Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice, are You Death or Paradise?
Robots in Disguise issue 11: The End of the Beginning of the World. 21st November 2012.
You’re not Megatron, believe me.
One thing quick to note here, we’re just about the time where IDW comics were being packed in with toys as a bonus. Sometimes especially written for the purpose (we’re a couple of weeks from the first), sometimes almost random seeming in how they’ve been grabbed from the recent crop. And with very mixed results in terms of how readable they would be to kids who haven’t bought 11 other toys, and how well they promote the toy they came with.
I’m not sure if this is the earliest issue to be so used, but, and a sign of how ramshackle the whole process was, three years later it would be stuck in with Combiner Wars Slingshot (renamed Quicksling. Notably, not a character in this issue), as “Combiner Wars 3”, with all sorts of edits and changes. Largely to remove direct reference to killing or death. Something that will be standard, with references to booze added to the list of removed topics as well.
So, if at any point going forward, I refer to something that isn’t in the version you’re reading (and there seems to be a bit of potluck in terms of what you’ll get where, Hachette certainly used at least one of the edited versions in their trades), that will be why.
Not because I’m simply wrong. Ignore the edits I had to make to last week after it went up.
You’re not Megatron, believe me.
One thing quick to note here, we’re just about the time where IDW comics were being packed in with toys as a bonus. Sometimes especially written for the purpose (we’re a couple of weeks from the first), sometimes almost random seeming in how they’ve been grabbed from the recent crop. And with very mixed results in terms of how readable they would be to kids who haven’t bought 11 other toys, and how well they promote the toy they came with.
I’m not sure if this is the earliest issue to be so used, but, and a sign of how ramshackle the whole process was, three years later it would be stuck in with Combiner Wars Slingshot (renamed Quicksling. Notably, not a character in this issue), as “Combiner Wars 3”, with all sorts of edits and changes. Largely to remove direct reference to killing or death. Something that will be standard, with references to booze added to the list of removed topics as well.
So, if at any point going forward, I refer to something that isn’t in the version you’re reading (and there seems to be a bit of potluck in terms of what you’ll get where, Hachette certainly used at least one of the edited versions in their trades), that will be why.
Not because I’m simply wrong. Ignore the edits I had to make to last week after it went up.
It's like Trump trying to get endorsements.
Also speaking bollocks is Starscream, making a great show of visiting Omega Supreme with an audience and TV crew (Circuit and Longtooth as a living camera) to try and get a similar blessing to that which the Titan gave him. Because, as useful as that was, it wasn’t on camera, so the second oldest and best regarded giant Cybertronian to hand doing the same would be good for his election chances.
Of course, this was always going to be a chancy thing to do, and the best he can manage is trying to make something of Omega Supreme knowing his name when he tells him to go away.
Still, he manages some bluster to Circuit (that also puts down previous person to have a Titan talk to them, Optimus Prime. I guess Goldbug and the Throttlebots never made it home then), much to the frustration of the watching on the brand new Iacon TV, Bumblebee.
Which is where “Prowl”, with the reveal coming pretty soon now, decides now is the time to only talk in lines that can be reread ironically after you know. Starting with assuring ‘Bee that he’s not like Megatron, and Prowl knows. You can imagine that (and let’s not be coy), Bombshell is hoping that Bumblebee will, just before he dies, really appreciate the double meanings when he realises.
He's also very firm that “We” will win, without being perfectly clear who “We” are.
Of course, this was always going to be a chancy thing to do, and the best he can manage is trying to make something of Omega Supreme knowing his name when he tells him to go away.
Still, he manages some bluster to Circuit (that also puts down previous person to have a Titan talk to them, Optimus Prime. I guess Goldbug and the Throttlebots never made it home then), much to the frustration of the watching on the brand new Iacon TV, Bumblebee.
Which is where “Prowl”, with the reveal coming pretty soon now, decides now is the time to only talk in lines that can be reread ironically after you know. Starting with assuring ‘Bee that he’s not like Megatron, and Prowl knows. You can imagine that (and let’s not be coy), Bombshell is hoping that Bumblebee will, just before he dies, really appreciate the double meanings when he realises.
He's also very firm that “We” will win, without being perfectly clear who “We” are.
Uneasy lies the crown reference.
Starscream on the other hand, is gleefully confident he is going to win, even going as far as to having had a bunch of crowns made up to try on in his quarters (yes including that crown), much to the bafflement of Metalhawk who just wants to talk about what the Titan might actually mean.
Starscream’s confidence is immediately knocked out from under him as, when talking about entropy as the only force in the Universe that matters, Omega Supreme explodes.
I guess Bombshell wasn’t the only one working on his irony.
The character work here is a bit more heavy-handed than usual, as if Barber decided this opening salvo of the new arc needed to set its stall for any floating readers. The crowns especially are a very forced reference, that don’t feel quite right for a Starscream that might have an ego, but is also a pragmatic realist. When was he going to wear the crown he choses if he won? Where did he even get a selection of crowns from in the near-post apocalyptic Iacon?
Starscream’s confidence is immediately knocked out from under him as, when talking about entropy as the only force in the Universe that matters, Omega Supreme explodes.
I guess Bombshell wasn’t the only one working on his irony.
The character work here is a bit more heavy-handed than usual, as if Barber decided this opening salvo of the new arc needed to set its stall for any floating readers. The crowns especially are a very forced reference, that don’t feel quite right for a Starscream that might have an ego, but is also a pragmatic realist. When was he going to wear the crown he choses if he won? Where did he even get a selection of crowns from in the near-post apocalyptic Iacon?
Bombe Supreme.
The explosion, in a lovely double-page spread from guest artist Guido Guidi, kickstarts Starscream’s first person narration, which basically boils down to “Bugger.” He’s self-aware and realistic enough (except when it comes to crowns) to realise this will be bad for his political chances. Especially as it will be hard to blame the Autobots for this.
And indeed, his attempts at the crime scene (where Wheeljack is very fast on proving the explosion was the result of deliberately planted bombs, this just turns to be a way to keep the plot moving rather than significant) to win over both Bumblebee and Prowl and the watching NAILS goes badly, with only Metalhawk prepared to assume it might not be a Decepticon plot. Mainly because, though Prowl delights in pointing out he has no proof or witnesses, what happened with Ratbat and the Constructicons is very much on his mind.
Which is also on the minds of the watching on TV Dirge and Swindle, where Dirge is horrified that going to Shockwave with what he knew may have caused this, and Swindle, using his own experience of being a main character under Costa, tries to persuade him not to take a staring role. Which is fair enough if your only experience of such was under Costa.
Starscream meanwhile, is very aware that the NAILS are only neutral in the sense they don’t trust the Autobots completely, but they do hate the Decepticons. Largely because they’re mostly all Autobot wannabees originally, there being very few ex-Decepticons amongst them being largely thanks to how the DJD stomped them out.
And indeed, his attempts at the crime scene (where Wheeljack is very fast on proving the explosion was the result of deliberately planted bombs, this just turns to be a way to keep the plot moving rather than significant) to win over both Bumblebee and Prowl and the watching NAILS goes badly, with only Metalhawk prepared to assume it might not be a Decepticon plot. Mainly because, though Prowl delights in pointing out he has no proof or witnesses, what happened with Ratbat and the Constructicons is very much on his mind.
Which is also on the minds of the watching on TV Dirge and Swindle, where Dirge is horrified that going to Shockwave with what he knew may have caused this, and Swindle, using his own experience of being a main character under Costa, tries to persuade him not to take a staring role. Which is fair enough if your only experience of such was under Costa.
Starscream meanwhile, is very aware that the NAILS are only neutral in the sense they don’t trust the Autobots completely, but they do hate the Decepticons. Largely because they’re mostly all Autobot wannabees originally, there being very few ex-Decepticons amongst them being largely thanks to how the DJD stomped them out.
Decepticon.
He knows it’s not going to make much for them to fully turn on the ‘Cons, and him by association.
Which, after a few elections in both the UK and US where “Neutral” people have cheerfully voted for the most hate-filled extremists even when its against their own best interests, seems a little naive now.
He goes to the Decepticon pen to confront Shockwave about it, though this page is mainly just about establishing most of the Deceptions have left their former holding cell and to give Shockwave some neutral (there’s a lot of neutral this issue) dialogue that could be read either way on if this is his evil plot or not.
The key moment actually comes afterwards, as Swindle (quite cheerful about there being no obvious logical reason for Shockwave doing all this) and Dirge do a fairly inept job of getting Strarscream’s attention and asking for safety from Prowl and Shockwave in exchange for information.
Whilst standing in Shockwave’s base and within maybe 100 feet of him. It’s probably lucky for these two brains of Cybertron that Shockwave actually has a whole lot of other stuff going on.
Which, after a few elections in both the UK and US where “Neutral” people have cheerfully voted for the most hate-filled extremists even when its against their own best interests, seems a little naive now.
He goes to the Decepticon pen to confront Shockwave about it, though this page is mainly just about establishing most of the Deceptions have left their former holding cell and to give Shockwave some neutral (there’s a lot of neutral this issue) dialogue that could be read either way on if this is his evil plot or not.
The key moment actually comes afterwards, as Swindle (quite cheerful about there being no obvious logical reason for Shockwave doing all this) and Dirge do a fairly inept job of getting Strarscream’s attention and asking for safety from Prowl and Shockwave in exchange for information.
Whilst standing in Shockwave’s base and within maybe 100 feet of him. It’s probably lucky for these two brains of Cybertron that Shockwave actually has a whole lot of other stuff going on.
He should have asked who actually in in the gang.
At the Autobot base, Bumblebee is too concerned with the fact he never bothered to talk to Omega Supreme after they got back to notice Prowl doing the heavy once you know irony again (seeming upset when Bumblebee asks if they’re really friends, but not actually saying they are, just that he’s hurt that ‘Bee would even think to ask when the answer should be obvious).
Out on the balcony, Starscream confronts Prowl, and very much believes he has the upper hand, thinking he’s using the dangling carrot of Dirge and Swindle (or rather, that they’ve told Shockwave the truth about the deaths of the Constructicons and Arcee being here) to manipulate him into having the problem cyclops killed to keep his secrets.
Maybe you’re not quite that good a reader of character after all, hey Starscream?
The next scene is one I can only really talk about in terms of what we later learn is really happening. Which is that Shockwave and his team are big into amateur dramatics, playacting a little scene talking about Swindle and Dirge, as Ravage smells something oddly familiar.
Out on the balcony, Starscream confronts Prowl, and very much believes he has the upper hand, thinking he’s using the dangling carrot of Dirge and Swindle (or rather, that they’ve told Shockwave the truth about the deaths of the Constructicons and Arcee being here) to manipulate him into having the problem cyclops killed to keep his secrets.
Maybe you’re not quite that good a reader of character after all, hey Starscream?
The next scene is one I can only really talk about in terms of what we later learn is really happening. Which is that Shockwave and his team are big into amateur dramatics, playacting a little scene talking about Swindle and Dirge, as Ravage smells something oddly familiar.
"You absolutely know what sort of friend I am"
I wonder if they rehearsed this beforehand? Is it improv or scripted? Whoever wrote it didn’t get Laserbeak’s character right, he’s strangely mute compared to how he’ll be best remembered under Barber.
It’s enough to fool Arcee, who throws in a dead Triggerhappy and Blot as a distraction, before stabbing Ravage through the neck and cutting a (now red again after a stint in his TV colours) Rumble’s arms off.
Shockwave acts not impressed, thinking even a psychopath with swords can’t beat his remaining gang of far more heavily armed psychopaths.
Except she’s not holding her swords up to attack, she’s doing it to shield herself from the shrapnel of the bombs she planted an hour ago.
Shockwave must have especially practiced his surprised face as he gives a lovely one before a very low noise (needed so Prowl’s team outside don’t hear it) detonation seems to severely injure, though not kill, Shockwave and company.
It’s enough to fool Arcee, who throws in a dead Triggerhappy and Blot as a distraction, before stabbing Ravage through the neck and cutting a (now red again after a stint in his TV colours) Rumble’s arms off.
Shockwave acts not impressed, thinking even a psychopath with swords can’t beat his remaining gang of far more heavily armed psychopaths.
Except she’s not holding her swords up to attack, she’s doing it to shield herself from the shrapnel of the bombs she planted an hour ago.
Shockwave must have especially practiced his surprised face as he gives a lovely one before a very low noise (needed so Prowl’s team outside don’t hear it) detonation seems to severely injure, though not kill, Shockwave and company.
"Shockwave, as a writer, you're a great mad scientist"
Prowl (oddly talking openly into his communicator about his secret plot in front of a team that aren’t supposed to know about it) isn’t bothered about the dead non-entities (harsh on Blot), he wants the ringleaders taken to the “Black room” and even more explosives planted so there will be no way Bumblebee (who apparently doesn’t have the nerve for this. True) will know he has prisoners.
Prowl then really sells this by leading his team face first into the resultant explosion. Which is committed to the point you’d almost think he wasn’t that bothered about his body being damaged. The Autobots he’s with walking into it right after standing next to Prowl as he’s talking to Arcee about this presumably just aren’t the brightest. Which is fair enough with Warpath.
So, in this scene. Some Decepticons die for real. Some are seemingly killed but it’s all a feint. And some are not killed, but how incapacitated they are is faked, and then their deaths are faked by an Arcee who doesn’t know (or at least is playing along with the idea she’s not meant to, I don’t recall when she works all this out) any of the previous events were staged.
Prowl then really sells this by leading his team face first into the resultant explosion. Which is committed to the point you’d almost think he wasn’t that bothered about his body being damaged. The Autobots he’s with walking into it right after standing next to Prowl as he’s talking to Arcee about this presumably just aren’t the brightest. Which is fair enough with Warpath.
So, in this scene. Some Decepticons die for real. Some are seemingly killed but it’s all a feint. And some are not killed, but how incapacitated they are is faked, and then their deaths are faked by an Arcee who doesn’t know (or at least is playing along with the idea she’s not meant to, I don’t recall when she works all this out) any of the previous events were staged.
"Deflecting Shrapnel? But he's not even here..."
I hope you’re going to keep track of that. It’s some full Mission Impossible stuff. The TV show, not the Cruise films, that requires everyone to act in the correct (including Arcee stabbing Ravage and Rumble in non-lethal ways that she could still mistake for them being dead) way. It’s a stretch, but I do love this sort of stuff, and the setup does play fair by the later reveals as long as you’re able to role with elaborate capers.
And to be clear, for all I’ve joked about Barber laying on the ironic foreshadowing dialogue with Prowl, he got readers hook line and sinker with this. Even people who has worked out the Bombshell thing already were taken in completely. There were actually complaints that Barber was killing off too many “Proper” characters too quickly in a way that hadn’t been seen since Last Stand of the Wreckers.
Starscream is very pleased with himself watching all this, and looks forward the Starscream/Prowl team lasting as long as it needs till the Autobot finds out how diabolical he actually is. In theory, Arcee showing up and wondering who out of the two of them really will be pulling the strings and then dropping that she knows where Dirge and Swindle are hidden (because nothing gets past her in her city) should disconcert him, but a far more ominous threat to his plans appears. The one person who really will ruin everything, walking into Iacon across the wilderness…
Megatron.
And to be clear, for all I’ve joked about Barber laying on the ironic foreshadowing dialogue with Prowl, he got readers hook line and sinker with this. Even people who has worked out the Bombshell thing already were taken in completely. There were actually complaints that Barber was killing off too many “Proper” characters too quickly in a way that hadn’t been seen since Last Stand of the Wreckers.
Starscream is very pleased with himself watching all this, and looks forward the Starscream/Prowl team lasting as long as it needs till the Autobot finds out how diabolical he actually is. In theory, Arcee showing up and wondering who out of the two of them really will be pulling the strings and then dropping that she knows where Dirge and Swindle are hidden (because nothing gets past her in her city) should disconcert him, but a far more ominous threat to his plans appears. The one person who really will ruin everything, walking into Iacon across the wilderness…
Megatron.
Inside you are two Arcees. Both telling you to kill transphobes.
As you can from how much I talked about events to come, this is a very much a setup issue for the arc that would originally have ended the comic’s first year (and possibly the comic itself) if not for the couple of extending curveballs thrown in along the way. So, it’s broadly about reminding everyone of the increasingly complicated state of play and getting them into the right places for all hell to break loose with the next part.
It’s definitely a little heavy handed in places when it comes to giving the reader moments that make them go “Ahhh!” second time around, but it’s also quite fun seeing Starscream think he knows what’s going on, and there are nice little character beats throughout.
It’s definitely a little heavy handed in places when it comes to giving the reader moments that make them go “Ahhh!” second time around, but it’s also quite fun seeing Starscream think he knows what’s going on, and there are nice little character beats throughout.
The bitch is back.
The centrepiece Arcee/Decepticons scene is also outstanding the first and second time, with some lovely cool moments for here where she’s using tactics smartly rather than just being a stabbing machine. I’m also a real sucker for those Mission Impossible elaborate stings, so that tickled the right part of my brain.
Guido also continues to be the great chameleon on the art team, doing great stuff that I didn’t automatically click to not being Griffith.
It being a setup issue means the next few will be key in paying it off well, but it’s still got a good amount of decent stuff in its own right.
Next week, from Megatron in the present to Pax in the past, as a Saturday night out in Iacon turns out to be explosive.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE ISSUE 10
2012
COMMENT
KO-FI
Guido also continues to be the great chameleon on the art team, doing great stuff that I didn’t automatically click to not being Griffith.
It being a setup issue means the next few will be key in paying it off well, but it’s still got a good amount of decent stuff in its own right.
Next week, from Megatron in the present to Pax in the past, as a Saturday night out in Iacon turns out to be explosive.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE ISSUE 10
2012
COMMENT
KO-FI
