Dark Cybertron, Finale

[arbre_rieur]

"I hope I’m not speaking out of school here, but during at least one point, the ideas got pretty crazy and [co-writer] James [Roberts] and I were talking outside the main room, off by a bathroom in fact, and said he was getting a little… ah… nervous, or worried about the direction things were going.

"And the funny thing was that I’d had that exact same reaction, years ago, about another creative retreat about another event, and I’d had the same moment of talking to somebody outside a bathroom about it. In my case, it was Mark Millar—and he told me not to worry, that these things settle down and the stuff that isn’t working will get tossed out. And he was right. So I told James about that—the way these summits work is like a brain working. There are all kinds of bananas ideas thrown around, and it gets whittled down to the actual story." -- Dark Cybertron co-writer John Barber, on the nature of creative summits to plan Big Events

Optimus Prime and his team have just escaped the Dead Universe by creating an interdimensional portal in Brainstorm's chest. The other Autobots are now catching them up on what's been going on.



"...is gonna walk away from [fighting] Shockwave for that?



Outside, it's the united Transformers species versus Shockwave's army, the Ammonites. The former eventually gains the upper hand on the latter.









It's worth pointing out that the way Shockwave's warping time and space has also caused his mind to become unstuck in time, so in a very real way his consciousness is currently in sync with his consciousness in other points in time, including his pre-lobotomy self. That's probably a factor here.





And that's that. All that's left is aftermath.

And that leads us to the last page of the issue...

Comments

[nightauditguy]

Megatron talking about Bumblebee as a friend is just weird.

[icon_uk]

I like the fact that the way it's phrased it clearly a new concept to him too.

[q99]

Mostly a few issues before. And Bumblebee didn't really reciprocate, so much as... it's just less personal between Megs and BB than it is between Megs and Prime. They barely interact in most cases, I think the first time they went head to head was during his not-too-long ago takeover attempt (which Bumblebee basically won, which gets respect from Megs, and then lost to Starscream *due* to Megatron's move, which gets some sympathy).

Bumblebee, I think, represents to Megatron what the Autobots have become. Optimus, it's too close, it's too hot, and the rivalry was forged when Orion was Zeta's enforcer. With Bee, there's distance, and there's some reminder of what he was back when he *only* wrote books and speeches.

[md84]

I also like how Megatron, despite the personal enmity between him and Optimus, is able to acknowledge that Optimus really isn't the same as the tyrannical Primes that preceded him.

[coldfury]

I've never wanted to read a Transformers comic. I tried once, the launch of Marvel's Gen 2, with the Cybertronians as villains.

This? This makes me want to try again.

[sir_razorback]

If you've missed alot of the IDW TF posts floating around here, there's some very good stuff to read. In general they've taken the license and ran with it for all they're worth. With the end of the Dark Cybertron arc, they're entering a new 'season'. Would be a good time to take a look around.

[icon_uk]

I've been buying a TF title in TPB format for the first time in... well, since 1986, it's just THAT GOOD!

[q99]

Everything from 'The Death of Optimus Prime' (note: Death not literal!) and the start of the two series (More than Meets the Eye/Robots in Disguise) is gold.

IDW had some good stuff before (occasionally mixed with some eh stuff), but that's the point when it hits a new level.

[sindra]

Thank you for giving me my starting point. Beyond Last Stand of the Wreckers (and I knew of that one due to my Ex. who launched me head-first into the TF franchise), I didn't know where in the IDW-verse to jump on for myself.

Soooo gooooood.......

[q99]

Yea, the Last Stand writer does More Than Meets, and meanwhile Robots In is quite excellent too. Plus there's some good one-shots.

[q99]

Despite the opening quote, I'd say Dark Cybertron was done much better than Civil War :)

[icon_uk]

Ah thanks, I was going to ask if anyone knew what event Barber was talking about there.

[q99]

Only Millar penned big crossover event to my knowledge.

[q99]

"We heard a drinking song coming from Nova Prime's corpse."

"Just when ya think there are no new sentences..."

[beyondthefringe]

I am actually kind of excited to see how Megatron's new outlook plays out. Maybe he can actually change for the better after all these years.

[md84]

Too bad Soundwave is all too willing to pick up where he left off.

[icon_uk]

Soundwave is, as has been noted by the other Decepticons and seen in the recent issues of RID, isn't as charismatic or inspiring a leader as Megatron, the Decepticons just don't want to follow him.

The differences will be interesting to see... will he try to learn persuasion, or rely on his old standbys of blackmail and intimidation.

[crinos]

Did... Megatron just beat Shockwave with a care bear stare?

[icon_uk]

Well thanks, now I can't unsee that image...

[lbd_nytetrayn]

While I appreciate Rodimus's dedication to his crew, Ultra Magnus would have been a more logical choice to get them out quicker.