If I Could Turn Back Time, What Would I Do Differently?
Issue 204: Time Wars Part 6. 4th February 1989.
At last!
You would think that after three straight weeks of fighting, non-stop action would be beginning to pall by this point. And whilst it’s true to say that only the smallest part of Time Wars part 6 actually advances the plot (beyond killing characters), the change in artist does help to keep things fresh and interesting. If the last two issues were a showcase for Dan Reed, that’s equally true of Lee Sullivan here and I think it’s fair to say that when fans think of his Transformers art, it’s this work and next week that springs instantly to mind.
If you’re going to do an issue that treads water, at least let it tread water in style. Effectively the bulk of these 11 pages is given over to cool little moments as the Autobot/Decepticon alliance try to join the Wreckers/Mayhems battle with hilarious consequences. All as Optimus Prime watches through the eyes of his successor and decides to weigh up the consequences of using their shared Matrix link to join the fray.
Highlights include:
A great brick joke where Twin Twist suffers a similar head destruction joke to his brother. In this case Galvatron casually rips it off (whilst shooting Rack’N’Ruin at the same time) and throws it into the distance in a genuinely hilarious way.
A set too between Fortress Maximus and Megatron that never really gets talked about but is also quite funny for Max`s “Bloody hell” facial expressions in the couple of panels featuring it.
At last!
You would think that after three straight weeks of fighting, non-stop action would be beginning to pall by this point. And whilst it’s true to say that only the smallest part of Time Wars part 6 actually advances the plot (beyond killing characters), the change in artist does help to keep things fresh and interesting. If the last two issues were a showcase for Dan Reed, that’s equally true of Lee Sullivan here and I think it’s fair to say that when fans think of his Transformers art, it’s this work and next week that springs instantly to mind.
If you’re going to do an issue that treads water, at least let it tread water in style. Effectively the bulk of these 11 pages is given over to cool little moments as the Autobot/Decepticon alliance try to join the Wreckers/Mayhems battle with hilarious consequences. All as Optimus Prime watches through the eyes of his successor and decides to weigh up the consequences of using their shared Matrix link to join the fray.
Highlights include:
A great brick joke where Twin Twist suffers a similar head destruction joke to his brother. In this case Galvatron casually rips it off (whilst shooting Rack’N’Ruin at the same time) and throws it into the distance in a genuinely hilarious way.
A set too between Fortress Maximus and Megatron that never really gets talked about but is also quite funny for Max`s “Bloody hell” facial expressions in the couple of panels featuring it.
oundwave suggesting to Scorponok they take their time joining in so as to let the Autobots take all the flak, with Scorponok just ignoring him and rushing in. Which turns out to be a bad idea as Galvatron just punches right through him.
Galvatron’s continued confusion at his memories of 1989 not matching what is now happening (he remembers Optimus rather than Rodimus being there) continues to add to the characters descent into madness in interesting ways, and his petulance over fighting the “wrong” Autobot leader is delightful.
There’s just a lot of sheer undulated joy to be had here, with every page having a memorable panel or moment and Sullivan making great capitol out of Galvatron’s half missing face.
There are only a couple of moments that don’t quite work. Of the first—Soundwave deciding to gather up his troops and leave without having contributed anything to the story—I’ll talk more about next week. The second however is my old bugbear of Ultra Magnus. For children who have been following this plot for two years, he’s the hero of the story, the ultimate foe to Galvatron. Even with the odd compromise of only the 2009 version being present, he absolutely should have had a significant moment with the Decepticon.
Instead, Galvatron tricks Magnus into shooting Scorponok, leading to the Decepticons turning against him and starting to rip him limb from limb. For him to be written out like this is appalling enough as it is (we’ll never see him again in the future stories after this, so presumably he dies here), but for it to happen without even a chance for him to get any final closure on his storyline is just shoddy plot construction.
Galvatron’s continued confusion at his memories of 1989 not matching what is now happening (he remembers Optimus rather than Rodimus being there) continues to add to the characters descent into madness in interesting ways, and his petulance over fighting the “wrong” Autobot leader is delightful.
There’s just a lot of sheer undulated joy to be had here, with every page having a memorable panel or moment and Sullivan making great capitol out of Galvatron’s half missing face.
There are only a couple of moments that don’t quite work. Of the first—Soundwave deciding to gather up his troops and leave without having contributed anything to the story—I’ll talk more about next week. The second however is my old bugbear of Ultra Magnus. For children who have been following this plot for two years, he’s the hero of the story, the ultimate foe to Galvatron. Even with the odd compromise of only the 2009 version being present, he absolutely should have had a significant moment with the Decepticon.
Instead, Galvatron tricks Magnus into shooting Scorponok, leading to the Decepticons turning against him and starting to rip him limb from limb. For him to be written out like this is appalling enough as it is (we’ll never see him again in the future stories after this, so presumably he dies here), but for it to happen without even a chance for him to get any final closure on his storyline is just shoddy plot construction.
More cheerfully, away from the main fight we get more good work with Scourge and Ravage. The latter has found Scourge (with a hole through his chest that makes a nice visual call-back to Wanted...) in a pathetic state at the foot of Fortress Sinister, without the strength left to climb back up. Ravage baulks at the idea of being the one to go deal with Shockwave and fetch Cyclonus’ body, but is ultimately realises he has very little choice. The sight of Scourge limping off with only the vaguest plan to “Get them to send me back” is surprisingly sad. Though it is lucky Galvatron put his secret base within walking distance of Fortress Sinister. Considering it also has to be right next to where Ravage fell down a mineshaft I’m sure someone better than me at American geography will either be able to pinpoint the exact location the big battle is happening or will instead be having kittens at how implausible it all is.
The money shot though is the ending. Magnus should have been more involved here, but equally there’s one character every child reading would have wanted to see fight Galvatron since he returned from the dead. Yes, the big cliff-hanger is Optimus using the Matrix mojo to leave limbo and prepare to take on Galvatron. Who gets to be the audience proxy through his sheer glee, “At last!” indeed.
I should like this issue a lot less than I do as it’s very much got the same problems as the early parts of really dragging things out. But as a showcase for Lee Sullivan it’s exquisite, containing great moment after great moment that may never quite gel into a whole but still entertains a lot.
The money shot though is the ending. Magnus should have been more involved here, but equally there’s one character every child reading would have wanted to see fight Galvatron since he returned from the dead. Yes, the big cliff-hanger is Optimus using the Matrix mojo to leave limbo and prepare to take on Galvatron. Who gets to be the audience proxy through his sheer glee, “At last!” indeed.
I should like this issue a lot less than I do as it’s very much got the same problems as the early parts of really dragging things out. But as a showcase for Lee Sullivan it’s exquisite, containing great moment after great moment that may never quite gel into a whole but still entertains a lot.
The main thing to note about the rest off the issue is its odd structuring. Rather than the usual layout of Transformers followed by Action Force, the lead strip is instead split into two halves either side of the backup. This may be due to the Classic Covers Calendar (appropriately a Lee Sullivan effort, from issue 135. Again note that as with the January one the month is already underway) needing a double page spread or because they really wanted the ending to run right into the full page “Next Week”.
Action Force itself begins Strange Bedfellows from G.I. Joe 57. Destro is back in Scotland and heading to is ancestral home (I think this was the first story to both establish he is an Earl and runs the MARS weapons company), with Flint and Lady Jaye in hot pursuit. Amusingly in Scotland they’re met by two Terry Thomas SAS officers who I would deride as being clichéd if not for the fact my sister in law is in the RAF and she assures me officers are exactly like that.
The calendar means there’s no room for Dread Tidings this week, so instead Dreadwind gets to take over the sidebar on Transformation to bemoan this would never have happened to Grimlock and what do the dumb stubbies have against the Decepticons? Just because they want world domination and the death of all humans, pure discrimination.
Action Force itself begins Strange Bedfellows from G.I. Joe 57. Destro is back in Scotland and heading to is ancestral home (I think this was the first story to both establish he is an Earl and runs the MARS weapons company), with Flint and Lady Jaye in hot pursuit. Amusingly in Scotland they’re met by two Terry Thomas SAS officers who I would deride as being clichéd if not for the fact my sister in law is in the RAF and she assures me officers are exactly like that.
The calendar means there’s no room for Dread Tidings this week, so instead Dreadwind gets to take over the sidebar on Transformation to bemoan this would never have happened to Grimlock and what do the dumb stubbies have against the Decepticons? Just because they want world domination and the death of all humans, pure discrimination.
Combat Colin is released by Professor Madprof now the robot has carried out multiple robberies, and for some reason the police don’t believe his “It wasn’t me, it was my mechanical doppelganger” claims and throw him in a cell, resulting in a great depressed panel from Lew Stringer.
Next week: More than two years. Over 100 issues. It’s the end of an era as Optimus fights Galvatron in the conclusion of the final UK colour epic. Things will never be the same again.
And yes, expect a lot of Cnut jokes.
ISSUE 203
1989
COMMENT
Next week: More than two years. Over 100 issues. It’s the end of an era as Optimus fights Galvatron in the conclusion of the final UK colour epic. Things will never be the same again.
And yes, expect a lot of Cnut jokes.
ISSUE 203
1989
COMMENT