Put a Gun Against His Head, Pulled My Trigger, now He’s Dead.
Robots in Disguise issue 4: Devisive. April 25th 2012.
Looks like we’ve stepped into my favourite kind of mystery, Blurr, one that takes ten seconds to solve.
With the sort of glee that Russell T Davies brought to making the Flux and Timeless Child part of the brand new era of Doctor Who, after so many fans who disliked the Chibnall years (not me I hasten to add, even though I’m not much of a fan of that second concept) were completely sure that he’d dump all the previous baggage of that run, we’re right into John Barber making hay from the Costa years.
That being Swindle and Dirge, doing some basic clearing out all the crap and debris work on the streets of Iacon in exchange for some basic freedoms and being allowed to transform. With Swindle banging on about how really after all he did last year, he should be the main guy around here and should always have been the one at Megatron’s right hand. But even he can’t deny that Starscream has done them a solid, getting them these jobs oh, and hey watching guard Blurr, “OUR I/D CHIPS TOTALLY STILL WORK.”
It's a funny opening, and also reminds long term readers of the make your own combiner shenanigans of the previous run that may or may not come into play again soon, with Dirge’s overwhelming wish for the now Spotlight Ramjet quoting Swindle to just shut up being an especially nice, relatable bit.
Looks like we’ve stepped into my favourite kind of mystery, Blurr, one that takes ten seconds to solve.
With the sort of glee that Russell T Davies brought to making the Flux and Timeless Child part of the brand new era of Doctor Who, after so many fans who disliked the Chibnall years (not me I hasten to add, even though I’m not much of a fan of that second concept) were completely sure that he’d dump all the previous baggage of that run, we’re right into John Barber making hay from the Costa years.
That being Swindle and Dirge, doing some basic clearing out all the crap and debris work on the streets of Iacon in exchange for some basic freedoms and being allowed to transform. With Swindle banging on about how really after all he did last year, he should be the main guy around here and should always have been the one at Megatron’s right hand. But even he can’t deny that Starscream has done them a solid, getting them these jobs oh, and hey watching guard Blurr, “OUR I/D CHIPS TOTALLY STILL WORK.”
It's a funny opening, and also reminds long term readers of the make your own combiner shenanigans of the previous run that may or may not come into play again soon, with Dirge’s overwhelming wish for the now Spotlight Ramjet quoting Swindle to just shut up being an especially nice, relatable bit.
Which leads us into our (intentionally misspelt for reasons that will become obvious) title page. Or rather pages as we get two facing pages mirroring each other in layout, with the Devisive mirrored on the second. So, I’ll let you decide if this should in fact be titled Devisive Evisved.
On the one page, Swindle and Dirge have walked into the body of what long time readers (or at least people who remember the early 90’s toy-line) will recognise as the body of Predator Skydive, dead on a rubbish heap, with a Decepticon flag through his body. Which Dirge barely has time to register before someone he recognises startles him.
I’m not actually certain what happens to Swindle at this point (though presumably he gets out of the situation somehow as he doesn’t appear again this issue), so it’ll be interesting to see if that gets clarified next time he shows up.
The other page is setting up what will be the main overriding plot for the reast of what will come to be called season 1, to which all the other storylines will weave in and out of. This sees Starscream milking his position as part of the government in a public speech. Including himself, representing the humbled Decepticons; Metalhawk for the brave plucky neutrals…
And Bumblebee.
On the one page, Swindle and Dirge have walked into the body of what long time readers (or at least people who remember the early 90’s toy-line) will recognise as the body of Predator Skydive, dead on a rubbish heap, with a Decepticon flag through his body. Which Dirge barely has time to register before someone he recognises startles him.
I’m not actually certain what happens to Swindle at this point (though presumably he gets out of the situation somehow as he doesn’t appear again this issue), so it’ll be interesting to see if that gets clarified next time he shows up.
The other page is setting up what will be the main overriding plot for the reast of what will come to be called season 1, to which all the other storylines will weave in and out of. This sees Starscream milking his position as part of the government in a public speech. Including himself, representing the humbled Decepticons; Metalhawk for the brave plucky neutrals…
And Bumblebee.
Which is already flummoxing Bumblebee enough when he also cheerfully throws out that this will of course only be a temporary government before free and fair elections create a permanent leadership going forward.
Isn’t that right, Bumblebee?
This put on the spot acceptance of this by Bumblebee feels very influenced by the then most recent big popular SF show, Battlestar Galactica. The second season of which had the smarmy play all sides character create an election amidst the surviving refugees of his kind which, through machinations, sneakiness, and errors by the good guys, he wins on a promise of new hope the survivors latch onto.
I’ve said before I’m pretty sure the intent was for this season (though that term doesn’t quite get solidified till after Dark Cybertron and the decision not to relaunch the two books with a volume 2) to run up to elections that Starscream would win, legitimately if dirtily. But there was some back and forth on that will some mutuals who know their shit on Twitter today, so, as we don’t have as much of an insight into Barber’s original plans and their changes along the way as we do Roberts, it’ll be interesting to see whether that reads as strongly to me this time around.
Also feeling strongly is Prowl, musing over this as Arcee hangs over him, taking quite a bit of glee in pointing out everyone thinks he’s behind Rodimus and company’s “Deaths,” even though she knows that’s not what he really did to the Lost Light.
Isn’t that right, Bumblebee?
This put on the spot acceptance of this by Bumblebee feels very influenced by the then most recent big popular SF show, Battlestar Galactica. The second season of which had the smarmy play all sides character create an election amidst the surviving refugees of his kind which, through machinations, sneakiness, and errors by the good guys, he wins on a promise of new hope the survivors latch onto.
I’ve said before I’m pretty sure the intent was for this season (though that term doesn’t quite get solidified till after Dark Cybertron and the decision not to relaunch the two books with a volume 2) to run up to elections that Starscream would win, legitimately if dirtily. But there was some back and forth on that will some mutuals who know their shit on Twitter today, so, as we don’t have as much of an insight into Barber’s original plans and their changes along the way as we do Roberts, it’ll be interesting to see whether that reads as strongly to me this time around.
Also feeling strongly is Prowl, musing over this as Arcee hangs over him, taking quite a bit of glee in pointing out everyone thinks he’s behind Rodimus and company’s “Deaths,” even though she knows that’s not what he really did to the Lost Light.
The key thing that’s easy to miss amidst all this is that Prowl would rather have had Ratbat alive than dead. Especially as he’s otherwise insistent that, unlike Bumblebee, he doubts nothing.
Though maybe he should have a few more doubts in life, as he initially has no interest in investigating the murder Wheeljack brings to him—trying to pass it off onto Streetwise—before he learns that the one witness is acting very oddly…
And that’s when Prowl’s first-person narration starts. I’ve said before this will wind up my least favourite Barber device, eventually becoming more a way to make sure there’s nothing ambiguous about character’s motivations for people writing up the Wiki.
But every use of it up till this issue has effectively been very clever setup, to make sure you accept it as normal without paying too much attention, so Barber can plant a great big clue for a forthcoming reveal with it, without it seeming so obvious. Similarly, that he doesn’t start his monologuing till he’s already been in the comic for a scene without it is very craftily designed to try and make the fact that it doesn’t carry through to the end of the issue not be too obvious.
To an extent then, what he’s actually narrating about doesn’t really matter, which is lucky as he’s just banging on about his nice guy character in the Costa run and how meeting Spike changed all that and, dear reader, I couldn’t care less about the Witwicky aftermath.
Though maybe he should have a few more doubts in life, as he initially has no interest in investigating the murder Wheeljack brings to him—trying to pass it off onto Streetwise—before he learns that the one witness is acting very oddly…
And that’s when Prowl’s first-person narration starts. I’ve said before this will wind up my least favourite Barber device, eventually becoming more a way to make sure there’s nothing ambiguous about character’s motivations for people writing up the Wiki.
But every use of it up till this issue has effectively been very clever setup, to make sure you accept it as normal without paying too much attention, so Barber can plant a great big clue for a forthcoming reveal with it, without it seeming so obvious. Similarly, that he doesn’t start his monologuing till he’s already been in the comic for a scene without it is very craftily designed to try and make the fact that it doesn’t carry through to the end of the issue not be too obvious.
To an extent then, what he’s actually narrating about doesn’t really matter, which is lucky as he’s just banging on about his nice guy character in the Costa run and how meeting Spike changed all that and, dear reader, I couldn’t care less about the Witwicky aftermath.
What is more fun is the conversation he has with Wheeljack about Skydive, that it’s not the Arielbot, but the Predator who used to be friends with Drift (that Wheeljack finds this a point worth mentioning, showing even he is struggling to let go of the old divides, is a much better use of old continuity). Something Prowl cares so little about he repeats the mistake again a few minutes later (after learning the password for the system bypass on the refuse systems is “The three most important words in the Cybertronian language”) as he starts to interrogate Dirge.
We tend to think of Barber and Roberts working separately in their own little bubbles, so this is a fine example of how the two were actually working closely in tandem and bouncing ideas back and forth. The previously published Transformers issue had a bit about a guy called Prowl and all the best names being taken, this issue has Prowl being incredulous at the idea that two people could have the same name. Both work in isolation but read in the original order (and I must be the first person to have done this since 2012), you get a nice setup and payoff.
It’s also a sign of how well they were working together at this point, that it’s hard to say who would have had the idea for their series first and who was riffing on it. Pointing out the incongruities in how Transformers society works is very Roberts, making a point out of continuity is very Barber. It all clicks together nicely.
We tend to think of Barber and Roberts working separately in their own little bubbles, so this is a fine example of how the two were actually working closely in tandem and bouncing ideas back and forth. The previously published Transformers issue had a bit about a guy called Prowl and all the best names being taken, this issue has Prowl being incredulous at the idea that two people could have the same name. Both work in isolation but read in the original order (and I must be the first person to have done this since 2012), you get a nice setup and payoff.
It’s also a sign of how well they were working together at this point, that it’s hard to say who would have had the idea for their series first and who was riffing on it. Pointing out the incongruities in how Transformers society works is very Roberts, making a point out of continuity is very Barber. It all clicks together nicely.
As does Prowl’s investigation, finding Dirge will only say “I did not see anything” over and over, he quickly works out the cause and finds a cerebro-shell in the back on the Decepticon’s neck.
Prowl is incredibly pleased with himself for having solved the case so quickly, which even on a first read felt like pride coming before a fall as it all feels a bit too obvious.
But, at the very least, Bombshell is behind all this, and is gleefully sat in his underground lair ranting at a similarly mind-controlled Sunstorm (who can therefore only agree with everything he says) about how Skydive was no good for their purpose that will bring everyone together in a way that “Will be part of all who are one.”
Which won’t get followed up on in this issue, but it leaves enough of a hint to make you realise, that like Swindle before him, Bombshell is caught up trying to make combiners.
Sunstorm, as well as being a disposable character, is also a very fun choice for this role, having previously been an insane preaching ‘Bot himself in the Dreamwave comics.
Which is when Arcee, quickly followed by Prowl leading Dirge about on a chain like a dog back to his master (let’s not think about why he had a dog chain easily to hand) bursts in, taking down the gold boy easily, but his I/D chip not working lets Bombshell escape.
Prowl is incredibly pleased with himself for having solved the case so quickly, which even on a first read felt like pride coming before a fall as it all feels a bit too obvious.
But, at the very least, Bombshell is behind all this, and is gleefully sat in his underground lair ranting at a similarly mind-controlled Sunstorm (who can therefore only agree with everything he says) about how Skydive was no good for their purpose that will bring everyone together in a way that “Will be part of all who are one.”
Which won’t get followed up on in this issue, but it leaves enough of a hint to make you realise, that like Swindle before him, Bombshell is caught up trying to make combiners.
Sunstorm, as well as being a disposable character, is also a very fun choice for this role, having previously been an insane preaching ‘Bot himself in the Dreamwave comics.
Which is when Arcee, quickly followed by Prowl leading Dirge about on a chain like a dog back to his master (let’s not think about why he had a dog chain easily to hand) bursts in, taking down the gold boy easily, but his I/D chip not working lets Bombshell escape.
An already doubtful by how Prowl run off without explanation Blurr is then called in to cut Bombshell off at the other end, which is worrying to him as Prowl is disregarding previous orders about not going into situations without backup. But he races off anyway, concurrent with Prowl being (again) annoyed at Arcee just killing Decepticons. Something that just makes her stab Sunstorm more and ask if he wants Dirge dead as well. Which, though it won’t be immediately apparent, he stops her doing and instead continues dragging the guy around.
All accompanied by his monologue talking about how Spike made him angry, but it wasn’t a betrayal because it’s not a betrayal when they never believed in the first place.
This conversation means Blurr has no one answering his calls when he runs slap bang into the middle of Bombshell and the five remaining Constructicons.
By the time Prowl and Arcee have Weekend at Bernie’s’ed Dirge over, Blurr in unconscious, with Prowl leaving the Constructicons to her (with orders not to let Blurr see her) as he goes after Bombshell, still fuming about Spike, but being very insistent that all the compromises he himself has made, whether breaking the law or making deals with monsters (rude about Arcee) have all been absolutely justified.
And as he catches up with Bombshell (after using the password “Wheeljack, Wheeljack, Wheeljack” to close a door in front of him) and is gleefully told he’d never reveal who he’s working for, Prowl puts a gun at his head, and thinks “And when I feel doubt creeping in? I think about Spike Witwicky.”
And fires.
All accompanied by his monologue talking about how Spike made him angry, but it wasn’t a betrayal because it’s not a betrayal when they never believed in the first place.
This conversation means Blurr has no one answering his calls when he runs slap bang into the middle of Bombshell and the five remaining Constructicons.
By the time Prowl and Arcee have Weekend at Bernie’s’ed Dirge over, Blurr in unconscious, with Prowl leaving the Constructicons to her (with orders not to let Blurr see her) as he goes after Bombshell, still fuming about Spike, but being very insistent that all the compromises he himself has made, whether breaking the law or making deals with monsters (rude about Arcee) have all been absolutely justified.
And as he catches up with Bombshell (after using the password “Wheeljack, Wheeljack, Wheeljack” to close a door in front of him) and is gleefully told he’d never reveal who he’s working for, Prowl puts a gun at his head, and thinks “And when I feel doubt creeping in? I think about Spike Witwicky.”
And fires.
Which is the point the internal monologue ends, and made a lot of people assume, even with the careful misdirection to make how this plays fairly as a mystery not so obvious, that a cerebro-shell was now in play and from hereon in, Prowl was in some way compromised. So many people getting it isn’t a criticism though, it’s a sign of how well constructed this is. Plus, with Bombshell seemingly now off the table, there’s still a bigger mystery to unfold here.
The only real shame is, the last piece of narration being on the panel where Bombshell’s head goes BOOM, making it look like he thinks it as he fires, when, more strictly, his last thought would have been just before.
A change is Prowl is immediately evident as, now Dirge is free of mind-control, he immediately tries to kill the Decepticon he’d previously stopped Arcee offing and, when Dirge manages to get away, he orders Arcee to pursue and finish the job.
Which she doesn’t straight away. Partly to pull Blurr away from the mele, partly because she doesn’t believe Prowl when he says he’s going to take out the Constructicons, but mainly to have a witness to what happens next to justify the bit of pantomime the players put on.
The only real shame is, the last piece of narration being on the panel where Bombshell’s head goes BOOM, making it look like he thinks it as he fires, when, more strictly, his last thought would have been just before.
A change is Prowl is immediately evident as, now Dirge is free of mind-control, he immediately tries to kill the Decepticon he’d previously stopped Arcee offing and, when Dirge manages to get away, he orders Arcee to pursue and finish the job.
Which she doesn’t straight away. Partly to pull Blurr away from the mele, partly because she doesn’t believe Prowl when he says he’s going to take out the Constructicons, but mainly to have a witness to what happens next to justify the bit of pantomime the players put on.
Which is the Constructicons being very smug their I/D chips don’t work, before Prowl reveals there’s an override to the override and he is just calculating and cold enough to use it… which he does, making all their heads explode.
Which is where you can just about justify the Costa callbacks as another bit of misdirection, making this look an unsubtle analogy to Prowl having become even worse than Spike (five times worse in fact), despite his protestations.
Still, it’s out of character enough for Arcee to decide to give Dirge a different kind of break to the one she’d been planning, letting him flee after having a good beg.
Back in Iacon, Prowl is dismissive enough of a wheelchair bound Blurr to drive him out and away from the Autobots, much to the horror of Bumblebee, who points out Blurr has been on the team since before Prime got the Matrix. But Prowl doesn’t care. Declaring, as Arcee suspiciously watches from above, that if this is a new era, they have to take control of it. “No matter who gets in the way.”
This was a strong issue at the time and, as you may be able to tell, one that rewards rereading when all the dust has settled. Its character work is outstanding, the mystery plays fair whilst still smartly holding some things back.
Which is where you can just about justify the Costa callbacks as another bit of misdirection, making this look an unsubtle analogy to Prowl having become even worse than Spike (five times worse in fact), despite his protestations.
Still, it’s out of character enough for Arcee to decide to give Dirge a different kind of break to the one she’d been planning, letting him flee after having a good beg.
Back in Iacon, Prowl is dismissive enough of a wheelchair bound Blurr to drive him out and away from the Autobots, much to the horror of Bumblebee, who points out Blurr has been on the team since before Prime got the Matrix. But Prowl doesn’t care. Declaring, as Arcee suspiciously watches from above, that if this is a new era, they have to take control of it. “No matter who gets in the way.”
This was a strong issue at the time and, as you may be able to tell, one that rewards rereading when all the dust has settled. Its character work is outstanding, the mystery plays fair whilst still smartly holding some things back.
You could argue that the setup Prowl is put into here is very convoluted (and some of the villain plans down the line will get even more so), but that Bombshell is off his tits anyway helps smooth that over somewhat.
Andrew Griffith is also on top form, with his Arcee proving the old adage that thick thighs save lives as she leaps about the place.
All in all, a key issue moving lots of pieces into place with enough style that even some of my usual bugbears (especially when it comes to how things like the narration and Spike Bloody Witwicky will be overcooked) don’t have much of a negative impact.
Next week, back to Autocracy and time to find out how that team-up will work out.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE ISSUE 4
2012
COMMENT
KO-FI
Andrew Griffith is also on top form, with his Arcee proving the old adage that thick thighs save lives as she leaps about the place.
All in all, a key issue moving lots of pieces into place with enough style that even some of my usual bugbears (especially when it comes to how things like the narration and Spike Bloody Witwicky will be overcooked) don’t have much of a negative impact.
Next week, back to Autocracy and time to find out how that team-up will work out.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE ISSUE 4
2012
COMMENT
KO-FI