I Shot the Sheriff.
The Transformers Issue 17: Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome. March 9th 2011.
I can feel their pulses quickening now. Their vile, damp hands tightening around the handles.
Well, if Infestation issue 2 ended with a controversial death, that has absolutely nothing on this issue.
But before we get there, we have to get through the plot, opening with Spike having a traumatic nightmare about surviving the plane crash by traveling underwater in Prime’s leaking and running out of air trailer. From his face of real terror as he wakes up (in a now driving along on the surface Prime’s cab), it looks like this is going to be a real lasting psychological issue for him going forward.
But not one I can remember ever being mentioned again. But we’ll see...
He’s awakened by Megatron phoning in to say he totally expected Optimus to survive that, he has Ultra Magnus as a hostage and isn’t it time they had a chat? Continuing the annoying habit that will only get worse under John Barber of villains insisting every single setback was always part of their plan all along in order to try and make them look like master chess players, with very mixed results.
I can feel their pulses quickening now. Their vile, damp hands tightening around the handles.
Well, if Infestation issue 2 ended with a controversial death, that has absolutely nothing on this issue.
But before we get there, we have to get through the plot, opening with Spike having a traumatic nightmare about surviving the plane crash by traveling underwater in Prime’s leaking and running out of air trailer. From his face of real terror as he wakes up (in a now driving along on the surface Prime’s cab), it looks like this is going to be a real lasting psychological issue for him going forward.
But not one I can remember ever being mentioned again. But we’ll see...
He’s awakened by Megatron phoning in to say he totally expected Optimus to survive that, he has Ultra Magnus as a hostage and isn’t it time they had a chat? Continuing the annoying habit that will only get worse under John Barber of villains insisting every single setback was always part of their plan all along in order to try and make them look like master chess players, with very mixed results.
Me after a year of Costa.
Despite the exhaustion of the Skywatch troops, they have no choice but to all go charging in as a team. With a nice fore-fronted Jazz on the splash page, I wonder if he’s finally going to get to do something under Costa?
The real highlight of the issue is the two pages devoted to Brawn and Thundercracker. The Seeker is incredibly badly injured and needs Ratchet, and—as Brawn can only transport one person on his back—that means having to let Starscream go to do the right thing. It’s a nice payoff to the best part of the last issue. And look, if hot headed angry and upset Brawn can still do the right thing (just killing Starscream doesn’t even get suggested as an option), I guess that shows no trained Autobot would do anything dubious, no matter the provocation.
As Optimus arrives at Megatron’s meeting place with a dramatic “Autobots assemble!” (I guess he remembers that crossover, even if no one else does), it’s time for a go nowhere chat. As Megatron reveals he doesn’t want Prime dead, he wants him broken he just sounds like a bitter ex wanting attention. So, he’s chucked the rest of Magnus’ team into the nearby city, which is also full of Megatron Guns, all to show Prime he can’t trust the humans.
The real highlight of the issue is the two pages devoted to Brawn and Thundercracker. The Seeker is incredibly badly injured and needs Ratchet, and—as Brawn can only transport one person on his back—that means having to let Starscream go to do the right thing. It’s a nice payoff to the best part of the last issue. And look, if hot headed angry and upset Brawn can still do the right thing (just killing Starscream doesn’t even get suggested as an option), I guess that shows no trained Autobot would do anything dubious, no matter the provocation.
As Optimus arrives at Megatron’s meeting place with a dramatic “Autobots assemble!” (I guess he remembers that crossover, even if no one else does), it’s time for a go nowhere chat. As Megatron reveals he doesn’t want Prime dead, he wants him broken he just sounds like a bitter ex wanting attention. So, he’s chucked the rest of Magnus’ team into the nearby city, which is also full of Megatron Guns, all to show Prime he can’t trust the humans.
Living rent free in his head.
Which frankly assumes some very basic naivety of IDW Prime that he has never shown in this continuity. He’s clearly not an idiot, and sends Spike, driven by the fast and level headed Jazz, down to the city to keep a lid on things because, yes, he’s fully aware of what humans can do. He doesn’t trust everyone, he trusts Spike.
Whoops.
In the city, the Autobots (who, for some reason, are sitting around looking sad rather than doing anything even though Bumblebee is the only injured one) have been dumped in a children’s park and are now surrounded by the gunmen.
As the police cheerful chose to do nothing except watch, even when Spike tries to pull rank. Which actually is a nice still topical moment, the cops will chose who to come down hard on when breaking laws and who to just “Wait and see” on very carefully.
Back at the lover’s tiff, in a moment where I can’t decide if it’s meant to be intentionally hilarious or not, Prime deals with Megatron’s posturing by simply shooting Soundwave (who’s projecting the gun controlling thoughts) in the head, making it explode. Upsetting Megatron so much, he walks off with the body in a sulk.
Whoops.
In the city, the Autobots (who, for some reason, are sitting around looking sad rather than doing anything even though Bumblebee is the only injured one) have been dumped in a children’s park and are now surrounded by the gunmen.
As the police cheerful chose to do nothing except watch, even when Spike tries to pull rank. Which actually is a nice still topical moment, the cops will chose who to come down hard on when breaking laws and who to just “Wait and see” on very carefully.
Back at the lover’s tiff, in a moment where I can’t decide if it’s meant to be intentionally hilarious or not, Prime deals with Megatron’s posturing by simply shooting Soundwave (who’s projecting the gun controlling thoughts) in the head, making it explode. Upsetting Megatron so much, he walks off with the body in a sulk.
"Not long till we're on to the good comics, lads"
Which, if it is intentionally meant to be funny, is a nice broad self-aware moment of nonsense. But, frankly, there’s no real sense of lightness here, leaving the worrying feeling that we’re all meant to be taking this deathlessly seriously and treating it as a tragic moment. But it’s just too ridiculous and only really succeeds in stopping Prime and Megatron saying nothing to each other at length.
Down at the city, this does at least stop the gun holders, which (in another nice touch), is the moment the cops decide it’s time to arrest them.
But one cop, not trusting the robots who attempted a genocide, picks up a discarded Minitron, though Bumblebee (who apparently is doing much better), seems to be doing a good job of talking him down when…
Jazz transforms and knocks the cop out of the way.
No, wait, Jazz transforms and places himself between the cop and Bumblebee, just in case.
No, wait… Jazz transforms and uses his flame-thrower gun to burn the policeman to a crisp against standing orders not to harm civilian humans.
Down at the city, this does at least stop the gun holders, which (in another nice touch), is the moment the cops decide it’s time to arrest them.
But one cop, not trusting the robots who attempted a genocide, picks up a discarded Minitron, though Bumblebee (who apparently is doing much better), seems to be doing a good job of talking him down when…
Jazz transforms and knocks the cop out of the way.
No, wait, Jazz transforms and places himself between the cop and Bumblebee, just in case.
No, wait… Jazz transforms and uses his flame-thrower gun to burn the policeman to a crisp against standing orders not to harm civilian humans.
He's been headhunted.
Now, there are three big problems with this. The first is how contrived it is. Jazz has basically done nothing in Costa’s run, so there’s no setup for him being on edge or stressed out by recent events until right before he makes his move. And, as noted, the moment of crisis had passed (the cop’s finger only starts to twitch on the trigger after Jazz jumps out) and, even if Jazz felt he had to intervene, there were other, non-lethal, options for him to take here.
The second is, even if doing it here is clearly a PR disaster, the IDW Autobots, including Optimus Prime, have been perfectly willing to kill human threats in the past. Treating it as an unpardonable crossing of the line (one that will carry Jazz’ story right to the end of the first IDW run) just doesn’t work when Prime once deliberately let a truck that was fleeing crash into his legs, killing everyone in it.
The third and biggest thing that makes this uncomfortable (especially now), is that, to most fans and creators bar the person who designed his Pretender shell, Jazz is seen as equivalent to a black character. Now, this may have started because his original voice actor Scatman Crothers was relatively famous and had a recognisable and distinctive voice. But it’s something that came to influence a lot of how he was written (albeit sometimes in a very white guys trying hard way) and to mean a lot to black and other POC fans. Including the voice actor of Movie Jazz, Darius McCrary, who was extremely proud in interviews to be the first actor to follow Crothers in the role.
The second is, even if doing it here is clearly a PR disaster, the IDW Autobots, including Optimus Prime, have been perfectly willing to kill human threats in the past. Treating it as an unpardonable crossing of the line (one that will carry Jazz’ story right to the end of the first IDW run) just doesn’t work when Prime once deliberately let a truck that was fleeing crash into his legs, killing everyone in it.
The third and biggest thing that makes this uncomfortable (especially now), is that, to most fans and creators bar the person who designed his Pretender shell, Jazz is seen as equivalent to a black character. Now, this may have started because his original voice actor Scatman Crothers was relatively famous and had a recognisable and distinctive voice. But it’s something that came to influence a lot of how he was written (albeit sometimes in a very white guys trying hard way) and to mean a lot to black and other POC fans. Including the voice actor of Movie Jazz, Darius McCrary, who was extremely proud in interviews to be the first actor to follow Crothers in the role.
ACAB (All Cops Are Barbecued)
Having your black character kill a cop with no easily arguable self-defence angle to it and then, as we’ll see, devoting a great deal of time to what a bad thing to have done is such a loaded, and surely unintentional, message the entire story collapses around it into a singularity.
It’s a moment that’s poorly executed on every level and will put one of the most popular Autobots into a angst hole it’ll take years to get out of. The 07 film treated the character better. At least it was quick for him there.
So that leaves with another issue where very little happens except posturing, till the very end when suddenly we have inexplicably badly done copicide. As this story starts to crawl to its conclusion (amazingly, there’s still one part left), any potential for enjoying it outside of Milne’s continued improving art is being squeezed harder than those vile damp fingers Megatron seems to enjoy having around his handles a little too much.
Still, next week, back on Sunday, it’s Heart of Darkness, which… well, sounds more like this arc to be honest.
ADDENDUM 13
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI
It’s a moment that’s poorly executed on every level and will put one of the most popular Autobots into a angst hole it’ll take years to get out of. The 07 film treated the character better. At least it was quick for him there.
So that leaves with another issue where very little happens except posturing, till the very end when suddenly we have inexplicably badly done copicide. As this story starts to crawl to its conclusion (amazingly, there’s still one part left), any potential for enjoying it outside of Milne’s continued improving art is being squeezed harder than those vile damp fingers Megatron seems to enjoy having around his handles a little too much.
Still, next week, back on Sunday, it’s Heart of Darkness, which… well, sounds more like this arc to be honest.
ADDENDUM 13
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI
