Transformation 212: Carry On Skiing.

3/6/2016

This week, it's the final end for the two strip format (for now), as I ask:

Where did Snarler and Carnivac actually come from?

How is Cliff only vaguely aware of giant killer robots from outer space invading America?

Has Dreadwid actually given up reading the book?

All this and exciting new for the future in my look at The Man in the Machine Part 2!

8 Comments

Tim Roll-Pickering link

3/6/2016 06:38:27 pm

The relettering budget is really get gut around this time - watch out for a lot of references to US (and UK...) issues not being corrected. Have we now passed the last substantial change to a US story's dialogue?

Interesting to see that Time Wars was already confusing readers - a lot of fans have long struggled against the alternate futures and ISTR timelines that went to great lengths to put the final G1 stories, G2, Earthforce, the original future stories and even Aspects of Evil, Peace and other annual tales all into a single timeline (and some fanfiction would even try to find ways to unalter what were presented as explicitly changed futures).

As for Fortress Maximus, do the Autobots have no way to un-binary bond Transformers and Nebulans/humans to allow both partners to go their separate ways? It seems odd to have a situation where they have to continue to rely on each other.

Stuart

4/6/2016 06:47:11 pm

Though I forgot to mention it we actually had a missed change issue box during Dark Star, "See last issue" should have become "See two weeks ago".

I believe there will be very few if any dialogue changes going forward.

Alex Smith link

3/6/2016 07:35:33 pm

In TMUK we had all stories in continuity with one another (with the framing sequence of 'Aspects of Evil' as the furthest 'official' point in the timeline, though stories would take place beyond that point - case in point being James Roberts' Telefunken which uses the framing sequence as a jumping-off point) including Earthforce, US G2, etc.

'Peace' was an exception, though Triton did show up as a character, I believe. Also 'Aspects of Evil: Galvatron' and 'Rhythms of Darkness' were both explicitly alternate timelines - the same one, in fact, dubbed the 'Dark Universe' and the setting of some great fanfics by Andy Dornan.

Some methods used to achieve this were more torturous than others, though any continuity-fix is going to sound trite in summary form rather than in the initial story or stories as presented. Some explanations and fixes were quite fun, as well. For instance, Megatron's G2 body was a mega-pretender shell and Optimus promptly has his Powermaster trailer rebuilt after being resurrected, because why the hell wouldn't you?

Regarding this issue; I'll always love Delbo's Fort Max. Yes, he almost always looks the same, but it's always quite magisterial, even when he's leaning back.

Ralph Burns

4/6/2016 10:21:54 am

'DON'T USE YOUR HEAD!' Would be a more appropriate cover strapline for readers reactions for the issue 3 weeks away. I can still feel the shock all those years later!

Actually the next period (up to #289) will be a very interesting read on the Blog as we head into the era that is both the most obscure and also least discussed part of the comic's run and also the lead appraised/appreciated/reviewed, not helped by the upcoming UK material being the least reprinted subsequently. It is also worth noting the overlooked fact that #213-289 represents by far the longest run of uninterrupted UK TF originated strips. That plus the continuation of UK originated covers means we're actually heading into the era when TFUK was the most British in terms of content and execution.

SPECIAL TEAMS!

Ralph Burns

4/6/2016 10:24:25 am

'Least' appraised not 'lead', I meant!

SPECIAL TEAMS!

Stuart

4/6/2016 06:48:51 pm

Though it being the least talked about era means a lot of bluffing from me as to what's going on!

Snowkatt link

14/4/2017 10:39:28 am

This is probably the best of Budiansky's post swan song stories.
That doesn't really say much, but its still a decent tale for what it is.

Felicity link

18/11/2019 11:47:58 pm

There’s a nice unintentional parallel as we learn that Cliff is very good at skiing despite being a nerd and Mainframe is very good at soldiering despite being a tech guy.

I like the “video static”/“composition notebook cover” pattern on the back wall of Fortress Maximus’s “cupboard” in this issue. Also the way he just steps out of an open door into space with the Earth below is oddly exhilarating.

Do I remember incorrectly or do the Decepticons beasts make adorable yipping noises as Fortress Maximus shoots at them and they retreat?

Transformation 212: Carry On Skiing.

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