A Heckle for a Pistol is a Lot of Fun.
The Transformers Issue 14: Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man. December 8th 2010.
Hopelessness is a sickness.
After last week’s diversion into something fun. We’re back to Costa trying to say something Important with the start of the book’s third major arc. And indeed, he even manages to do so, albeit with a relevance to 2023 he could never have predicted.
This is immediately apparent from the opening, as it flashes back to recent events in the life of Bumblebee’s would be assassin, one Joe Gladki. A normal, everyday, family man. The sort of American who bought a gun when break-ins started happening in his neighbourhood. Who felt an incredible sense of hopelessness after the Decepticon invasion, one that led him down an online rabbit-hole of conspiracy theories and a dark web purchase of a mysterious weapon with which to defend his family.
One that the arrival of coincided with the radio starting talking to him.
As with a lot of Costa’s attempts to make a statement, there’s no subtlety here, being of course about the radicalisation of “Normal” Americans after 9/11 into Islamophobia, conspiracies and, though it was still a few years away from getting a name, MAGA. He’s effectively hit upon something that genuinely was a cancer at the heart of his country and, even if he’s really hammering it home, the anger and even pity at what was happening around him at the time has only gained weight since he wrote the issue.
Hopelessness is a sickness.
After last week’s diversion into something fun. We’re back to Costa trying to say something Important with the start of the book’s third major arc. And indeed, he even manages to do so, albeit with a relevance to 2023 he could never have predicted.
This is immediately apparent from the opening, as it flashes back to recent events in the life of Bumblebee’s would be assassin, one Joe Gladki. A normal, everyday, family man. The sort of American who bought a gun when break-ins started happening in his neighbourhood. Who felt an incredible sense of hopelessness after the Decepticon invasion, one that led him down an online rabbit-hole of conspiracy theories and a dark web purchase of a mysterious weapon with which to defend his family.
One that the arrival of coincided with the radio starting talking to him.
As with a lot of Costa’s attempts to make a statement, there’s no subtlety here, being of course about the radicalisation of “Normal” Americans after 9/11 into Islamophobia, conspiracies and, though it was still a few years away from getting a name, MAGA. He’s effectively hit upon something that genuinely was a cancer at the heart of his country and, even if he’s really hammering it home, the anger and even pity at what was happening around him at the time has only gained weight since he wrote the issue.
Me writing this piece.
And perhaps surprisingly, considering three whole pages are given over to him and explaining why he did what he did, I don’t believe this character even appears again, despite there being obvious milage in exploring him in the aftermath of what he’s done. Even John Barber doesn’t touch an obvious dangling thread.
Instead, it’s back to the present, as Bumblebee goes down, and in the confusion as Joe is himself thrown to the ground (with the crowd very much on his side, much to Brawn’s disgust), the weapon he used is found, and turns out to be the Walther P38 with scope from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. And because, unlike the reader, no one here knows Megatron has a new body, the immediate reaction is horror from all involved.
Including on the plane bringing Spike and the Autobots back from America, with Smokescreen being especially pissed, but even Prime is cold and forceful enough to have one of the Skywatch guys declare that he’s mad, in an oddly cheerful way.
It’s a mood that does not improve when something fast and mysterious flies in quickly and shoots the jet down.
Instead, it’s back to the present, as Bumblebee goes down, and in the confusion as Joe is himself thrown to the ground (with the crowd very much on his side, much to Brawn’s disgust), the weapon he used is found, and turns out to be the Walther P38 with scope from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. And because, unlike the reader, no one here knows Megatron has a new body, the immediate reaction is horror from all involved.
Including on the plane bringing Spike and the Autobots back from America, with Smokescreen being especially pissed, but even Prime is cold and forceful enough to have one of the Skywatch guys declare that he’s mad, in an oddly cheerful way.
It’s a mood that does not improve when something fast and mysterious flies in quickly and shoots the jet down.
Hasbro when you ask about a G1 Megatron reissue.
At Skywatch HQ, Brawn is not happy about having what he thinks is Megatron in the building, nor a human trying to keep Bumblebee alive till Ratchet can get there. Till the point that Ultra Magnus, whilst acknowledging that he’s stuck there as well (projecting, Mike?), is very steely firm that the little Autobot should behave, with enough intimidation that he does indeed shut up.
Till Silverstreak comes in with worse news…
And as Magnus is briefed by one of the identical looking Skywatch guys this series has been plagued by on the taking down of Prime’s flight, a third run of bad news comes in.
Or rather, bad News, as the TV is showing a broadcast with the head of “Earth’s Children,” Ben Simpson. A man you might call “Robot Critical”, but who refuses to take any responsibility for the scaremongering, hate stirring actions of his website, one Joe had been a member of. He even disputes if Bumblebee counts as being a person.
Till Silverstreak comes in with worse news…
And as Magnus is briefed by one of the identical looking Skywatch guys this series has been plagued by on the taking down of Prime’s flight, a third run of bad news comes in.
Or rather, bad News, as the TV is showing a broadcast with the head of “Earth’s Children,” Ben Simpson. A man you might call “Robot Critical”, but who refuses to take any responsibility for the scaremongering, hate stirring actions of his website, one Joe had been a member of. He even disputes if Bumblebee counts as being a person.
He's mad because his retirement keeps getting interrupted.
Now, this will all be very familiar at this point in 2023, especially as I’m writing on the day of the local vigil for Brianna Ghey. I’m not especially keen to talk about these comparisons when it’s in a comic this poor, that almost feels like verging on bad taste. But yes, those who stir the pot will never take responsibility for what they do, and the only thing Costa failed to predict was that the face of the movement would be either a failed Irish comedy writer or an millionaire children’s author.
Or, you know, someone who literally reads out quotes from Mein Kampf. If anything, Costa is too subtle here. Either way, if you’ve enjoyed any of my writing lately, why not make a small donation to a local LBGTQ+ charity? They need all the help they can get right now.
Or, you know, someone who literally reads out quotes from Mein Kampf. If anything, Costa is too subtle here. Either way, if you’ve enjoyed any of my writing lately, why not make a small donation to a local LBGTQ+ charity? They need all the help they can get right now.
They call it "Doing a Rowling."
In the midst of watching all this, the fourth round of bad news hits, literally as a massive explosion rocks the base at the exact same moment a guard is reassuring the protesters outside that nobody is going to be killed today.
What bad timing.
This turns out to be Soundwave, leading a raid that frees all the captured Decepticons, including grabbing Scrapper’s body. And either Hasbro have changed their minds about blood in the comic since All Hail Megatron, or they no longer care as a bloody hand is seen in the rubble as the Decepticons leave.
On the flipside of the coin, having a very good day is a gang in the Guatemalan city of Quetzaltenango. Where, amidst what I suspect will turn out to be a lot of irrelevance about the history of the place and a kid working for them, it turns out something fell from the sky recently. Something that’s let them make a whole load of Megatron guns.
That being Megatron’s previous body’s head.
What bad timing.
This turns out to be Soundwave, leading a raid that frees all the captured Decepticons, including grabbing Scrapper’s body. And either Hasbro have changed their minds about blood in the comic since All Hail Megatron, or they no longer care as a bloody hand is seen in the rubble as the Decepticons leave.
On the flipside of the coin, having a very good day is a gang in the Guatemalan city of Quetzaltenango. Where, amidst what I suspect will turn out to be a lot of irrelevance about the history of the place and a kid working for them, it turns out something fell from the sky recently. Something that’s let them make a whole load of Megatron guns.
That being Megatron’s previous body’s head.
Making waves.
Which gives us the title drop of the story, with this part being named after the Alfred Bester telepath novel The Demolished Man. Which is so ill-suited to the story, I can only assume it’s what turned the author into his Walter Koenig lookalike namesake in Babylon 5.
Though perhaps one odd way this story stands out in retrospect is that it’s almost certainly going to remain the last bit of Transformers fiction to prominently feature Megatron’s realistic handgun mode. Especially considering the 2022 UK stamp book just outright lied about what Generation One Megatron turned into in a gift set looking at the franchise from an historical perspective.
If nothing else, I have to once again praise Costa for his prescient anger at the way both America (and, lets be honest, the UK) were heading. It’s probably the closest he’s come to making a decent point in his attempts to write this comic in a sophisticated way that’s always been just beyond his reach.
But, outside of those scenes that have that extra weight, it’s still not a very good issue. Very little actually happens (basically the attack on Prime’s transport and the Decepticon escape, which amount to about four pages), and the whole thing feels like it’s treading water. I particular, I don’t think the history of Guatemala is going to play a big enough part going forward to deserve the narration it gets at the end.
Though perhaps one odd way this story stands out in retrospect is that it’s almost certainly going to remain the last bit of Transformers fiction to prominently feature Megatron’s realistic handgun mode. Especially considering the 2022 UK stamp book just outright lied about what Generation One Megatron turned into in a gift set looking at the franchise from an historical perspective.
If nothing else, I have to once again praise Costa for his prescient anger at the way both America (and, lets be honest, the UK) were heading. It’s probably the closest he’s come to making a decent point in his attempts to write this comic in a sophisticated way that’s always been just beyond his reach.
But, outside of those scenes that have that extra weight, it’s still not a very good issue. Very little actually happens (basically the attack on Prime’s transport and the Decepticon escape, which amount to about four pages), and the whole thing feels like it’s treading water. I particular, I don’t think the history of Guatemala is going to play a big enough part going forward to deserve the narration it gets at the end.
They're gunning for you.
As far as the art goes, Don Figueroa is back, and I’ll certainly have more to say about him and his final issue next week, but, for all he’s visibly backtracking on his original new style, it’s still nowhere near his best work and this especially suffers from being so human focused. Though at least his moment of Shockwave attacking is well done and intimidating.
It’s an unfortunately mediocre issue to end an unfortunately mediocre year. One that, let’s face it, has been a struggle to copy. That 2011 is going to be nearly all Costa is not the most reassuring of things to look forward to. But, onwards and upwards, we are, after all, very nearly halfway through his run now.
So, next week, new year, new Megatron.
THE TRANSFORMERS ISSUE 13
2010
COMMENT
KO-FI
It’s an unfortunately mediocre issue to end an unfortunately mediocre year. One that, let’s face it, has been a struggle to copy. That 2011 is going to be nearly all Costa is not the most reassuring of things to look forward to. But, onwards and upwards, we are, after all, very nearly halfway through his run now.
So, next week, new year, new Megatron.
THE TRANSFORMERS ISSUE 13
2010
COMMENT
KO-FI
