I Take Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back, We Come Together Because Opposites Attract.
Issue 262: Bird of Prey! Part 1*/Two Steps Back! 17th March 1990.
*The layout of the logos technically gives the title as “Bird of Prey! Matrix Quest” (with the “Part 1” after the latter removed by the UK team), but as the overall title of won’t be used on every part in the cut up UK printing, it’s simpler just to leave it off.
I’d say, without a shadow of a doubt, we’ve got ourselves a mystery!
We’ve talked about how the Anthology Epic is a favourite structural gimmick of Furman’s, stretching from as early as Dinobot Hunt! and right bang up to two weeks ago with ...Perchance to Dream. Considering its switching of locations and characters every issue lends itself to promoting new toys on a regular basis whilst still telling an ongoing plot fairly smoothly, it was inevitable it would be an approach he’s adopt on the American book as well.
It’s also the second time the American series has branded a sequence of issues as part of an overreaching arc following The Underbase Saga. The fact this will run for one issue more (though about the same amount of pages as there’s no double sized special here) suggests that was considered a success by the editorial team. Which no doubt made them happy to go along with Furman’s desire to do something that could be sold as an “Epic”, even if there’s always a danger of doing a promoted multi-part story when the book’s future is never entirely sure from month to month.
*The layout of the logos technically gives the title as “Bird of Prey! Matrix Quest” (with the “Part 1” after the latter removed by the UK team), but as the overall title of won’t be used on every part in the cut up UK printing, it’s simpler just to leave it off.
I’d say, without a shadow of a doubt, we’ve got ourselves a mystery!
We’ve talked about how the Anthology Epic is a favourite structural gimmick of Furman’s, stretching from as early as Dinobot Hunt! and right bang up to two weeks ago with ...Perchance to Dream. Considering its switching of locations and characters every issue lends itself to promoting new toys on a regular basis whilst still telling an ongoing plot fairly smoothly, it was inevitable it would be an approach he’s adopt on the American book as well.
It’s also the second time the American series has branded a sequence of issues as part of an overreaching arc following The Underbase Saga. The fact this will run for one issue more (though about the same amount of pages as there’s no double sized special here) suggests that was considered a success by the editorial team. Which no doubt made them happy to go along with Furman’s desire to do something that could be sold as an “Epic”, even if there’s always a danger of doing a promoted multi-part story when the book’s future is never entirely sure from month to month.
What dreams are made of.
With Matrix Quest intended to be a big high concept story that will push the US series in new directions, it’s unsurprising that Furman kicks it off with something he knows will work. It’s hard to be entirely sure when Bird of Prey! was written in relation to The Big Shutdown!, but it was probably afterwards considering that is based around the most obvious choice of a Bogart noir detective spoof, so even if he hadn’t already seen reader feedback it’s likely he was very aware the entire concept worked like a charm. And luckily for Furman, there’s more than one classic Bogart noir detective film that Nightbeat can be thrown into with gay abandon. Next on the list of classics to be piffled is The Maltese Falcon.
Which just makes you sad there wasn’t a third Nightbeat focused story called Darkwing Passage. Or my preference, a return to Chandler with Murder, My Sweep.
Pleasingly, because Furman knows this is the real area of interest, we just straight into the noir and the exposition of how everyone got there is left to later (albeit split across the UK issue divide to create an odd cliffhanger) as Nightbeat, Siren and Hosehead begin The Matrix Quest tm (which the narration assures us will leave the Transformers never the same again) by asking some thuggish aliens on the world of Pz-Zazz if they’ve seen the Matrix. Which is at least direct I suppose, though at this stage I can’t remember if there will turn out to be a specific lead that led him to these people or if he’s just wandering the streets asking everyone.
The important thing though, is this works as both an introduction to Nightbeat for American readers and a reaffirmation of what made him a hit for the British. The dialogue sparkles as he insults the dumb thugs he’s trying to survey whilst Siren and Hosehead look mildly terrified (one giant alien bastard even has a close but no cigar go at Soundwave’s old catchphrase with a “Ptup” as he spits). And just in case you don’t get what’s going on, there’s a massive advertising board with Bogart in trench-coat and hat behind them.
Nightbeat’s attempt at charm results in Siren being punched through a window, mainly because unlike his boss he doesn’t know a key part of any interrogation is knowing when to duck. Luckily their lives are saved when a rival gang (belonging to someone called Gutt, our boys work for B’Hgdad. Either name would work for the inevitable Sidney Greenstreet homage) does a drive by shooting, much to the annoyance of one of the surviving thugs as “Da next gang war aint till da weekend!”
Which just makes you sad there wasn’t a third Nightbeat focused story called Darkwing Passage. Or my preference, a return to Chandler with Murder, My Sweep.
Pleasingly, because Furman knows this is the real area of interest, we just straight into the noir and the exposition of how everyone got there is left to later (albeit split across the UK issue divide to create an odd cliffhanger) as Nightbeat, Siren and Hosehead begin The Matrix Quest tm (which the narration assures us will leave the Transformers never the same again) by asking some thuggish aliens on the world of Pz-Zazz if they’ve seen the Matrix. Which is at least direct I suppose, though at this stage I can’t remember if there will turn out to be a specific lead that led him to these people or if he’s just wandering the streets asking everyone.
The important thing though, is this works as both an introduction to Nightbeat for American readers and a reaffirmation of what made him a hit for the British. The dialogue sparkles as he insults the dumb thugs he’s trying to survey whilst Siren and Hosehead look mildly terrified (one giant alien bastard even has a close but no cigar go at Soundwave’s old catchphrase with a “Ptup” as he spits). And just in case you don’t get what’s going on, there’s a massive advertising board with Bogart in trench-coat and hat behind them.
Nightbeat’s attempt at charm results in Siren being punched through a window, mainly because unlike his boss he doesn’t know a key part of any interrogation is knowing when to duck. Luckily their lives are saved when a rival gang (belonging to someone called Gutt, our boys work for B’Hgdad. Either name would work for the inevitable Sidney Greenstreet homage) does a drive by shooting, much to the annoyance of one of the surviving thugs as “Da next gang war aint till da weekend!”
"Why would anyone run Transformers Vs G.I. Joe over sixteen issues?"
Gutt’s boys are actually looking for “The Bird”, and in the shop Siren has just been chucked a sickly Peter Lorre looking alien has just passed a bird statue on to the confused Autobot right before dying from wounds caused by the crossfire. Much to Nightbeat’s delight...
Which would make for a nice cliffhanger, but as noted we cut out on a page back on the Ark as Xaaron and Optimus discuss the sending out of teams to look for the Matrix over the SPACE phone and get close to the end of recapping last issue. The second half of this conversation will reveal some interesting things, but for now this is fairly perfunctory.
This is a less specific spoof than The Big Shutdown!, which even went as far as quoting the book. There’s a scene of the bird being passed on by a dying man in The Maltese Falcon, but it’s very late in a film that is mostly people talking archly (and brilliantly) in small rooms. This on the other hand is on a much grander scale, coupled with a very nicely done balance of dark 2000AD (or even Dragon’s Claws/Death’s Head) humour and action.
On art, Geoff Senior has a ball with his gangster aliens and a city that is hugely influenced by Blade Runner, down to the Japanese style writing on the advertising boards (I wonder if it’s real Japanese and if it really says anything?). Which is a smart choice, not only is this just before that film’s big critical renaissance with the release of The Director’s Cut in 1992 (though the Workprint had done the rounds the year before), it is also a sci-fi love letter to the same films Nightbeat pays homage to. Indeed, the scene where Deckard interviews the snake dancing replicant in a nasal voice is a direct homage to a Bogart moment in The Big Sleep.
Which would make for a nice cliffhanger, but as noted we cut out on a page back on the Ark as Xaaron and Optimus discuss the sending out of teams to look for the Matrix over the SPACE phone and get close to the end of recapping last issue. The second half of this conversation will reveal some interesting things, but for now this is fairly perfunctory.
This is a less specific spoof than The Big Shutdown!, which even went as far as quoting the book. There’s a scene of the bird being passed on by a dying man in The Maltese Falcon, but it’s very late in a film that is mostly people talking archly (and brilliantly) in small rooms. This on the other hand is on a much grander scale, coupled with a very nicely done balance of dark 2000AD (or even Dragon’s Claws/Death’s Head) humour and action.
On art, Geoff Senior has a ball with his gangster aliens and a city that is hugely influenced by Blade Runner, down to the Japanese style writing on the advertising boards (I wonder if it’s real Japanese and if it really says anything?). Which is a smart choice, not only is this just before that film’s big critical renaissance with the release of The Director’s Cut in 1992 (though the Workprint had done the rounds the year before), it is also a sci-fi love letter to the same films Nightbeat pays homage to. Indeed, the scene where Deckard interviews the snake dancing replicant in a nasal voice is a direct homage to a Bogart moment in The Big Sleep.
"If we put as much action as we can in this panel, maybe everyone will ignore the caption?"
The British story is rather aptly named Two Steps Back! as it still feels like we’re taking a long time to get to the setup of Earthforce. This is a rather fun ride round the houses though, as any set up or preamble is skipped over to just show a fight between the Dinobots and various Decepticons we haven’t seen in ages. Of which I think only Motormaster had been re-released under the Classic banner, though Furman has either decided to split up the Stunticons or he’s forgotten who he’s put on Megatron’s side and who he’s put on Shockwave’s already. Time will tell.
Yes, Shockwave is back, after more than a year since we’ve seen him in the present day. He’s been an odd omission considering his popularity and that Time Wars left him in an interesting place (one that Earthforce will delight in not picking up on), and he just about manages to avoid the diminishing returns that Megatron and Galvatron underwent over the last few weeks. Mainly because his ragtag troops are the source of embarrassment and humour rather than the cyclopes himself.
The fun here comes from Grimlock’s narration, which is cheeky and irrelevant and even flat out breaks the fourth wall at the end as he says goodbye to the reader. So as well as cheerfully mocking the Decepticons he is scathing about his own Dinobots, I especially like his commentary on Swoop as he saves him from Runamuck (“He one stupid Dinobot! Lucky he got such caring reader like me...”). There’s nothing earth-shattering here, but it’s light and breezy and it works.
Readers at the time must have been relieved there’s also a caption clarifying when this adventure occurs in relation to previous stories. Grimlock explains he’s been ambushed by Shockwave because the Decepticon wants to learn how the dead Dinobots have been bought back to life, leading to a * “See upcoming U.S. story for details.” Which feels like it should be either “See an upcoming U.S. story...” or “See upcoming U.S. stories...”, but regardless of that, we know firmly know these stories are set at some point in the future.
Yes, Shockwave is back, after more than a year since we’ve seen him in the present day. He’s been an odd omission considering his popularity and that Time Wars left him in an interesting place (one that Earthforce will delight in not picking up on), and he just about manages to avoid the diminishing returns that Megatron and Galvatron underwent over the last few weeks. Mainly because his ragtag troops are the source of embarrassment and humour rather than the cyclopes himself.
The fun here comes from Grimlock’s narration, which is cheeky and irrelevant and even flat out breaks the fourth wall at the end as he says goodbye to the reader. So as well as cheerfully mocking the Decepticons he is scathing about his own Dinobots, I especially like his commentary on Swoop as he saves him from Runamuck (“He one stupid Dinobot! Lucky he got such caring reader like me...”). There’s nothing earth-shattering here, but it’s light and breezy and it works.
Readers at the time must have been relieved there’s also a caption clarifying when this adventure occurs in relation to previous stories. Grimlock explains he’s been ambushed by Shockwave because the Decepticon wants to learn how the dead Dinobots have been bought back to life, leading to a * “See upcoming U.S. story for details.” Which feels like it should be either “See an upcoming U.S. story...” or “See upcoming U.S. stories...”, but regardless of that, we know firmly know these stories are set at some point in the future.
"This story is about to become interesting, we can't have that!"
Of course, this will turn out to be a complete and utter lie, one that will only add to the confusion as we go along. Though at least a later Earthforce story will offer an alternate way of resurrecting the dead, so we don’t have to try and fit nucleon into the timeline as well.
The issue does end on a damp squib though, as Prime drives up and tells Grimlock off for fighting where humans might get hurt. Despite the battle being in a featureless desert with no people or property about.
Worse though is that this is the second time a British story has ended this way in eight weeks. Optimus is suddenly an Inaction Master, turning up to switch of plots and prevent anything interesting happening like the galaxy’s greatest stick in the mud. I’ve been critical of ReGeneration One Optimus not being true to the sorts out his problems with his fists Marvel version (most recently in the last week since the first Hachette volume with that surprisingly worse than I remembered series in it came out), but here the original is actually edging into that dreary territory.
What Furman is actually doing here is setting up Grimlock and Prime for the conflict Budiansky never gave them when Optimus came back from the dead and resumed leadership. But it feels like the author is actually bored of the series’ lead character and is stacking the decks far too much in favour of Grimlock in terms of getting readers onside.
There is however time for one final very silly but quite fun gag as Runabout has stayed behind to shoot Grimlock in the face, only for Grimlock to trick the Decepticon into taking “Two steps back” and falling off a cliff. Unlike the comedy defeat of Galvatron two weeks ago this works because the stoner Runabout is exactly the sort of character this would happen to.
As part of a bigger picture this is rather weak with a poor ending, but by itself there’s some good solid fun here. The art does feel like the sort of strip Wildman has in mind when he says he feels he rushed a lot of his UK work around this time, and I suspect will be one to benefit from being coloured by Hachette to add something to the general feeling of empty space. Tellingly Runabout is missing an arm at the end, presumably because Grimlock ripped it off when he stepped on it at the start. But the art as he stomps down doesn’t remotely suggest this is what happened.
The issue does end on a damp squib though, as Prime drives up and tells Grimlock off for fighting where humans might get hurt. Despite the battle being in a featureless desert with no people or property about.
Worse though is that this is the second time a British story has ended this way in eight weeks. Optimus is suddenly an Inaction Master, turning up to switch of plots and prevent anything interesting happening like the galaxy’s greatest stick in the mud. I’ve been critical of ReGeneration One Optimus not being true to the sorts out his problems with his fists Marvel version (most recently in the last week since the first Hachette volume with that surprisingly worse than I remembered series in it came out), but here the original is actually edging into that dreary territory.
What Furman is actually doing here is setting up Grimlock and Prime for the conflict Budiansky never gave them when Optimus came back from the dead and resumed leadership. But it feels like the author is actually bored of the series’ lead character and is stacking the decks far too much in favour of Grimlock in terms of getting readers onside.
There is however time for one final very silly but quite fun gag as Runabout has stayed behind to shoot Grimlock in the face, only for Grimlock to trick the Decepticon into taking “Two steps back” and falling off a cliff. Unlike the comedy defeat of Galvatron two weeks ago this works because the stoner Runabout is exactly the sort of character this would happen to.
As part of a bigger picture this is rather weak with a poor ending, but by itself there’s some good solid fun here. The art does feel like the sort of strip Wildman has in mind when he says he feels he rushed a lot of his UK work around this time, and I suspect will be one to benefit from being coloured by Hachette to add something to the general feeling of empty space. Tellingly Runabout is missing an arm at the end, presumably because Grimlock ripped it off when he stepped on it at the start. But the art as he stomps down doesn’t remotely suggest this is what happened.
Cut out and make your own!
Transformation (using an image of the Dinobots from all the way back in Fallen Angel! Part 2) is very excited about Matrix Quest, in particular that it’s going to run for 15 more weeks as an epic planet hopping adventure. Which is good, imagine what would happen if they had to break it up and instead we got four full months of terminal dullness? It’s also keen to emphasise the return of old characters in the British story isn’t a flashback, that the Micromasters competition is going to be rerun in an easier format and AtoZ will return soon.
Combat Colin runs into a new adventure...literally as he bashes into Bank-robber Man and takes him out in the second panel. With the story already over, the rest of the page is given over to cut out Colin and Steve figures, where you can still your fingers through holes to make the legs. This is another fun spoof of comic activity pages, and I love Steve’s “Don’t you think we’re insulting the intelligence of our readers just e teensy-weensy bit, Col?”
Of course, cutting the characters out would ruin Dread Tidings on the other side. Which means you’d miss Dreadwind actually answering a question properly as he fills in Lee Ollis from Kingswood on the Micromaster Battle Patrol profile for Flak missing from the last Annual.
On the other hand we get a Dreadwind Fails to Answer Questions Properly as he tells Lee Atkinson from Staintondale that Spinister leads the Mayhem Attack Squad. Which is true of neither the American (of which he’s not a member) or British (Snarler) versions.
We also get what may well be our oldest reader to date (or at least the oldest not to pretend to be writing in on behalf of their kids, even if he was introduced to it by them) as the 47 year old Martin Limerick from Ascot praises everything about the book except Action Force.
Which leads us nicely to G.I. Joe: The Action Force’s new adventure (originally from Joe issue 64) Manoeuvreing For Position. Where someone seems to have made a mess correcting the American Maneuvering to the British Manoeuvring. We’re firmly into the era I remember now as Fred abandons the fishing boat as soon as he’s close enough to use the Pogo to get to Cobra Island (Captain Minh seems to die here but comes back later. Not that I’m sure Transformers will get that far) and—after some airborne action—declares himself to be Cobra Commander to the surprised Serpentor.
Now of course, even assuming Fred can do the voice (did you know Hama thought of the character as sounding like Orson Welles? Imagine what Chris Latta’s screeches must have done to his soul), he’s wearing a costume no one else has ever seen Cobra Commander wear before that actually shows off quite a bit of his face (and all Freds look the same). This bluff should only last about thirty seconds. But we’ll have to wait and see next week.
Speaking of which, the next issue sees Nightbeat get the bird and Grimlock all but flip the bird at Optimus.
ISSUE 261
1990
COMMENT
Combat Colin runs into a new adventure...literally as he bashes into Bank-robber Man and takes him out in the second panel. With the story already over, the rest of the page is given over to cut out Colin and Steve figures, where you can still your fingers through holes to make the legs. This is another fun spoof of comic activity pages, and I love Steve’s “Don’t you think we’re insulting the intelligence of our readers just e teensy-weensy bit, Col?”
Of course, cutting the characters out would ruin Dread Tidings on the other side. Which means you’d miss Dreadwind actually answering a question properly as he fills in Lee Ollis from Kingswood on the Micromaster Battle Patrol profile for Flak missing from the last Annual.
On the other hand we get a Dreadwind Fails to Answer Questions Properly as he tells Lee Atkinson from Staintondale that Spinister leads the Mayhem Attack Squad. Which is true of neither the American (of which he’s not a member) or British (Snarler) versions.
We also get what may well be our oldest reader to date (or at least the oldest not to pretend to be writing in on behalf of their kids, even if he was introduced to it by them) as the 47 year old Martin Limerick from Ascot praises everything about the book except Action Force.
Which leads us nicely to G.I. Joe: The Action Force’s new adventure (originally from Joe issue 64) Manoeuvreing For Position. Where someone seems to have made a mess correcting the American Maneuvering to the British Manoeuvring. We’re firmly into the era I remember now as Fred abandons the fishing boat as soon as he’s close enough to use the Pogo to get to Cobra Island (Captain Minh seems to die here but comes back later. Not that I’m sure Transformers will get that far) and—after some airborne action—declares himself to be Cobra Commander to the surprised Serpentor.
Now of course, even assuming Fred can do the voice (did you know Hama thought of the character as sounding like Orson Welles? Imagine what Chris Latta’s screeches must have done to his soul), he’s wearing a costume no one else has ever seen Cobra Commander wear before that actually shows off quite a bit of his face (and all Freds look the same). This bluff should only last about thirty seconds. But we’ll have to wait and see next week.
Speaking of which, the next issue sees Nightbeat get the bird and Grimlock all but flip the bird at Optimus.
ISSUE 261
1990
COMMENT
