I’m Running to Your Side, Flying My White Flag.
Transformers Issue 1: ...For All Mankind. November 18th 2009.
I need a recharge!
The big surprise coming back to, what is for me, the least familiar of all the IDW era, is that the moment that made me give up the comics almost entirely for two years isn’t actually in this opening issue. Meaning I must have at least gotten the second issue and will have to save all the thoughts I had planned on why I stopped reading for the next entry.
What we do get, and perhaps it’s a sign of why memories of what was in each issue can get a bit muddled when reading in trade as this is very decompressed storytelling, is a full-page spread of…
Stars in a night sky. And three, small narration captions. As I’ve said before, later writers, struggling with shorter page counts, would kill to be able to piss about like that. Though, and I’m really going to try hard not to keep dunking too hard on him for his artistic choices, it does give us the least controversial page of Don Figueroa art on this series.
I need a recharge!
The big surprise coming back to, what is for me, the least familiar of all the IDW era, is that the moment that made me give up the comics almost entirely for two years isn’t actually in this opening issue. Meaning I must have at least gotten the second issue and will have to save all the thoughts I had planned on why I stopped reading for the next entry.
What we do get, and perhaps it’s a sign of why memories of what was in each issue can get a bit muddled when reading in trade as this is very decompressed storytelling, is a full-page spread of…
Stars in a night sky. And three, small narration captions. As I’ve said before, later writers, struggling with shorter page counts, would kill to be able to piss about like that. Though, and I’m really going to try hard not to keep dunking too hard on him for his artistic choices, it does give us the least controversial page of Don Figueroa art on this series.
The narration is from Optimus Prime, saying that he passionately believes freedom is the right of all sentient beings, and that advanced species have a duty to spread that freedom, but all they’ve spread is war. Which is the preamble for spending a few pages on both a quick recap and setting up the new status quo. Starting with, as long as you can roll with the Movie inspired faces, an actually very good double-page spread representing Autobots Vs Decepticons, albeit one that takes more influence from the cartoon (Ratchet kicking Thundercracker in the cock) than anything that happened in IDW.
The aforementioned new status quo is annoying though. We’ve jumped forward two years, so everything has been rebuilt, the Autobots are now disguised and (sometimes) living as everyday normal, innocent vehicles and Skywatch are using energon powered mecha and inhibitors to capture any rogue Transformers they find searching for fuel.
The aforementioned new status quo is annoying though. We’ve jumped forward two years, so everything has been rebuilt, the Autobots are now disguised and (sometimes) living as everyday normal, innocent vehicles and Skywatch are using energon powered mecha and inhibitors to capture any rogue Transformers they find searching for fuel.
Putting America back into shape and having the Autobots adopt a “Classic” Transformers set-up (though things like Prowl being an actual police car are more like the 2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon), means the comic effectively skips anything of potential interest left from the end of All Hail Megatron, the world having to rebuild after a massive Independence Day style attack, with the aliens amongst us.
Indeed, it ignores the implications of the end of All Hail Megatron so hard, it makes you wonder why IDW didn’t just do a reboot at this point.
We also get a fairly good indication of why Don didn’t have much success in his attempted breakaway from the franchise, he’s not great at humans, introducing Major Spike Witwicky with giant hands that make him look like Kirk in that one comedy scene in the 2009 Star Trek.
It’s also odd that Prime’s narration completely vanishes for half the issue, after he introduces the action scene of a rampaging Breakdown being broken down by Skywatch mecha and forced into vehicle mode by the inhibitor being fired at him.
Indeed, it ignores the implications of the end of All Hail Megatron so hard, it makes you wonder why IDW didn’t just do a reboot at this point.
We also get a fairly good indication of why Don didn’t have much success in his attempted breakaway from the franchise, he’s not great at humans, introducing Major Spike Witwicky with giant hands that make him look like Kirk in that one comedy scene in the 2009 Star Trek.
It’s also odd that Prime’s narration completely vanishes for half the issue, after he introduces the action scene of a rampaging Breakdown being broken down by Skywatch mecha and forced into vehicle mode by the inhibitor being fired at him.
Prowl is there in his day job as a cop car, and, after making it clear the robot suits are powered by energon taken from their prisoners, becomes shocked when he sees the humans are about to execute the inactive Decepticon. So, against orders, Prowl transforms and rushes in to save him.
Prowl.
Prowl does that.
Two issues after his “I am a ruthless bastard” character was fully developed.
Editor Andy Schmidt was very insistent all this was intentional, but it’s more very clear that no one involved in one comic is bothering to read the contents of anyone else’s comic and editorial don’t care enough to keep things coherent. This was probably the big moment in alienating the established fanbase, to the point we’re going to get a special issue trying to square the circle on this.
The whole thing turns out to be a trick to draw Prowl out anyway, he’s gets inhibitor zapped and captured as well, letting Spike be insufferably smug to the cops who just lost their car (“Don’t feel too bad about it, they insist on paying me like ten times you salary, so I sorta have to know these things”), before deciding Breakdown’s sportscar mode is so sweet, he’s going to take it on as his own personal pussy wagon.
More on that next issue, unfortunately. But it’s fair to say, Spike being annoying is going to continue to be a trend.
Prowl.
Prowl does that.
Two issues after his “I am a ruthless bastard” character was fully developed.
Editor Andy Schmidt was very insistent all this was intentional, but it’s more very clear that no one involved in one comic is bothering to read the contents of anyone else’s comic and editorial don’t care enough to keep things coherent. This was probably the big moment in alienating the established fanbase, to the point we’re going to get a special issue trying to square the circle on this.
The whole thing turns out to be a trick to draw Prowl out anyway, he’s gets inhibitor zapped and captured as well, letting Spike be insufferably smug to the cops who just lost their car (“Don’t feel too bad about it, they insist on paying me like ten times you salary, so I sorta have to know these things”), before deciding Breakdown’s sportscar mode is so sweet, he’s going to take it on as his own personal pussy wagon.
More on that next issue, unfortunately. But it’s fair to say, Spike being annoying is going to continue to be a trend.
At their cartoon style desert base (if memory serves, they’ll later be confirmed to be camping in Omega Supreme), the Autobots are stressed, even with Wheeljack having found a counter to the inhibitor. Indeed, Drift is so stressed, he’s become a horrid little goblin man with a huge codpiece. Again, I’m not going to endlessly dunk on the art, but that feels like a personal attack on the fans the character will have later.
This does lead us into the best part of the issue though. Hot Rod is simply not happy, they’ve stayed on Earth for two years for no good reason as more and more of them get captured. Prime insists they must stay until there’s no risk of any further Decepticon attack, but Hot Rod counters by pointing out that Megatron is dead, the war is over, and the humans are doing fine with the nobody Decepticons who are turning up. Prime is just stuck in the past and that’s going to get them all captured or killed.
There’s going to be a lot of ragging on Optimus on the coming years for IDW, sometimes done better than others and, to be honest, by the point of the time of writing this, I much prefer the jolly dad cartoon or movie strong military leader takes over the eternal self-doubt.
But, here at least, it is a valid argument and a sensible depiction of Prime being lost without the war that has defined his life. And, at this point, he’s still open to listening, compromising with Hot Rod: Rather than a full-scale assault, the young Autobot (as long as you don’t look at his face) will lead a night-time rescue mission, to be done stealthily and with no harm to the humans. All with a supportive to Prime Ironhide as sensible, watching support.
Though colourist James Brown, presumably being too busy feeling good, didn’t notice the night-time bit as the following scene plays out during the day.
This does lead us into the best part of the issue though. Hot Rod is simply not happy, they’ve stayed on Earth for two years for no good reason as more and more of them get captured. Prime insists they must stay until there’s no risk of any further Decepticon attack, but Hot Rod counters by pointing out that Megatron is dead, the war is over, and the humans are doing fine with the nobody Decepticons who are turning up. Prime is just stuck in the past and that’s going to get them all captured or killed.
There’s going to be a lot of ragging on Optimus on the coming years for IDW, sometimes done better than others and, to be honest, by the point of the time of writing this, I much prefer the jolly dad cartoon or movie strong military leader takes over the eternal self-doubt.
But, here at least, it is a valid argument and a sensible depiction of Prime being lost without the war that has defined his life. And, at this point, he’s still open to listening, compromising with Hot Rod: Rather than a full-scale assault, the young Autobot (as long as you don’t look at his face) will lead a night-time rescue mission, to be done stealthily and with no harm to the humans. All with a supportive to Prime Ironhide as sensible, watching support.
Though colourist James Brown, presumably being too busy feeling good, didn’t notice the night-time bit as the following scene plays out during the day.
And this is where the storytelling gets very odd. Optimus Prime’s narration returns, after being absent from the issue just long enough to make it jarring, and suddenly, and in the middle of a page, it’s after the rescue mission has gone wrong, with Prowl bringing a red body in (I assume you’re meant to think it might be Hot Rod, though the actual death scene coming was put out as promotion for the issue in advance of the release), as Optimus stands over it and feels he’s failed his friend.
He then imagines what happened, so maybe he’s the one who forgot it was night, with Prowl offered up as bait for a trap and the humans getting the big guns out as their inhibitors don’t work. And the biggest target is the red and yellow one…
But Ironhide jumps in and takes the hit, being killed.
Famously of course, Costa originally wanted to kill Bumblebee, but wasn’t allowed to by Hasbro as we’re still a few years away from IDW character assassinating the minibot to the point the parent company were happy to see him sucked into a black hole.
It’s a visually fine scene, but one that comes from an author who clearly hasn’t read many Transformers comics if he thinks that killing off one of the main 1984 Autobots is the sort of big attention-grabbing shock that will get readers in.
The garbled out of order storytelling then leaves Optimus saying this is all his fault, and he will never forget his old friend, “Till all are one.”
Now there’s a catchphrase.
Prime then declares to the other Autobots that Hot Rod was right, he does have no clue as to how to lead them now, and so is going to resign as Autobot leader.
He then imagines what happened, so maybe he’s the one who forgot it was night, with Prowl offered up as bait for a trap and the humans getting the big guns out as their inhibitors don’t work. And the biggest target is the red and yellow one…
But Ironhide jumps in and takes the hit, being killed.
Famously of course, Costa originally wanted to kill Bumblebee, but wasn’t allowed to by Hasbro as we’re still a few years away from IDW character assassinating the minibot to the point the parent company were happy to see him sucked into a black hole.
It’s a visually fine scene, but one that comes from an author who clearly hasn’t read many Transformers comics if he thinks that killing off one of the main 1984 Autobots is the sort of big attention-grabbing shock that will get readers in.
The garbled out of order storytelling then leaves Optimus saying this is all his fault, and he will never forget his old friend, “Till all are one.”
Now there’s a catchphrase.
Prime then declares to the other Autobots that Hot Rod was right, he does have no clue as to how to lead them now, and so is going to resign as Autobot leader.
Them’s the breaks. And like Boris Johnson he’s going to ruin everything by just sort of sticking around.
For now though, and with no successor appointed, he instead drives to the Skywatch base, transforms…
…and surrenders.
Which is a pretty striking image to end on, and one with some real potential.
We’ll see how that goes.
If you’re reading in one of the trades that removes it, you’ll be unaware that the tile of the issue, For All Mankind, is held off being revealed till this last page. Which is a trick later (and previous, on The Legacy of Unicron) writers will use to great effect. Usually, it means the title relates to something that is not clear until the very end of the issue, seeing it and the final page together creating something that clicks in the mind of the reader and makes them go “Aha!” as everything falls into place.
As a sign of how pretentious and convinced Costa is he’s a more sophisticated writer than he really is (and we’ve got some dozy story titles coming up that will emphasise this), it would make no difference here if the quote from the moon landing plaque (or, let’s face it, for most of us, Independence Day) had been on the first page. It could have even filled up some of that empty space. It’s a writer’s trick with no trick.
As said, this is the era of the IDW run I’m the least familiar with. Outside of the two issues I got at the time, I read the Costa run once after I returned to the fold, and then a second time as Hachette put it out in their partwork. Both times, I got through each chunk of issues as quickly as possible and without paying it too much attention. There’s going to be a lot of uncharted territory going forward for the next year of this project.
For now though, and with no successor appointed, he instead drives to the Skywatch base, transforms…
…and surrenders.
Which is a pretty striking image to end on, and one with some real potential.
We’ll see how that goes.
If you’re reading in one of the trades that removes it, you’ll be unaware that the tile of the issue, For All Mankind, is held off being revealed till this last page. Which is a trick later (and previous, on The Legacy of Unicron) writers will use to great effect. Usually, it means the title relates to something that is not clear until the very end of the issue, seeing it and the final page together creating something that clicks in the mind of the reader and makes them go “Aha!” as everything falls into place.
As a sign of how pretentious and convinced Costa is he’s a more sophisticated writer than he really is (and we’ve got some dozy story titles coming up that will emphasise this), it would make no difference here if the quote from the moon landing plaque (or, let’s face it, for most of us, Independence Day) had been on the first page. It could have even filled up some of that empty space. It’s a writer’s trick with no trick.
As said, this is the era of the IDW run I’m the least familiar with. Outside of the two issues I got at the time, I read the Costa run once after I returned to the fold, and then a second time as Hachette put it out in their partwork. Both times, I got through each chunk of issues as quickly as possible and without paying it too much attention. There’s going to be a lot of uncharted territory going forward for the next year of this project.
And the reputation of this run is not great (even if it kept the steady sales of All Hail Megatron going, in the last time we can really use the physical sales as an indication of anything as digital will start to come in as Costa leaves), so I am worried about how I’m going to keep the positive intent of Revisitation going.
So, I’m somewhat thankful that this issue is thoroughly mediocre. It being all set-up means there’s some interesting ideas put forward, that can be enjoyed because we don’t yet have to face how they’re going to be dealt with. And the actual Prime/Hot Rod confrontation is genuinely very good.
But not a huge amount happens, and the attempt to be clever with the storytelling undermines the main big event selling point of the issue by making it confusing. The art also varies pretty wildly, even allowing for the style.
I also wonder what this says about what IDW think of their audience. Of the three books that make this relaunch, Bumblebee was for kids, Wreckers was throwing the old fans a bone and this, presumably, is the straight down the middle for what IDW consider their core target demographic book. Or at least the audience they’d like aboard anyway. And apparently, they think that group wants something very safe and 1980s, but with a useless Optimus Prime.
But then, we’ll see as the other two books pan out how well IDW have managed that targeting.
But for now, the “Main” book is being given a clear run to open with, so come back next week for issue 2.
ADDENDUM 6: CONTINUUM
2009
COMMENT
KO-FI
So, I’m somewhat thankful that this issue is thoroughly mediocre. It being all set-up means there’s some interesting ideas put forward, that can be enjoyed because we don’t yet have to face how they’re going to be dealt with. And the actual Prime/Hot Rod confrontation is genuinely very good.
But not a huge amount happens, and the attempt to be clever with the storytelling undermines the main big event selling point of the issue by making it confusing. The art also varies pretty wildly, even allowing for the style.
I also wonder what this says about what IDW think of their audience. Of the three books that make this relaunch, Bumblebee was for kids, Wreckers was throwing the old fans a bone and this, presumably, is the straight down the middle for what IDW consider their core target demographic book. Or at least the audience they’d like aboard anyway. And apparently, they think that group wants something very safe and 1980s, but with a useless Optimus Prime.
But then, we’ll see as the other two books pan out how well IDW have managed that targeting.
But for now, the “Main” book is being given a clear run to open with, so come back next week for issue 2.
ADDENDUM 6: CONTINUUM
2009
COMMENT
KO-FI