The Energon Pub

[ctrlFrequency]

I was worried about that issue... a bit, but worked out very touching... and sorta fun

My biggest worry was that I wouldn't like the sitcom aspect, as I'm not really into pop culture exactly... but I dunno, I got a laugh out of it

Not surprised Roberts was building to something with this and the planet chasing was just a comic devices Megs avatar wasn't impressive, but it did fit his personality, Nautica was adorable, and I loved the vibe between she and Megs...

[Cyberstrike]

Basically, MTMTE has sort of turned into Doctor Who. You're going to be thrown off for a bit, plot wise, as strange things are happening. And there will be some off the wall science fiction.

For folks like me who grew up on this sort of thing, it's wonderful. But I can understand why it might not be some reader's personal cup of cosmic cocoa.

Having just finally read MTMTE #28-41 in one setting I generally found this series more fun than ANY of the other TF series I had read since Dark Cybertron ended, but the series has never answered a central point: Why are they looking for the Knights of Cybertron anyway?

This has always bugged me about this series and I think it's a major flaw in an otherwise great series. I've read that Roberts doesn't care or think the main quest is not all that important but I hoped he at least checked a short-lived sci-fi TV series called Crusade.

Crusade was about Earth being hit an alien plague and all life will end in 5 years unless the crew of a prototype spaceship can find the cure before then. Now that is a dark opening for a show to start at but in the 12 episodes there are plenty humor and offbeat stories including one whole episode about the crew's resident technomage looking for his dead girlfriend's grave in hyperspace that has nothing to do with the crew looking for a cure. It was also a Babylon 5 spin-off/sequel created by JMS, who also liked Roberts, made long running plans that some which didn't come off as well as he thought (the ending to the long Shadow War on B5 or some of his comics).

Now don't get me wrong I love MTMTE for the most part but it does have some serious flaws and most of flaws come from Roberts. Now I have championed and continue to champion elsewhere that in my honest opinion that James Roberts could easily be the next Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, or Warren Ellis simply because he really is that damn good.

But damn when he strikes out it's a big miss like with MTMTE Annual 2012 but his home runs are out of the park and half-way to next galaxy like Chaos Theory but that doesn't mean we should give him a free pass because he was fanfic writer that made it his screw ups should be given as harsh as anything from Barber, Costa, McCarthy, Scott, Furman, or any other TF writer past or present has done.

[ScottyP]

Having just finally read MTMTE #28-41 in one setting I generally found this series more fun than ANY of the other TF series I had read since Dark Cybertron ended, but the series has never answered a central point: Why are they looking for the Knights of Cybertron anyway?

Rodimus is looking for them because he can. I don't want to say too much in case your post is implying you hadn't read anything before 28 - I highly doubt that's the case but would hate to be "that guy that spoiled everything" in the slim chance that it is

[Cyberstrike]

Having just finally read MTMTE #28-41 in one setting I generally found this series more fun than ANY of the other TF series I had read since Dark Cybertron ended, but the series has never answered a central point: Why are they looking for the Knights of Cybertron anyway?

Rodimus is looking for them because he can. I don't want to say too much in case your post is implying you hadn't read anything before 28 - I highly doubt that's the case but would hate to be "that guy that spoiled everything" in the slim chance that it is

I've the whole series up to and including #41. I just read "season 2" of both series and all of the assorted mini-series and one-shots.

[MrBlack]

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Roberts once again built upon several small hints he had strewn throughout the prior 40+ issues, but rather than building to some grand plot point, it built up to something much more personal. It was a great character issue, and all that pop culture stuff actually ended up having a place in the story.

I also liked the fact that both Rodimus and Megatron had holomatter avatars that looked like the hero and villain, respectively, of a bad 80's anime.

[MrBlack]

Basically, MTMTE has sort of turned into Doctor Who. You're going to be thrown off for a bit, plot wise, as strange things are happening. And there will be some off the wall science fiction.

For folks like me who grew up on this sort of thing, it's wonderful. But I can understand why it might not be some reader's personal cup of cosmic cocoa.

Having just finally read MTMTE #28-41 in one setting I generally found this series more fun than ANY of the other TF series I had read since Dark Cybertron ended, but the series has never answered a central point: Why are they looking for the Knights of Cybertron anyway?

This has always bugged me about this series and I think it's a major flaw in an otherwise great series. I've read that Roberts doesn't care or think the main quest is not all that important but I hoped he at least checked a short-lived sci-fi TV series called Crusade.

Crusade was about Earth being hit an alien plague and all life will end in 5 years unless the crew of a prototype spaceship can find the cure before then. Now that is a dark opening for a show to start at but in the 12 episodes there are plenty humor and offbeat stories including one whole episode about the crew's resident technomage looking for his dead girlfriend's grave in hyperspace that has nothing to do with the crew looking for a cure. It was also a Babylon 5 spin-off/sequel created by JMS, who also liked Roberts, made long running plans that some which didn't come off as well as he thought (the ending to the long Shadow War on B5 or some of his comics).

Now don't get me wrong I love MTMTE for the most part but it does have some serious flaws and most of flaws come from Roberts. Now I have championed and continue to champion elsewhere that in my honest opinion that James Roberts could easily be the next Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, or Warren Ellis simply because he really is that damn good.

But damn when he strikes out it's a big miss like with MTMTE Annual 2012 but his home runs are out of the park and half-way to next galaxy like Chaos Theory but that doesn't mean we should give him a free pass because he was fanfic writer that made it his screw ups should be given as harsh as anything from Barber, Costa, McCarthy, Scott, Furman, or any other TF writer past or present has done.

Did you read the Death of Optimus Prime, because it really is explained there.

Perceptor and Rewind find a map in one half of the broken Matrix. It was clearly designed to be found, and is incredibly ancient. Drift hypothesizes that the map could be used to find the Knights of Cybertron, who possess knowledge of Cybertron long lost that could be used to rebuild the planet. No one is sure if the Knights actually exist, or where the map will lead, but the promise of a quest is enough to pull 200 or so bots away from the mess that Cybertron has become.

[Va'al]

The last 4-5 pages of this one took it from "well that was cute, I guess" to "Oh, ok, I get it", then "Oh, that's kind of touching", finally with "Holy crap that is a big deal."

Yes. This. Yes.

[Nemesis_Apoc]

Alright, guys, I'm about to get into MAJOR spoiler territory so if you haven't read this issue or Last Stand of the Wreckers, DO NOT READ THIS POST.

Alright, so if you've read the issue, you've seen that Velocity extracts a data-laced bullet from Swerve's shoulder. My question is when did Swerve get shot? I flipped through Slaughterhouse and didn't see anything. I thought that was the only time the Lost Lighters had come in direct contact with the DJD even though it was the alternate Lost Light. But if Rewind can slip through the cracks, why can't a little bullet? I dunno, just speculating. Also, when has Swerve ever worn the Autobot badge on his left shoulder? I stands to reason it may have at least been since before we actually meet Swerve during the whole Chaos story from a few years ago because that picture at the end of issue 43 shows him posing with Ironfist/Fistiron and he's been dead since Last Stand of the Wreckers. Anyway, if anyone has any information ot add, I'd love to hear it.

[Sagitta]

Alright, guys, I'm about to get into MAJOR spoiler territory so if you haven't read this issue or Last Stand of the Wreckers, DO NOT READ THIS POST.

Alright, so if you've read the issue, you've seen that Velocity extracts a data-laced bullet from Swerve's shoulder. My question is when did Swerve get shot? I flipped through Slaughterhouse and didn't see anything. I thought that was the only time the Lost Lighters had come in direct contact with the DJD even though it was the alternate Lost Light. But if Rewind can slip through the cracks, why can't a little bullet? I dunno, just speculating. Also, when has Swerve ever worn the Autobot badge on his left shoulder? I stands to reason it may have at least been since before we actually meet Swerve during the whole Chaos story from a few years ago because that picture at the end of issue 43 shows him posing with Ironfist/Fistiron and he's been dead since Last Stand of the Wreckers. Anyway, if anyone has any information ot add, I'd love to hear it.

Go back to when Ratchet, Drift, and Pipes visit Delphi earlier in the series. Pipes relayed Swerve had seen the DJD at work at one time. Still, he didn't give the exact time-frame. Just that Swerve was speechless for several months. With the "speechless" aspect being the worst part...for him apparently.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Alright, guys, I'm about to get into MAJOR spoiler territory so if you haven't read this issue or Last Stand of the Wreckers, DO NOT READ THIS POST.

Alright, so if you've read the issue, you've seen that Velocity extracts a data-laced bullet from Swerve's shoulder. My question is when did Swerve get shot? I flipped through Slaughterhouse and didn't see anything. I thought that was the only time the Lost Lighters had come in direct contact with the DJD even though it was the alternate Lost Light. But if Rewind can slip through the cracks, why can't a little bullet? I dunno, just speculating. Also, when has Swerve ever worn the Autobot badge on his left shoulder? I stands to reason it may have at least been since before we actually meet Swerve during the whole Chaos story from a few years ago because that picture at the end of issue 43 shows him posing with Ironfist/Fistiron and he's been dead since Last Stand of the Wreckers. Anyway, if anyone has any information ot add, I'd love to hear it.

Go back to when Ratchet, Drift, and Pipes visit Delphi earlier in the series. Pipes relayed Swerve had seen the DJD at work at one time. Still, he didn't give the exact time-frame. Just that Swerve was speechless for several months. With the "speechless" aspect being the worst part...for him apparently.

go back to chaos. In Swerve's first pictorial appearance, he has a patch on his left shoulder hiding his autobot symbol that was there in that body. He then since has had that shoulder injury, which was the bullet. A good guess would be that He was shot sometime around or just before Chaos.

Overall it was a great issue. I loved it so much. And the breaking the fourth wall? Swerve has been present for all of the comic events, so they have been based on hid perspective (which is still very funny and cool to me ) Loved it so much. and then at the very end: SLAM! Right to the face! Big lead in to the next several issues

[Flashwave]

Oh my GOD. I have been slowly tiring of mTmte, the side stories are mostly getting hokey and in the way of characters. And then BAM. Biggest thread from what, the first arc? Older than that? Right in the eye! I'm in love again

[ScottyP]

Oh my GOD. I have been slowly tiring of mTmte, the side stories are mostly getting hokey and in the way of characters. And then BAM. Biggest thread from what, the first arc? Older than that? Right in the eye! I'm in love again

Goes back to Wreckers. Wiki mentions Chaos Theory too, might have to check that out later on.

[Tigertrack]

Podcast will be talking up the comics soon, although a lot of you have some really deep, and very knowledgeable responses, I hope we don't bore you or sound unknowing.

I am mostly in agreement with ScottyP here. I was bored with this issue until the very last page or so, which really connected to a storyline that I am very fascinated with. Had just re-read LSOTW on my vacation, and of course, Bullets...

[Samsonator]

I love me some fourth wall breaking, and this issue delivered in ways I couldn't even dream. Also, way to play up Swerve's completely unmentioned injury from Chaos, that's some callbacks, I love Roberts for that kinda stuff.

[Henry921]

This one wasn't to my taste -a lot of the TV show references were completely lost on me- but I enjoyed the focus on Swerve and the fragmentation of his personality.

And, of course there was what they found embedded in the badge...

[MrBlack]

I love me some fourth wall breaking, and this issue delivered in ways I couldn't even dream. Also, way to play up Swerve's completely unmentioned injury from Chaos, that's some callbacks, I love Roberts for that kinda stuff.

Not completely unmentioned. I recall Swerve complaining to someone (Ratchet?) about his "old shoulder injury" acting up a few issues back.

[Nemesis_Apoc]

Alright, guys, I'm about to get into MAJOR spoiler territory so if you haven't read this issue or Last Stand of the Wreckers, DO NOT READ THIS POST.

Alright, so if you've read the issue, you've seen that Velocity extracts a data-laced bullet from Swerve's shoulder. My question is when did Swerve get shot? I flipped through Slaughterhouse and didn't see anything. I thought that was the only time the Lost Lighters had come in direct contact with the DJD even though it was the alternate Lost Light. But if Rewind can slip through the cracks, why can't a little bullet? I dunno, just speculating. Also, when has Swerve ever worn the Autobot badge on his left shoulder? I stands to reason it may have at least been since before we actually meet Swerve during the whole Chaos story from a few years ago because that picture at the end of issue 43 shows him posing with Ironfist/Fistiron and he's been dead since Last Stand of the Wreckers. Anyway, if anyone has any information ot add, I'd love to hear it.

Go back to when Ratchet, Drift, and Pipes visit Delphi earlier in the series. Pipes relayed Swerve had seen the DJD at work at one time. Still, he didn't give the exact time-frame. Just that Swerve was speechless for several months. With the "speechless" aspect being the worst part...for him apparently.

go back to chaos. In Swerve's first pictorial appearance, he has a patch on his left shoulder hiding his autobot symbol that was there in that body. He then since has had that shoulder injury, which was the bullet. A good guess would be that He was shot sometime around or just before Chaos.

Overall it was a great issue. I loved it so much. And the breaking the fourth wall? Swerve has been present for all of the comic events, so they have been based on hid perspective (which is still very funny and cool to me ) Loved it so much. and then at the very end: SLAM! Right to the face! Big lead in to the next several issues

Okay, guys, thank you so much for the insight! I haven't read Chaos since it was first published so I guess it's time to revisit.

[budmaloney]

This week's MTME and Windblade were disappointing. For both, I feel the problem is that the artist/writer have it imagined in their head and they're writing it as a cartoon episode or TV series. The structure isn't one of a comic. I don't blame them as much in Windblade because they're new to this, but MTME it's not right to pace it the way they've been doing it. The pacing has been too fast and you feel that you wasted $5 and got nothing out of the story. Just filler after filler.
We've been through the Swerve pity route back when he shot his friend. To revisit that again feels like work. The Lost light no longer feels as a tight crew to me. It started falling apart way before Megatron entered. This issue would have been great if they only had 3 or 4 avatars and we follow their path. Rodimus and the Megatron human bits were useless, even Nautica. They just waste time. Feels like a chore, and very confusing at times. I like the premise of a whole world being a sitcom . They dragged this entire people leaving the crew since forever. First-aid this and first-aid that. I know I'm ranting. The DJD have lost their mojo so to speak. Ever since they have a caring figure now, taking care of their badassiness. Completely erased their credibility. Agent 113 oooh yay, I don't give a damn who he is. I know lots of fans of swerve and I was one of them, but you know what screw swerve, just because he has a smirk doesn't mean they have to force him in every damn panel. Swerve is sad and lonely, boo hoo, over and over again. What is this?

They done messed it up. Every single character that we adhered to and gave the reader some kind of structure or identity was drastically changed. It feels alien to me. Don't get me started about tailgate. They milked that cow enough. They're sending mixed signals that are very difficult to connect to and follow along. Trying to bite off more than they can chew. And the problem is the medium (comics) isn't the best medium for this. If this was a series, a cartoon, then this type of story telling would be better.

[DarkEnergon]

Crusade was about Earth being hit an alien plague and all life will end in 5 years unless the crew of a prototype spaceship can find the cure before then.

Wait, wasn't that the plot of Star Blazers?

[DarkEnergon]

ack double post

[MrBlack]

It's funny that the bits of the comic that I enjoy the most, such as the little aside with Megatron, Nautica, and Nightbeat, are the ones other people absolutely hate. There is so much subtle character building going on in those pages (the implications of Megatron's avatar, his evolving feelings regarding humans, Nautica's playfulness towards him), and it's these little moments that make me care about the characters when we get to a big story arc.

A huge part of MTMTE's charm for me is getting to know these characters. So little time has been spent over the last 30 years in defining who they are outside of their roles as soldiers. It's nice to have a comic where they just get to BE, rather than constantly shooting each other.

[Optimizzy]

It's funny that the bits of the comic that I enjoy the most, such as the little aside with Megatron, Nautica, and Nightbeat, are the ones other people absolutely hate. There is so much subtle character building going on in those pages (the implications of Megatron's avatar, his evolving feelings regarding humans, Nautica's playfulness towards him), and it's these little moments that make me care about the characters when we get to a big story arc.

A huge part of MTMTE's charm for me is getting to know these characters. So little time has been spent over the last 30 years in defining who they are outside of their roles as soldiers. It's nice to have a comic where they just get to BE, rather than constantly shooting each other.

Agreed.

I thought it was interesting how megatron regarded his avatar. He looked tired

[ctrlFrequency]

In regards to people not liking the parts with Rodimus, Megs, and Nautica... they do seem out of place. Usually when.things seem out of place like that to me, I usually figure it is result of editing.
Obviously Roberts wanted to show that the whole crew had come to find Swerve, he meant that much to them. Cyclonus says it. It felt like like he was trying to full out more but didn't have enough pages (felt like there was a lot of editing in this issue to me).

I'm also willing to bet Megatron's dialog throughout will come back later on. Always does. Never write off something in MTMTE as irrelevant.

[Optimizzy]

Yep. Sometimes I feel like he needs more room. I know people didn't like them but I'd be fine with 2 more pages of prose each issue to fill out the story. And Meg's is a much more engaging and tragic figure to me. I mean I think placing him with Rodimus was weird but it just feels right now. In a weird way they seem to make a team now. Meg's is the thinking leader and Rodimus is the feeling leader. They just work.


Now really we just need a decent Rodimus figure and id be happy .

[ctrlFrequency]

To quote my 5 year old... "Stinky Autobots."

I personally wouldn't care how many extra pages they had as long as the story is told. I am an anomaly in that regards though. I'm all about story.