He’s a Pinball Wizard, there’s got to be a Twist.
Ironhide Issue 3: Chapter 3: Ironing out the Details. July 8th 2010.
And what… are you wearing something?
I don’t want you to think I’m getting as repetitive as Mike Costa is, but, once again and right out the gate, my first complaint is about an extraordinary amount of wasted pages, as no less that 3 are given over to an establishing zoom in on Metroplex (with it being more obviously him this time), followed by Ironhide and Scamper (or the “Page” as his boss will call him) walking through various secure doors.
Oh no, wait, there’s a moment where Ironhide pauses to plug himself into a wall mounted charger for a few seconds. Well, that’s certainly exciting.
Once they get inside though, things do actually take an upturn as we get a full-page splash introduction to what is Costa’s most enduring unique take on a character (really, his only bold reinvention as far as I can recall): Alpha Trion. In a big cape and face mask. Prescient on that last one.
And what… are you wearing something?
I don’t want you to think I’m getting as repetitive as Mike Costa is, but, once again and right out the gate, my first complaint is about an extraordinary amount of wasted pages, as no less that 3 are given over to an establishing zoom in on Metroplex (with it being more obviously him this time), followed by Ironhide and Scamper (or the “Page” as his boss will call him) walking through various secure doors.
Oh no, wait, there’s a moment where Ironhide pauses to plug himself into a wall mounted charger for a few seconds. Well, that’s certainly exciting.
Once they get inside though, things do actually take an upturn as we get a full-page splash introduction to what is Costa’s most enduring unique take on a character (really, his only bold reinvention as far as I can recall): Alpha Trion. In a big cape and face mask. Prescient on that last one.
Another gripping opening.
What is special about Costa’s version, is he makes him a wacky, Don Quixote style, mad old wizard, where, at this point at least, you never entirely know how much of what he says is true and how much is from his frenzied imagination. It might not be the most original idea, but it does keep a character who is otherwise there to give wise old exposition some much needed fresh life and it will stick right through to his last IDW appearance in a way that, say, Costa’s Very Nice Prowl won’t.
This take even starts with a nice gag of him melodramatically declaring “I am Alpha Trion,” only to be met with complete indifference because Ironhide has no idea who that is.
Indeed, it turns out Ironhide doesn’t know much, as he has to have it explained to him that the planet in abandoned and uninhabitable and full of insects. Oh, and the last thing he remembers was four million “Meta-cycles” ago.
Somehow though, like the characters in As it Occurs to Me who were more interested in Abraham Lincoln’s hat than a time travelling Abraham Lincoln, Ironhide focuses more on the fact Alpha Trion is wearing clothes. Indeed, he seems disgusted by it, like some sort of evangelical nudist.
This take even starts with a nice gag of him melodramatically declaring “I am Alpha Trion,” only to be met with complete indifference because Ironhide has no idea who that is.
Indeed, it turns out Ironhide doesn’t know much, as he has to have it explained to him that the planet in abandoned and uninhabitable and full of insects. Oh, and the last thing he remembers was four million “Meta-cycles” ago.
Somehow though, like the characters in As it Occurs to Me who were more interested in Abraham Lincoln’s hat than a time travelling Abraham Lincoln, Ironhide focuses more on the fact Alpha Trion is wearing clothes. Indeed, he seems disgusted by it, like some sort of evangelical nudist.
A well dressed bot.
The clothes turn out to be for protection from “Electromagnetic attack” of course. Though Trion won’t offer anyone else something to wear.
Trion has also honed his body to the point he can briefly control Ironhide into sitting down when they touch. Which feels like the sort of very useful power that I suspect will never be mentioned again.
The conversation is interrupted by Ironhide spotting a life sign on a monitor. An Autobot life sign. From an Autobot he knows.
Which feels like the bit in Star Trek: Nemesis where it turns out you can detect Soong style androids from halfway across the galaxy and gives a good reason for no one ever winning this war, as it turns out you can’t ever do a sneak attack.
Ironhide is disgusted Trion hasn’t gone and helped this guy just because he’s not as important to the plan as Ironhide himself, and storms out (albeit with The Page following) to stage a rescue.
Which he does, finding, under a pile of dead Swarm bodies, Sunstreaker! Who, in a fairly radical retcon, is almost entirely intact—including with his head reattached—than the last time we saw him. Which is a shame, because Sunstreaker as just a head would be very funny.
Trion has also honed his body to the point he can briefly control Ironhide into sitting down when they touch. Which feels like the sort of very useful power that I suspect will never be mentioned again.
The conversation is interrupted by Ironhide spotting a life sign on a monitor. An Autobot life sign. From an Autobot he knows.
Which feels like the bit in Star Trek: Nemesis where it turns out you can detect Soong style androids from halfway across the galaxy and gives a good reason for no one ever winning this war, as it turns out you can’t ever do a sneak attack.
Ironhide is disgusted Trion hasn’t gone and helped this guy just because he’s not as important to the plan as Ironhide himself, and storms out (albeit with The Page following) to stage a rescue.
Which he does, finding, under a pile of dead Swarm bodies, Sunstreaker! Who, in a fairly radical retcon, is almost entirely intact—including with his head reattached—than the last time we saw him. Which is a shame, because Sunstreaker as just a head would be very funny.
Same reaction we all have to humans.
Sunstreaker can even talk, trying to apologise to Ironhide, even though Ironhide can no longer remember what he’s apologising for as he fights through a well-drawn by Coller Swarm attack.
Back at Metroplex, Sunstreaker is horrified to recognise Alpha Trion (something Trion is pleased about in contrast to Ironhide’s ignorance), thinking he must be in the afterlife. Alpha Trion stops him panicking by putting him to sleep, whilst oddly talking about the dream loop Sunstreaker has been stuck in, as seen in his Coda issue. Where Sunstreaker was a dying decapitated head.
Ironhide now demands answers, at which point Alpha Trion makes it clear that he’s lost millions of years of memories (and that it has now been a year since Ironhide “died” on Earth).
Turns out the hit we saw Ironhide take in the issue 1 flashback severed his link to the “Core”, so when Alpha Trion reconstructed his memories and built him a new body, he could only retrieve them as far forward as that. And it’s not possible to get the rest now that (in a first mention for IDW) Vector Sigma has been destroyed.
Back at Metroplex, Sunstreaker is horrified to recognise Alpha Trion (something Trion is pleased about in contrast to Ironhide’s ignorance), thinking he must be in the afterlife. Alpha Trion stops him panicking by putting him to sleep, whilst oddly talking about the dream loop Sunstreaker has been stuck in, as seen in his Coda issue. Where Sunstreaker was a dying decapitated head.
Ironhide now demands answers, at which point Alpha Trion makes it clear that he’s lost millions of years of memories (and that it has now been a year since Ironhide “died” on Earth).
Turns out the hit we saw Ironhide take in the issue 1 flashback severed his link to the “Core”, so when Alpha Trion reconstructed his memories and built him a new body, he could only retrieve them as far forward as that. And it’s not possible to get the rest now that (in a first mention for IDW) Vector Sigma has been destroyed.
*Every other guy who came back from the dead stares*
Which all seems reasonable, but I’m not sure what overall story point the amnesia serves, but perhaps that will be more obvious going forward.
Amusingly, Trion is incredibly pleased with himself for having brought back the dead, but I think that’s an intentional gag about his eccentricity rather than him being so unaware of the entire rest of Transformers.
The point is though, if Cybertron is to be restored, the Swarm needs getting rid of. And Ironhide just fought off a bunch of them without a scratch. He’s the best soldier the Autobots have, and that’s why he couldn’t be allowed to die and why he’s here now. So, it’s time to get to work.
Not sure he’s that good a solider if he got taken down by one shot form a human, but Alpha Trion is insane.
Amusingly, Trion is incredibly pleased with himself for having brought back the dead, but I think that’s an intentional gag about his eccentricity rather than him being so unaware of the entire rest of Transformers.
The point is though, if Cybertron is to be restored, the Swarm needs getting rid of. And Ironhide just fought off a bunch of them without a scratch. He’s the best soldier the Autobots have, and that’s why he couldn’t be allowed to die and why he’s here now. So, it’s time to get to work.
Not sure he’s that good a solider if he got taken down by one shot form a human, but Alpha Trion is insane.
Time for the plot to start!
This is the best issue yet, simply because Alpha Trion is such good fun, and the Swarm fight is pretty decent. Plus, there’s potential in Ironhide and Sunstreaker being reunited with only one of them remembering the past.
But, by the end of three out of four issues, we’re about at the point where part 1 should have ended. It’s just so incredibly drawn out still that even one entertaining character (who also brings out the best in Ironhide) can’t quite save it. It’s all too little too late.
Next week, the Earthbound Autobots go international.
THE TRANSFORMERS ISSUE 8
2010
COMMENT
KO-FI
But, by the end of three out of four issues, we’re about at the point where part 1 should have ended. It’s just so incredibly drawn out still that even one entertaining character (who also brings out the best in Ironhide) can’t quite save it. It’s all too little too late.
Next week, the Earthbound Autobots go international.
THE TRANSFORMERS ISSUE 8
2010
COMMENT
KO-FI
