Hello Darkness, My Old Friend.
Spotlight: Cyclonus. Revelation: Part 1. June 18th 2008.
You’re not really going to leave it there, are you?
Now is the point things get confusing. Possibly because how Furman was going to get to wrap up his stories was decided very late in the day as, according to Shane McCarthy, there was not going to be a Furman conclusion at the time he started writing All Hail Megatron and it was only decided to do so after he was well underway.
Now, I’ll talk next week about how you can’t necessarily put much stock in McCarthy, but the ultimate decision was actually fairly generous to Furman. Two miniseries, spread over close to a year. But it’s the division of labour that’s the problem.
So, we get one four issue miniseries as four Spotlights, each doing a focused on one character story as well as playing through its chosen plots. The other a five issue, traditionally structured miniseries.
And how will the plots be divided? One series will focus on the Machination, Huntstreaker, Walkernok and, especially, the Dinobots. Four of whom have not had a Spotlight yet.
You’re not really going to leave it there, are you?
Now is the point things get confusing. Possibly because how Furman was going to get to wrap up his stories was decided very late in the day as, according to Shane McCarthy, there was not going to be a Furman conclusion at the time he started writing All Hail Megatron and it was only decided to do so after he was well underway.
Now, I’ll talk next week about how you can’t necessarily put much stock in McCarthy, but the ultimate decision was actually fairly generous to Furman. Two miniseries, spread over close to a year. But it’s the division of labour that’s the problem.
So, we get one four issue miniseries as four Spotlights, each doing a focused on one character story as well as playing through its chosen plots. The other a five issue, traditionally structured miniseries.
And how will the plots be divided? One series will focus on the Machination, Huntstreaker, Walkernok and, especially, the Dinobots. Four of whom have not had a Spotlight yet.
Starting as he means to go on, brooding.
The other, the wide ranging and complicated Dead Universe. A storyline where nearly all the major characters involved have already had a Spotlight, meaning if it were to be done that way, it would have to bring in those on the periphery and somehow connect their irrelevant to the bigger picture personal story to the main plot.
Now, within those parameters, which series would get which plot? All I can think is someone decided the Dinobots should get the longer series because that’s likely to sell better. But whatever the reason, the choice to make the Dead Universe the focus of the slightly confusingly named Spotlight series (the -tion continuing subtitle makes it a bit of a mouthful) is one that, and here I am going to place my cards on the table straight away, made what was always going to be a tough task to pull off effectively, impossible.
What should also be noted here, is that nowhere in this grand plan is any wrap up for the Earhbound Decepticons’ plots, possibly to make it more distinct from All Hail Megatron.
There is at least one positive here, the series starts with what is probably the most sensible choice of a titular character. Cyclonus may not have appeared before, but his traditional role as Galvatron’s Bitch makes him a solid substitute (indeed, him turning out to be a part of the Ark 1 crew is more surprising for it not having been mentioned before now), as a lot of his role in this issue feels like it would have gone to that character in the original plan.
Now, within those parameters, which series would get which plot? All I can think is someone decided the Dinobots should get the longer series because that’s likely to sell better. But whatever the reason, the choice to make the Dead Universe the focus of the slightly confusingly named Spotlight series (the -tion continuing subtitle makes it a bit of a mouthful) is one that, and here I am going to place my cards on the table straight away, made what was always going to be a tough task to pull off effectively, impossible.
What should also be noted here, is that nowhere in this grand plan is any wrap up for the Earhbound Decepticons’ plots, possibly to make it more distinct from All Hail Megatron.
There is at least one positive here, the series starts with what is probably the most sensible choice of a titular character. Cyclonus may not have appeared before, but his traditional role as Galvatron’s Bitch makes him a solid substitute (indeed, him turning out to be a part of the Ark 1 crew is more surprising for it not having been mentioned before now), as a lot of his role in this issue feels like it would have gone to that character in the original plan.
Well, that was fast.
And Cyclonus is going to be an incredibly consistent character across his IDW run, despite quite a gap between major appearances. Which sees him start as he means to go on, coming into our Universe on a mission, but finding himself unable to resist going to Cybertron and seeing with disgust what the Cybertronians have done to his world after he left. “Patriot” is a word he uses later in the issue and is basically sums up who he is, an old, proud warrior who may be seeing through blinkers (Cybertron’s history before Ark 1 is going to turn out to be just as war filled), but believes in and mourns for a better world.
He’s also going to have a long history of struggling to deal with his sense of worth and internalising his anger issues. This leads to the one out of character in hindsight moment, as later he’ll tend to take his rage out on himself, here he decides to attack the first Transformers he comes across.
Which turns out to be Hound and his crew. Which may be a mistake on Furman’s part. Subbing Cyclonus into a plot role Galvatron might otherwise have filled is one thing, but this winds up repeating the beats of that Spotlight a bit too closely for a story with so much more of its own thing to do.
And it’s quite a long fight as well. The most relevant part is that Sideswipe is still saucy about being called away from Earth to go to Garrus 9 instead. Other than that, it turns out you can’t actually kill Cyclonus (though on the downside, he can’t exist in our Universe for very long, only Galvatron can and not even No—err—Nemesis Prime knows why) so it’s a lot of shooting to no effect, until they call in the also on his way to Garrus 9 Ultra Magnus in. Taking him away from trying to work out which Monstructor member is which from their robot modes like the anally retentive guy he is.
This is the point Cyclonus realises his passion has gotten the better of him and he decides to leave immediately to complete his mission. Ultra Magnus (or as Hound calls him, U.M. Something that would cause a stroke in Magnus as he’ll develop later) goes in pursuit and Hound plans to carry on their mission... Until Sideswipe demands if they’re really going to leave things like this.
He’s also going to have a long history of struggling to deal with his sense of worth and internalising his anger issues. This leads to the one out of character in hindsight moment, as later he’ll tend to take his rage out on himself, here he decides to attack the first Transformers he comes across.
Which turns out to be Hound and his crew. Which may be a mistake on Furman’s part. Subbing Cyclonus into a plot role Galvatron might otherwise have filled is one thing, but this winds up repeating the beats of that Spotlight a bit too closely for a story with so much more of its own thing to do.
And it’s quite a long fight as well. The most relevant part is that Sideswipe is still saucy about being called away from Earth to go to Garrus 9 instead. Other than that, it turns out you can’t actually kill Cyclonus (though on the downside, he can’t exist in our Universe for very long, only Galvatron can and not even No—err—Nemesis Prime knows why) so it’s a lot of shooting to no effect, until they call in the also on his way to Garrus 9 Ultra Magnus in. Taking him away from trying to work out which Monstructor member is which from their robot modes like the anally retentive guy he is.
This is the point Cyclonus realises his passion has gotten the better of him and he decides to leave immediately to complete his mission. Ultra Magnus (or as Hound calls him, U.M. Something that would cause a stroke in Magnus as he’ll develop later) goes in pursuit and Hound plans to carry on their mission... Until Sideswipe demands if they’re really going to leave things like this.
"Time to act... next month"
It is a sequence that is so considerably longer than it needs to be that in the middle we actually visit Garrus 9, where Team Optimus have now arrived and Prowl is very curious about the body of a Decepticon that has been tortured and killed after the attack had ended. Before Fortress Maximus and Jetfire can finish their double takes, Prime decides he needs to look like he’s doing something despite having nothing to do, so he and Prowl go for a walk to do... something.
Meanwhile, in orbit, Nightbeat has finally played back his voicemail (nicely drawn in the style of his Spotlight) and decides if he is missing memories about going to Gorlam Prime, he’s going to need a Hardhead to find out why.
After the fight, we get a scene that could have let the entire opening be cut. Arcee has followed up on her battlefield torture to track down another member of Banzaitron’s Secret Service and make a start on torturing him. With only a page of her and no mention of big G Gender, it’s far closer to the Arcee of the Barber run, especially when she’s cheerful about how they always tell her everything.
But the issue could easily have just opened here on Arcee torturing out of her captive that the Decepticons have learnt something pointing at Corata-Vaz. Which she then calls in and that calls Hound and company to be diverted and lead into the next, and more important to the plot, confrontation. I evens suspect something like that would have happened if not for the requirement of this new format meaning the titular character needs some sort of very specific motivation, focus and a chance to monologue.
Meanwhile, in orbit, Nightbeat has finally played back his voicemail (nicely drawn in the style of his Spotlight) and decides if he is missing memories about going to Gorlam Prime, he’s going to need a Hardhead to find out why.
After the fight, we get a scene that could have let the entire opening be cut. Arcee has followed up on her battlefield torture to track down another member of Banzaitron’s Secret Service and make a start on torturing him. With only a page of her and no mention of big G Gender, it’s far closer to the Arcee of the Barber run, especially when she’s cheerful about how they always tell her everything.
But the issue could easily have just opened here on Arcee torturing out of her captive that the Decepticons have learnt something pointing at Corata-Vaz. Which she then calls in and that calls Hound and company to be diverted and lead into the next, and more important to the plot, confrontation. I evens suspect something like that would have happened if not for the requirement of this new format meaning the titular character needs some sort of very specific motivation, focus and a chance to monologue.
A subtle nod to the new Australian writer coming aboard: An upside down guy.
On the abandoned and desolate planet Corata-Vaz, Cyclonus is, in what will again be very typical of him, pretending to be fine whilst clearly being not as he insists to himself he is absolutely on-board with Nova Prime’s plan, whilst still struggling to get the former Nova’s new name right. Because the promised utopia where all are one is just turning into one long nightmare.
He decides his issue is not with activating the reality bomb... sorry, I mean the Nega-Core. It’s with the guardian that has been provided to protect it. How can he use... the thing that has caused all the pain to Cybertron that has so hurt him?
Which is definitely a sign of a character who is struggling to think clearly, as what the Nega-Core is going to do to Cybertron is far worse that what the provided security ever did.
He decides the way to square the circle is simply not to turn the guardian on, as this is a ridiculously out of the way planet, that’s so obscure the only way anyone would ever find it is if the Dead Universe crew have been doing everything they can to draw attention to their actions in this reality.
He decides his issue is not with activating the reality bomb... sorry, I mean the Nega-Core. It’s with the guardian that has been provided to protect it. How can he use... the thing that has caused all the pain to Cybertron that has so hurt him?
Which is definitely a sign of a character who is struggling to think clearly, as what the Nega-Core is going to do to Cybertron is far worse that what the provided security ever did.
He decides the way to square the circle is simply not to turn the guardian on, as this is a ridiculously out of the way planet, that’s so obscure the only way anyone would ever find it is if the Dead Universe crew have been doing everything they can to draw attention to their actions in this reality.
Patriot games.
Unsurprisingly, as he leaves he walks into a great panel of Mangus and the inevitably having followed as well Team Hound wanting a little word. And when Sideswipe makes the mistake of goading the horny stranger with a “You know you want to”, Cyclonus decides he does. Which leads into a much more relevant fight where Cyclonus, feeling the effects of being outside the Dead Universe now and needing desperately to get back to an entry point, does much more badly than before.
And in what is definitely going to be typical for Cyclonus, he decides the real issue is he is the one that isn’t worthy. His anger and rage make him the disruptive element that Nemesis is trying to destroy. So he choses to go all in as he’s never getting to the promised land anyway and, in the latest and least likely example of a toy gimmick being reinvented for IDW, he fires off his detachable arm to turn on the guardian.
Who turns out to be Thunderwing. And I’m not sure how impressive someone who has been stopped twice is as an unstoppable force. But the astute reader can work out from how many super-warriors Galvatron and his people have grabbed as to how many Nega-Cores there must be.
And in what is definitely going to be typical for Cyclonus, he decides the real issue is he is the one that isn’t worthy. His anger and rage make him the disruptive element that Nemesis is trying to destroy. So he choses to go all in as he’s never getting to the promised land anyway and, in the latest and least likely example of a toy gimmick being reinvented for IDW, he fires off his detachable arm to turn on the guardian.
Who turns out to be Thunderwing. And I’m not sure how impressive someone who has been stopped twice is as an unstoppable force. But the astute reader can work out from how many super-warriors Galvatron and his people have grabbed as to how many Nega-Cores there must be.
Not the most notable Cyclonus being shot by everyone moment.
The distraction of Thunderwing lets Cyclonus escape, though Magnus sends a tracker from his ship after him. Whilst a call to Prime, who apparently didn’t do anything on his walk with Prowl after all, brings in the Wreckers as backup.
The issue ends in the Dead Universe as Nemesis and Jhiaxus... do a straight up repeat of the last page of Devastation issue 6, but this time with Straxus and a new character we’ll learn the name of later. Which is again the sort of thing required by the format shift that probably wouldn’t have been needed had this been the intended six issue next miniseries.
The big success here is Cyclonus himself, though it’s very much based on his cartoon portrayal, it’s still extrapolated enough from the source material to make him such a strong character he’ll continue consistently right to the end of the run.
There’s also some fun to be had in hindsight, largely from Magnus and Cyclonus meeting for the first time in a very violent fight that, again, will influence their perception of one another for a long time to come.
E.J. Su’s art is also amazing, something that’s easy to forget because he very intentionally only draws the opening and closing issues of this miniseries so as to have the time to do something very special with the finale. Which therefore means that this issue tends to get overlooked as that gets all the praise, but it still is strong and striking and his Cyclonus design is only going to have minor changes (largely being stretched out to make him lankier) to go to, once again, the very end of the series.
The issue ends in the Dead Universe as Nemesis and Jhiaxus... do a straight up repeat of the last page of Devastation issue 6, but this time with Straxus and a new character we’ll learn the name of later. Which is again the sort of thing required by the format shift that probably wouldn’t have been needed had this been the intended six issue next miniseries.
The big success here is Cyclonus himself, though it’s very much based on his cartoon portrayal, it’s still extrapolated enough from the source material to make him such a strong character he’ll continue consistently right to the end of the run.
There’s also some fun to be had in hindsight, largely from Magnus and Cyclonus meeting for the first time in a very violent fight that, again, will influence their perception of one another for a long time to come.
E.J. Su’s art is also amazing, something that’s easy to forget because he very intentionally only draws the opening and closing issues of this miniseries so as to have the time to do something very special with the finale. Which therefore means that this issue tends to get overlooked as that gets all the praise, but it still is strong and striking and his Cyclonus design is only going to have minor changes (largely being stretched out to make him lankier) to go to, once again, the very end of the series.
De ja vu.
Which, unfortunately, is not enough to hide what a slight comic this is, and what nonsense the plot manages to be despite this. Nothing of actual significance happens till over halfway through, and the Spotlight format means the actual characters driving the plot—Prime, Jetfire, Nemesis Prime, even Arcee depending on what information she actually got (I don’t remember)—float around the periphery of the story without actually doing anything. Nightbeat deciding he’s going to do something next issue is about as close as anyone outside of Cyclonus’ interactions comes to doing anything. And even Su, as good as he is, cannot carry action scenes for the sake of action scenes when there’s so much to be done that isn’t getting proper attention.
Now, you could argue that, as it brings the -tions into a mini-relaunch, much of the repetition of information we already know and an attention grabbing action opening are for new readers. But if you haven’t been paying close attention for the last two years, pretty much none of this will make sense. Which is a shame.
Especially as my memory is, this was the best of the four issues.
And of course, it was also, in what is another poor choice, running alongside the full on relaunch of the IDW comics. Which I’ll be talking about next week, but first, an Addendum on the special teaser put out for All Hail Megatron. Something to bring it into focus.
SPOTLIGHT WHEELIE
2008
COMMENT
KO-FI
Now, you could argue that, as it brings the -tions into a mini-relaunch, much of the repetition of information we already know and an attention grabbing action opening are for new readers. But if you haven’t been paying close attention for the last two years, pretty much none of this will make sense. Which is a shame.
Especially as my memory is, this was the best of the four issues.
And of course, it was also, in what is another poor choice, running alongside the full on relaunch of the IDW comics. Which I’ll be talking about next week, but first, an Addendum on the special teaser put out for All Hail Megatron. Something to bring it into focus.
SPOTLIGHT WHEELIE
2008
COMMENT
KO-FI
