shield destroyed, but Hardhead disintegrated. I don't get that (some explain please?)

-COUGH STILL A BRIEFCASE WITH PARADOX LOCKS IN PLAY COUGH-

Forgot about that. Interesting...

Still, my question stands: why did Cyclonus live and Hardhead die? Same circumstances, different bot

Vector Sigma.

After the whole deal with Kimia and the (aptly titled, whoever came up with this name) Galvacons before MTMTE started, Cyclonus sacrificed himself to stop Galvatron. He was supposed to die, but since he was in Vector Sigma's chamber the energy wave that reformatted Cybertron (I think it's the same wave? Not sure.), he got a facefull of resurrection.

Hardhead is deadsauce though.

Deadhead? Harddead? I dunno.

I think D-Max is referring to Cyclonus dying a second time in Dark Cybertron.

Cyclonus also lived in the DU for 6 millions years. His body may have just been accustomed to it. We know not everyone on the ark survived going through the the portal. And yes hardhead was undead at one point but he may have just popped in and popped out, still became undead.

I think it was just Nova that did it with his power over the DU. He does tell them to watch as HeardHead dies.

The Cyclonus v. Hardhead thing's a pretty good point, and although there are workable answers (I'd favor the Nova Prime, control of the DU explanation), they feel like more of an excuse than a reason, if that makes sense.

Interesting note on the briefcase being in play, perhaps Megatron might be thinking that while he can't undo the impact of millions of years of war, maybe he can save just one life his fanclub took after his surrender...

CombaticonsCombine? wrote:After the whole deal with Kimia and the (aptly titled, whoever came up with this name) Galvacons before MTMTE started,

THE CREDIT IS MINE

Randomhero wrote:And I totally respect your opinion and the review. I can see this issue polarizing people. You either loved it or didn't. The solicites very much sold this as a conclusion and if you were looking for a conclusion I can understand frustration. The solicites are getting pretty bad in my opinion anymore. It said Optimus vs Galvatron, didn't happen. Cosmos vs soundwave, didn't happen. It all comes together! It didn't.

Oh, I very much expect it all to happen from #50 onwards - but how it just happened here did not sit well with me.

Optimus is a colonialist prick with egotistic tendencies (as we already knew, really; he shoulda stayed Orion Pax flitting through space). I do not understand why Windblade and the others just shrug and go along for the ride.

As for Cosmos and Soundwave, I expected no showdown at all. I thought Soundwave would get burned, as he did, and that Cosmos would be there for it. Which did happen. In fact, right now their narrative arc is the one I am most interested in.


Side note: Skywarp. Can someone just help that bot out? Please? It breaks my heart to see him abused to this point, he's almost developing Stockholm syndrome towards Galvatron (he had him tied up since FOREVER, for crying out loud!).

Skywarp truly is a tragedy. Poor guy is only being used at this moment, and that has to have some sort of effect farther down the road, maybe even a life-changing one. He has a story arc going, just gotta see where it goes

I agree with Vaal. I was underwhelmed when I expected to be floored. I felt rushed, I felt Prime's part felt odd. I've been very happy with the writing and art in this book for th most part up until this point.

I was also sad for Sideswipe. Tracks gets to live, but Sideswipe is now looking to be non-functional although we have no confirmation either way like we got with Tracks.

I guess there's always issue #50, although this left a sour taste in my mouth.

This issue was devastating for me. Sidesewipe is my favorite character in the entire franchise and I have a feeling he won't be back. I feel like execution-style deaths usually indicate the character is out for good. That, and with Sunstreaker back on Earth, it'll probably be setup for another emotional arc for Sunnny. Ugh, I am just so sad over Sideswipe...

Also, I am both happy and sad that there's no more "the war is over" stuff. It's clear that full-blown conflict is finally admitted and in the open.

Loved the art, though!

Va'al wrote:

Randomhero wrote:And I totally respect your opinion and the review. I can see this issue polarizing people. You either loved it or didn't. The solicites very much sold this as a conclusion and if you were looking for a conclusion I can understand frustration. The solicites are getting pretty bad in my opinion anymore. It said Optimus vs Galvatron, didn't happen. Cosmos vs soundwave, didn't happen. It all comes together! It didn't.

Oh, I very much expect it all to happen from #50 onwards - but how it just happened here did not sit well with me.

Optimus is a colonialist prick with egotistic tendencies (as we already knew, really; he shoulda stayed Orion Pax flitting through space). I do not understand why Windblade and the others just shrug and go along for the ride.

As for Cosmos and Soundwave, I expected no showdown at all. I thought Soundwave would get burned, as he did, and that Cosmos would be there for it. Which did happen. In fact, right now their narrative arc is the one I am most interested in.


Side note: Skywarp. Can someone just help that bot out? Please? It breaks my heart to see him abused to this point, he's almost developing Stockholm syndrome towards Galvatron (he had him tied up since FOREVER, for crying out loud!).

I get what you mean with Optimus. I'm not annoyed but I don't understand what is going on with hm. He took his name back but nothing else. He's not really leader of anything or anyone. He's telling Autobots what to do but not really ordering them and yes the Camians are worshipping him but he really just feels out of place. I k ow that's what the story is doing with him but it doesn't feel fluid and natural. I'm sure with the return of Sentinel and the Titans Return story will give us a better focus than he's had in the past year.

As for Skywarp. Poor guy. However my first reaction with the huge group shot at the EDC base was "OH MY GOD SKYWARP AND THUNDERCRACKER IN THE SAME ROOM! ITS ABOUT TO GET REAL!" Sadly it didn't. This wax actually the first time they have been at arms length since Skywarp tried to kill him at the end of All Hail Megatron. I am waiting for those two to finally have words.

Galavtron to me is a hollow character in this series. He reminds me of a bad anime villain who laughs constantly while raising his shoulders. He has no spark.

Randomhero wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Randomhero wrote:And I totally respect your opinion and the review. I can see this issue polarizing people. You either loved it or didn't. The solicites very much sold this as a conclusion and if you were looking for a conclusion I can understand frustration. The solicites are getting pretty bad in my opinion anymore. It said Optimus vs Galvatron, didn't happen. Cosmos vs soundwave, didn't happen. It all comes together! It didn't.

Oh, I very much expect it all to happen from #50 onwards - but how it just happened here did not sit well with me.

Optimus is a colonialist prick with egotistic tendencies (as we already knew, really; he shoulda stayed Orion Pax flitting through space). I do not understand why Windblade and the others just shrug and go along for the ride.

I get what you mean with Optimus. I'm not annoyed but I don't understand what is going on with hm. He took his name back but nothing else. He's not really leader of anything or anyone. He's telling Autobots what to do but not really ordering them and yes the Camians are worshipping him but he really just feels out of place. I k ow that's what the story is doing with him but it doesn't feel fluid and natural. I'm sure with the return of Sentinel and the Titans Return story will give us a better focus than he's had in the past year.

As Burn told me in conversation:

"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings ... provided of course you let me take control of your planet to protect you from the "bad" guys"

That is several levels of Prowl. With the added insult that he probably actually believes he's doing a good thing.

(Hmmmm.. parallels with Western foreign policies towards countries about to be/being run by 'extremists' perhaps..? )

Horrible. Sideswipe dead and for what? To focus on a badly written chatty Soundwave and some corny fembots? I'm just going to wait for Dreamwave to get the Transformers license which is rightfully theirs, back.