With Great Pleasure, I Sing Your National Song...
Issue 74: In the National Interest Part 1. 9th August 1986.
Oh pu-leease. Spare us the melodramatics.
The UK comic can actually be almost neatly divided into eras. The first covered the initial batch of fortnightly issues, where both the reprints and the home-grown stories are finding their feet and setting the form, with the British tales set in their own little bubble and not hugely bothered with continuity.
The second began with the weekly format, which brought with it more confident stories that tied together better and for the British tales an almost exclusive focus on the Dinobots. Despite having to work in TV tie-ins and Special Team promotions Furman (plus the occasional guest writer) and editor Rimmer have worked hard to create a consistent fictional world where the British stories add more depth and background detail- including in some cases going so far as to cover vital plot points. There's also often a dark, hard edge to the British stories that is mostly absent from the American.
This issue may be the big relaunch, but it is effectively the end of that second phase. The reason I said "Almost" in the first paragraph is because this changeover isn't going to be quite as neat as the first or most of the subsequent ones. This is mainly because no one at the time was really aware that the style of the actual stories were going to change so drastically so quickly. In a month's time we'll be getting a very big rock dropped in the comic's pond that will cast huge ripples. Ripples which; when coupled with the very close to being a disaster that would be the connecting of the American stories about the deaths of Prime and Megatron with the Prey arc; would see the British stories move into more high-concept high-adventure sci-fi that mostly try to be as separate from Budiansky's work as possible.
Oh pu-leease. Spare us the melodramatics.
The UK comic can actually be almost neatly divided into eras. The first covered the initial batch of fortnightly issues, where both the reprints and the home-grown stories are finding their feet and setting the form, with the British tales set in their own little bubble and not hugely bothered with continuity.
The second began with the weekly format, which brought with it more confident stories that tied together better and for the British tales an almost exclusive focus on the Dinobots. Despite having to work in TV tie-ins and Special Team promotions Furman (plus the occasional guest writer) and editor Rimmer have worked hard to create a consistent fictional world where the British stories add more depth and background detail- including in some cases going so far as to cover vital plot points. There's also often a dark, hard edge to the British stories that is mostly absent from the American.
This issue may be the big relaunch, but it is effectively the end of that second phase. The reason I said "Almost" in the first paragraph is because this changeover isn't going to be quite as neat as the first or most of the subsequent ones. This is mainly because no one at the time was really aware that the style of the actual stories were going to change so drastically so quickly. In a month's time we'll be getting a very big rock dropped in the comic's pond that will cast huge ripples. Ripples which; when coupled with the very close to being a disaster that would be the connecting of the American stories about the deaths of Prime and Megatron with the Prey arc; would see the British stories move into more high-concept high-adventure sci-fi that mostly try to be as separate from Budiansky's work as possible.
And as the Dinobots, or at least Grimlock, are going to become big parts of those American stories their time as the centre of the British stories; where oddly enough, they're less usually the leads and more often the catalyst for action in others; will fade almost completely (the main exception being an Annual crossover story that feels like Furman having fun in his old stomping ground) in favour of the Movie cast until the fourth, black and white, era kicks in. But by then the Cult of Grimlock will have really taken off and any Dinobot who isn't the leader will struggle to get a look in (and those side-bites will usually go to Swoop).
The second era will finally complete its transition into the third in the early 100's with Fallen Angel, crossing over the Dinobots' plots with the film story for the first and only time. But this is the where the end begins.
The change isn't just going to be one of plot and characters though, but tone. There's been a darkness to Furman's writing (most evident in the human deaths and tendency for the Decepticons to either win or get no-score draws) that won't survive into the Movie years, and that is on display here right from the off as we open with the returning Joy Meadows- who it turns out wasn't killed at all-appearing on TV to promote her forthcoming expose on the Robot Master scam. Much to the annoyance of Triple I, who decide she must die.
Though III were created by Budiansky, they play straight into many of Furman's favourite things, as anyone who has read his men in black obsessed IDW comics will know. Indeed, III are treated much like Skywatch will be, create something to fight the Transformers, only to then be surprised when it goes off on its own. Though unlike Agent Red, Forsyth won't repeat this plan endlessly no matter how often it fails. But, as tired as it will become this idea is still fairly fresh here, and it's mildly shocking to see the previously slightly silly organisation played so straight, complete with Barnett, who will normally be the nice one, seeming unbothered by the idea of killing nosey journalists.
This then leads into one of the more interesting ideas in the story: The fate of Professor Morris from The Icarus Theory. One of the more fun things for a series that deals with science fiction and fantasy ideas on present day Earth to do is look at how the regular bureaucracy of everyday life deals with those things. Later, The X-Files would have great fun with the occasional episode asking the question "How do you put a giant flesh eating fluke worm through court?", starting with the second Tooms story. It's therefore nicely ahead of the curve that Furman has a similar idea here as he drops in on Morris' trial.
Now, the Wiki holds it up as a flaw that Morris' smarmy lawyer is able to put up such a good defence for the scientist. But, even ignoring the fact that latter on it's suggested Triple I have rigged things, this is in fact rather the point. Morris may want to pay for his crimes, but equally he's being tried for a murder he couldn't possibly have committed (he hardly has the strength or claws of Swoop) and destroyed the device that would have shown how he did it, a device he clearly doesn't want the wider world to become aware of. Effectively staying stum even if it means it hurts the prosecution is the lesser of two evils. In that way, it is actually very like how Tooms would later get released because Mulder just doesn't know how to not say "He's a 200 year old liver eating mutant!" in court, and nicely shows how the ordinary workings of day to day American life really isn't set up for dealing with the world of the Transformers.
But we don't get to see if Morris will get let off and wind up crawling through an escalator naked chased by David Duchovney, as masked thugs break into the court and kidnap him. The whole opening sequence is tense, intriguing and exciting, takes up a third of the issue (we haven't even hit the title card yet) and sets up many themes of the story to come.
The second era will finally complete its transition into the third in the early 100's with Fallen Angel, crossing over the Dinobots' plots with the film story for the first and only time. But this is the where the end begins.
The change isn't just going to be one of plot and characters though, but tone. There's been a darkness to Furman's writing (most evident in the human deaths and tendency for the Decepticons to either win or get no-score draws) that won't survive into the Movie years, and that is on display here right from the off as we open with the returning Joy Meadows- who it turns out wasn't killed at all-appearing on TV to promote her forthcoming expose on the Robot Master scam. Much to the annoyance of Triple I, who decide she must die.
Though III were created by Budiansky, they play straight into many of Furman's favourite things, as anyone who has read his men in black obsessed IDW comics will know. Indeed, III are treated much like Skywatch will be, create something to fight the Transformers, only to then be surprised when it goes off on its own. Though unlike Agent Red, Forsyth won't repeat this plan endlessly no matter how often it fails. But, as tired as it will become this idea is still fairly fresh here, and it's mildly shocking to see the previously slightly silly organisation played so straight, complete with Barnett, who will normally be the nice one, seeming unbothered by the idea of killing nosey journalists.
This then leads into one of the more interesting ideas in the story: The fate of Professor Morris from The Icarus Theory. One of the more fun things for a series that deals with science fiction and fantasy ideas on present day Earth to do is look at how the regular bureaucracy of everyday life deals with those things. Later, The X-Files would have great fun with the occasional episode asking the question "How do you put a giant flesh eating fluke worm through court?", starting with the second Tooms story. It's therefore nicely ahead of the curve that Furman has a similar idea here as he drops in on Morris' trial.
Now, the Wiki holds it up as a flaw that Morris' smarmy lawyer is able to put up such a good defence for the scientist. But, even ignoring the fact that latter on it's suggested Triple I have rigged things, this is in fact rather the point. Morris may want to pay for his crimes, but equally he's being tried for a murder he couldn't possibly have committed (he hardly has the strength or claws of Swoop) and destroyed the device that would have shown how he did it, a device he clearly doesn't want the wider world to become aware of. Effectively staying stum even if it means it hurts the prosecution is the lesser of two evils. In that way, it is actually very like how Tooms would later get released because Mulder just doesn't know how to not say "He's a 200 year old liver eating mutant!" in court, and nicely shows how the ordinary workings of day to day American life really isn't set up for dealing with the world of the Transformers.
But we don't get to see if Morris will get let off and wind up crawling through an escalator naked chased by David Duchovney, as masked thugs break into the court and kidnap him. The whole opening sequence is tense, intriguing and exciting, takes up a third of the issue (we haven't even hit the title card yet) and sets up many themes of the story to come.
Over in the Ark, the Dinobots are bored about having been left out of so many American stories. Again, the wiki holds this up as a goof compared to the changed lines in Command Performances!, but there's nothing here that really contradicts that as they can both find Prime a bit rubbish and also be annoyed at having been left in a cupboard since waking up from their Dinobot Hunt traumas. The sense of frustration four of them are feeling is nicely played, but Sludge turns out to be overwhelmed with joy, and indeed Joy, when he catches his shiny golden human on TV and persuades the others to help her with her expose, which they agree to more out of boredom than anything else.
This leads us into the Transformers related action scene of the issue, which is fairly perfunctory compared to the more interesting stuff going on in the rest of the issue but still has some nice ideas in it. The first is Joy getting a cryptic phone call from G.B. Blackrock suggesting she check out Mt. St Hilary, which makes you realise she's got the sheer balls (or stupidity) to announce her show without actually having any evidence to support her claims. After all, even if her original footage of Sludge somehow survived the deaths of her original crew as implied by Forsyth (who claims it "vanished" before III could grab it), it doesn't actually disprove the Robot Master story. Blackrock's call also neatly explains why she's so close to the Ark when Robot Master is in Wyoming.
The second is a really fun panel of the Dinobots just walking down the highway in their monster modes talking exposition at each other; they look so out of place it's fantastic.
The third is our green clad masked thugs turn out to be having a busy day as they drive Joy off the road and try to kill her. Again, the idea of humans killing humans-cheerfully as well as they make wisecracks throughout- is very dark for a kids comic, especially compared to Budiansky's stories. This darkness is then balanced out perfectly with another comedy scene as Sludge's love makes him charge them, forcing them into pushing Joy's car off the cliff, resulting in a Beast Wars Silverbolt style scream of anguish before Swoop reveals he's already rescued her because he isn't a complete idiot.
This leads us into the Transformers related action scene of the issue, which is fairly perfunctory compared to the more interesting stuff going on in the rest of the issue but still has some nice ideas in it. The first is Joy getting a cryptic phone call from G.B. Blackrock suggesting she check out Mt. St Hilary, which makes you realise she's got the sheer balls (or stupidity) to announce her show without actually having any evidence to support her claims. After all, even if her original footage of Sludge somehow survived the deaths of her original crew as implied by Forsyth (who claims it "vanished" before III could grab it), it doesn't actually disprove the Robot Master story. Blackrock's call also neatly explains why she's so close to the Ark when Robot Master is in Wyoming.
The second is a really fun panel of the Dinobots just walking down the highway in their monster modes talking exposition at each other; they look so out of place it's fantastic.
The third is our green clad masked thugs turn out to be having a busy day as they drive Joy off the road and try to kill her. Again, the idea of humans killing humans-cheerfully as well as they make wisecracks throughout- is very dark for a kids comic, especially compared to Budiansky's stories. This darkness is then balanced out perfectly with another comedy scene as Sludge's love makes him charge them, forcing them into pushing Joy's car off the cliff, resulting in a Beast Wars Silverbolt style scream of anguish before Swoop reveals he's already rescued her because he isn't a complete idiot.
The issue then closes with the revelation of why Triple I want Morris, as it turns out they've rebuilt his machine and have also constructed a new robot for him to control: Centurion! Though the visual impact of the very impressively designed machine is the Big Cliff-hanger, the sheer anguish in Morris as he realises what they want him to do is the main draw. We'll talk more about this and Centurion next week.
All in all, this is a pretty impressive opening that sets up all sorts of interesting plots and has a lot of nice moments. It also has Will Simpson's best art on the book to date; the jagged edges especially suit Sludge's mad charge.
The big thing this week is the redesign. It's less excessive than when the comic went weekly though, mainly being a bit of spit and polish and the odd changed logo. The Transformation page again bigs up Target: 2006 and the film, but as a sign of things to come it's incredibly vague about when the movie will be released. Obviously the British release date was going to depend on how well the American run (which actually started the day before this issue was published) did, and there was some hedging of bets going on over exactly when this would be. As we'll see, the ultimate disaster at the US box office will result in the film coming out very late in the year indeed, buggering up the planned cross-promotion with Target: 2006.
The biggest change should be the arrival of the new letters page host, but Grimlock doesn't formally debut this week as we instead get a special full page Robo-Capers chronicling the hand-over. Written by an uncreditd Furman, the Transformers connection means it's one of the most widely seen of the strips (being all over the internet), and is one of the best to date with some nice, silly gags in it.
However, some of the in-jokery is a bit Donny Finkleberg. I'll bet the unflappable secretary at the Marvel offices is based on the real one, and I'm curious to know which member of the Marvel UK staff it is carrying Soundwave out of the office making the otherwise baffling claim "I'm off to America!". I wonder if the drunk tramp is based on one who used to hang around Marvel as well or if he’s just there because you always need a drunk to observe strange things so they can look at their bottle oddly. Ironically considering the stance letters page Grimlock will later take against his cartoon portrayal, here Furman has him talking like his TV counterpart.
All in all, this is a pretty impressive opening that sets up all sorts of interesting plots and has a lot of nice moments. It also has Will Simpson's best art on the book to date; the jagged edges especially suit Sludge's mad charge.
The big thing this week is the redesign. It's less excessive than when the comic went weekly though, mainly being a bit of spit and polish and the odd changed logo. The Transformation page again bigs up Target: 2006 and the film, but as a sign of things to come it's incredibly vague about when the movie will be released. Obviously the British release date was going to depend on how well the American run (which actually started the day before this issue was published) did, and there was some hedging of bets going on over exactly when this would be. As we'll see, the ultimate disaster at the US box office will result in the film coming out very late in the year indeed, buggering up the planned cross-promotion with Target: 2006.
The biggest change should be the arrival of the new letters page host, but Grimlock doesn't formally debut this week as we instead get a special full page Robo-Capers chronicling the hand-over. Written by an uncreditd Furman, the Transformers connection means it's one of the most widely seen of the strips (being all over the internet), and is one of the best to date with some nice, silly gags in it.
However, some of the in-jokery is a bit Donny Finkleberg. I'll bet the unflappable secretary at the Marvel offices is based on the real one, and I'm curious to know which member of the Marvel UK staff it is carrying Soundwave out of the office making the otherwise baffling claim "I'm off to America!". I wonder if the drunk tramp is based on one who used to hang around Marvel as well or if he’s just there because you always need a drunk to observe strange things so they can look at their bottle oddly. Ironically considering the stance letters page Grimlock will later take against his cartoon portrayal, here Furman has him talking like his TV counterpart.
Hercules meanwhile starts his second adventure, losing a race to two speedsters and having to grab the money quickly be going to rescue a kidnapped woman with a reward on her return. It remains nice fun stuff, but even more oddly the comic has seen fit to give a full page profile to the character. Whilst this is presumably for new readers coming into the book with the relaunch, you don't really need any of his back-story with The Avengers to get what's going on, and the recap at the opening of the issue covers the events of the first instalment. Effectively the name of the series is enough really, Hercules: Does Exactly What it Says on the Tin.
Blimey, I think that's the longest one yet, and I haven’t even mentioned the cover, the one and only piece of Transformers art by long time Doctor Who artist Alistair Pearson. Which isn’t his best work with a bug eyed Grimlock, but is especially notable for how the Dinobot leader’s sword is a blatant, huge penis substitute.
Join me next week as I ask: Who'd be a Brontosaurus in love? That's assuming having two, effectively new, Patrick Troughton Doctor Who stories to watch doesn't make me explode with joy first.
ISSUE 73
1986
COMMENT
Blimey, I think that's the longest one yet, and I haven’t even mentioned the cover, the one and only piece of Transformers art by long time Doctor Who artist Alistair Pearson. Which isn’t his best work with a bug eyed Grimlock, but is especially notable for how the Dinobot leader’s sword is a blatant, huge penis substitute.
Join me next week as I ask: Who'd be a Brontosaurus in love? That's assuming having two, effectively new, Patrick Troughton Doctor Who stories to watch doesn't make me explode with joy first.
ISSUE 73
1986
COMMENT