Stars in Your Eyes, Little One, where do You go to Dream? To a Place We all know, the Land of Make Believe.
The Transformers issue 31: Pax Cybertronia. December 11th 2011.
That’s not really an appropriate story… how do you know that story?
I’ve alluded a few times to the infamous Mike Costa Underbase issue that he did around the time this final issue came out, and I think now is the time to share a LINK and encourage everyone to go listen to it. That the show didn’t realise what they had is best shown by the episode being named after the review of the comic it closes out on, but it really is the most extraordinary bridge burning exercise this side of the interview Eric Saward did with Starburst after he left Doctor Who.
It's a good glimpse into the mind of a writer who is tired and exhausted and also thinks he’s too good for this “unrealistic” robots’ comic, whilst not being anywhere as good as the game he tries to talk in the interview.
Which is leads us to this, his farewell issue that’s also a finale for this entire era before a major relaunch. Which was specifically inspired by two comics, one an issue of Starman set in the far future with a character telling stories to children, and, most pertinently, Peter David’s final issue of The Incredible Hulk, which he whimsically wrote as potential last ever Hulk issue, again in the future looking back, before handing over to a new team.
That’s not really an appropriate story… how do you know that story?
I’ve alluded a few times to the infamous Mike Costa Underbase issue that he did around the time this final issue came out, and I think now is the time to share a LINK and encourage everyone to go listen to it. That the show didn’t realise what they had is best shown by the episode being named after the review of the comic it closes out on, but it really is the most extraordinary bridge burning exercise this side of the interview Eric Saward did with Starburst after he left Doctor Who.
It's a good glimpse into the mind of a writer who is tired and exhausted and also thinks he’s too good for this “unrealistic” robots’ comic, whilst not being anywhere as good as the game he tries to talk in the interview.
Which is leads us to this, his farewell issue that’s also a finale for this entire era before a major relaunch. Which was specifically inspired by two comics, one an issue of Starman set in the far future with a character telling stories to children, and, most pertinently, Peter David’s final issue of The Incredible Hulk, which he whimsically wrote as potential last ever Hulk issue, again in the future looking back, before handing over to a new team.
Like Costa, he's Trion too hard.
Which rather shows the hubris of Costa (Hubris Costa sounds like an American child actor), Peter David is widely regarded as one of and more often than not the definitive Hulk writer. How he’d write the end to the series is something inherently interesting, even as a fanciful “what if?” rather than the real end point. He’d also earnt that level of grand farewell, there’s a good chance many readers did treat it as the real end point.
Mike Costa has managed just about two years on Transformers and even he isn’t having a good time by this point. There has been nothing at all in his era that justifies him having been on the book this long (indeed, one of the puzzling things about that interview is Andy Schmidt knew he was struggling pretty early and still kept Costa on for another year), let alone a victory lap.
And before I dive into the issue itself, I should also say, as decidedly average as it is, I also really dislike what John Barber will do with this issue later one, overturing the “Ah yes, how does it fit?” intent to give it a “No, this is how it fits” explanation that is both terrible and years after anyone remotely cared about any of it. That and Spotlight Mirage getting a similar prosaic explanation are the best examples of one of the main flaws of the era to come, an obsession with continuity but no ability to discern the difference between old threads that have the potential to be interesting and old threads that are best left dangling unless you’re a Wiki editor.
Mike Costa has managed just about two years on Transformers and even he isn’t having a good time by this point. There has been nothing at all in his era that justifies him having been on the book this long (indeed, one of the puzzling things about that interview is Andy Schmidt knew he was struggling pretty early and still kept Costa on for another year), let alone a victory lap.
And before I dive into the issue itself, I should also say, as decidedly average as it is, I also really dislike what John Barber will do with this issue later one, overturing the “Ah yes, how does it fit?” intent to give it a “No, this is how it fits” explanation that is both terrible and years after anyone remotely cared about any of it. That and Spotlight Mirage getting a similar prosaic explanation are the best examples of one of the main flaws of the era to come, an obsession with continuity but no ability to discern the difference between old threads that have the potential to be interesting and old threads that are best left dangling unless you’re a Wiki editor.
Remember when the comics were less bad?
As for the story…
In the far future, on what turns out to be Gorlam Prime, the Transformers are apparently living in peace and prosperity. As they prepare to celebrate Remembrance Day, a bunch of Generation 2 insignia wearing kids ask Alpha Trion for stories of the past, before being excited to meet the last survivor of the old wars, Ironhide. Who gives a speech at that night’s ceremony about how he wishes Prime was still about, before musing more on the old days with Trion and worrying that Megatron is still out there, before both end the series staring up at the night sky.
That’s very slight for a last ever issue, isn’t it? Largely because the format is to allow Casey Coller to do a series of full-page flashbacks to various key IDW moments, Megatron “killing” Prime, the Swarm fighting Ironhide and, yes, D-Void. Which, as an art tribute to the era, is fine, but as a story, is a lot less. Especially as it all just is at it happened, there’s no exaggeration in what the kids think happened, or how Alpha Trion tells the story. It’s just prosaic facts. It also, apart from a couple of vague hints like implying Wheelie was the first Autobot to see Unicron, doesn’t do the potentially fun thing of showing unseen “Future” adventures.
So, what is interesting here? Well, the idea Alpha Trion gets younger looking and more coherent over time because he never stops changing is a fun one. Ironhide as a melancholy but overall happy old man is a nice bit of character, though the original idea of this being Bumblebee rather than a character who is already an old codger is a better one.
In the far future, on what turns out to be Gorlam Prime, the Transformers are apparently living in peace and prosperity. As they prepare to celebrate Remembrance Day, a bunch of Generation 2 insignia wearing kids ask Alpha Trion for stories of the past, before being excited to meet the last survivor of the old wars, Ironhide. Who gives a speech at that night’s ceremony about how he wishes Prime was still about, before musing more on the old days with Trion and worrying that Megatron is still out there, before both end the series staring up at the night sky.
That’s very slight for a last ever issue, isn’t it? Largely because the format is to allow Casey Coller to do a series of full-page flashbacks to various key IDW moments, Megatron “killing” Prime, the Swarm fighting Ironhide and, yes, D-Void. Which, as an art tribute to the era, is fine, but as a story, is a lot less. Especially as it all just is at it happened, there’s no exaggeration in what the kids think happened, or how Alpha Trion tells the story. It’s just prosaic facts. It also, apart from a couple of vague hints like implying Wheelie was the first Autobot to see Unicron, doesn’t do the potentially fun thing of showing unseen “Future” adventures.
So, what is interesting here? Well, the idea Alpha Trion gets younger looking and more coherent over time because he never stops changing is a fun one. Ironhide as a melancholy but overall happy old man is a nice bit of character, though the original idea of this being Bumblebee rather than a character who is already an old codger is a better one.
Cybertron's greatest GILF.
And if nothing else, thanks to the statues behind Ironhide as he gives his speech, this is the first time we see the new and soon to be iconic design for Rodimus.
It’s not even an especially bad issue, it’s too slight for that. But that slightness is the weakness, it couldn’t be more nothing if it tried. It thinks it has something to say about the passage of time and nostalgia and keeping yourself fresh, but there’s not enough there to fill even the pages that aren’t splashes.
It effectively says it all, that the Costa era ends on a huge splash page with nothing happening on it beyond characters looking up at the stars, saying nothing.
It’s not even an especially bad issue, it’s too slight for that. But that slightness is the weakness, it couldn’t be more nothing if it tried. It thinks it has something to say about the passage of time and nostalgia and keeping yourself fresh, but there’s not enough there to fill even the pages that aren’t splashes.
It effectively says it all, that the Costa era ends on a huge splash page with nothing happening on it beyond characters looking up at the stars, saying nothing.
"The story never ends... it just gets worse"
But we’ve survived. And it’s hard to sum up the period between 2009-2011 and as anything but a near total disaster, with only Nick Roche and James Roberts holding the whole thing up. I’d love to deconstruct its failures more thoroughly, but other than what I’ve said in the last year I’ve been covering this, what is there to add?
But, my friends, we are through the long night. Not everything going forward is going to be rosy, but it’s always going to be trying, and is where the real IDW begins. After six years of real time and two and half on this blog.
Nothing in the world can stop me now.
Next week, Optimus Prime dies.
THE TRANSFORMERS ISSUE 30
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI
But, my friends, we are through the long night. Not everything going forward is going to be rosy, but it’s always going to be trying, and is where the real IDW begins. After six years of real time and two and half on this blog.
Nothing in the world can stop me now.
Next week, Optimus Prime dies.
THE TRANSFORMERS ISSUE 30
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI
