He Taught me how to Praise My God and Still Play Rock and Roll.
Robots in Disguise Annual 2012: Primus: All Good Things. September 26th 2012.
I’m not particularly religious either, but that part about the bullet is pretty funny, right?
The second Annual of the year is not just a loose part 2 to the first, it connects to it on a thematic and stylistic level as well.
In particular, that the story is split into present day scenes dealing with a comatose Titan (rather than Metrotitan, that change having happened already, Metro is now just his name), and past scenes drawn by Guido Guidi dealing with the mythology and history of Cybertron.
There’s one key difference though, one that perhaps speaks to the differing styles of the writing. In the Roberts issue, the art shift is used for Cyclonus’ possibly apocryphal story of the history of the Guiding Hand, it signifies a shift to an unreliable narrator where what you see may or may not have happened.
There’s no such framing device for the past sequences (of which there are many more) in Barber’s take, it is just what happened, with the old comics style just being akin to a movie doing a flashback in black and white.
Which is just as valid an approach but can briefly throw you off when reading them back-to-back.
Barber has also decided—and this suggests that the retro-art idea was his despite Roberts being the official Marvel era fanboy as it’s far more stylistically important to this issue—that the love letter to the original comics should go beyond just the visuals writes in the rather infamous style of the very first Transformers comic.
I’m not particularly religious either, but that part about the bullet is pretty funny, right?
The second Annual of the year is not just a loose part 2 to the first, it connects to it on a thematic and stylistic level as well.
In particular, that the story is split into present day scenes dealing with a comatose Titan (rather than Metrotitan, that change having happened already, Metro is now just his name), and past scenes drawn by Guido Guidi dealing with the mythology and history of Cybertron.
There’s one key difference though, one that perhaps speaks to the differing styles of the writing. In the Roberts issue, the art shift is used for Cyclonus’ possibly apocryphal story of the history of the Guiding Hand, it signifies a shift to an unreliable narrator where what you see may or may not have happened.
There’s no such framing device for the past sequences (of which there are many more) in Barber’s take, it is just what happened, with the old comics style just being akin to a movie doing a flashback in black and white.
Which is just as valid an approach but can briefly throw you off when reading them back-to-back.
Barber has also decided—and this suggests that the retro-art idea was his despite Roberts being the official Marvel era fanboy as it’s far more stylistically important to this issue—that the love letter to the original comics should go beyond just the visuals writes in the rather infamous style of the very first Transformers comic.
There is the irony that this better captures the colours of the Marvel comics than IDW's reprints of the Marvel comics do.
This starts immediately, with an opening page that directly mimics the first page of Marvel #1, with a series of panels doing a slow pull in on Cybertron and its surface, talking about evolved gears and levers and the miraculous robots that live there.
Though there is a darker tone as, unlike that issue, this isn’t prior to everything going wrong, but in the immediate aftermath of the Heart of Darkness rationalising first civil war, with Cybertron a tarnished jewel and its inhabitants feared by many.
Until a Prime united the waring world and gave them new purpose and a new beginning, revealed to be in the following, fantastic, splash page none other than Nova Prime. Along with his usual cronies of Galvatron, Cyclonus and Jhiaxus. Plus, Dai Atlas, bringing us an immediate link to the other Annual.
Poor old Straxus and Grindcore, no one ever remembers them.
Nova is very pleased to have found the “Legendary lair” of Primus, though how it stayed lost for so long when it’s a massive dome (that, as Cyclonus points out, actually looks more like Primus’ rival. Though with the different origin for Unicron we’ll eventually get, I wonder who Primus’ big ball enemy actually was).
But, however intimidated by it they are, Nova is still leading them down the tunnel the dome protects, though only after being careful to assure Jhiaxus he doesn’t need to be called “Sire,” because he’s totally one of the guys.
Though there is a darker tone as, unlike that issue, this isn’t prior to everything going wrong, but in the immediate aftermath of the Heart of Darkness rationalising first civil war, with Cybertron a tarnished jewel and its inhabitants feared by many.
Until a Prime united the waring world and gave them new purpose and a new beginning, revealed to be in the following, fantastic, splash page none other than Nova Prime. Along with his usual cronies of Galvatron, Cyclonus and Jhiaxus. Plus, Dai Atlas, bringing us an immediate link to the other Annual.
Poor old Straxus and Grindcore, no one ever remembers them.
Nova is very pleased to have found the “Legendary lair” of Primus, though how it stayed lost for so long when it’s a massive dome (that, as Cyclonus points out, actually looks more like Primus’ rival. Though with the different origin for Unicron we’ll eventually get, I wonder who Primus’ big ball enemy actually was).
But, however intimidated by it they are, Nova is still leading them down the tunnel the dome protects, though only after being careful to assure Jhiaxus he doesn’t need to be called “Sire,” because he’s totally one of the guys.
Slutty Waist Starscream toy when?
Also one of the guys, back in the present and Brendan Cahill art, is Starscream, cheerfully quoting some old Decepticon poetry that Sky-Byte has taught him about Primus being like a gun and his follower poet a bullet. Which he finds hilarious rather than moving, which, along with the fact he’d never heard this rally cry of his own side (from the Zeta Prime days) only helps to disappoint Metalhawk. Who is also this issue’s narrator, musing on how he doesn’t really know who was right in the Decepticon/Autobot war as he’s never even sure about his own choices, beyond the wrong ones usually coming back to haunt them.
But they’re not hanging about to talk poetry, they’re actually in the wilderness bright and early to look for Ironhide and the Dinobots in a direct follow-up to the end of the last issue.
Though perhaps this was written slightly out of order as one way it doesn’t quite line-up is them being surprised to see Blurr also out on the hunt, despite the fact that Bumblebee’s bluff had been that he was going to send out his own, fast, team in the morning.
This leaves Metalhawk cynical about Bumblebee’s motives for stopping Starscream being the one who managed the rescue, and Starscream curious as to how Bumblebee got Blurr back on side.
But they’re not hanging about to talk poetry, they’re actually in the wilderness bright and early to look for Ironhide and the Dinobots in a direct follow-up to the end of the last issue.
Though perhaps this was written slightly out of order as one way it doesn’t quite line-up is them being surprised to see Blurr also out on the hunt, despite the fact that Bumblebee’s bluff had been that he was going to send out his own, fast, team in the morning.
This leaves Metalhawk cynical about Bumblebee’s motives for stopping Starscream being the one who managed the rescue, and Starscream curious as to how Bumblebee got Blurr back on side.
The original walkable city.
But the conversation is cut short when a massive explosion creates a hole right under Blurr that he falls into, much to Starscream’s delight before Metalhawk chides him and they go down to help. Which, after some back and forth bitching between Autobot and Decepticon is rejected for a call in to Bumblebee instead, as Blurr has found something under the ground…
A massive Titan laying on top of a ruined city.
You don’t see that every day.
Unless you’re just read the previous Annual, but it’s not immediately apparent this is the same metrosexual.
Back in the past, there’s the irony that an issue that is about to poke some gentle fun at classic awkward exposition scenes has a mild example entirely off Barber’s own back, as Galvatron apparently hasn’t been paying attention on the way here and now asks Nova what this place is.
Which he’s happy to reveal is where Primus and the Guiding Hand used to hang out, swapping poetry and art and class of the sort that’s sorely missing from the world today.
And yet it winds up being Sentinel Prime being the one who’s all “Make Cybertron Great Again.”
A massive Titan laying on top of a ruined city.
You don’t see that every day.
Unless you’re just read the previous Annual, but it’s not immediately apparent this is the same metrosexual.
Back in the past, there’s the irony that an issue that is about to poke some gentle fun at classic awkward exposition scenes has a mild example entirely off Barber’s own back, as Galvatron apparently hasn’t been paying attention on the way here and now asks Nova what this place is.
Which he’s happy to reveal is where Primus and the Guiding Hand used to hang out, swapping poetry and art and class of the sort that’s sorely missing from the world today.
And yet it winds up being Sentinel Prime being the one who’s all “Make Cybertron Great Again.”
For an authentic Marvel UK feel, rip this panel out and make it a poster.
A quick bit of scene shifting between periods then shows first Prowl (along with Wheeljack and a very trigger-happy Sideswipe) arrive at the crater. Much to the annoyance of Blurr as he wanted Bumblebee, but he’s busy with the missing time ship. So, it’s the heavy hand as three Autobots go down and Sideswipe makes cracks about “What do you get if you cross Prowl with no witnesses?” to keep the Decepticon and the NAIL outside. All as Metalhawk’s narration shows some self-awareness about how he’s pissed off as many people as he’s made friends, and how he hopes everyone can start to see beyond their individual issues and see the good in each other.
The second, in the past, reveals that Jhiaxus has managed to return Crystal City to the surface and its full glory, but that’s not enough for Nova, who wants to bring the gift of “Freedom” to the stars.
In the present, much confusion ensures as Wheeljack reveals it’s not Metroplex, just a similar guy, who he can tell has just teleported in from somewhere, but the city itself was not only there already, but it also survived the reformatting of Cybertron that destroyed every other habitation on the planet. All as Prowl is decidedly vague as to how well he knew Metroplex.
More worryingly though, the “Anti-protons” that brought the Titan here are reacting oddly with the city, causing “Vector space” to decay. A level of technobabble that annoys Blurr (though neither notices Prowl's quiet aside that he understands the terms being used, that's not very Prowl, is it, hmm?), so it’s probably a good thing for everyone that they get called up to the surface for a new crisis by Sideswipe.
The second, in the past, reveals that Jhiaxus has managed to return Crystal City to the surface and its full glory, but that’s not enough for Nova, who wants to bring the gift of “Freedom” to the stars.
In the present, much confusion ensures as Wheeljack reveals it’s not Metroplex, just a similar guy, who he can tell has just teleported in from somewhere, but the city itself was not only there already, but it also survived the reformatting of Cybertron that destroyed every other habitation on the planet. All as Prowl is decidedly vague as to how well he knew Metroplex.
More worryingly though, the “Anti-protons” that brought the Titan here are reacting oddly with the city, causing “Vector space” to decay. A level of technobabble that annoys Blurr (though neither notices Prowl's quiet aside that he understands the terms being used, that's not very Prowl, is it, hmm?), so it’s probably a good thing for everyone that they get called up to the surface for a new crisis by Sideswipe.
It's like a season 18 Doctor Who script.
Click here to A crisis is also brewing in the past, as Omega Supreme takes a nice walk through the last direct homage to a panel from Marvel US (that also, hilariously, amongst the carefully recreated generics, adds Tailgate to emphasise he really was a part of this era and was hanging around with these characters, adding a side order of red herring to the meal), only to be approached by a panicked Dai Atlas, immediately followed by a chillingly calm Nova and friends, keen to show off Jhiaxus’ latest invention, the fulfilment of “All shall be one”, six little fellows who merge into one big guy… Monstructor!
Which is a very clever shifting of gears, bringing a very IDW concept into what has otherwise been a very loving Marvel homage. It means that it actually comes as a surprise, even though it’s a perfectly logical thing to expect considering the character involved.
The power of the many is also evident on present day Cybertron, as Prowl comes to the surface to find Starscream has brought a crowd of Decepticons and NAILS (though tellingly, no Autobots have given him the time of day), on the excuse that the citizens have the right to know the head of security is hiding things from members of the government.
Though that Sideswipe is rendered useless by the confusion caused by a crowd being “Peaceable” suggests a more cunning reason for bringing them along.
Which is a very clever shifting of gears, bringing a very IDW concept into what has otherwise been a very loving Marvel homage. It means that it actually comes as a surprise, even though it’s a perfectly logical thing to expect considering the character involved.
The power of the many is also evident on present day Cybertron, as Prowl comes to the surface to find Starscream has brought a crowd of Decepticons and NAILS (though tellingly, no Autobots have given him the time of day), on the excuse that the citizens have the right to know the head of security is hiding things from members of the government.
Though that Sideswipe is rendered useless by the confusion caused by a crowd being “Peaceable” suggests a more cunning reason for bringing them along.
Go on Sdeswipe, kill Noddy.
Prowl uses some bluster to try and say the situation below is incredibly dangerous and all Starscream has done is put everyone at risk, with him even trying to use Blurr as a neutral civilian everyone likes to back him up…
Which goes wrong when Blurr points out it is dangerous, but fuck Prowl, it’s not his call.
Honestly Prowl, that’s a terrible reading of the room there. You’d almost think you were doing this on purpose.
In the past, Nova is deeply excited to be taking his new pet out to the galaxy to help spread freedom from “The tyranny of will”, which gets a very cold anger in response from Omega, who points out that this isn’t what “All are one” meant and, when the being dragged off Dai Atlas screams about this being the end of freedom, he replies “I know what this is…”
And gives Monstructor a big belly punch before finishing “It is the end of an age!”
Well, you spend eons guarding a crystal city, you’ve got plenty of time to work on your one-liners.
Which goes wrong when Blurr points out it is dangerous, but fuck Prowl, it’s not his call.
Honestly Prowl, that’s a terrible reading of the room there. You’d almost think you were doing this on purpose.
In the past, Nova is deeply excited to be taking his new pet out to the galaxy to help spread freedom from “The tyranny of will”, which gets a very cold anger in response from Omega, who points out that this isn’t what “All are one” meant and, when the being dragged off Dai Atlas screams about this being the end of freedom, he replies “I know what this is…”
And gives Monstructor a big belly punch before finishing “It is the end of an age!”
Well, you spend eons guarding a crystal city, you’ve got plenty of time to work on your one-liners.
Readers when there's a Furman plot jumpscare.
This is then followed by some lovely fight art and a hilarious moment (directly taken from a favourite little gag in a couple of the John Glen directed Bond films where the henchman reacts with incredulity when being asked to do something insane) of Galvatron, after Jhiaxus has admitted he can’t control his creation, is told to stop Monstructor by Nova and can only react with wide eyed fear and ask “How?”
The fight winds up wrecking the Crystal City, which upsets Atlas, but leaves Nova nonplussed as he regards himself as the real “Legacy of the Primes!” Which sounds like a couple of good names for a toyline. So, he cheerfully goes to leave Cybertron in pursuit of a new energy source Jhiaxus has detected, not even caring who wins the ongoing fight.
The fight winds up wrecking the Crystal City, which upsets Atlas, but leaves Nova nonplussed as he regards himself as the real “Legacy of the Primes!” Which sounds like a couple of good names for a toyline. So, he cheerfully goes to leave Cybertron in pursuit of a new energy source Jhiaxus has detected, not even caring who wins the ongoing fight.
"You ain't paying me for that"
Which actually feels more a comment on Brexit and the mess David Cameron happily walked away from than any of the intentional ones we’ll get after that disaster happens.
In the present and underground, Wheeljack has some technobabble for Prowl and an idea he rates on the “Brainstorm scale” based on what the seemingly dead scientist would get up to, with this being a 0.6/0.7.
But what it boils down to is, they’ve got an hour before reality collapses in the local area. But if Wheeljack can revive the braindead Titan, he might prevent that.
Or, if it goes wrong, turn the entire solar system into a massive black hole.
Prowl, understandably, decides it’s a safer bet to just let the local area go, but barely has time to even think of evacuating the scene before he realises Starscream is watching, requiring a chase through the ruins.
In the present and underground, Wheeljack has some technobabble for Prowl and an idea he rates on the “Brainstorm scale” based on what the seemingly dead scientist would get up to, with this being a 0.6/0.7.
But what it boils down to is, they’ve got an hour before reality collapses in the local area. But if Wheeljack can revive the braindead Titan, he might prevent that.
Or, if it goes wrong, turn the entire solar system into a massive black hole.
Prowl, understandably, decides it’s a safer bet to just let the local area go, but barely has time to even think of evacuating the scene before he realises Starscream is watching, requiring a chase through the ruins.
Brainstorm would get deeply aroused if he heard about this level of notority.
In the past, Omega has beaten Monstructor, before walking away from him with indifference (he’ll regret that) to show Dai Atlas his other secret, that he didn’t trust Nova with: There’s a Titan in the basement.
His job was actually to guard the giant for the successors of the “Guiding Hand,” but only a great Cybertronian can awaken a Titan, which doesn’t automatically mean a Prime. Especially as Omega views Nova as a fake Prime (and he won’t be the last). His Mystic Meg talents don’t end there, he also predicts the cruel science of Jhiaxus will continue under both him and his student, and that Dai Atlas will have to leave with the Titan one day to escape the darkness and spread the light.
Which I think pushes the precognitive abilities of Omega Supreme a bit too far, he’s a smart old guy, not someone who could remotely predict some unlikely events with such accuracy.
One also has to wonder which great Cybertronian woke up Metrotitan for Dai Atlas to go on his journey.
His job was actually to guard the giant for the successors of the “Guiding Hand,” but only a great Cybertronian can awaken a Titan, which doesn’t automatically mean a Prime. Especially as Omega views Nova as a fake Prime (and he won’t be the last). His Mystic Meg talents don’t end there, he also predicts the cruel science of Jhiaxus will continue under both him and his student, and that Dai Atlas will have to leave with the Titan one day to escape the darkness and spread the light.
Which I think pushes the precognitive abilities of Omega Supreme a bit too far, he’s a smart old guy, not someone who could remotely predict some unlikely events with such accuracy.
One also has to wonder which great Cybertronian woke up Metrotitan for Dai Atlas to go on his journey.
Guido be cooking.
An idea which turns out to be relevant to the present as Prowl chases a quipping Starscream (“It’s dangerous!” “I bet you say that to all the Decepticons”) to the Titan, who, right after Prowl makes the exasperated point that it is indeed braindead…
Wakes up, bathing them in bright light from his eyes, and declaring Starscream to be the one who woke him, the “Conqueror” who will unite Cybertron’s scattered warriors.
He won’t directly commit to the idea that Starscream is “Good,” but he will bring the planet back to greatness, much to Prowl’s horror.
Indeed, he’s so impressed and has so had his faith restored by being awoken by Starscream, he’s willingly prepared to let himself go, and simply asks everyone to leave before they’re consumed with him.
Rather than getting out of there, Prowl takes the time to try and convince Starscream that no one will believe this… Except Blurr has brought everyone down with him and they’ve all seen this proclamation. With Brendan Cahill getting a great frustrated expression onto Prowl’s face as he realises this.
As everyone flees from the explosion of the city, Metalhawk takes up his narration again, wondering if they as a species do need something to conquer, and thus the Titan is right about his “Friend” Starscream being what they need to bring everything together.
Wakes up, bathing them in bright light from his eyes, and declaring Starscream to be the one who woke him, the “Conqueror” who will unite Cybertron’s scattered warriors.
He won’t directly commit to the idea that Starscream is “Good,” but he will bring the planet back to greatness, much to Prowl’s horror.
Indeed, he’s so impressed and has so had his faith restored by being awoken by Starscream, he’s willingly prepared to let himself go, and simply asks everyone to leave before they’re consumed with him.
Rather than getting out of there, Prowl takes the time to try and convince Starscream that no one will believe this… Except Blurr has brought everyone down with him and they’ve all seen this proclamation. With Brendan Cahill getting a great frustrated expression onto Prowl’s face as he realises this.
As everyone flees from the explosion of the city, Metalhawk takes up his narration again, wondering if they as a species do need something to conquer, and thus the Titan is right about his “Friend” Starscream being what they need to bring everything together.
Proof what Windblade has a made up make do job.
Which would be a strong place to end the issue on, but we get some mopping up afterwards. First a quick past page showing Ark 1 leaving and Crystal City sinks back into the surface, with Omega insisting he can’t predict the future whilst coming out with stuff like “And so it begins” and saying there’s little reason for him to have hope going forward.
In the present of Iacon, Starscream gets treated as a returning hero, whilst Metalhawk takes a moment to chat with Omega Supreme, who is as surprised as Omega Supreme gets at the return, proclamation, and death of his old charge.
Metalhawk is unwilling to outright say he believed the Titan, and Omega is unwilling to outright say he understood the guy even whilst knowing him, so they back and forth on the idea of war and conquest being a central part of the Cybertronian identity instead, before agreeing “I don’t know” is probably the best answer to these questions, and posing said questions in the first place is why the Titan returned in the first place. Leaving Metalhawk determined in his believe that, if the future is made by people, his planet needs him.
That’s mostly a very strong issue that makes the perfect counterpart to the More Than Meets the Eye annual, with the two time periods weaving in and out of each other well, some strong thematic ideas that pay-off, lots of interesting foreshadowing and some absolutely stunning art in both sections.
In the present of Iacon, Starscream gets treated as a returning hero, whilst Metalhawk takes a moment to chat with Omega Supreme, who is as surprised as Omega Supreme gets at the return, proclamation, and death of his old charge.
Metalhawk is unwilling to outright say he believed the Titan, and Omega is unwilling to outright say he understood the guy even whilst knowing him, so they back and forth on the idea of war and conquest being a central part of the Cybertronian identity instead, before agreeing “I don’t know” is probably the best answer to these questions, and posing said questions in the first place is why the Titan returned in the first place. Leaving Metalhawk determined in his believe that, if the future is made by people, his planet needs him.
That’s mostly a very strong issue that makes the perfect counterpart to the More Than Meets the Eye annual, with the two time periods weaving in and out of each other well, some strong thematic ideas that pay-off, lots of interesting foreshadowing and some absolutely stunning art in both sections.
"So who woke up the Titan for Dai Atlas then, mate?"
The only weaknesses are, it doesn’t go on a little past its natural end point to really hammer some points home (the final page in the past is basically pointless unless you’ve really not been paying attention) and that, as well as it works otherwise as a duology, it is at least unintentionally funny that Rodimus and company put so much effort and faith into saving Metrotitan, only for him to them almost immediately die (and accepting death) after making the situation on Cybertron much worse for everyone in the long term.
It's not a fault of this issue itself, but coming back to it after becoming so used to the idea of City Speakers, it does wind up very weird to have a Titan just chatting away normally, if obliquely, as well.
But overall, the two Annuals have been a big hit, making it a shame this sort of special would only be an intermittent treat rather than a regular occurrence.
It’s another two week break (hopefully that’s an accurate prediction this time after the last two week break turned into three) because I’m in London for LFCC next weekend, but, in a fortnight, it’s the start of one of the all-time best More Than Meets the Eye stories as Rewind has a tale to weave.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE ANNUAL 2012
2012
COMMENT
KO-FI
It's not a fault of this issue itself, but coming back to it after becoming so used to the idea of City Speakers, it does wind up very weird to have a Titan just chatting away normally, if obliquely, as well.
But overall, the two Annuals have been a big hit, making it a shame this sort of special would only be an intermittent treat rather than a regular occurrence.
It’s another two week break (hopefully that’s an accurate prediction this time after the last two week break turned into three) because I’m in London for LFCC next weekend, but, in a fortnight, it’s the start of one of the all-time best More Than Meets the Eye stories as Rewind has a tale to weave.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE ANNUAL 2012
2012
COMMENT
KO-FI
