And His Fist be Eveready for a Knock-Down Blow.
All Hail Megatron Issue 4. October 22nd 2008.
Lookin’ for trouble, Red?
After three issues almost entirely focused on the Decepticons, what is effectively the start of the second act of the series shifts the focus to Cybertron and the Autobots. Though we open with touching base at the “Lead” plot, with Megatron giving a speech to all his troops about how they have now conquered the world!
Which on the surface seems like a lot happened between issues, but this is just another sign of how confused the series is on the issue of how much of the planet the Decepticons have actually taken over. Still, apparently the humans (including cutaways to sorry looking Witwicky and the equally miserable Sarah and Bridge) are broken and hiding, waiting for hope that will never come. Because the messages are coming in, every Autobot outpost has fallen and the “Resistance” is no more.
Which takes us to Cybertron and a full page of Jazz moodily looking out on the planet. Which is the sort of thing I’ve criticised before, but here actually taking the time to set a tone and a drastic change of location for the series actually works.
Inside the building, tensions are rising as Ironhide and Prowl are having a full on argument (that all the other Autobots in the next room must be able to hear, which is awkward considering the subject of the conversation) about Ironhide’s refusal to let go of his overwhelming suspicion of who betrayed them.
Lookin’ for trouble, Red?
After three issues almost entirely focused on the Decepticons, what is effectively the start of the second act of the series shifts the focus to Cybertron and the Autobots. Though we open with touching base at the “Lead” plot, with Megatron giving a speech to all his troops about how they have now conquered the world!
Which on the surface seems like a lot happened between issues, but this is just another sign of how confused the series is on the issue of how much of the planet the Decepticons have actually taken over. Still, apparently the humans (including cutaways to sorry looking Witwicky and the equally miserable Sarah and Bridge) are broken and hiding, waiting for hope that will never come. Because the messages are coming in, every Autobot outpost has fallen and the “Resistance” is no more.
Which takes us to Cybertron and a full page of Jazz moodily looking out on the planet. Which is the sort of thing I’ve criticised before, but here actually taking the time to set a tone and a drastic change of location for the series actually works.
Inside the building, tensions are rising as Ironhide and Prowl are having a full on argument (that all the other Autobots in the next room must be able to hear, which is awkward considering the subject of the conversation) about Ironhide’s refusal to let go of his overwhelming suspicion of who betrayed them.
Best get used to this Prowl.
And when Prowl goes as far as saying the traitor could have been anyone, even Ironhide, he gets a punch for his troubles.
Which starts a strong trend of machismo in McCarthy’s writing as three times in this issue alone we’re going to have people on the same side punching each other. Only once as an unintentional misunderstanding. And it’s going to be a recurring trend and despite supposedly showing “How Bad Things Have Gotten”, it more feels like the author is saying thinking with fists and being the most manly man you can is the solution to most things.
Amidst this, it’s easy to miss the introduction of an idea which will be a big thing for several authors going forward: The Transformers are by their very nature a species of change, so, as Prowl points out before the punch, why is Ironhide finding it so hard to adapt to their new situation?
After the punch though, he’s far more keen to step outside, which is not remotely in character, but luckily Jazz steps in and orders Ironhide off. Explaining that he doesn’t get punched because he has one thing Prowl doesn’t: “Tone”.
Which starts a strong trend of machismo in McCarthy’s writing as three times in this issue alone we’re going to have people on the same side punching each other. Only once as an unintentional misunderstanding. And it’s going to be a recurring trend and despite supposedly showing “How Bad Things Have Gotten”, it more feels like the author is saying thinking with fists and being the most manly man you can is the solution to most things.
Amidst this, it’s easy to miss the introduction of an idea which will be a big thing for several authors going forward: The Transformers are by their very nature a species of change, so, as Prowl points out before the punch, why is Ironhide finding it so hard to adapt to their new situation?
After the punch though, he’s far more keen to step outside, which is not remotely in character, but luckily Jazz steps in and orders Ironhide off. Explaining that he doesn’t get punched because he has one thing Prowl doesn’t: “Tone”.
Look at those two good pals, the Lambo brothers.
Which, even though why Jazz is in charge is a little confusing (you’ll have to wait till next issue for the gaps to be filled in), this is actually a nice little character beat and the first hint that, when he can get away from them just moping around the place, McCarthy actually writes the Autobots as funny little guys pretty well. Though they then get back to being serious and talking about how their scouting groups are not able to find any energon and what they are getting is all having to go straight to Prime to keep him alive. Plus there’s something the others can’t know yet.
In the next room, a group of 1983/85 Autobots are standing around awkwardly, probably because of the fight they’ve just heard, but with Mirage looking especially downtrodden. Which is where all the attempt to follow “What characters don’t say is more important than what they do say” writing rule by being coy about who everyone thinks the traitor is becomes ridiculous, because it’s really obvious even if you’ve never seen any Transformers with Mirage in before.
Still, it’s nice to see that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are now great friends, not only standing closely to one another, but also, because (at Hasbro’s insistence, one has to assume they took these new forms in the last year considering the difficulties Bumblebee is facing in the next scene) they are now in their Classics toys bodies. Meaning Sideswipe has decided to look just like Sunstreaker.
Is McCarthy trying to subtly say something about the current state of their relationship? Or has he simply not been made aware of the events of Spotlight: Sideswipe and editorial (which around this time said the two writers were not talking to each other and didn’t need to) didn’t spot it? Considering there’s also no mention of the toxic environment of Cybertron—though after fans complained there will be a hand-wave later on—it’s very much more likely to be that McCarthy had never seen a Furman comic.
In the next room, a group of 1983/85 Autobots are standing around awkwardly, probably because of the fight they’ve just heard, but with Mirage looking especially downtrodden. Which is where all the attempt to follow “What characters don’t say is more important than what they do say” writing rule by being coy about who everyone thinks the traitor is becomes ridiculous, because it’s really obvious even if you’ve never seen any Transformers with Mirage in before.
Still, it’s nice to see that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are now great friends, not only standing closely to one another, but also, because (at Hasbro’s insistence, one has to assume they took these new forms in the last year considering the difficulties Bumblebee is facing in the next scene) they are now in their Classics toys bodies. Meaning Sideswipe has decided to look just like Sunstreaker.
Is McCarthy trying to subtly say something about the current state of their relationship? Or has he simply not been made aware of the events of Spotlight: Sideswipe and editorial (which around this time said the two writers were not talking to each other and didn’t need to) didn’t spot it? Considering there’s also no mention of the toxic environment of Cybertron—though after fans complained there will be a hand-wave later on—it’s very much more likely to be that McCarthy had never seen a Furman comic.
Who needs equipment when you've got ears?
What McCarthy has seen though is the cartoon, and so we get a homage to its very first scene of Bumblebee and Wheeljack driving the streets, looking for energon. And this may be the best sequence from him yet, filled with actual humour and character. Bumblebee crashes because his VW (and one of the few to still be E.J. Su) mode is designed for earth roads, leading Wheeljack to talk about what he could do with the equipment in his lab... before Bumblebee points out he doesn’t have his equipment. Or any equipment. Which gets a “Now you’re being rude” response.
The real joy though comes after Wheeljack spots something (and though its not clarified yet, there’s clearly something on Cybertron to be scared of) watching them. Not to give a huge spoiler, but whoever it is in shadow has a huge spoiler on their back.
Bumblebee thinks they have no way of calling for help, but Wheeljack has set it up so a “Short pulse” emitted from him will activate a light on a console back at base for one hundredth of a second.
Which Bumblebee finds incredulous as a plan as “Who in their right mind is going to stare at a tiny light on the off chance we might need backup?”.
Cut to base, where the panel does light up and Cliffjumper has been that guy not in his right mind, watching it intently and now getting to be delighted that it’s “show time”.
The real joy though comes after Wheeljack spots something (and though its not clarified yet, there’s clearly something on Cybertron to be scared of) watching them. Not to give a huge spoiler, but whoever it is in shadow has a huge spoiler on their back.
Bumblebee thinks they have no way of calling for help, but Wheeljack has set it up so a “Short pulse” emitted from him will activate a light on a console back at base for one hundredth of a second.
Which Bumblebee finds incredulous as a plan as “Who in their right mind is going to stare at a tiny light on the off chance we might need backup?”.
Cut to base, where the panel does light up and Cliffjumper has been that guy not in his right mind, watching it intently and now getting to be delighted that it’s “show time”.
Best IDW1 Cliffjumper moment.
It’s a lot of setup for a very silly joke, but it’s a good silly joke that actually says a lot about all three characters and gets a genuine laugh.
There’s a more serious, but still pretty decent, character moment as Jazz has a quiet conversation with Ironhide, that reveals it’s the futility of their situation and in particular what has happened to Optimus that is getting to him. He was ready to die for Prime from that first day they met, when he was just a kid full of ideas and how the hell did they get here from how all this started with just a city? And why won’t Jazz tell him what he’s hiding?
It’s a nice, played straight, moment for Ironhide. But it’s rather undone by McCarthy having decided that Ironhide’s nickname is “Red”, which is so deeply stupid when there’s three red Autobots on this team already and one more to come.
“Red” is flat out told to leave Mirage alone, and luckily this is when Cliffjumper provides a handy distraction by asking “Red” if he wants to come rescue Bumblebee and Wheeljack. Sadly, Ironhide does not reply “Sure, Red, I’ll just go grab Red and we’ll get going”. Instead he tells an eager Sunstreaker he can’t come, because he wants someone he can trust to keep an eye on Mirage.
You’ll never guess who the actual traitor is now.
There’s a more serious, but still pretty decent, character moment as Jazz has a quiet conversation with Ironhide, that reveals it’s the futility of their situation and in particular what has happened to Optimus that is getting to him. He was ready to die for Prime from that first day they met, when he was just a kid full of ideas and how the hell did they get here from how all this started with just a city? And why won’t Jazz tell him what he’s hiding?
It’s a nice, played straight, moment for Ironhide. But it’s rather undone by McCarthy having decided that Ironhide’s nickname is “Red”, which is so deeply stupid when there’s three red Autobots on this team already and one more to come.
“Red” is flat out told to leave Mirage alone, and luckily this is when Cliffjumper provides a handy distraction by asking “Red” if he wants to come rescue Bumblebee and Wheeljack. Sadly, Ironhide does not reply “Sure, Red, I’ll just go grab Red and we’ll get going”. Instead he tells an eager Sunstreaker he can’t come, because he wants someone he can trust to keep an eye on Mirage.
You’ll never guess who the actual traitor is now.
But will he catch the traitor red-handed?
We briefly cut to Earth, and find out Andy actually survived! And is arguing with other survivors about the best place to hide now.
Oh, except that when we cut to the watching Bridge and Sarah, they make it clear that Andy actually did die and turns out Guido Guidi really does only have one young white guy in him.
Not like that.
We’re rapidly approaching the point where McCarthy, or more likely IDW, started reacting to the criticism of the early issues. Meaning Bridge and Sarah are going to become little more than extras in the series (I can only remember one more notable scene with them at all), meaning their conversation of how they need a leader and it must be Bridge because he is A Man is not just mildly sexist, but also redundant. It does give us our second punch of the issue though, as Sarah uses a right hook to make Bridge “Man up” and take charge.
It is terrible, though maybe there was going to be more of an arc to this originally. The forthcoming final big scene for them, if I remember correctly, has Bridge give command to Sarah on the grounds that she’s the one who’s really in charge anyway, but that’s at the point Spike teams up with them and takes actual charge and makes them his bitches.
Sarah has also somehow and for some reason kept her pearl necklace on throughout all this as well.
Not like that.
Oh, except that when we cut to the watching Bridge and Sarah, they make it clear that Andy actually did die and turns out Guido Guidi really does only have one young white guy in him.
Not like that.
We’re rapidly approaching the point where McCarthy, or more likely IDW, started reacting to the criticism of the early issues. Meaning Bridge and Sarah are going to become little more than extras in the series (I can only remember one more notable scene with them at all), meaning their conversation of how they need a leader and it must be Bridge because he is A Man is not just mildly sexist, but also redundant. It does give us our second punch of the issue though, as Sarah uses a right hook to make Bridge “Man up” and take charge.
It is terrible, though maybe there was going to be more of an arc to this originally. The forthcoming final big scene for them, if I remember correctly, has Bridge give command to Sarah on the grounds that she’s the one who’s really in charge anyway, but that’s at the point Spike teams up with them and takes actual charge and makes them his bitches.
Sarah has also somehow and for some reason kept her pearl necklace on throughout all this as well.
Not like that.
Now they wouldn't do this the other way round, so why is random punching OK when it's woman on man?
But even if it’s an accidental result of changed storylines, this marks the point where the next few years are going to be pretty poor for the women characters. With Arcee of the table and Verity only going to be allowed in a Shut Up the Old Fans series IDW didn’t expect to get much traction, it’s going to be very much a boys club where the few women who appear are going to be ineffectual, weepy, dodgy, or just there to show off their asses.
Better material is to be found on Cybertron, as Cliffjumper gets the drop on the mysterious in shadow watcher. Who is so good at staying in shadow he is clouded in black still, even as the right next to him with a gun on him Cliffjumper isn’t.
And because no one has punched anyone for two pages, Ironhide comes in swinging and knocks the stranger so hard he comes out of the shadows... revealing Hot Rod.
I’m not sure why Hot Rod was just watching Bumblebee and Wheeljack from a distance in a sinister way rather than just shouting out hello to them. Though later years will reveal he doesn’t like Bumblebee much.
Better material is to be found on Cybertron, as Cliffjumper gets the drop on the mysterious in shadow watcher. Who is so good at staying in shadow he is clouded in black still, even as the right next to him with a gun on him Cliffjumper isn’t.
And because no one has punched anyone for two pages, Ironhide comes in swinging and knocks the stranger so hard he comes out of the shadows... revealing Hot Rod.
I’m not sure why Hot Rod was just watching Bumblebee and Wheeljack from a distance in a sinister way rather than just shouting out hello to them. Though later years will reveal he doesn’t like Bumblebee much.
Punch everyone but a baddy.
The issue ends on Hot Rod being delighted fellow Autobots have turned up to rescue him and his own team, who crash-landed on Cybertron and have been stranded ever since.
Which creates an Attack of the Clones meme moment of “You are here to rescue me, right?”.
There’s a degree of irony that the best cliff-hanger yet in the series isn’t a big dramatic or violent one, but the punchline to a shaggy dog story, but it makes for a nice change of pace and an actual strong endpoint.
Though now they’ve got a fourth red guy, this is just going to get needlessly confusing.
Which creates an Attack of the Clones meme moment of “You are here to rescue me, right?”.
There’s a degree of irony that the best cliff-hanger yet in the series isn’t a big dramatic or violent one, but the punchline to a shaggy dog story, but it makes for a nice change of pace and an actual strong endpoint.
Though now they’ve got a fourth red guy, this is just going to get needlessly confusing.
Still, overall, this is comfortably the best issue of the series so far, with the ironic reveal that in a Decepticon led series, the Autobots are getting the best writing. There are good gags, decent character beats and crucially, the slow pace feels deliberate rather than a desperate reaction to the series being double in length. We get a real sense of the frustration and desperation of the Autobot situation, and them being stuck sitting around doing nothing is a big part of that.
And Jazz actually makes for a cool, level headed leader. Which makes what IDW will do to him something of a shame.
To counter that, the testosterone from all the punching could achieve the transition of two dozen trans men and the human scene is genuinely terrible. But, after three issues of trying so hard to be adult and gritty with the stars of the 1984 Sunbow cartoon, the issue just unashamedly being the 1984 Sunbow cartoon for most of an issue is, if not the greatest comic ever made, certainly a much needed change of pace.
Next week, something that I wasn’t expecting to come up before the character appeared in the main series, is the first All Hail Megatron spinoff (so it must have been doing OK sales wise), Spotlight: Blurr.
SPOTLIGHT SIDESWIPE
2008
COMMENT
KO-FI
And Jazz actually makes for a cool, level headed leader. Which makes what IDW will do to him something of a shame.
To counter that, the testosterone from all the punching could achieve the transition of two dozen trans men and the human scene is genuinely terrible. But, after three issues of trying so hard to be adult and gritty with the stars of the 1984 Sunbow cartoon, the issue just unashamedly being the 1984 Sunbow cartoon for most of an issue is, if not the greatest comic ever made, certainly a much needed change of pace.
Next week, something that I wasn’t expecting to come up before the character appeared in the main series, is the first All Hail Megatron spinoff (so it must have been doing OK sales wise), Spotlight: Blurr.
SPOTLIGHT SIDESWIPE
2008
COMMENT
KO-FI
