Your Life is a Story I've Already Written.
Issue 78: Target: 2006 Prologue. 6th September 1986.
Is this it? Are we where we want to be?
Well here we are then. It's fair to say that in the unlikely event someone reading this site has only ever experienced the one British story, this is the one. The best remembered and most iconic (impressively considering it's the only story of this era not to have been reprinted in full later on in the run), to the point where it was the first port of call for both Titan and IDW when they began collecting the series.
Other than it being well remembered there's another good reason it's where both new readers and publishers come onboard: This story is consciously designed to be a fresh start and jumping on point for new readers lured in by the excitement of the film, and though it wasn't intended as such at the time it also begins what is technically called a Bloody Big Story Arc. A Bloody Big Story Arc that will run for over 100 issues and, unlike earlier stories, can mostly be read in complete isolation from the American series. Meaning it can be presented in sequential trades in isolation fairly easily, making this story even more attractive to reprinters.
This jumping on point may not seem obvious from the opening of the issue which is mainly concerned with old business as it explains what happened to the Dinobots after last week (short version: Optimus: WTF dudes? Grimlock: You're not my dad! We're leaving... Again), the first of a couple of well intended but arguably futile moments where the story will try to explain the absence of various characters you'd expect the Autobots to press into service for such a Big story, the really notorious one coming next week.
However, this conversation between Prowl and an angry Optimus discussing the Dinobots in the woods is far more than the mopping up of loose ends, to a certain extent it doesn't really matter what subject is making a pissed of Prime rip up trees, this is about establishing his character for those new readers and setting up the need for a "The story so far" speech at the end of the issue.
So within two pages it's quickly established that Optimus is carrying the weight of his decisions on his shoulders, is usually deeply concerned by the impact of his war on Earth and is generally worried about how short staffed he is. As his sounding board Prowl also gets his first speaking role since Dinobot Hunt! six months earlier, serving to remind us of his dependable, calm and wry character so as to give the ending a bit of extra oomph. It's a shame Ratchet doesn't get a similar "Hey, remember me!" moment, but then, he's always been a more prominent character than poor old Prowl.
It's a great scene, livened up by some of Jeff Anderson's best art, even without the words Prowl's sly little smile as he talks tells you everything you need to know about him. It ends with Prime deciding to call a big moral boosting and taking stock meeting. And by "Meeting" I mean lengthy speech time.
Is this it? Are we where we want to be?
Well here we are then. It's fair to say that in the unlikely event someone reading this site has only ever experienced the one British story, this is the one. The best remembered and most iconic (impressively considering it's the only story of this era not to have been reprinted in full later on in the run), to the point where it was the first port of call for both Titan and IDW when they began collecting the series.
Other than it being well remembered there's another good reason it's where both new readers and publishers come onboard: This story is consciously designed to be a fresh start and jumping on point for new readers lured in by the excitement of the film, and though it wasn't intended as such at the time it also begins what is technically called a Bloody Big Story Arc. A Bloody Big Story Arc that will run for over 100 issues and, unlike earlier stories, can mostly be read in complete isolation from the American series. Meaning it can be presented in sequential trades in isolation fairly easily, making this story even more attractive to reprinters.
This jumping on point may not seem obvious from the opening of the issue which is mainly concerned with old business as it explains what happened to the Dinobots after last week (short version: Optimus: WTF dudes? Grimlock: You're not my dad! We're leaving... Again), the first of a couple of well intended but arguably futile moments where the story will try to explain the absence of various characters you'd expect the Autobots to press into service for such a Big story, the really notorious one coming next week.
However, this conversation between Prowl and an angry Optimus discussing the Dinobots in the woods is far more than the mopping up of loose ends, to a certain extent it doesn't really matter what subject is making a pissed of Prime rip up trees, this is about establishing his character for those new readers and setting up the need for a "The story so far" speech at the end of the issue.
So within two pages it's quickly established that Optimus is carrying the weight of his decisions on his shoulders, is usually deeply concerned by the impact of his war on Earth and is generally worried about how short staffed he is. As his sounding board Prowl also gets his first speaking role since Dinobot Hunt! six months earlier, serving to remind us of his dependable, calm and wry character so as to give the ending a bit of extra oomph. It's a shame Ratchet doesn't get a similar "Hey, remember me!" moment, but then, he's always been a more prominent character than poor old Prowl.
It's a great scene, livened up by some of Jeff Anderson's best art, even without the words Prowl's sly little smile as he talks tells you everything you need to know about him. It ends with Prime deciding to call a big moral boosting and taking stock meeting. And by "Meeting" I mean lengthy speech time.
"Impactor looks down on me, I look down on you"
We then cut to our first visit to Furman's take on post-Smelting Pool Cybertron, and the first appearance of Emirate Xaaron in the weekly. It’s actually surprising to think the Annual was published a year ago, as I would have previously read these stories in rapid succession the length between his first and second showings in real time had never occurred to me before. The sequence of him wandering through the ruined Iacon before sneaking into the Super Secret entrance to the super secret Autobase not only quickly and neatly works to re-establish his character but is also the first of a few places in this part of the storyline that shows the author's love of spy fiction, coming over as a dystopian Man From Uncle.
Once within the base we get our first new character of the story, an impressive and memorable Autobot who I'm sure needs no introduction to long time fans.
Yes, I am of course talking about Skater. Famous for his opal fruits shade of green colour scheme and passing on messages to Xaaron. What a guy.
Then there's Impactor. The leader of the Wreckers (though what they are other than the sort of team that has a leader with a harpoon for a hand as leader isn't clear yet), he makes an immediate visual impact thanks to towering over Xaaron and... Well having a harpoon for a hand. He's a design triumph, especially considering that Anderson created Transformers tend to have a fairly similar blocky look to each other with the main difference being the colours (as can be seen with Skater, Frying Tonight and Mr. Matrix Flame in this very issue). Impactor isn't that different as such, he just takes the basic principle and puts it on steroids and thus looks glorious.
The conversation between him and Xaaron is deftly handled as well, there's a lot of exposition to get through about the plot on Cybertron and it would have been very easy for this scene to be full of "As you know..." dialogue, but by smartly splitting the back-story into the next scene Furman gets instead to drop some interesting hints about an Operation Volcano with Xaaron as bait for it and the need for somebody called Ultra Magus to be ready to help the Wreckers pull it off. For the rest we get some fantastic character stuff, as the gruff and to the point Impactor is mollified by expert political manipulation from Xaaron (those who've seen the early episodes of The Avengers where Steed was a sneaky bastard will find it very easy to hear Patrick Macnee playing the Emirate). The love/hate relationship between these characters will be the backbone of this plot and it's instantly off to a good start.
The next scene is where Furman fits the rest of the exposition we'll be getting this week and really picks up on the darkness of Uncle Bob's take on present day Cybertron. It turns out not all members of the resistance are as trustworthy as others, and the making his first appearance Roadbuster has fed false information to one member of the team he knows will wind up giving it to the Decepticons (considering how many references Furman will make to Fleming in his modern work it might be worth pointing out this is just like MI6's plot with their mole in the Bond short story The Property of a Lady).
Once within the base we get our first new character of the story, an impressive and memorable Autobot who I'm sure needs no introduction to long time fans.
Yes, I am of course talking about Skater. Famous for his opal fruits shade of green colour scheme and passing on messages to Xaaron. What a guy.
Then there's Impactor. The leader of the Wreckers (though what they are other than the sort of team that has a leader with a harpoon for a hand as leader isn't clear yet), he makes an immediate visual impact thanks to towering over Xaaron and... Well having a harpoon for a hand. He's a design triumph, especially considering that Anderson created Transformers tend to have a fairly similar blocky look to each other with the main difference being the colours (as can be seen with Skater, Frying Tonight and Mr. Matrix Flame in this very issue). Impactor isn't that different as such, he just takes the basic principle and puts it on steroids and thus looks glorious.
The conversation between him and Xaaron is deftly handled as well, there's a lot of exposition to get through about the plot on Cybertron and it would have been very easy for this scene to be full of "As you know..." dialogue, but by smartly splitting the back-story into the next scene Furman gets instead to drop some interesting hints about an Operation Volcano with Xaaron as bait for it and the need for somebody called Ultra Magus to be ready to help the Wreckers pull it off. For the rest we get some fantastic character stuff, as the gruff and to the point Impactor is mollified by expert political manipulation from Xaaron (those who've seen the early episodes of The Avengers where Steed was a sneaky bastard will find it very easy to hear Patrick Macnee playing the Emirate). The love/hate relationship between these characters will be the backbone of this plot and it's instantly off to a good start.
The next scene is where Furman fits the rest of the exposition we'll be getting this week and really picks up on the darkness of Uncle Bob's take on present day Cybertron. It turns out not all members of the resistance are as trustworthy as others, and the making his first appearance Roadbuster has fed false information to one member of the team he knows will wind up giving it to the Decepticons (considering how many references Furman will make to Fleming in his modern work it might be worth pointing out this is just like MI6's plot with their mole in the Bond short story The Property of a Lady).
Consider this a divorce!
Roadbuster gets to see the weakling squeal like a baby under threat from Shrapnel, meaning we get to hear that the trap being set up by Xaaron involves the lure of a big meeting of all the major Autobot resistance leaders on the anniversary of Iacon's fall to War Lord Trannis (a reference that will be explained more in a forthcoming issue). Exactly what's going to happen still isn't spelt out, but I'm starting to get a Mission: Impossible vibe. As in the good one with an actual team and elaborate plots to trick villains rather than the one where Tom Cruise blows stuff up.
Not that the worm will get to see any of this as Shrapnel rewards his information with 50000000000 volts and an Arnie impression ("I LIED!"). We're left with Roadbuster not hugely bothered by the death of a traitor, but still mildly concerned as to whether the ends will justify the means.
It’s then back to Earth, and Optimus Prime’s Big Speech. It’s part of establishing events so far for new readers and is a fairly handily recap (and visually, based on the yellow hard hats, includes a flashback to Decepticon Dam-Busters!), but just as Optimus gets to the big moral moment... he collapses in agony and he, Ratchet and Prowl explode in a flash of light.
It’s a fantastic, striking visual moment that is topped perfectly by the Autobots anguished faces and Bumblebee’s big scream (and let’s not forget, the Earthbound Bots don’t know about the Space Bridge yet so the assumption they've been blown up rather than teleported in a disruptive manner is a sensible one). It is however kind of a shame the cover gives it away, but more on that shortly.
It should probably be mentioned this is a shameless steal from the end of the original American mini-series where Prime also had his big speech interrupted by unexpected sudden death, but it still works and must have left an huge impression on many a young reader.
The introduction of the Matrix Flame on Cybertron is slightly clunky, it’s presence and death is clearly just there to give the Cybertronian based Autobots a way of knowing something has happened to Prime and does feel a bit like Furman only realised he’d need something like that as he was writing that moment (it could have been set up- even earlier in the same issue- fairly easily and this potentially interesting idea will never be mentioned again after next week), but that’s the smallest of small niggles.
Not that the worm will get to see any of this as Shrapnel rewards his information with 50000000000 volts and an Arnie impression ("I LIED!"). We're left with Roadbuster not hugely bothered by the death of a traitor, but still mildly concerned as to whether the ends will justify the means.
It’s then back to Earth, and Optimus Prime’s Big Speech. It’s part of establishing events so far for new readers and is a fairly handily recap (and visually, based on the yellow hard hats, includes a flashback to Decepticon Dam-Busters!), but just as Optimus gets to the big moral moment... he collapses in agony and he, Ratchet and Prowl explode in a flash of light.
It’s a fantastic, striking visual moment that is topped perfectly by the Autobots anguished faces and Bumblebee’s big scream (and let’s not forget, the Earthbound Bots don’t know about the Space Bridge yet so the assumption they've been blown up rather than teleported in a disruptive manner is a sensible one). It is however kind of a shame the cover gives it away, but more on that shortly.
It should probably be mentioned this is a shameless steal from the end of the original American mini-series where Prime also had his big speech interrupted by unexpected sudden death, but it still works and must have left an huge impression on many a young reader.
The introduction of the Matrix Flame on Cybertron is slightly clunky, it’s presence and death is clearly just there to give the Cybertronian based Autobots a way of knowing something has happened to Prime and does feel a bit like Furman only realised he’d need something like that as he was writing that moment (it could have been set up- even earlier in the same issue- fairly easily and this potentially interesting idea will never be mentioned again after next week), but that’s the smallest of small niggles.
The RAIN of Galvatron begins. Bwaahaha.
The surprises don’t end there though, as at a farm in Oregon the sky rips asunder complete with some appropriately Terminator style lightning (as with the Commando reference this is technically something for parents reading the comic with their kids to get as both films shouldn’t have legally been watched by the target audience. Though of course, both were amongst the two favourite films of every 12 year old boy before the decade was out) and three new Transformers arrive.
This scene is just beautifully drawn by Anderson, dark and moody with excellent colours. All of which is perfectly counterpointed by the almost mundane dialogue by the new arrivals about whether it’s the right year and commenting on the weather like your maiden Aunt.
But once the arrivals are confronted by some farmers, it’s time for the big reveal as Galvatron boldly declares his plan to rule 1986 like he does 2006, and we get a wonderful rain sodden lightning lit spread of him, Cyclonus and Scourge in all their toy based glory.
Oddly, despite the fact there’s no need for it, the fact the credits are held off till this last page feels strangely appropriate as well.
The big thing with this opening is how it takes advantage of the length of the story, there’s only one moment that approaches an action scene in the death of the informant and the rest is characters talking at one another. Furman knows he has 11 weeks to play with and that he can pace things more carefully. As such we get three disparate plots that don’t seem obviously to be connected yet, but at the same time are all interesting and more layered than would normally be the case in a three or four parter. It is very clear, even at this stage, that there is going to be enough going on to justify the length and this is probably the best first instalment the comic ever did.
This scene is just beautifully drawn by Anderson, dark and moody with excellent colours. All of which is perfectly counterpointed by the almost mundane dialogue by the new arrivals about whether it’s the right year and commenting on the weather like your maiden Aunt.
But once the arrivals are confronted by some farmers, it’s time for the big reveal as Galvatron boldly declares his plan to rule 1986 like he does 2006, and we get a wonderful rain sodden lightning lit spread of him, Cyclonus and Scourge in all their toy based glory.
Oddly, despite the fact there’s no need for it, the fact the credits are held off till this last page feels strangely appropriate as well.
The big thing with this opening is how it takes advantage of the length of the story, there’s only one moment that approaches an action scene in the death of the informant and the rest is characters talking at one another. Furman knows he has 11 weeks to play with and that he can pace things more carefully. As such we get three disparate plots that don’t seem obviously to be connected yet, but at the same time are all interesting and more layered than would normally be the case in a three or four parter. It is very clear, even at this stage, that there is going to be enough going on to justify the length and this is probably the best first instalment the comic ever did.
"November...December...One day possibly"
Apart from all the other stuff going on, this issue makes great play of the fact the title is now available in Australia, with Transformation doing its very best to put off new Oz readers with every single borderline offensive stereotype it can think of as it greets them. If this was the first issue to be sold to the convicts it may be another reason for it acting as a good introduction (and if any of Rolf Harris’ countrymen are reading this, was the comic recovered with the local barbie based currency on the front or was the price change achieved in other ways?).
See, unlike the comic, my stereotyping is ironic. This is of course, perfectly acceptable. Stop throwing boomerangs at me.
The rest of the comic doesn’t have a huge amount of note bar some pimping for the film (with there still being no firm idea of when it’s out, though it’s narrowed down to November/December), but everything is present and correct. Hercules does feel like either the freshness is starting to rub off or the author is running out of ideas as we get more scenes of him attacking ships in space. Hopefully this third story will kick into gear fairly soon.
One thing that is worth talking about is the cover. With many of these images I’ve never seen them “Full size” before, and there’s often some details I’ve never noticed before. Generally this is a bit of an odd cover anyway, it gives away the ending but at the same time seems to be trying (unsuccessfully) to hide Prime’s presence by having him almost all vanished and off to one side. This is then rendered pointless by the tagline boldly shouting about his mysterious fate.
The thing that really stood out looking at it today though is Prowl. He’s standing in exactly the same way any man (and possibly woman, I wouldn’t know, obviously) does when he’s in a public toilet and has found the pressure in the tap unexpectedly high when washing their hands resulting in soaking wet trousers that make it seem as if you’ve pissed yourself.
Or am I the only one that happens to?
Next week, the tension and momentum build and only one super Autobot can possibly save Optimus Prime.
No, it’s not Skater.
ISSUE 77
1986
COMMENT
See, unlike the comic, my stereotyping is ironic. This is of course, perfectly acceptable. Stop throwing boomerangs at me.
The rest of the comic doesn’t have a huge amount of note bar some pimping for the film (with there still being no firm idea of when it’s out, though it’s narrowed down to November/December), but everything is present and correct. Hercules does feel like either the freshness is starting to rub off or the author is running out of ideas as we get more scenes of him attacking ships in space. Hopefully this third story will kick into gear fairly soon.
One thing that is worth talking about is the cover. With many of these images I’ve never seen them “Full size” before, and there’s often some details I’ve never noticed before. Generally this is a bit of an odd cover anyway, it gives away the ending but at the same time seems to be trying (unsuccessfully) to hide Prime’s presence by having him almost all vanished and off to one side. This is then rendered pointless by the tagline boldly shouting about his mysterious fate.
The thing that really stood out looking at it today though is Prowl. He’s standing in exactly the same way any man (and possibly woman, I wouldn’t know, obviously) does when he’s in a public toilet and has found the pressure in the tap unexpectedly high when washing their hands resulting in soaking wet trousers that make it seem as if you’ve pissed yourself.
Or am I the only one that happens to?
Next week, the tension and momentum build and only one super Autobot can possibly save Optimus Prime.
No, it’s not Skater.
ISSUE 77
1986
COMMENT
