The Solar Pool
Follow Me For Updates On:
  • Blog
  • Revisitation
  • Transformation
  • Book Shop
    • Heart of the Pool
    • Disclaimer
    • Links

Revisitation 22: Mo Man's Land.

20/5/2021

5 Comments

 
Picture
This week, we meet the single greatest character in all of IDW. One that will forever be close to my heart.

And also Minimus Ambus (not that you'd guess), Scorponok and Swindle in my look at Spotlight Ultra Magnus!


5 Comments
Llama God
21/5/2021 01:19:46 pm

Not a bad Spotlight this, and it's a nice, fun little story. My only gripe with it really is that I'm not a fan of the art - it feels a little like a Dreamwave hangover, and in not the best possible way, too. Just look at that opening shot of Magnus and try to figure out how his torso's working. Ah well. That said, the action's well done, and the Magnus transforming sequence, if controversial, is also well realised, so it's generally okay.

In terms of Magnus characterisation, this doesn't seem too bad - this is pre-end-of-war Magnus, where he's still his efficient best. It's what happens following this that causes him to become who he is in MTMTE. But there is the wonderful little ambiguous statement "I get into character", which I'm sure at the time just meant that he was transforming, but now can be read an additional way. So I have no problem with this.

Scorponok's a whole other issue, of course, but here I like how he handled, and ya Mo being offed so quickly shows that, as with the series' approach to the original Ark cast, this isn't just going to be a re-tread of G1.

In all, a good, fun, self-contained little story.

Reply
Jeremiah Ecks
29/9/2021 01:24:04 pm

I also Retcon-Read the bit where he said he's getting into character as Minimus Ambus 'suiting up' into the Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord.

Like Stuart said, around 2007 Magnus was very much the punchline of a joke - even the Marvel UK one, who was a badass for some time, suffered from not having his final fight with Galvatron (that is probably Furman's greatest mis-step in the UK comics).

However I grew to like him not from IDW but from re-watching the G1 animated show, especially The Killing Jar, where I realised, he's Autobot Cyclonus. Someone attached to a leader who really needs his tactical support but who isn't charismatic / confident enough to be the actual leader. However he's a badass fighter and definitely at leader level. Just like Cyclonus really.

Then I 'got' Magnus and started to like him. Even if he does casually blow up the most beautiful thing in the universe. 😇 (Man, ALL the Autobots are terrible in that story aren't they?)

IDW Magnus is VERRRRRY different than the other versions and I think it helps him stand out from being another generic leader type character which he can often be. I think this approach is healthy and helped redeem him in fans' eyes.

Scorponok is a harder sell but we'll come to him later. (Spoiler: the only Scorponok for me is US / UK Marvel)

Reply
Llama God
21/5/2021 02:53:57 pm

It's your boy Mo Zarak!
He ain't your beau, Zarak.
Now that's fo sho, Zarak.
But he's too slow Zarak,
When you say "Go, Zarak!"
Now there's no Mo Zarak.
That's what you get when you deal with Scorponok!
ULTRA MAGNUS IS IN THE BUILDING PEOPLE!

Reply
Llama God
21/5/2021 02:54:29 pm

I didn't get enough sleep last night.

Reply
Stuart
21/5/2021 06:09:51 pm

I was so excited at seeing there were three replies as well.




Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Stuart Webb. Who knows everything about nothing and not a lot about that.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All
    Abnett
    Action Force/G.I. Joe
    Animated
    Announcement
    Armada
    Audio
    Avengers
    Baker
    Bay
    Beast Wars
    Big Finish
    Brosnan
    Cannon
    Capaldi
    Carpenter
    Carte Blanche
    Cartoon
    Combat Colin
    Comedy
    Comics
    Computer Games
    Costa
    Cullen
    Davison
    Death
    Dille
    Discworld
    Doctor Who
    Dragon's Claws
    Dreamwave
    Dynamite
    Eccleston
    Ellis
    Fantasy
    Film
    Fleetway
    Frost
    Furman
    Generation 2
    Generation One
    Generation One
    Holmes
    Horror
    IDW
    James Bond
    James Roberts
    Jeffrey Deaver
    John Barber
    Ladybird
    Lanning
    Machine Man
    Marvel
    McCarthy
    Mccoy
    Mcgann
    Mosaic
    Nick Roche
    Nimoy
    Nintendo
    Panini
    Pegg
    Pratchett
    Prime
    Rescue Bots
    Revisitation
    RID
    Rincewind
    Science Fiction
    Science Fiction
    Shatner
    Signature
    Smith
    Sponsored
    Spy
    Star Trek
    Su
    Tennant
    Tipton
    Titan
    Torchwood
    Transformation
    Transformers
    Tv
    Visionaries
    Weatherwax
    Witches
    Wizards
    YouTube

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.