There's Just no Time to Die.
There’s Just no Time to Die.
Escalation Issue 6. May 2nd 2007.
Kneel my a--
One difficulty of putting the biggest and most dynamic fight in issue 5, is it runs the risk of issue 6 seeming an anti-climax, a necessary but less exciting wrapping up of the various plot threads.
Furman seems aware of this, and makes sure to open on a dramatic, and again beautifully drawn by Su, page of Megatron standing astride Optimus and mocking the Autobots over the death of their leader, with Furman (obviously aware that Prime dying is A Thing in fandom) being keen to emphasise that the troops have never seen anything like this before in fiction. Jazz and Wheeljack are shocked, but Hardhead is definitely on his first dead Prime rodeo and takes it especially badly, responding to the order to kneel by shooting Megatron in the face.
Which goes about as well as you’d expect and starts the battle again.
Prowl on the other hand, rather wonderfully, does seem to be more gene savvy, keeping his cool and ordering a reluctant (as he’s keen to fight) Hot Rod to take Koska back to the Ark via orbital bounce, before going to the main battle to coordinate things whilst hoping Prime is alive.
Escalation Issue 6. May 2nd 2007.
Kneel my a--
One difficulty of putting the biggest and most dynamic fight in issue 5, is it runs the risk of issue 6 seeming an anti-climax, a necessary but less exciting wrapping up of the various plot threads.
Furman seems aware of this, and makes sure to open on a dramatic, and again beautifully drawn by Su, page of Megatron standing astride Optimus and mocking the Autobots over the death of their leader, with Furman (obviously aware that Prime dying is A Thing in fandom) being keen to emphasise that the troops have never seen anything like this before in fiction. Jazz and Wheeljack are shocked, but Hardhead is definitely on his first dead Prime rodeo and takes it especially badly, responding to the order to kneel by shooting Megatron in the face.
Which goes about as well as you’d expect and starts the battle again.
Prowl on the other hand, rather wonderfully, does seem to be more gene savvy, keeping his cool and ordering a reluctant (as he’s keen to fight) Hot Rod to take Koska back to the Ark via orbital bounce, before going to the main battle to coordinate things whilst hoping Prime is alive.
when you regret texting your ex.
Unfortunately, there is a subtle sign of poor editorial coordination between writers. After being “High Command” in the just published Spotlight Kup, Prowl here has to admit that Hot Rod actually outranks him. That’s Hot Rod who, to date, has had one (1) command where everybody died.
Meanwhile, Prime (and the author) has pulled off a clever bluff, not being dead as he’s placed his mind into the trailer’s combat deck. Again, Furman making great play of an underutilised part of the tec specs that fits perfectly, but I don’t think anyone would have guessed in advance. The smooth cleverness of the plotting there is such magnificent slight of hand, you can almost underappreciate how well it was done.
As such, Prime’s mind is now floating through an ethereal world of subconscious, but he is not alone...
A big floating head is watching him, something that views the entire Universe like a “Mortuary cadaver” (an odd turn of phrase for a Transformer) and which terrifies Prime, largely because it knows him.
This is our first proper glimpse of what we will come to know as Nemesis Prime, and nicely keeps up the Lovecraftian feel of Spotlight Nightbeat, even if Su’s art doesn’t lend itself as well to surreal horror.
Meanwhile, Prime (and the author) has pulled off a clever bluff, not being dead as he’s placed his mind into the trailer’s combat deck. Again, Furman making great play of an underutilised part of the tec specs that fits perfectly, but I don’t think anyone would have guessed in advance. The smooth cleverness of the plotting there is such magnificent slight of hand, you can almost underappreciate how well it was done.
As such, Prime’s mind is now floating through an ethereal world of subconscious, but he is not alone...
A big floating head is watching him, something that views the entire Universe like a “Mortuary cadaver” (an odd turn of phrase for a Transformer) and which terrifies Prime, largely because it knows him.
This is our first proper glimpse of what we will come to know as Nemesis Prime, and nicely keeps up the Lovecraftian feel of Spotlight Nightbeat, even if Su’s art doesn’t lend itself as well to surreal horror.
Koska accessory when?
It also raises an interesting question. Furman has admitted since that the original plan was Optimus would not have the Matrix at this point, it having disappeared on Ark 1 with this previous Prime. Which is something many of us guessed at the time, but this makes me wonder if that plan had already changed (and wait till we hit what Furman had to substitute for the Matrix in his original plot), because I’m not sure why Optimus would have some sort of ethereal mental link to his predecessor without it.
Next, and cut throughout the issue but as not much happens I’ll sum it up in one paragraph: Ironhide needs Ratchet to cut through the ceiling so he can get the humans out, but as his holoavatar needs to be close to his body to be solid, he can’t pull out before that has lifted them up to the doctor. Which he succeeds at, but cuts it so fine that, whilst Ratchet gets clear, he gets caught in the explosion of the garage. As human authorities arrive and Ratchet has two unconscious humans (with Hunter still holding the M card) to take care of, he’s now left unsure of how to help the wrecked Ironhide.
Next, and cut throughout the issue but as not much happens I’ll sum it up in one paragraph: Ironhide needs Ratchet to cut through the ceiling so he can get the humans out, but as his holoavatar needs to be close to his body to be solid, he can’t pull out before that has lifted them up to the doctor. Which he succeeds at, but cuts it so fine that, whilst Ratchet gets clear, he gets caught in the explosion of the garage. As human authorities arrive and Ratchet has two unconscious humans (with Hunter still holding the M card) to take care of, he’s now left unsure of how to help the wrecked Ironhide.
Nemesis Prime watches you sleep.
This section feels very awkward. Yes, the door to the secret room locked when the gas went off, but why doesn’t Ironhide just use the avatar to pull the humans back to the other side of the room and then drive through the wall, rather than letting Ratchet very slowly cut through the ceiling?
It also repeats the odd issue of Infiltration, where the humans that started off as being so important to the story are largely irrelevant to the final issue of the miniseries. We also have the curse of hindsight here, knowing the following Ironhide story is going to be a mess.
Back in Brasnya, Prowl shows why he’s high command (sometimes) by effectively coming up with a strategy to contain Megatron: Close range hit and runs as he can only use his full long-distance force in gun mode, and he doesn’t have anyone to hold him.
It will never not be funny to me that it is apparently only the silly cartoon Megatron who ever thought to make it possible to fly and fire himself as a Walther.
Despite doing pretty well on his own, Prime takes this moment to contact Prowl and offer up the helpful “Repeatedly shoot them in the face” solution to Ore-13 he discovered in Stormbringer, just leaving Prowl worried that Starscream may have sorted this particular flaw out as he looks at a lovely panel of Megatron with energy streaming from his optics, suggesting he’s about the unleash the old anti-matter eyes (though it’ll be a long time till he gets the chance to do so).
It also repeats the odd issue of Infiltration, where the humans that started off as being so important to the story are largely irrelevant to the final issue of the miniseries. We also have the curse of hindsight here, knowing the following Ironhide story is going to be a mess.
Back in Brasnya, Prowl shows why he’s high command (sometimes) by effectively coming up with a strategy to contain Megatron: Close range hit and runs as he can only use his full long-distance force in gun mode, and he doesn’t have anyone to hold him.
It will never not be funny to me that it is apparently only the silly cartoon Megatron who ever thought to make it possible to fly and fire himself as a Walther.
Despite doing pretty well on his own, Prime takes this moment to contact Prowl and offer up the helpful “Repeatedly shoot them in the face” solution to Ore-13 he discovered in Stormbringer, just leaving Prowl worried that Starscream may have sorted this particular flaw out as he looks at a lovely panel of Megatron with energy streaming from his optics, suggesting he’s about the unleash the old anti-matter eyes (though it’ll be a long time till he gets the chance to do so).
You've got to hand it to him.
During this, Hot Rod doesn’t want Nightbeat to bend his fender, but does want to be bounced twice.
Yes, he only wants to go up to Ark 32 long enough to drop off his teddy bear (and all the hugging Koska panels are still amazing) before returning to fight. But Skywarp has other ideas about the ordering of that as he teleports in firing. But despite taking some heavy fire, Nightbeat does pull him out.
A bit slow there though Nightbeat. People might start to think something is wrong with you.
At the battle, the Autobots are getting nowhere fast, which is the moment Optimus decides that he needs to sort shit out himself, looming up on Megatron in a fantastic “He’s behind you!” panel, before greeting his nemesis with a gloriously minimalist (and very Bay Prime) “Burn” and a shot to the face.
Prime’s gun must be special, as it achieves what the others couldn’t and Megatron finally conks out like Thunderwing did, forcing a retreat. Something that relieves Prime as he needs (in what I think is the first mention of them in IDW) CR time.
Yes, he only wants to go up to Ark 32 long enough to drop off his teddy bear (and all the hugging Koska panels are still amazing) before returning to fight. But Skywarp has other ideas about the ordering of that as he teleports in firing. But despite taking some heavy fire, Nightbeat does pull him out.
A bit slow there though Nightbeat. People might start to think something is wrong with you.
At the battle, the Autobots are getting nowhere fast, which is the moment Optimus decides that he needs to sort shit out himself, looming up on Megatron in a fantastic “He’s behind you!” panel, before greeting his nemesis with a gloriously minimalist (and very Bay Prime) “Burn” and a shot to the face.
Prime’s gun must be special, as it achieves what the others couldn’t and Megatron finally conks out like Thunderwing did, forcing a retreat. Something that relieves Prime as he needs (in what I think is the first mention of them in IDW) CR time.
The exhaustion of a year of lockdown sets in.
As does Hot Rod, meaning Nightbeat was left in charge of the facsimile. Who unfortunately has not survived and melted into a puddle.
Which is something that should feel significant, but as the beings that have brainwashed Nightbeat have no huge stakes either way on Earth (the Autobots keeping things stable would, if anything, benefit their own plans), it’s probably a legitimate failure.
Unfortunately, that rather makes the whole thing a shaggy dog story. The Decepticons have definitely achieved their aims of destabilising the area (and having made such a fuss of the political situation, there’s no moment here to acknowledge any fallout), whilst the Autobots have gotten nothing.
Arguably, if they’d stayed home on the lake bed for the entire miniseries they’d even be better off.
The issue, and series, then ends on three teasers to get you coming back. The first, and best, is Hunter being brought before our unguessable Mr Mystery, largely just so he can be looked at now the procedure has been a success. They don’t have any future plans for him now, though he may still play some part in the Machination’s New World Order as he turns to see an army of headless Sunstreaker bodies.
Now, I think it’s fair to say we all expected headmasters coming from Mr Mystery, but this was completely unexpected and is such a curveball from what we know, that it creates some genuine “How’s that going to work?” mystery. As the biggest plot thread that’s about to come into play, this should really have been where the issue ended.
Which is something that should feel significant, but as the beings that have brainwashed Nightbeat have no huge stakes either way on Earth (the Autobots keeping things stable would, if anything, benefit their own plans), it’s probably a legitimate failure.
Unfortunately, that rather makes the whole thing a shaggy dog story. The Decepticons have definitely achieved their aims of destabilising the area (and having made such a fuss of the political situation, there’s no moment here to acknowledge any fallout), whilst the Autobots have gotten nothing.
Arguably, if they’d stayed home on the lake bed for the entire miniseries they’d even be better off.
The issue, and series, then ends on three teasers to get you coming back. The first, and best, is Hunter being brought before our unguessable Mr Mystery, largely just so he can be looked at now the procedure has been a success. They don’t have any future plans for him now, though he may still play some part in the Machination’s New World Order as he turns to see an army of headless Sunstreaker bodies.
Now, I think it’s fair to say we all expected headmasters coming from Mr Mystery, but this was completely unexpected and is such a curveball from what we know, that it creates some genuine “How’s that going to work?” mystery. As the biggest plot thread that’s about to come into play, this should really have been where the issue ended.
Nothing suspicious here.
But instead, we also get the reveal that Skywatch, working from a disguised abandoned warehouse in Washington, have agents in Brasnya that have kept them informed, meaning it’s time to put their toys into play... Laserbeak and Ravage.
We’ll see as we go along how this one plan of Skywatch’s works out.
Then, back at the Decepticon bunker, an extremely pissed Megatron comes out of a CR chamber and orders a shocked (as it’s far earlier than normal) Astrotrain to call Sixshot in as he’s more than ready to unleash... Devastation.
Which, over on Muma-Obscura, is fine for the Reapers. Who somehow already know this and intend to follow Sixshot to Earth to try another recruitment and piss about in the destruction.
Really, that’s what we’re ending on? The Reapers? Someone has badly misjudged how excited readers would be for these guys.
We’ll see as we go along how this one plan of Skywatch’s works out.
Then, back at the Decepticon bunker, an extremely pissed Megatron comes out of a CR chamber and orders a shocked (as it’s far earlier than normal) Astrotrain to call Sixshot in as he’s more than ready to unleash... Devastation.
Which, over on Muma-Obscura, is fine for the Reapers. Who somehow already know this and intend to follow Sixshot to Earth to try another recruitment and piss about in the destruction.
Really, that’s what we’re ending on? The Reapers? Someone has badly misjudged how excited readers would be for these guys.
His hide isn't that iron then.
This is not as strong as the previous issue, indeed being a bit all over the place and more concerned with tying bows on various plots and spinning out future ones than being a cohesive whole.
Which makes it annoying that a few of those plotlines, like the attempted engagement with real world politics, get forgotten or fudged along the way.
But, there’s still lots of great individual scenes along the way, and, even if the mental plane sequence was perhaps a little outside his bailiwick, Su continues to do outstandingly gorgeous work and competent Prowl is actually great to read.
As a whole, despite an awkward start and not perfect landing, Escalation was overall an extremely good series, especially in the middle issues that were an almost perfect synergy of art and writing. It feels like everything is coming together nicely and Furman is successfully making the transition to a 21st century comic writer.
Which makes it annoying that a few of those plotlines, like the attempted engagement with real world politics, get forgotten or fudged along the way.
But, there’s still lots of great individual scenes along the way, and, even if the mental plane sequence was perhaps a little outside his bailiwick, Su continues to do outstandingly gorgeous work and competent Prowl is actually great to read.
As a whole, despite an awkward start and not perfect landing, Escalation was overall an extremely good series, especially in the middle issues that were an almost perfect synergy of art and writing. It feels like everything is coming together nicely and Furman is successfully making the transition to a 21st century comic writer.
Oh no, accidentally ran out of space before I could include an image of the reapers.
Making what happens when we do hit Devastation all the sadder and odder. Perhaps ending on the Reapers was a sign.
Before that though, we’ve got a new author and the IDW debut of a Dreamwave refuge who is going to have a massive impact over the remainder of the run. Plus, some backstory on the Transformer Arthur Scargill as next week it’s Megatron: Origin.
SPOTLIGHT KUP
2007
COMMENT
KO-FI
Before that though, we’ve got a new author and the IDW debut of a Dreamwave refuge who is going to have a massive impact over the remainder of the run. Plus, some backstory on the Transformer Arthur Scargill as next week it’s Megatron: Origin.
SPOTLIGHT KUP
2007
COMMENT
KO-FI
