The Energon Pub

Simon Furman has once again updated his blog, this time with new information about the final issue of "The Ascending."

SCRIPT (W)RAP
August 27th, 2007

This will (by necessity) have to be one of THE most obtuse and teasing script (w)raps I’ve done so far, largely because it’s for issue #4 (of four) of Beast Wars: The Ascending. My good friend Ben Yee, who read the script and often advises me on all things Beast Wars (simply because he’s arguably THE authority on the series), compared the bodycount favourably to Marvel’s Generation 2 comic, so that gives you an idea that this series is set to end on a less than happy note (in some ways at least). Anyhow, what can I tell you? Well, apart from the fact that several characters meet sticky ends (and this is in no way limited or exclusive to minor characters), the main villain of the piece (by now, thanks to preview images of interior art for #1 and the cover for #4 having hit the web elsewhere, it’s pretty much general knowledge that ‘the nemesis’ I’ve carefully been referring to is Shokaract) makes his grand power play, unaware that he is the pawn of a far greater evil, and Magmatron (still consigned, for now, to a temporal limbo) puts a desperate plan to stop him into all-out action. Big Convoy and Lio Convoy fight side-by-side on Cybertron, Razorbeast takes on Rartorata, Drancron and Elephorca alone (for now) and Ravage fights dirty (as always). Oh, and there’s even a tie-in to the end of the Beast Wars TV series. This one really is cover-to-cover action, with far-reaching events unfolding on both Earth and Cybertron, and it sets up… well, that’d be telling. Beast Wars The Ascending #4 hits in November. For more details of all IDW’s upcoming Transformers releases go here.

So let me see if I get this. The ending of "The Ascending" will result in the killing of a great majority of characters that have, thus far, not gotten any decent characterization at all?

Well, so much for correcting the mistakes of "The Gathering." I'll still buy it, though. Nice to see confirmation on Shockaract, too.

This better not be like that crappy Red Vs. Blue ending where everybody dies.

Darth Bombshell wrote:So let me see if I get this. The ending of "The Ascending" will result in the killing of a great majority of characters that have, thus far, not gotten any decent characterization at all?

And that's how one tells a story...

YEAH BIIIIIG CONVOY!!! HOOOAHHH!!!!

Glad to know about Issue #4!

Now, when do I buy Issue #1?

Leonardo wrote:And that's how one tells a story...

Which would work if the characters involved weren't a bunch of faceless blanks. Ironically, I'm beginning to think they worked better as characters as the faceless blanks they were before they were brought online.

Darth Bombshell wrote:

Leonardo wrote:And that's how one tells a story...

Which would work if the characters involved weren't a bunch of faceless blanks. Ironically, I'm beginning to think they worked better as characters as the faceless blanks they were before they were brought online.

It does seem a backwards way of storytelling. I'll reserve judgement until I read it (I'll probably enjoy it anyway) but with "The Gathering" there was occasionally a feeling of "Ooh, look ,it's him!" and "Oh, oh, it's -" and so forth. Name dropping, almost, like he wanted to use everyone who'd never been used before. I hope this time he takes time to develop a core cast rather than flooding the pages with every obscure BW character.

That said, I enjoyed "The Gathering" and I'm eager to see The Further Adventures of Razorbeast and Magmatron.

Leonardo wrote:I'll reserve judgement until I read it (I'll probably enjoy it anyway) but with "The Gathering" there was occasionally a feeling of "Ooh, look ,it's him!" and "Oh, oh, it's -" and so forth. Name dropping, almost, like he wanted to use everyone who'd never been used before. I hope this time he takes time to develop a core cast rather than flooding the pages with every obscure BW character.

The problem though is that Furman has all but just admitted that the majority of those guys will be getting killed off by the end of "The Ascending", so the idea of getting character development out of any of them doesn't seem likely.

Darth Bombshell wrote:So let me see if I get this. The ending of "The Ascending" will result in the killing of a great majority of characters that have, thus far, not gotten any decent characterization at all?

Reminds me of the movie...

At any rate, I'm still interested in the Beast Wars comics. I'll have to check these out.

Phorpus wrote:This better not be like that crappy Red Vs. Blue ending where everybody dies.

Uh, what? They didn't kill everyone at the end of Red Vs. Blue.

Anyway I can't wait for the comic to come out.

As long as Ascending #4 comes out in November I'll be happy.
I expect alot of carnage to take place in this series, and I'd say a certain Dynobot may be responsible for more than his fair share's worth.

I'll be fine, as long as they dont kill of Grimlock....

i_amtrunks wrote:I'd say a certain Dynobot may be responsible for more than his fair share's worth.

God, I hope not. He's part of the problem I have with "The Gathering", and it's bad enough I've already got problems about "The Ascending" without it actually being out yet.

I'm clinging to a slight hope that Furman won't be a fanwank and turn him into a Mary Sue.

justynnbailey wrote:I'll be fine, as long as they dont kill of Grimlock....

That's funny. I have the exact opposite belief.

Darth Bombshell wrote:

i_amtrunks wrote:I'd say a certain Dynobot may be responsible for more than his fair share's worth.

God, I hope not. He's part of the problem I have with "The Gathering", and it's bad enough I've already got problems about "The Ascending" without it actually being out yet.

I'm clinging to a slight hope that Furman won't be a fanwank and turn him into a Mary Sue.

justynnbailey wrote:I'll be fine, as long as they dont kill of Grimlock....

That's funny. I have the exact opposite belief.

Grimlock's scaly hide turning up in "the Gathering" didnt amuse me much either.

For some reason I have a feeling that we may be getting a Grimlock that takes out quite a number of enemy soldiers before biting the big one himself. Or at least seeming to.

I'm probably waaay off the mark on this, but it's just a feeling I'm getting.

i_amtrunks wrote:For some reason I have a feeling that we may be getting a Grimlock that takes out quite a number of enemy soldiers before biting the big one himself. Or at least seeming to.

In other words, your basic Simon Furman characterization.

Darth Bombshell wrote:

i_amtrunks wrote:For some reason I have a feeling that we may be getting a Grimlock that takes out quite a number of enemy soldiers before biting the big one himself. Or at least seeming to.

In other words, your basic Simon Furman characterization.

If he only seems to die, before coming back to save Razorbeast/Lio Convoy or some important good guy, then yes, it will be your typical Furman Grimlock characterisation.

i_amtrunks wrote:If he only seems to die, before coming back to save Razorbeast/Lio Convoy or some important good guy, then yes, it will be your typical Furman Grimlock characterisation.

Well, he kinda sorta died to save Razorbeast back in "The Gathering." Doesn't that count?

Darth Bombshell wrote:

i_amtrunks wrote:If he only seems to die, before coming back to save Razorbeast/Lio Convoy or some important good guy, then yes, it will be your typical Furman Grimlock characterisation.

Well, he kinda sorta died to save Razorbeast back in "The Gathering." Doesn't that count?

I'll count it. Close enough is good enough.
So alongside his "death" in War Within Dark Ages, we can say Grimlock has supposedly died twice already under Furman's non Marvel writing?

Third time's the charm?

I don't read the comic series but...this sounds like a good time for tv series Rattrap to scream "We're all gonna die!"