Bright Light City Gonna Set My Soul, Gonna Set My Soul on Fire.
Transformers Infestation Issue 1. February 2nd 2011.
Snyder? Where’s your sense of history? More like Romero--
As strange as it will seem from how it goes, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning coming aboard to write Transformers was quite the big thing in 2011, even without knowing they were being groomed for taking over from Costa. For the first time, IDW had really gone for proper “Name” writers, a duo that were hugely well regarded both as a team and solo, and who seemed they could only be a very welcome break from some of the amateur hour stuff we’ve been seeing from the far less experienced Costa. Abnett had even been responsible for one of the best remembered issues of the Marvel series not by Budiansky or Furman, albeit alongside some more typical filler stuff.
They were also clearly a breath of fresh air for Nick Roche, I’ve spoken before about his having been honest about having becoming a little disillusioned with the franchise at this point, and this is indeed his only interior work till the end of 2011. But this not only gave him a chance to work with writers with a career outside of the ghetto and create some connections, it introduced him to a new way of working.
This was the first time Roche—and considering what a writer driven franchise it usually is, possibly any Transformers artist since the licence was at the company that gave the process its name—worked from a script written “Marvel Style.” In other words, he was given a page by page outline, which he then drew and from which the final dialogue was then written.
Snyder? Where’s your sense of history? More like Romero--
As strange as it will seem from how it goes, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning coming aboard to write Transformers was quite the big thing in 2011, even without knowing they were being groomed for taking over from Costa. For the first time, IDW had really gone for proper “Name” writers, a duo that were hugely well regarded both as a team and solo, and who seemed they could only be a very welcome break from some of the amateur hour stuff we’ve been seeing from the far less experienced Costa. Abnett had even been responsible for one of the best remembered issues of the Marvel series not by Budiansky or Furman, albeit alongside some more typical filler stuff.
They were also clearly a breath of fresh air for Nick Roche, I’ve spoken before about his having been honest about having becoming a little disillusioned with the franchise at this point, and this is indeed his only interior work till the end of 2011. But this not only gave him a chance to work with writers with a career outside of the ghetto and create some connections, it introduced him to a new way of working.
This was the first time Roche—and considering what a writer driven franchise it usually is, possibly any Transformers artist since the licence was at the company that gave the process its name—worked from a script written “Marvel Style.” In other words, he was given a page by page outline, which he then drew and from which the final dialogue was then written.
Elvis has left the building.
This is a looser way of working that let Nick have a lot more input into the story than would normally be the case, and became a process he hugely enjoyed (not the last time we’ll hear that someone coming off the sort of dense script James Roberts writes enjoys this more freeform approach). It might also explain, even though Kup and his backstory was always a part of the story, why it leans so hard into some of his previous work, certainly more that Costa has used anything from before All Hail Megatron.
So, you’ve got writers who are a known quantity and an artist who’s enthused. What can possibly go wrong?
Well, it certainly opens with a nice—and unlike some of the Costa stuff openings, not overdrawn—gag of a spaceship coming in to crash on Earth, taking out Paris; the Pyramids; Venice and New York… before the comic equivalent of a cinematic pullback to reveal all this has actually happened in Las Vegas and its tawdry recreations of famous landmarks.
And, considering Dan Abnett at least is a big Doctor Who fan, I wonder if we have an intentional and incredibly obscure reference to a similar gag that was meant to open one of the unmade Colin Baker stories (albeit at a Singapore tourist attraction, one of the few things we know about that planned Autons and the Master and the Rani story).
It also lets Roche draw a fat Elvis impersonator running from the crash, which must have been a life-long ambition.
So, you’ve got writers who are a known quantity and an artist who’s enthused. What can possibly go wrong?
Well, it certainly opens with a nice—and unlike some of the Costa stuff openings, not overdrawn—gag of a spaceship coming in to crash on Earth, taking out Paris; the Pyramids; Venice and New York… before the comic equivalent of a cinematic pullback to reveal all this has actually happened in Las Vegas and its tawdry recreations of famous landmarks.
And, considering Dan Abnett at least is a big Doctor Who fan, I wonder if we have an intentional and incredibly obscure reference to a similar gag that was meant to open one of the unmade Colin Baker stories (albeit at a Singapore tourist attraction, one of the few things we know about that planned Autons and the Master and the Rani story).
It also lets Roche draw a fat Elvis impersonator running from the crash, which must have been a life-long ambition.
Love Bayonet.
Out of the wreck comes the zombies, both humans and robots, we just saw in the main Infestation issue, alongside at least one zombie Sweep.
Plus, Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge and Bayonet, with Galvatron ordering nothing be left alive, especially if its already dead.
Now, it’s been 18 months in real time since we last saw Galvatron, so it’s nice to have him back, even knowing that it’s all setup for… the other series these writers are working on. But you can’t hold that against this.
Bayonet is an intentional tease, has Galvatron met up with someone new whilst he’s been away? They also have a design that leans into a classically female Transformer (slender, pink highlights), though as they’re not called “She,” this remains ambiguous enough not to be immediately suspicious within the context of the dubious legacy of Spotlight: Arcee at this time.
Plus, Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge and Bayonet, with Galvatron ordering nothing be left alive, especially if its already dead.
Now, it’s been 18 months in real time since we last saw Galvatron, so it’s nice to have him back, even knowing that it’s all setup for… the other series these writers are working on. But you can’t hold that against this.
Bayonet is an intentional tease, has Galvatron met up with someone new whilst he’s been away? They also have a design that leans into a classically female Transformer (slender, pink highlights), though as they’re not called “She,” this remains ambiguous enough not to be immediately suspicious within the context of the dubious legacy of Spotlight: Arcee at this time.
Hey, it's the Autobot leader! And his bitch.
Galvatron is very keen to talk to Prime about a common foe, and quickly gets his wish as a team of Autobots, plus Skywatch members in mech suits, arrive to stand-off against him.
Said team includes Bumblebee and Kup, with Bumblebee trying to take charge before Prime, politely, shuts him down and tells the ostensible leader that he has to do this.
This is official canon to the main continuity, and indeed, the two issues will end on a significant change in the status quo. But it’s hard to place. Bumblebee is out on his back on the moment and won’t recover till events have overtaken when this can be set.
If it’s set earlier, it has to be immediately prior to International Incident, but that makes Prime being out and about in the field a bit of a stickler. One can only assume Abnett and Lanning were either working with limited information, or just really hated the idea of Bumblebee as leader. Either way, Kup being on Earth is something that’s not even been hinted at in any other story.
What follows is largely an incredibly violent misunderstanding, as Autobots and humans fight the Decepticons (who aren’t Decepticons of course, but this era is just going to run with that) and the zombies at the same time, with Galvatron trying to repeatedly point out he’s here to help. He even encourages humans to get out of their cars before using them as projectile weapons.
Prowl is actively worried about having to take on Scourge, Bayonet and Cyclonus, so I guess he knows all three of them pretty well. Hmm.
Said team includes Bumblebee and Kup, with Bumblebee trying to take charge before Prime, politely, shuts him down and tells the ostensible leader that he has to do this.
This is official canon to the main continuity, and indeed, the two issues will end on a significant change in the status quo. But it’s hard to place. Bumblebee is out on his back on the moment and won’t recover till events have overtaken when this can be set.
If it’s set earlier, it has to be immediately prior to International Incident, but that makes Prime being out and about in the field a bit of a stickler. One can only assume Abnett and Lanning were either working with limited information, or just really hated the idea of Bumblebee as leader. Either way, Kup being on Earth is something that’s not even been hinted at in any other story.
What follows is largely an incredibly violent misunderstanding, as Autobots and humans fight the Decepticons (who aren’t Decepticons of course, but this era is just going to run with that) and the zombies at the same time, with Galvatron trying to repeatedly point out he’s here to help. He even encourages humans to get out of their cars before using them as projectile weapons.
Prowl is actively worried about having to take on Scourge, Bayonet and Cyclonus, so I guess he knows all three of them pretty well. Hmm.
Editorial in denial about when the comics were good.
Also remembering things he shouldn’t is Kup, who, amidst a cheerful Zac Snyder Vs George Romero zombies discussion with the humans, suddenly gets a flashback to his own Spotlight as he sees the zombies, complete with Roche returning to his nightmare style from that issue. The shock of recalling how familiar all this is lets him get overrun, knocking the cy-gar from his mouth.
That’ll end well.
As the zombies start infecting both Skywatch humans and their mech suits, it takes three inhibitor claws to bring down Galvatron, with Bumblebee being thrown the very thin bone of being the guy allowed to plant the third one on the “Decepticon”. It doesn’t really make up for him being treated like Prime’s little bitch though.
Wheeljack, hanging around with the gang for just one panel, also manages to encase Las Vegas within an energon forcefield to keep everything within there. So they just need to find a solution that saves the most people before the juice for it runs out.
With Prowl’s gun to his head as encouragement to not speak in mystical bollocks, Galvatron explains that, as is his way, he’d been flying through space when he’d found a mysterious hole to another dimension full of death.
That’ll end well.
As the zombies start infecting both Skywatch humans and their mech suits, it takes three inhibitor claws to bring down Galvatron, with Bumblebee being thrown the very thin bone of being the guy allowed to plant the third one on the “Decepticon”. It doesn’t really make up for him being treated like Prime’s little bitch though.
Wheeljack, hanging around with the gang for just one panel, also manages to encase Las Vegas within an energon forcefield to keep everything within there. So they just need to find a solution that saves the most people before the juice for it runs out.
With Prowl’s gun to his head as encouragement to not speak in mystical bollocks, Galvatron explains that, as is his way, he’d been flying through space when he’d found a mysterious hole to another dimension full of death.
The random crying thing is back!
He even directly says it reeked of the Dead Universe, our first dreadful sign that plot will be returning.
The frozen bodies they took aboard turned out to be the zombies, who then spread through the ship, bringing it to Earth and where we came in, with Galvatron genuinely wanting help to stop the “Infestation” spreading.
If there’s one moment Nick Roche definitely crafted directly, it’s when Kup, now suffering separation from his medication, begs Prowl to help him as he now remembers it all. With Prowl playing very dumb, in a moment giving a lot of weight from knowing the exact recent relationship between these two.
But it’s not just his own zombie experience Kup has coming back, he realises something is “More than meets the eye”, as he asks “Since when was there a Bayonet?”
The frozen bodies they took aboard turned out to be the zombies, who then spread through the ship, bringing it to Earth and where we came in, with Galvatron genuinely wanting help to stop the “Infestation” spreading.
If there’s one moment Nick Roche definitely crafted directly, it’s when Kup, now suffering separation from his medication, begs Prowl to help him as he now remembers it all. With Prowl playing very dumb, in a moment giving a lot of weight from knowing the exact recent relationship between these two.
But it’s not just his own zombie experience Kup has coming back, he realises something is “More than meets the eye”, as he asks “Since when was there a Bayonet?”
Nothing sinister about Prowl there, at all.
And yes, the twist is, this is not just a Transformer we haven’t met before introduced as a new character (that Drift has a speaking role in this issue surely has to be to remind us that this sort of thing happens), as she picks Kup up by thrusting his arm through his chest, she reveals she has been the villain all along, and is in fact this Universe’s manifestation of Britt!
God help anyone who hadn’t read the main miniseries. Though unlike there, it’s Kup who has a lot on his chest instead of her.
This series generally isn’t hugely well regarded. Partly because of its placement in a slump, partly because of damage by association because of what the writers do next and largely because of a story choice taken in issue 2.
However, maybe just because we are in such a slump, that was actually much more fun than I remembered. It’s very straightforward and firmly on the dumb action side of things (so definitely more Snyder than Romero), and a lot of the dialogue isn’t great for such experienced writers.
God help anyone who hadn’t read the main miniseries. Though unlike there, it’s Kup who has a lot on his chest instead of her.
This series generally isn’t hugely well regarded. Partly because of its placement in a slump, partly because of damage by association because of what the writers do next and largely because of a story choice taken in issue 2.
However, maybe just because we are in such a slump, that was actually much more fun than I remembered. It’s very straightforward and firmly on the dumb action side of things (so definitely more Snyder than Romero), and a lot of the dialogue isn’t great for such experienced writers.
Turns out there's always something going on with women Transformers.
But a big robot fight in Las Vegas is a lovely idea, one the 2007 film sadly abandoned from its original script in favour of a generic “Mission City.” It means we get lots of great visuals, with Nick Roche having a very obvious blast. The fact he gets to visually connect everything to his own work is just the cherry on the cake. Making what happens in the second part all the more ironic.
But it’s not just the art, the idea of Galvatron trying to be very sincerely nice and no one taking him seriously is actually very funny, and means he gets all the best parts of the issue.
So, maybe not top tier stuff, it’s hard to imagine it being cited as a Best Ever issue by anyone, but some good solid fun that feels like a breath of fresh air.
Which may be needed as, next week, we’re back to Decepticons and their revenge.
ADDENDUM 12
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI
But it’s not just the art, the idea of Galvatron trying to be very sincerely nice and no one taking him seriously is actually very funny, and means he gets all the best parts of the issue.
So, maybe not top tier stuff, it’s hard to imagine it being cited as a Best Ever issue by anyone, but some good solid fun that feels like a breath of fresh air.
Which may be needed as, next week, we’re back to Decepticons and their revenge.
ADDENDUM 12
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI
