The Energon Pub

[ctrlFrequency]

Va'al's a tease (not a surprise )

I do burlesque for a small tip. With robot cosplay.

What currency do you prefer tips in, Euro, Pound, Dollar, or Shanix?

[Dead Metal]

Va'al's a tease (not a surprise )

I do burlesque for a small tip. With robot cosplay.

Damn c**ktease.

It's kinda hilarious, but this preview has caused a longer discussion than any other comic preview has, even the one that showed us Ironhide getting offed, hell it's longer than most normal threads.

And there are new posts to read and reply to whenever I just finished posting my reply to one ...

[ctrlFrequency]

We're on a roll here aren't we?

Yes we are, and I really do like this debate because it's been so civil.

We did though in the case of the DJD, remember one of them is actually an Autobot spy that feeds information to the Autobots, this has become more and more unbelievable with each new appearance, we need to look behind the "we are horrors" image of the current DJD to make the Autobot spy more believable and to get more clues as to who it is, something that's been eating away at us even before MTMTE started.

I'm actually just going to leave this one be as I really want to read the issue before I form the opinion on that. That's a little too layered to get my panties into a bunch over from a preview (yeah, yeah, I know, but the cute thing wasn't?)

When we don't have something cute to relate to the characters, it makes fiction more terrrifying.

To use Psychout's Twilight example, I remember a time when (before the stupid Interview With a Vampire movie) vampires were freaking scary. They have been humanized in fiction to the point where they are procreating with humans. Heavily romanticized, they'very lost their fangs and are wispy teenage idols. But 30 years ago, not so much.

Humanize fictional demons and they loose their power.

Twilight has nothing to do with the DJD, this is a group that was introduced to us as being interchangeable, their names and identities aren't theirs, they inherit them from the member that died using them.
We already knew they were more than just one note killing machines, this issue finally gives as more of an insight into who they are.

Oh I know, it's an analogy about what has happened to horror, not being allowed to be horrifying anymore.

As for Vampires, they have been developing down this stupid line ever since Bram Stoker's Dracula introduced us to Dracula, the immortal undead king who cries out for his long lost love he seeks to replace with the vapid piece of cardboard that is Mina.
Twilight just went and made it full on teen girl porn.

I thought Interview came out first? Well... to be honest my interest in vampires was never very deep, and over the years it's been beaten into nothingness (besides, I'm too old to remember what happened in the early 90s, it all blended together from youthful rebellion and drinking)

[Va'al]

Va'al's a tease (not a surprise )

I do burlesque for a small tip. With robot cosplay.

What currency do you prefer tips in, Euro, Pound, Dollar, or Shanix?

Who'm I kidding, I'll do it for free.

[Nemesis Maximo]

Va'al's a tease (not a surprise )

I do burlesque for a small tip. With robot cosplay.

What currency do you prefer tips in, Euro, Pound, Dollar, or Shanix?

Who'm I kidding, I'll do it for free.

We have to wait until July to see Va'al in all his Va'alness?

[ctrlFrequency]

Va'al's a tease (not a surprise )

I do burlesque for a small tip. With robot cosplay.

What currency do you prefer tips in, Euro, Pound, Dollar, or Shanix?

Who'm I kidding, I'll do it for free.

Va'al! You naughty boy!

[Va'al]

Accurate prediction of the Megatron/Tarn relationship:

[Dead Metal]

When we don't have something cute to relate to the characters, it makes fiction more terrrifying.

To use Psychout's Twilight example, I remember a time when (before the stupid Interview With a Vampire movie) vampires were freaking scary. They have been humanized in fiction to the point where they are procreating with humans. Heavily romanticized, they'very lost their fangs and are wispy teenage idols. But 30 years ago, not so much.

Humanize fictional demons and they loose their power.

Twilight has nothing to do with the DJD, this is a group that was introduced to us as being interchangeable, their names and identities aren't theirs, they inherit them from the member that died using them.
We already knew they were more than just one note killing machines, this issue finally gives as more of an insight into who they are.

Oh I know, it's an analogy about what has happened to horror, not being allowed to be horrifying anymore.

I know, it still has nothing to do with the DJD, because they weren't introduced to us as such, sure to the characters they are, but we as readers have always known that there is more to them.
They were first mentioned to us as being the group of Decepticons with a double agent in their midst with the coolest way of relaying information ever.
Then they were revealed to be the nightmare of the Autobots and Decepticons.

As for Vampires, they have been developing down this stupid line ever since Bram Stoker's Dracula introduced us to Dracula, the immortal undead king who cries out for his long lost love he seeks to replace with the vapid piece of cardboard that is Mina.
Twilight just went and made it full on teen girl porn.

I thought Interview came out first? Well... to be honest my interest in vampires was never very deep, and over the years it's been beaten into nothingness (besides, I'm too old to remember what happened in the early 90s, it all blended together from youthful rebellion and drinking)

Interview was published in 1976s, Bram Stoker's Dracula was published in 1897.
Talking about the original book, not the far superior movie.

[Dead Metal]

Accurate prediction of the Megatron/Tarn relationship:

MTMTE # 42 Variant cover:
Va'al naked with a disgusted looking Swerve face censoring his penis.

[Va'al]

Accurate prediction of the Megatron/Tarn relationship:

MTMTE # 42 Variant cover:
Va'al naked with a disgusted looking Swerve face censoring his penis.

Ah, #42 is already confirmed. Maybe #43?

Or #50? Naah, that'll be the creative team in sexy poses and robot masks.

[ctrlFrequency]

I know, it still has nothing to do with the DJD, because they weren't introduced to us as such, sure to the characters they are, but we as readers have always known that there is more to them.
They were first mentioned to us as being the group of Decepticons with a double agent in their midst with the coolest way of relaying information ever.
Then they were revealed to be the nightmare of the Autobots and Decepticons.

The comparison isn't for the DJD directly, it's for the genre of horror being degraded into absurdity by 'cuting' monsters.

When anyone can say "Oh how cute!" about the DJD, which were specifically developed into monsters, then they've gone the way of every scary thing before them... fan girl cute.

What happened to vampires (I'm excluding zombies because they're more gore than straight up horror)is comparable in terms of how we treat anything of horror these days. We have to turn it cute. Not everyone likes horror to be turned cute. I like to sink into the depth of terror and fear over "oh how cute!"

Interview was published in 1976s, Bram Stoker's Dracula was published in 1897.
Talking about the original book, not the far superior movie.

Okay, I should have specified because I actually never read either book, only saw the movies. And to be honest, I didn't know until after the movie came out that Interview was a book first, though I did (do) know about Dracula being a book well before the movie was made (and was really disappointed when I saw the movie, I guess I should have read the book first so I would have known to avoid the movie). I looked it up, Bram Stoker's came out 1992, Interview in 1994 (so no matter which way you look at it, you are correct)

[Dead Metal]

I know, it still has nothing to do with the DJD, because they weren't introduced to us as such, sure to the characters they are, but we as readers have always known that there is more to them.
They were first mentioned to us as being the group of Decepticons with a double agent in their midst with the coolest way of relaying information ever.
Then they were revealed to be the nightmare of the Autobots and Decepticons.

The comparison isn't for the DJD directly, it's for the genre of horror being degraded into absurdity by 'cuting' monsters.

When anyone can say "Oh how cute!" about the DJD, which were specifically developed into monsters, then they've gone the way of every scary thing before them... fan girl cute.

What happened to vampires (I'm excluding zombies because they're more gore than straight up horror)is comparable in terms of how we treat anything of horror these days. We have to turn it cute. Not everyone likes horror to be turned cute. I like to sink into the depth of terror and fear over "oh how cute!"

Normally I would agree, see my point about Rob Zombie's "brilliant" Halloween remakes
But the DJD is an exception because of how they've been introduced to us. Plus, almost everyone in Trasnformers comics has cute moments now.

Interview was published in 1976s, Bram Stoker's Dracula was published in 1897.
Talking about the original book, not the far superior movie.

Okay, I should have specified because I actually never read either book, only saw the movies. And to be honest, I didn't know until after the movie came out that Interview was a book first, though I did (do) know about Dracula being a book well before the movie was made (and was really disappointed when I saw the movie, I guess I should have read the book first so I would have known to avoid the movie). I looked it up, Bram Stoker's came out 1992, Interview in 1994 (so no matter which way you look at it, you are correct)

Oh no, don't read Dracula, the book is awful. Sure the concept is cool, basically it's done as if it's a collection of newspaper articles and journal entries, so it's the book version of found footage, and it has cool moments, but it just sucks.
My complaints back then on Facebook while reading it were more entertaining that the book. It's kinda like the TF ongoing by Costa, just far duller. The female main characters are cardboard cutouts who act like they don't have a brain between them. The male characters spend all day talking about how f**king amazing, intelligent and beautiful the women of the book are and Dracula just stays away to make everything less interesting.
The movie is far more interesting, it shortens stuff, makes everything far more interesting and logical ( ) and it's pretty to look at.

The best Vampire movie I've seen so far, the only vampire story that doesn't humanize the Vampire is Nosferatu. The vampire in there is just a monster, both visually and from a character standpoint.

The second best is Legacy of Kain, the now long dead game series, but that does humanize vampires a bit.

[ctrlFrequency]

Normally I would agree, see my point about Rob Zombie's "brilliant" Halloween remakes
But the DJD is an exception because of how they've been introduced to us. Plus, almost everyone in Trasnformers comics has cute moments now.

I haven't paid any attention to Rob Zombie and the Halloween remakes (I didn't care for the originals... slasher doesn't do a darned thing for me). So I'm clueless on that :p

Oh no, don't read Dracula, the book is awful. Sure the concept is cool, basically it's done as if it's a collection of newspaper articles and journal entries, so it's the book version of found footage, and it has cool moments, but it just sucks.
My complaints back then on Facebook while reading it were more entertaining that the book. It's kinda like the TF ongoing by Costa, just far duller. The female main characters are cardboard cutouts who act like they don't have a brain between them. The male characters spend all day talking about how f**king amazing, intelligent and beautiful the women of the book are and Dracula just stays away to make everything less interesting.
The movie is far more interesting, it shortens stuff, makes everything far more interesting and logical ( ) and it's pretty to look at.

I hadn't planned on it. I was so put off by the movie that I have no desire to read the book. And if the movie's better than the book... then I will make note never to even get curious

The second best is Legacy of Kain, the now long dead game series, but that does humanize vampires a bit.

A little bit of humanization (especially for a game) has to be expected. Most people need some way to relate a character to themselves. Doesn't mean I have to like it for myself.

[Optimizzy]

Normally I would agree, see my point about Rob Zombie's "brilliant" Halloween remakes
But the DJD is an exception because of how they've been introduced to us. Plus, almost everyone in Trasnformers comics has cute moments now.

I haven't paid any attention to Rob Zombie and the Halloween remakes (I didn't care for the originals... slasher doesn't do a darned thing for me). So I'm clueless on that :p

Oh no, don't read Dracula, the book is awful. Sure the concept is cool, basically it's done as if it's a collection of newspaper articles and journal entries, so it's the book version of found footage, and it has cool moments, but it just sucks.
My complaints back then on Facebook while reading it were more entertaining that the book. It's kinda like the TF ongoing by Costa, just far duller. The female main characters are cardboard cutouts who act like they don't have a brain between them. The male characters spend all day talking about how f**king amazing, intelligent and beautiful the women of the book are and Dracula just stays away to make everything less interesting.
The movie is far more interesting, it shortens stuff, makes everything far more interesting and logical ( ) and it's pretty to look at.

I hadn't planned on it. I was so put off by the movie that I have no desire to read the book. And if the movie's better than the book... then I will make note never to even get curious

The second best is Legacy of Kain, the now long dead game series, but that does humanize vampires a bit.

A little bit of humanization (especially for a game) has to be expected. Most people need some way to relate a character to themselves. Doesn't mean I have to like it for myself.

The first Halloween was great. Rob Zombies was different and fresh (Both movies sequels should be avoided). I didnt like slasher movies either but the original Halloween is worth a view.

But Dracula being bad?? the heck you say? I read that when I was 16 and loved it.

[Optimizzy]

Normally I would agree, see my point about Rob Zombie's "brilliant" Halloween remakes
But the DJD is an exception because of how they've been introduced to us. Plus, almost everyone in Trasnformers comics has cute moments now.

I haven't paid any attention to Rob Zombie and the Halloween remakes (I didn't care for the originals... slasher doesn't do a darned thing for me). So I'm clueless on that :p

Oh no, don't read Dracula, the book is awful. Sure the concept is cool, basically it's done as if it's a collection of newspaper articles and journal entries, so it's the book version of found footage, and it has cool moments, but it just sucks.
My complaints back then on Facebook while reading it were more entertaining that the book. It's kinda like the TF ongoing by Costa, just far duller. The female main characters are cardboard cutouts who act like they don't have a brain between them. The male characters spend all day talking about how f**king amazing, intelligent and beautiful the women of the book are and Dracula just stays away to make everything less interesting.
The movie is far more interesting, it shortens stuff, makes everything far more interesting and logical ( ) and it's pretty to look at.

I hadn't planned on it. I was so put off by the movie that I have no desire to read the book. And if the movie's better than the book... then I will make note never to even get curious

The second best is Legacy of Kain, the now long dead game series, but that does humanize vampires a bit.

A little bit of humanization (especially for a game) has to be expected. Most people need some way to relate a character to themselves. Doesn't mean I have to like it for myself.

The first Halloween was great. Rob Zombies was different and fresh (Both movies sequels should be avoided). I didnt like slasher movies either but the original Halloween is worth a view.

But Dracula being bad?? the heck you say? I read that when I was 16 and loved it.

[Dead Metal]

Normally I would agree, see my point about Rob Zombie's "brilliant" Halloween remakes
But the DJD is an exception because of how they've been introduced to us. Plus, almost everyone in Trasnformers comics has cute moments now.

I haven't paid any attention to Rob Zombie and the Halloween remakes (I didn't care for the originals... slasher doesn't do a darned thing for me). So I'm clueless on that :p

I like slashers, they're just pure stupid fun, with exceptions. The only good things about the original Halloween movies was how they didn't insist on being pure gore fests and actually had likable characters. The best was Dr Loomis, this indestructible fat old man, Rob Zombie cranked up the gore, plastered everything full of tits, made everyone an asshole with Loomis being the biggest monster of all while the slasher was this poor misunderstood emo we're supposed to feel sorry for.
He should stick to making demented cartoons and music.

Oh no, don't read Dracula, the book is awful. Sure the concept is cool, basically it's done as if it's a collection of newspaper articles and journal entries, so it's the book version of found footage, and it has cool moments, but it just sucks.
My complaints back then on Facebook while reading it were more entertaining that the book. It's kinda like the TF ongoing by Costa, just far duller. The female main characters are cardboard cutouts who act like they don't have a brain between them. The male characters spend all day talking about how f**king amazing, intelligent and beautiful the women of the book are and Dracula just stays away to make everything less interesting.
The movie is far more interesting, it shortens stuff, makes everything far more interesting and logical ( ) and it's pretty to look at.

I hadn't planned on it. I was so put off by the movie that I have no desire to read the book. And if the movie's better than the book... then I will make note never to even get curious

Lol, no worries, the biggest plus about the movie are the visuals, it's like porn, you watch it for the pretty pictures not the story.
I love how there are zero visual effects in it, and everything is filmed like a stage play, really refreshing seeing how everything these days is full of CGI.

The second best is Legacy of Kain, the now long dead game series, but that does humanize vampires a bit.

A little bit of humanization (especially for a game) has to be expected. Most people need some way to relate a character to themselves. Doesn't mean I have to like it for myself.

Oh not saying the humanization in it for character's sake is bad, in fact it'S one of the strong points of the series. It's just that I like Nosferatu a bit more. And to be fair, the humanization in that series never goes to the point of "I want to have sex with my food", and more along the lines of making them feel like intelligent people instead of mindless monsters.
A mix of lovecraftian horror, science fiction and classic fantasy tropes. Utterly brilliant, and a huge shame that we'll likely never see another one.

[Va'al]

As much as this is fun to watch develop, could we try bringing it to be a little more overtly relevant to the comic issue, or at least the series/characters?

I feel we're straying a little too far now.

[ctrlFrequency]

As much as this is fun to watch develop, could we try bringing it to be a little more overtly relevant to the comic issue, or at least the series/characters?

I feel we're straying a little too far now.

Darn it, Va'al!

(don't forget, you helped spiral this thread to derailed)

[Va'al]

As much as this is fun to watch develop, could we try bringing it to be a little more overtly relevant to the comic issue, or at least the series/characters?

I feel we're straying a little too far now.

Darn it, Va'al!

(don't forget, you helped spiral this thread to derailed)

To compromise the two lines, though:

If humanising horror tropes or monsters can be detrimental to the genre (I personally disagree on this, and literary, psychological and sociological studies have shown how the changes have happened and at what time/for what potential reasons - including why paranormal and zombie is currently the biggest thing, moving back into dystopian and AI horror at the moment), why would a writer - Roberts - choose to do so in the first pages of this comic?

The DJD are introduced as judge, jury and executioner for a pure interpretation of an ideology - Decepticonism - and we see them in the opening sequence as that, again, slaughtering and torturing Blip. So why offer a different side to their story? What does he gain by that? What do we get from it?

[Dead Metal]

As much as this is fun to watch develop, could we try bringing it to be a little more overtly relevant to the comic issue, or at least the series/characters?

I feel we're straying a little too far now.

So, this preview did give us a further layer to Tarn, he not only seems to not be comfortable with what he does, but actually has the lest annoyed reaction to Nickel, and seems to understand how she feels.
So, further proof for him being Agent 113?

[Convoy]

I'll preface this comment with: I'm not all that familiar with the current comics, yet. Sorry if I inadvertently cover any spoilers.
You have been warned.

Is Megatron still an Autobot?

A while back I made a joke about Optimus becoming a Decepticon. If Roller is a part of Optimus in this continuity and Roller is Tarn then Optimus, or a piece of him, IS a Decepticon. And that piece of himself is gallivanting around mutilating other Decepticons (and Autobot doubles?). Give me your face.

Thanks, Va'al, for the recommendation. I'm going to have to hunt down that little collection. Looking forward to reading your review.

[Dead Metal]

I'll preface this comment with: I'm not all that familiar with the current comics, yet. Sorry if I inadvertently cover any spoilers.
You have been warned.

Is Megatron still an Autobot?

A while back I made a joke about Optimus becoming a Decepticon. If Roller is a part of Optimus in this continuity and Roller is Tarn then Optimus, or a piece of him, IS a Decepticon. And that piece of himself is gallivanting around mutilating other Decepticons (and Autobot doubles?). Give me your face.

Thanks, Va'al, for the recommendation. I'm going to have to hunt down that little collection. Looking forward to reading your review.

Yes, Megatron is still an Autobot, an currently he seems to actually mean it. He's also pretty badass in protecting the Autobots under his command.

No part of Optimus is a Decepticon. There are two Rollers in the idw continuity.

A former police force colleague and friend of Optimus from before the war broke out, this guy is very likely Tarn, and may be the double agent Agent 113.

And the traditional Roller we all know from the 80s, just with the added twist that this Roller was named so by Optimus in honor of his friend.

[Convoy]

Yes, Megatron is still an Autobot, an currently he seems to actually mean it. He's also pretty badass in protecting the Autobots under his command.

No part of Optimus is a Decepticon. There are two Rollers in the idw continuity.

A former police force colleague and friend of Optimus from before the war broke out, this guy is very likely Tarn, and may be the double agent Agent 113.

And the traditional Roller we all know from the 80s, just with the added twist that this Roller was named so by Optimus in honor of his friend.

Ah. Thanks a bunch!

[padfoo]

Sorry for the double post. I really dug the idea behind the DJD. Its not out of the ordinary to think there would be a ruthless and brutal team in place to punish and maintain order based on Megatron's orders. These first few pages humanize the characters a bit too much and de-powers them. Not everyone needs to be multidimensional in a way that makes them more human, more approachable, dare I say more likable.

[SW's SilverHammer]

they make Cybertonians (and readers) piss their pants!

Minus all the parts where they didn't. Unless you have a bladder issue you want to air in public.