And it’s not About You Joggers, who go Round and Round and Round...
Spotlight: Blurr. November 5th 2009.
Can you believe he gets driven around?
It’s actually something of a surprise to come back to the Spotlight series so soon after Revelation. And like that, though it will only be promoted as such on the trade rather than on the individual issues, this is a linked series of stories.
Unlike that though, “All Hail Megatron Volume 3” is linked only by “Characters who appear in All Hail Megatron”. And even then, for only four of the five issues, with the fifth being more an editorial indulgence where the link is just it features some survivors of the Decepticon’s big push.
This however is something of a smart move, it gives something that can be presented as a whole on the assumption a miniseries sells better than a series of standalones and gives popular (or entirely new but treated as immediately popular by the promotional material) characters who aren’t hugely important to the main story a chance for some focus that fleshes out their role. But at the same time, each issue can still be read in and of itself with no fuss and bother, and if you don’t read all or any of them, nothing is lost from your understanding of main series. A side dish that might be delicious or might be a miserable turnip, but not vital.
Or, in other words, something of a much-needed break after the last Spotlight series.
Can you believe he gets driven around?
It’s actually something of a surprise to come back to the Spotlight series so soon after Revelation. And like that, though it will only be promoted as such on the trade rather than on the individual issues, this is a linked series of stories.
Unlike that though, “All Hail Megatron Volume 3” is linked only by “Characters who appear in All Hail Megatron”. And even then, for only four of the five issues, with the fifth being more an editorial indulgence where the link is just it features some survivors of the Decepticon’s big push.
This however is something of a smart move, it gives something that can be presented as a whole on the assumption a miniseries sells better than a series of standalones and gives popular (or entirely new but treated as immediately popular by the promotional material) characters who aren’t hugely important to the main story a chance for some focus that fleshes out their role. But at the same time, each issue can still be read in and of itself with no fuss and bother, and if you don’t read all or any of them, nothing is lost from your understanding of main series. A side dish that might be delicious or might be a miserable turnip, but not vital.
Or, in other words, something of a much-needed break after the last Spotlight series.
Flash... ah-ha!
Shane McCarthy is not going to write all of these, but he starts the run tying into his own comic with the focus on Blurr, who as I mentioned in surprise at the end of the last piece (as I didn’t remember this was the case), has not yet appeared in All Hail Megatron. When he does, his role will largely be to stand there with characters from the 1986 film, and occasionally running very fast. So, when it comes to fleshing him out, this has a running start.
Also, as I’ve noted many times already, All Hail Megatron was a six-issue series stretched out to 12 and has suffered for it. Here we get to see McCarthy doing a planned as one issue story in one issue, effectively giving us our first chance to judge him on his merits entirely fairly. Will the result be as surprising as Spotlight: Ramjet was for its author?
One note before diving in, I don’t normally mention covers as, frankly, each issue usually has at least 3 and often enough to get your eyes bleeding (Scientifically, the one I pick for these pieces tends to be the first one on the scans I’m using). But we really have to mention Casey Coller (who also draws the issue) and his Sports Illustrated spoofing cover, complete with fake headlines. It’s a smart, eye-catching idea that’s pulled off extremely well.
Inside, and we’re immediately confronted with one of the curious things about this comic. In that you never really hear people talk about it, and largely speaking how it fits into continuity is a mess (as if it was written and edited by people who gave no fucks), but at the same time it’s the first appearance in IDW of various things that will, if only by coincidence or accident, become key parts of this Universe in later years.
Also, as I’ve noted many times already, All Hail Megatron was a six-issue series stretched out to 12 and has suffered for it. Here we get to see McCarthy doing a planned as one issue story in one issue, effectively giving us our first chance to judge him on his merits entirely fairly. Will the result be as surprising as Spotlight: Ramjet was for its author?
One note before diving in, I don’t normally mention covers as, frankly, each issue usually has at least 3 and often enough to get your eyes bleeding (Scientifically, the one I pick for these pieces tends to be the first one on the scans I’m using). But we really have to mention Casey Coller (who also draws the issue) and his Sports Illustrated spoofing cover, complete with fake headlines. It’s a smart, eye-catching idea that’s pulled off extremely well.
Inside, and we’re immediately confronted with one of the curious things about this comic. In that you never really hear people talk about it, and largely speaking how it fits into continuity is a mess (as if it was written and edited by people who gave no fucks), but at the same time it’s the first appearance in IDW of various things that will, if only by coincidence or accident, become key parts of this Universe in later years.
Is he also Space Jesus?
In this opening, it’s the idea of Transformers racing and celebrity racers, years before we get an entire colony devoted to this. It’s a natural choice for pre-war Blurr’s life and the dodging of obstacles along the way is clearly inspired by The Rebirth, but it’s still something we’re going to see a lot more of that gets introduced here as top sports-bot Blurr easily wins a big race in a full stadium to massive cheers.
This does perhaps show up one problem immediately though, Coller’s art is strong and clean, but at no point does Blurr feel unusually fast. Which might not have been a problem (him speaking normally rather than the comic trying to ape his TV voice is a relief), if not for the fact that the end of the issue depends on his great speed.
As he cleans up after the race and banters with fellow competitor Fasttrack, it’s clear that Blurr is the stock arrogant celebrity, not even knowing the names of the two people on his pit team, confusing Piston for a Parton (the sort of joke Rung will later run with), and inviting them to come clubbing with him at The Circle even though “Bots like us” aren’t able to get in there, and not even noticing when they don’t come with him. It’s an entirely token show of solidarity he doesn’t remotely care about.
Now, I suspect McCarthy only really meant they couldn’t afford to get in, but this will retroactively become our first real sign of the apartheid state that exists in all layers of Cybertronian society and will become a very big thing in future pre-war stories.
This does perhaps show up one problem immediately though, Coller’s art is strong and clean, but at no point does Blurr feel unusually fast. Which might not have been a problem (him speaking normally rather than the comic trying to ape his TV voice is a relief), if not for the fact that the end of the issue depends on his great speed.
As he cleans up after the race and banters with fellow competitor Fasttrack, it’s clear that Blurr is the stock arrogant celebrity, not even knowing the names of the two people on his pit team, confusing Piston for a Parton (the sort of joke Rung will later run with), and inviting them to come clubbing with him at The Circle even though “Bots like us” aren’t able to get in there, and not even noticing when they don’t come with him. It’s an entirely token show of solidarity he doesn’t remotely care about.
Now, I suspect McCarthy only really meant they couldn’t afford to get in, but this will retroactively become our first real sign of the apartheid state that exists in all layers of Cybertronian society and will become a very big thing in future pre-war stories.
You either die the pub drinker, or live long enough to become the pub owner.
At the Circle, which is basically the typical glitzy red carpet celebrity hangout, Blurr shows how rich he is by being driven up to the door rather than driving up in his own alt mode (his vehicle being based on Animated Bulkhead suggesting it is indeed a working Transformer), and we get the full of himself celebrity aspect pushed a bit too far as a journalist asks him about the current political unrest and he has no idea what the guy is talking about because he doesn’t watch the news, he is the news.
Which is mildly insulting to sports people, who over the decades have often taken principled political stands, from those who refused to do the Nazi salute at the Berlin Olympics right up to today, be they taking the knee or feeding starving British children let down by our current actively evil government. And I don’t think even the most self-absorbed, full of themselves footballer would be confused if asked about Boris Johnson and parties at the moment, even if they didn’t have an opinion or worse, were a Tory.
It’s a bit too stock and stereotypical for a comic that’s trying to add a bit of nuance to a character whose main thing previously was talking fast.
Still, remember the implication here that this is taking place before the Decepticons have actually done anything so major that it really would be stupid of Blurr not to have heard of them.
Inside the Circle, it’s another unexpected IDW first: The Space Pub, as Blurr and his celebrity friends get completely off their tits, mock the poor souls with no lives who plug their brains into virtual reality sets and celebrate how these great days will never end.
Which is mildly insulting to sports people, who over the decades have often taken principled political stands, from those who refused to do the Nazi salute at the Berlin Olympics right up to today, be they taking the knee or feeding starving British children let down by our current actively evil government. And I don’t think even the most self-absorbed, full of themselves footballer would be confused if asked about Boris Johnson and parties at the moment, even if they didn’t have an opinion or worse, were a Tory.
It’s a bit too stock and stereotypical for a comic that’s trying to add a bit of nuance to a character whose main thing previously was talking fast.
Still, remember the implication here that this is taking place before the Decepticons have actually done anything so major that it really would be stupid of Blurr not to have heard of them.
Inside the Circle, it’s another unexpected IDW first: The Space Pub, as Blurr and his celebrity friends get completely off their tits, mock the poor souls with no lives who plug their brains into virtual reality sets and celebrate how these great days will never end.
There ain't no party like an Autobot party.
I remember there were some complaints at the time that this “Humanised” the Transformers too much by presenting their night out as just like a human night out, but with glasses of energon. But not only does it have precedent in Marvel and that memorable Megatron on the lash episode of the cartoon, it will become such a standard of the series. With no less than two recurring bars, it will actually become harder to find a sober Transformer going forward. It just feels something of a missed opportunity that in later years, when Blurr decides to reopen a bar and run it himself, it’s an in-joke old reference one rather than his favourite haunt.
And as he celebrates how this lifestyle will never ever go away, we cut to a bomb exploding in the sports arena, followed by Blurr being told by a fantastically designed character with a chest that could get him on Eurotrash, that the races are cancelled by order of Zeta Prime because of the terrorist threat.
Which is where we hit our first big disconnect with the previous comics as this would really have to be before the end of Megatron Origin (at which point it’s supposed to have become a war), when it’s still Sentinel Prime.
I’ll come to my theory for why McCarthy introduced a disposable Prime later in the issue, but it really shows how everyone involved would much rather be working on a full reboot than an odd halfway house.
And as he celebrates how this lifestyle will never ever go away, we cut to a bomb exploding in the sports arena, followed by Blurr being told by a fantastically designed character with a chest that could get him on Eurotrash, that the races are cancelled by order of Zeta Prime because of the terrorist threat.
Which is where we hit our first big disconnect with the previous comics as this would really have to be before the end of Megatron Origin (at which point it’s supposed to have become a war), when it’s still Sentinel Prime.
I’ll come to my theory for why McCarthy introduced a disposable Prime later in the issue, but it really shows how everyone involved would much rather be working on a full reboot than an odd halfway house.
Certainly some of the later Blurr toys will be a bit hollow...
Tellingly, Zeta’s biggest appearance after this will be in the equally continuity odd Flint Dille comics, though John Barber and James Roberts will do their perhaps not completely enthusiastic best to try and slip him into the lineage, including walking back from the idea that Megatron Origin was supposed to be the full-on start of the war.
Things get even worse as Blurr spots Piston (whose name he still struggles with) about to leave as well to join the Autobots, and Blurr doesn’t recognise the logo on the card he gives him to try and encourage him to pick a side as well. Which is basically equivalent to Ryan Giggs not knowing what a policeman is.
Ignoring the advice that it’s soon going to be time to choose one side or the other, Blurr decides to go get pissed instead. But finding the Circle empty except for him and that no one cares about a famous guy anymore, he even considers having a go on the virtual reality sets.
Luckily, he’s interrupted by a sales pitch, as Starscream appears and encourages him to sign up with them, as what Blurr really enjoyed about the races was clearly the power, and his people give him the chance to rule rather than serve.
Despite Starscream being on good snarky form, the scene is slightly undone by Blurr thinking Starscream must be an Autobot (despite having been given the ‘Con calling card by him. Blurr really is too stupid to live), making you wonder at what point he actually found this out after he did sign up with the Autobots.
Things get even worse as Blurr spots Piston (whose name he still struggles with) about to leave as well to join the Autobots, and Blurr doesn’t recognise the logo on the card he gives him to try and encourage him to pick a side as well. Which is basically equivalent to Ryan Giggs not knowing what a policeman is.
Ignoring the advice that it’s soon going to be time to choose one side or the other, Blurr decides to go get pissed instead. But finding the Circle empty except for him and that no one cares about a famous guy anymore, he even considers having a go on the virtual reality sets.
Luckily, he’s interrupted by a sales pitch, as Starscream appears and encourages him to sign up with them, as what Blurr really enjoyed about the races was clearly the power, and his people give him the chance to rule rather than serve.
Despite Starscream being on good snarky form, the scene is slightly undone by Blurr thinking Starscream must be an Autobot (despite having been given the ‘Con calling card by him. Blurr really is too stupid to live), making you wonder at what point he actually found this out after he did sign up with the Autobots.
It's the Pax Inspector.
A sad Blurr heads home and walks right into a battle between Autobots and Decepticons, and wouldn’t you know, his good friend whatsit...err... Piston is one of the ‘Bots who gets killed in the crossfire.
Which is when Orion Pax appears. And though he’s called “Optimus” by Kup (that being his nice and simple pre-Prime name will make it as far as the script of Chaos Theory before the power of Pax overwhelms it), you just automatically name the character Orion Pax because his fun streamlined and with a mouth design is clearly based on Pax in the cartoon.
Though this is one aspect of McCarthy’s era even Barber would cheerfully ignore until IDW did a toy based on this design and told IDW to put it in another comic. Which they did, once, and then never used it again.
Which is a shame as it both looks good and gives us a nice bit of visual foreshadowing where, when in shadow, the face becomes Optimus Prime.
This is, of course, the moment for the Autobot pitch. And therefore, where it becomes most connected to All Hail Megatron, as having shown the Autobots fall apart without Prime, here we get a chance to see why he inspires them.
Which is when Orion Pax appears. And though he’s called “Optimus” by Kup (that being his nice and simple pre-Prime name will make it as far as the script of Chaos Theory before the power of Pax overwhelms it), you just automatically name the character Orion Pax because his fun streamlined and with a mouth design is clearly based on Pax in the cartoon.
Though this is one aspect of McCarthy’s era even Barber would cheerfully ignore until IDW did a toy based on this design and told IDW to put it in another comic. Which they did, once, and then never used it again.
Which is a shame as it both looks good and gives us a nice bit of visual foreshadowing where, when in shadow, the face becomes Optimus Prime.
This is, of course, the moment for the Autobot pitch. And therefore, where it becomes most connected to All Hail Megatron, as having shown the Autobots fall apart without Prime, here we get a chance to see why he inspires them.
This is funnier when you later find out he really misses his faceplate.
It turns out a Decepticon hit squad are going to assassinate Zeta Prime, and Blurr is the only one fast enough to go catch up with them. Blurr isn’t sure, but Pax talks him round, pointing out there is no going back to their old lives, no “Living with Covid... err... Decepticons” and as they’ve lost their way as a society, others have taken advantage of it.
Hmm, little bit current that.
The swinging point though is that unlike Starscream, Pax thinks that the races were really about inspiring other to strive to do more. To be better. To which, sadly, Blurr does not reply “Park Life”.
It’s a solid, if not spectacular, Prime speech, but you’re left wondering if maybe the Autobots could have caught up to the Decepticons if the team leader didn’t stand around giving two-page speeches.
Which is only made worse as Blurr speeds off and we discover the Decepticons... are walking. Even the ones who can fly like Starscream (no chance for the penny to drop for Blurr though). It’s an incredibly silly end to the issue. If nothing else, if you’re going to push that Blurr just happens to run into a dead Piston on his walk, why not have the Decepticon assassin be his rival from the start of the issue, Fasttrack and make it a proper race?
The issue ends with Blurr speeding past the guys who are walking at a slow and steady pace, but doesn’t reveal if he succeeds or not. I suspect McCarthy meant for him to have failed, hence the throwaway new Prime. But other writers will have other ideas that will mean Blurr directly causes four million years of suffering by succeeding here.
Hmm, little bit current that.
The swinging point though is that unlike Starscream, Pax thinks that the races were really about inspiring other to strive to do more. To be better. To which, sadly, Blurr does not reply “Park Life”.
It’s a solid, if not spectacular, Prime speech, but you’re left wondering if maybe the Autobots could have caught up to the Decepticons if the team leader didn’t stand around giving two-page speeches.
Which is only made worse as Blurr speeds off and we discover the Decepticons... are walking. Even the ones who can fly like Starscream (no chance for the penny to drop for Blurr though). It’s an incredibly silly end to the issue. If nothing else, if you’re going to push that Blurr just happens to run into a dead Piston on his walk, why not have the Decepticon assassin be his rival from the start of the issue, Fasttrack and make it a proper race?
The issue ends with Blurr speeding past the guys who are walking at a slow and steady pace, but doesn’t reveal if he succeeds or not. I suspect McCarthy meant for him to have failed, hence the throwaway new Prime. But other writers will have other ideas that will mean Blurr directly causes four million years of suffering by succeeding here.
If only they could turn into vehicles of some sort. Maybe flying ones.
If the last issue of All Hail Megatron represented an upswing, this is a plateau, the very definition of a perfectly adequate story. The art is fine, in not especially speedy, the plot chugs along and only falls apart with the very daft ending and Blurr’s stock dilemma has no surprises, but equally doesn’t outstay its welcome. It’s so straightforward as to nearly swing too far in the opposite direction from the incredibly dense Revelation series.
And I guess amidst all the recent upheaval, a nice dull steady issue is almost a welcome change. But, whilst there isn’t a huge amount that’s bad here, it equally doesn’t suggest a Shane McCarthy without outside constraints is an especially exciting prospect as a writer and will pass from your mind faster than a Decepticon death squad.
Next week, back to All Hail Megatron and the arrival of Blurr in the main comic.
ALL HAIL MEGATRON ISSUE 4
2008
COMMENT
KO-FI
And I guess amidst all the recent upheaval, a nice dull steady issue is almost a welcome change. But, whilst there isn’t a huge amount that’s bad here, it equally doesn’t suggest a Shane McCarthy without outside constraints is an especially exciting prospect as a writer and will pass from your mind faster than a Decepticon death squad.
Next week, back to All Hail Megatron and the arrival of Blurr in the main comic.
ALL HAIL MEGATRON ISSUE 4
2008
COMMENT
KO-FI
