The Energon Pub

So, anyone else think this is the best Spotlight since Soundwave, if not THE best one so far?

I loved seeing Soudwave actually have to play the hero. It was so... unexpected, yet cool. Ravage's line was a bit cheesy, dating back to eighties comics dialogue when they felt the cahracters had to explain EVERYTHING aloud, but I still imagined him saying it with his BW Russian accent, just for kicks.

One thing though... WHERE were (*cough*red*cough*) Rumble and (*cough*blue*cough* Frenzy!? You'd think that with a threat like the one Blugeon's crew were providing he'd unleash ALL his minions and put his all into it. Come to think of it, I would have liked to see that battle last a little longer.

The artwork was nice and clean, though of course not as strikingly good as Don, Guido, or Nick. Still, it's better than a few others who've been on the ones-shots, and I think he did the cassettes very well--they're usually pretty hard to draw and a lot is left to artistic interpetation.

Please spoil me a bit more, it'll take a couple of days before I get to read it

Ok, there's a Soundwave spotlight? Damd, I've must have been sleeping...

NightFall wrote:Ok, there's a Soundwave spotlight? Damd, I've must have been sleeping...

it was released yesterday with the movie prequal #2

I loved it! And I like how they linked Shockwave, Stormbringer, and Soundwave together...

I have to imagine that Rumble and Frenzy had not joined him yet at this time.

The fact that he is a cassette player rules! And where he is at the end, all I could think of were the folks who said he could not exist as a tape player in 2007, and the kid's line about his ipod. I hope Soundwave is returned from alt mode lock soon...

Art was good, story was well thought out, and the characters were nicely used. Too bad Bludgeon had to kick so much @$$! And I didn't like that the pretenders were like..."All hail Thunderwing!" I thought it took a lot away from their intelligence, and made them more of just a cult of 'religious' freaks, which I guess is what they were going for in Stormbringer, and I just never read it that way.

I was curious about Soundwave's honorable streak. His bio reads like he is the ultimate deceiver and manipulator, and yet he does something that may end up jeopardizing his own life for the life of Cybertron and the other TFs? I thought this was a bit out of character for him to have such a noble streak. I am sure that he took his own survival into account at the time, but it still seemed to me to be out of character.

I could read a whole miniseries or series focused on him based on how this was done.

JazZeke wrote:So, anyone else think this is the best Spotlight since Soundwave, if not THE best one so far?

Nope.

Granted, the artwork was pretty boss, but I got very little out of the overall story.

Soundwave presented half of his typical characteristics quite well. Where was the loyalty to Megatron? Why, if he is such an awesome fighter does he literally jump out infront of a gang and say, "Hey ya'll, I just caught you...pretty sneaky of me eh? Now I know you all are a bunch of traitors, so...cut me in at a fair rate?"

The hell? I can only suspend disbelief so far.

Me being a Soundwave lover, I thought it was pretty well drawn, & okay-ly presented in story form. I do think Soundwave thought too much to himself, but then again, he doesn't hardly ever speak out loud. I also thought of the deep Russian accent for when Ravage spoke, & was shocked that he & Laserbeak were put down/destroyed by Bludgeon. I was a little disappointed at him being locked in alt. mode & being in the volcano when it erupted. However, we know he survived!! I had hoped the kid at the end would buy him & he would have the energy after 23 years to transform, but he didn't. Oh well. I liked it for the most part, but I would say that Spotlight Ultra Magnus was better.

I liked it, but it wasn't the best one. Shockwave and Ultra magnus were better. Soundwave was just a bit plain.

I loved it, Soundwave was really in character here.

He first keeps the Ore-13 info for himself, then tries to blackmail Bludgeon into giving him a cut.

It also makes sense for him to only take Ravage and Laserbeak along for the ride, all the other tapes are useless for spy and recon missions.

Although Soundwave should eventually get all his tapes to form his personal army (which should be around 10 strong).

I wasn't overly impressed with it.

Like Counterpunch said, where was his loyalty to Megatron?

It seemed to be a change of character to me, and I simply couldn't put his G1 cartoon voice to his lines.

I know these spotlights seem to be a slight reinvention of some characters, but I have to say, I wasn't impressed with this reinvention, nor was I impressed with the eventual ending of the story.

I disagree, simply because there's no reason Soundwave has to be loyal to Megatron. In fact:

Soundwave's Tech Spec Bio* wrote:"Uses anything he hears for blackmail to advance his status. Opportunist."

I only recall him being loyal in the cartoon, and sometimes in the comics.

*That cunning thumbnail sketch used to justify one interpretation of a character, then dismissed a week later for not being definitive!

Burn wrote:I wasn't overly impressed with it.

Like Counterpunch said, where was his loyalty to Megatron?

It seemed to be a change of character to me, and I simply couldn't put his G1 cartoon voice to his lines.

I know these spotlights seem to be a slight reinvention of some characters, but I have to say, I wasn't impressed with this reinvention, nor was I impressed with the eventual ending of the story.

I assume that you've never read any stories like Dinobot Hunt, Second Generation, Space Pirates or Secret.

Soundwave is more loyal to the Decepticon cause instead of Megatron. Hell, he even got both Megatron and Shockwave around the table to work together (for the greater good).

Soundwave wasn't exactly reinvented in the IDW Spotlight.

Stormwolf wrote:I assume that you've never read any stories like Dinobot Hunt, Second Generation, Space Pirates or Secret.

You assume wrong. I just haven't read them lately.

It just wasn't the character i'm use to.

Burn wrote:

Stormwolf wrote:I assume that you've never read any stories like Dinobot Hunt, Second Generation, Space Pirates or Secret.

You assume wrong. I just haven't read them lately.

It just wasn't the character i'm use to.

I see.

I'm pretty much of two minds about it, Soundwave is a fan favourite and his cartoon voice is quite memorable. However this doesn't translate well into a comic where dialogue and character thoughts are important.

And that's probably a large part of why I didn't enjoy it.

Soundwave has one of the most memorable voices and I simply couldn't imagine his voice being attached to those thoughts and dialogue.

Hopefully I'll be able to pick this Spotlight up today, but from what I've read in this thread it sounds like Furman's writing Soundwave much the same way he's always written him in the Marvel UK material - intelligent, possessed of an internal monologue and willing to suspend personal loyalty to any particular leader for the good of the Decepticon cause and/or his own advancement.

Which, even though it's never been compatible with 'that' processed monotone, is a good thing IMO, as I much prefer the comic version to the one-trick cipher presented in the cartoon. Cartoon Soundwave, IMO, is a one-dimensional 'character' sold entirely on the gimmick of his unique voice.

I liked it. The art was good, but not the best. The story was nicely tied in with Shockwave and Stormbringer. It featured Soundwave caught in the eruption of Mt. St. Helens (as I predicted when I read through Infiltration #1 and learnt this spotlight was set in 1984). I would say this is one of the better spotlights, but not the best. That still lies with Magnus.

I did like the fact that Soundwave will appear later in his proper form. And could those who discovered Laserbeak in 1985 be the start of The Machination? Did they find Ravage and Soundwave as well? Or did they get dug up by others? And how did he end up in a shop window of all places?

As to Rumble and Frenzy, they might have been elsewhere. Afterall, Squakbox appeared in the Sixshot spotlight. Why wasn't he with Soundwave? Or Buzzsaw and Ratbat? I reckon the cassettes operate in teams of 2. Laserbeak and Ravage are the most trusted by Soundwave, so they operated as his personal guard. Finally, where is Laserbeak and Ravage? If they are being held by the Machination, what diabolical experiments are being conducted on them?

Tune in next week, same bat time, same bat channel.

I may have gone off on a tangent towards the end.

I liked it. I thought it was an interesting read, and I like the fact it tied with Infiltration, Stormbringer and the Shockwave spotlight.

Not too sure how I feel about so many TF's having been on Earth so soon, but it worked for the story.

I thought the issue was excellent.

Maybe not as much action as the Ultra Magnus spotlight, but on the other hand, it revealed a lot about the overall G1 storyline.

Don't be too quick to say Soundwave was disloyal to Megatron. He told Bludgeon he wanted a cut, but we don't really know what he would have happened if Bludgeon played along. Soundwave might have been loyal to Megs in the end.

I understand, from Furman's perspective, why he couldn't write to Soundwave's cartoon voice, even though that does take something away. I mean, the voice is just too big a part of the character.

But at the bottom of page 4, why can't he say, "As you command, Megatron," instead of, "Yes, Lord Megatron," Has Furman even SEEN the cartoon?

Of course, all the 1984 references were great: Mt. St. Helens, the Atari controller, and all the construction workers wearing yellow hardhats, which, as we know from watching the cartoon, all humans did back then.

I just read this a couple of days ago, I liked it, but I wish it was a longer story, and it left with many unanswered questions. I like Magus a lot also, I wish all these spotlights were longer in story telling, but that's just me.

NightFall wrote:[...] it left with many unanswered questions.

That's the best kind of story, in my opinion.

I wish they were longer, also, which I suppose is testament to the quality of the storytelling.

i thought it kicked ass...this is second only to the shockwave spot because that was the best of the series hands down...the rest of them have been so boring.

I just read the Spotlight and I want to point out that in it there may be an explanation as to how the Machination got an understanding of Cybertronian technology. Laserbeak and Ravage were found by humans in 1985 20 years before the events in Escalation.

Although, it doesnt lend any more light as to who the disembodied head really is in Escalation.

MYoung23 wrote:Laserbeak and Ravage were found by humans in 1985 20 years before the events in Escalation.

I've been wondering what significance that little epilogue plays. Is it the beginning of the Machination? Is it a red herring and the Machination are all facsimiles controlled by the mystery robot?

Leonardo wrote:

MYoung23 wrote:Laserbeak and Ravage were found by humans in 1985 20 years before the events in Escalation.

I've been wondering what significance that little epilogue plays. Is it the beginning of the Machination? Is it a red herring and the Machination are all facsimiles controlled by the mystery robot?

The mystery robot in escalation is no doubt scorponok, but if you read the UM spotlight, there is no indication of when it is set, sof for all we know Scorponok could have been on earth for several years and have a large hand in what is happening...i'm currently waiting a week for my comics and other belonging to be shipped over from the UK then i'll re-read all my IDW stuff to see if there is something ive missed to give a clue as to what is happening and how it relates to whats going on here on earth