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Tomorrow is the premier date for the final episode of Machinima's entire Prime Wars trilogy. It's been over two years since the premier of the first installment, and my first review of the series. The narrative is beginning to wrap up, but there;s still a lot of ground to cover before we get to the finale. Today we'll take a look at episode 8, Collision Course. It's definitely, uh, something. Let's take a more in depth look at why together, shall we?
(Note: The following review contains spoilers for Power of the Primes and the entire Prime Wars Trilogy)
The episode opens on the main cast, now consisting of Megatron, Windblade, Optimus Primal, Perceptor and Grimlock, inside a labyrinth on the way to the well of sparks, following the directions they received from the library of Primes. Grimlock asks, in this bottomless chasm of absolutely hilarious original comedy, if they're there yet. This wouldn't be too bad if he didn't make the same joke three separate times within a two minutes. It becomes so unlikable and unfunny, especially within that short of a time frame.
Congratulations, cartoon, you've made me dislike Grimlock.
Perceptor navigates them through the caves, and makes a comment about how if they make a wrong turn they'll be lost in the cavern for 45 Million years. Aside from the fact that, by definition, you can't calculate how long someone will be lost, I think they missed a big opportunity here:
Even with all the representation of Primus, Unicron, and the Primes in various Transformers shows and movies, we never really see what ruins and relics they left behind. This would have been a great chance to flesh the world this series has built out a bit by making the Primes a sort of Greek mythology equal. Perceptor hypes the danger of the labyrinth up so much, but in the next shot, they've discovered the well of sparks with no problem.
Instead of spending as much time in the swamp as this series did, I would have loved to have spent at least part of an episode inside this maze, with the cast dealing with whatever ancient monsters or traps might lay ahead. It would have expanded the mythos, been a cool direction for the show we haven't really seen before, and make Perceptor's hype worth while. It even had the potential to be genuinely scary. It's just sad to see that potential go to waste.
DANGER beyond your WILDEST NIGHTMARES await you. We don't have the budget to animate any of it, but TRUST US! It's there!
Like I said above, they make it to the well of sparks with little issue, but just before they make it there, Megatronus has already been successful in starting the process to bring Solus Prime back from the dead, sending out a pulse wave of energy that drains power from all cybertronians. Perceptor projects a feed of several Transformers being affected, as we get a shot of the Dinobots and Emissary, for potentially the last time.
The main cast powers through the wave and makes it to the well, just in time to catch Megatronus monologuing to the rapidly appearing form of Solus Prime. A weird thing in this scene is that the well is somehow protected from the pulse wave, as neither Megatronus or the main cast are affected as soon as they enter the chamber. It's strange that this occurs, especially since the wave originated from that room.
"So wondrous wild, the whole might seem..."
Megatron sends Windblade, Primal, and Grimlock to take down Megatronus, which they oddly do with ease, compared to the ruthless battles the two sides have had in the past. As Perceptor tries to shut down the system, Megatron catches Solus Prime up on what lengths Megatronus is going to to bring her back.
Megatronus has had enough, and throws Grimlock and Primal off of him. He traps them and Windblade in pillars of fire. He does the same for Perceptor as he walks back over to the well.
It's now just Megatron, standing alone against his name sake. Megatronus reveals, in quite a bit of hasty writing, that he has apparently been behind every major event that has happened in the entire trilogy. He made the Combiners fight one another so the enigma of combination would be brought out of it's case (although that seemed to be more of Windblade's decision if I remember correctly), and he was the one to kill Optimus Prime and extract the Matrix. Megatron tells him he can stop him because he's "Megatron. But just before the battle can begin, Rodimus enters the chamber, and evolves (for no particular reason other than "Because Unicron") into his full Rodimus Unicronus form. With that, the episode ends.
*Listens to Motorhead once*
Again, it would have been interesting to have the potential of the scene exploited a bit more, in this case to give Rodimus a genuine reason to evolve. Have Rodimus struggle with Megatronus and get thrown into the well of sparks, and have it power him up. It's just missed creative opportunities like this that drag the series down. The episode as a whole was more thrilling and engaging than the previous episode, although it lacked the cool, cinematic stills the last one had. We're getting close to the very end of this entire journey, and to see it all come together will be...interesting, to say the least.
Thanks for reading my review of episode 7! Getting remarkably close to the end now, and what a trip it's been. If you haven't seen the episode yet, you can find it on Go90. I encourage you to come back and share your thoughts in the Energon Pub forum! Was I correct? Was I totally off base? Please tell me what you thought! Thanks again! I'll see you tomorrow, where we'll have a double feature, with the review for Episode 9 in the morning, and then the review for the finale later on in the day.
It's time again to turn our critical eye toward the Machinima Power of the Primes series, as it winds down in the final episodes of both the show and the trilogy as a whole. We've got quite a good bit of material to cover over the three days in anticipation of the final episode, as I've been on a small hiatus for a couple weeks. We'll start our catch up and start again where I left you a few weeks ago, with a look back at Episode 7!
(Note: The following review contains spoilers for Power of the Primes and the Prime Wars Trilogy. Proceed at your own risk!)
We pick right up where 6 left off, with Megatron blowing Overlord to bits using the Requiem Blaster, which has created a giant divot in the side of Cybertron, amounting to a frickin' 8th of the planet.
"You just murdered several million Cybertronians" "YEAH, but...I got that one guy!" "Several MILLION."
They also launched a beam of hyper-powerful energy into space. I'm sure that won't cause any problems. The main cast starts to regroup in the wake of their large battle inside the sanctorum against Overlord and Rodimus Cron. They finally get their moment to morn Victorion, and make sure everyone else is alright. Windblade makes a comment about the Torchbearers, the group name of the robots that make up Victorion (similar the Protectobots or the Constructicons), further murking this series' view/adaptation of Combiners. It can't make up it's mind if it wants Combiner members to have their own identity or not, and it seems to be a case by case basis.
Now he's the Extra Crispy Colonel
Windblade thanks Optimus Primal for sticking with them, when it looked like he was just going to desert them in the previous episode, as Grimlock also makes amends with Megatron. The majority of the data banks inside the Sanctorum had all been destroyed, but Perceptor was able to download the documents they need on Megatronus and the Requiem Blaster. They talk about what the potential plan of Megatronus is, and realize he intends to fuse the blaster, Matrix of Leadership, and the Enigma of Combination into a mega device. Megatron says that this is to drain the sparks from every Transformer on Cybertron, though it's not established how he knows this. Speak of the devil, Megatronus arrives on the scene to reclaim the blaster. It's the first time we've seen him in a few episodes, as the story has buckled town and focused on the main cast of characters. The split narrative that detracted from the first couple of episodes is totally gone.
"Is it genocide? Or an act of love?" Yeah, genocide. Definitely genocide.
As Megatronus arrives, Megatron knows, somehow again, that Megatronus plans to steal the sparks from all Cybertronians (all 20 of them, apparently) to supposedly bring Solus Prime back from the dead. Megatronus says that he is correct, and that they should be proud to be going to such a noble cause. That's quite an intricate plan to guess right in one fell swoop on Megatron's part, is it not? This deus-ex-machina moment of knowledge from Megatron is, again, confusing, and reminds me of a moment from a badly dubbed anime. I find it hard to believe that the writers couldn't find a more natural way to write Megatron solving Megatronus' plan into the script.
Alright, I have to hand it to them, this shot is AWESOME. Seriously, seriously cool. Looks like a painting
After Megatron and Windblade are tossed aside by Megatronus with some really cool imagery, Optimus Primal steps in the way of Megatronus' path to the Requiem Blaster. Megatronus makes a snide remark, and tosses him aside. He's only stopped from finishing Primal off by Rodimus Cron, who still functions. He tells Megatronus he must destroy the Matrix, not use it, which, as an agent of Unicron, is his primary function. Rodimus turns on Megatronus, giving the heroes new hope. Megatronus doesn't care, as he already has the blaster he came for. He disappears into the night, and soon Rodimus Cron takes off after him, driving through the large crater. Windblade protests that they can't just let the two now-enemies kill each other, believing that there's still a bit of Hot Rod left in Cron. Megatron knows that they must go to the well of sparks, another tidbit of info he inexplicably knows.
I'm starting to think Megatron might be in on this whole thing...
And so, as they embark on the next, and most likely final leg of their journey, and without Victorion for the first time in the entire Trilogy, the episode ends.
This episode was uneventful, especially considering the action packed one preceding it. Though I understand why, as it's purpose was simply to give Megatronus the Requiem Blaster, and little else. It felt quick, and, on the whole, painless. I'm enjoying the focused narrative I touched on earlier in the review more than I enjoyed the several plot lines with several characters in several settings. The story being more narrowed in is doing the series a great service, in my opinion, and it feels like it is finally in some form of a groove. The slow motion/still shots are beautiful, and I'd love to see more like them. I've always liked these character models, so seeing them in shots like that is awesome. It's a big positive for the series for those to be included. Ultimately, though, it felt like an episode back in the swamp again, with little forward movement except for basically one plot point in the second half.
Thanks for reading my review of the 7th episode of Power of the Primes. Catch me again tomorrow when I cover episode 8. Check out the episode for yourself, then come back and tell me how you thought I did in the Energon pub forums below. Did you agree with me? Did you disagree? Please let me know!
It's time again for another episode of Machinima's Power of the Primes cartoon. We're now at episode 6 and things are finally starting to take off. Overlord and Rodimus Cron have found the main cast in the library of the Primes, and the fight over the Requiem Blaster has begun. (For a more in depth look at episode 5, please check out my review of it from last week!) Without further ado, let's jump into episode 6: ...to the sweet, sweet release of death.
As I mentioned above, the two units of Megatronus are in a heated battle with Megatron, Windblade, Optimus Primal, Grimlock, and Perceptor. The dinobot gets tossed into a computer, the monkey gets crushed by some falling debris, courtesy of Rodimus, and Windblade distracts him by...jumping on his shoulders. Overlord, meanwhile, is tackling Megatron, electrocuting him. Perceptor notices the Requiem Blaster has landed at his feet, and threatens Overlord with it. Overlord laughs, but it gives Megatron to recover and shoot him.
So let me get this straight. Megatron shoots Overlord, from two feet away, point blank, IN THE FACE, and Overlord gets up without any damage? ... These reviews are becoming more and more taxing to write with each episode.
To be fair to the show, it does include some cool scenes in this episode. Some neat action, and cool Transformation shots. For instance, here we actually see Overlord separate into his jet and tank, and Megs transforms into his tank mode in response. It's actually really fun and enjoyable to watch. The fun is cut short, however, when Rodimus just straight up picks Megatron up and throws him across the room. Overlord recombines, and Windblade starts shooting at him. Rodimus starts beating up Megatron, in a shot that lasts far too long and becomes really awkward.
Tonight on Battlebots!
Grimlock gets back up, as Overlord creates a force field, stops a bunch of Windblade's shots, and Hadouken's them back up toward her, which is apparently something he can do now. One of the shots hits Grimlock in the chest, though I'm not sure how. I'm assuming they tried to make it look like it ricocheted off of Windblade, but it does not come across. Megatron is still getting beat senseless, as Grimlock recovers from his hit.
Jesus. It's like a Royal Rumble in here.
As Grimlock attacks Overlord with his weak Dino mode arms instead of, y'know, anything else, Optimus Primal finally gets up again to survey the damage, and notices the Requiem Blaster below him. Instead of using it against either of the villains, he grabs it and runs. Seriously.
Windblade kind of tries to stop him from leaving the temple, but allows him to just walk past her. He says he shouldn't have come, and shouldn't have let the Requiem Blaster out of the temple back in the Primal Swamp. He starts to leave, leaving his friends and fellow Autobots to die. You know. Like the Optimus Primal we know and love totally would.
"Fearless Warrior" "Sent by the Gods" "Just bolts at the first sign of minor opposition"
Megatron and Rodimus continue to fight, and we get another cool fight scene. The camera angles and occasional slow motion lend themselves really well to the action, and it flows really well. It uses animation to it's benefit, and turns out quite enjoyable again. The action seems to be this series' high point.
We then get to the """bombshell""" of this episode: That, in this universe, Megatron was already once Galvatron, and somehow switched back to his original self. It's not really explained how he did this, or why, or how he inexplicably was able to break from Unicron's control. It's a plot twist that feels like it was created via Madlib. Just for the sake of being dramatic or shocking, without thought being put into the effect it has on the universe, or the means in which we've arrived here. It's forced and confusing.
Windblade steps in the way of Rodimus' blast, saying if he wants to kill Megatron, he'll have to kill her first.
*Unintentionally makes most of the fandom collectively cheer*
He starts choking her (The feasibility of which is still a heated debate on the boards, BTW), and tosses her asside. Rodimus is about to finish Megatron off, but Overlord intervenes, saying that this is his to finish. He's just about to snuff his spark, when Optimus Primal (who's been Spiderman-ing up in the rafters this entire time) tosses the Requiem Blaster to Megatron. As he's just about to fire it at Overlord, the episode ends.
This episode made it very clear that the action and fight scenes are the best part of this series by far. They're directed and choreographed well, and flow extremely smoothly. There are still problems and continuity errors about the damage (or lack thereof) these characters take when fighting, (see: Overlord getting shot in the face), but on the whole they are very good. It's interesting to see how much of a departure this episode was from the previous 5. It stayed in one location, in one continuous time line, with the same set of characters the entire time, and it benefited from it. Not switching scenes every two minutes gave the episode a much more linear and cohesive feel, something it's been struggling to do until now. The story is also taking off extremely quickly, compared to the 4-5 episode lead up that just sat and spun it's wheels we've had over the past few weeks. By far the best episode yet of POTP. It has the typical Prime Wars issues, but a large improvement overall. Lets see if they can keep it up!
Thanks for reading my review of episode 6. You can find it on Go90 and the Transformers Tumblr (if you're outside of the US) for free, so please go watch it and tell me what you thought of both the episode and my review. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know! See you next week!
Thanks to a nudge from fellow Seibertronian unicron1200, we now have Part 2 of Kevin Liu's review for the Power of the Primes Predacons - this time going over the big 'bot, Predaking himself!
The video goes over the transformation process to convert each individual Predacon into their combined mode, helpfully pointing out various locking points and little details of transformation along the way. After that we get a comparison to Combiner Wars Devastator (he's almost exactly as tall as that six-bot behemoth!) and Leader Megatron, and a run-down on Predaking's articulation. For the more critical among you, the review also reveals a few of the figure's potential foibles as well.
Check out the video embedded below, and if you missed it, Part 1 of this review (going over each individual Predacon) can be found here! Share your thoughts by posting in the Energon Pub forums, and as always, stay tuned to Seibertron.com for more exciting Transformers news!
We are just about to the half way point of the new Power of the Primes cartoon, so obviously in the 5th episode, the story should really start ramping up, right?
...
...
... right?
Let's take a look and find out, as we delve into "Athenaeum Sanctorum"
Ah yes, my favorite republican senator.
(The following review contains heavy spoilers for the POTP cartoon. Seriously. Characters die and stuff. Proceed at your own risk.)
While last week's episode stayed pretty tight with our main cast of characters, we branch off quite a bit in terms of both plot lines, characters, and backdrops this week. Similarly unlike weeks prior, we make quite a bit of a jump in time from episode to episode. Normally episodes pick up exactly where the previous ones left off, almost like just a commercial break, but in episode 5 we see the Dinobots already out on their own after Grimlock leaves on the main quest to find the Prime Library, and with the main cast already considerably on their way trough the journey, right at the library door. For such a linear, spoonfed, slow moving series, this was actually pretty jolting for me. I had to go back and make sure I didn't miss an episode.
Anyway, speaking of the Dinobots, they just happen to run into Rodimus and Overlord, because everybody's in this damn swamp apparently. The two baddies are hot on the trail of Megatron and the Requiem Blaster.
Swamp Ex Machinima
The Dinobots hide out on a cliff watching the two below. Overlord's upset that they can't find Megatron or the blaster, and starts randomly shooting the ground a bunch of times for some reason. Rodimus says that they're being watched, and blasts the ledge the dinos were hiding behind, revealing their location.
The pair take the dinobots hostage, and promptly start questioning them, trying to find out where the rest of the cast went.
*sigh* You know what this looks like. You don't need me to tell you what this looks like.
As Overlord tries to get the information out of Snarl by sitting with him like a gossiping teenage girl, Rodimus Cron threatens Sludge. Snarl finally lets it slip that they were headed to a library, and they, with the help of Unicron taking over Rodimus' body, put the rest of the pieces together. With one final punch, Rodimus kills Sludge. Just like that.
While the scene, and the following one where the surviving Dinobots morn Sludge, work really well emotionally (as this series goes), Snarl's voice is not good, and it doesn't make a lot of sense. The Dinobots have been running circles around Windblade, Perceptor, and Victorion for four episodes now. Granted that was with Grimlock, but they were still huge and could hold their own against enemies. In this scene they just lay down and take it. Rodimus killing Sludge also brings some questions, some of which might have even been intentional: Surely Rodimus can't be THAT strong. I understand that this show is trying to establish him as unstoppable force to really be reckoned with, but at the same time even Unicron couldn't have made him this strong and unstoppable.
ONE PPPPPUNCH!!!
Speaking of Windblade, Perceptor, and Victorion, we catch up with them in the next scene. They, along with Megatron, Grimlock, and Optimus Primal, are now in a frozen tundra biome, where the clue from the cave in the last episode is leading them.
Now, I'm not even going to attempt to explain the next minute and a half, but just know it is some of the wierdest, worst psuedo science I have ever heard in any form of media. Something about parallel lines that somehow meet, and infinity, and the center of the center (?????) and stuff like that.
I have, just, NO clue.
Anyway, somehow they find their way to the Sanctorum, and they're all taken aback by the temple inside. It is, admittedly, a very nice set piece. Megatron runs in to use of the computer systems, and Perceptor butts in.
"What will you do?" "Oh, the exact same thing as you, but sCiENtiFiCALly!"
Percy finds a page relating to the Requiem Blaster and reads it out loud. It explains that the Requiem Blaster was hidden because Megatronus killed Solus with it. The other Primes entrusted a guardian to protect it, which at some point through the generations became Optimus Primal. Why Primal wasn't able to tell them at least some of this information, the world will never know.
As everyone's distracted by the shiny computer, Rodimus and Overlord catch up, and somehow silently bring Victorion to her knees. Rodimus chokes her, (even though robots don't breathe, but you can find an in depth analysis of this problem thanks to our Energon Pub patrons;) ) eventually tearing her head off, with her body falling to the ground. As this series goes, this is an extremely dark death. It's not played up as dramatically as I think it could have been, but it is an interesting turn. With that, the episode ends.
Aw, sick! This ancient archive of the Primes has Go90!
This episode was admittedly boring, but things at least happened, which is an achievement unto itself. The darker parts were interesting, and cement Overlord and Rodimus as at least interesting to watch. I'm liking the treasure hunt/tourist's guide to the ancient temples of Cybertron story line to be completely honest, I just wish it had moved a bit faster a bit earlier. This episode wasn't nearly as laugh (or scream) out loud bad as some of the past ones have, which is progress. We really have been stuck in the swamp this entire time, so at the very least we can be happy that not only has the story found it's footing, we were also treated to several changes of scenery, which is really all I could ask for. Just please. PLEASE. Don't go back to that damn swamp.
(I leave you with an excellent GIF from our newsie Qwan. See you next week!
Synopsis
“The Falling,” Part 4. Onyx Prime’s motivations are clear, and his scheme seems unstoppable. Heroes have fallen, and hope dwindles for the survivors. Cybertron’s last chance of salvation is in the hands of… well, that would be telling, wouldn’t it?
GEE, I WONDER WHO
Story
After a whole issue of backstory, and after one of shocking revelations, we have an aftermath of an issue that tries dealing with the consequences of it all, while trying to handle the seemingly infinite cast that John Barber has been playing with for a long time now - meaning that not all have the space to get the treatment they entirely deserve, but where we do, the highlights are excellent.
Big and green, the joke was there all along
The major issue taking place within the story, for me and some of the other staff I consulted with before writing the review, is the unfortunate timing of the solicitations and Unicron FCBD book: they spoil what could've been a fairly well played, if not touching, moment in the pages of this arc, removing some of the subtlety that was attempted since early Till All Are One issues.
including some of Starscream's traits
That said, seeing Onyx Prime at the height of his threat - notwithstanding his actual identity at this stage; he is indeed still both characters, as they both exist simultaneously in the past and the present - is thrilling, even with the timeline and rhetorical headaches the story itself might be producing. On the other hand, the reveal/truth about the story is still a little.. eh.
Arcee however is great
Overall, though, and with one more issue to go before the conclusion of this narrative arc, I'm ..strangely not entirely impressed. The build-up in previous issues, including the backstory, exposition filled issue of last month, had felt so much tenser and vibrant than the current unravelling of plot and mythology, and it feels as though too much is happening at the same time for all of it to be actually final or of serious consequence. More on this below.
Art
Sara Pitre Durocher takes over from Kei Zama in this issue, and brings her signature style along to another look at Starscream still hung up on the ending of Till All Are One (for a little while, at least). And after the Ramondelli break last issue, this shift works out really well, even in the stark difference between the heaviness of the lines, and the softer (but clear) direction this month.
also, the flashbacks are glorious
Of course, the effect is also helped by Josh Burcham, who does some pretty amazing stuff, bringing the darker, muted tones of his regular colouring style on this series to the cleaner, sleeker art style of Pitre Durocher, without losing the continuity with previous issues or watering the art itself down for the sake of visual coherence.
..I just really wanted to show this panel off
There are several instances in this issue where the font-mastery and balloon placing of letterer Tom B Long ensures that the humour or pacing of the interaction hits its mark, and by several, I mean a lot. Seriously - a lot. And they all land.
Casey Coller continues to perform excellence, with colourist John Paul Bove, as the variant cover that features all the major players (thumbnail). And as we had already seen previously, but you can do so again in our database entry (warning. there be spoilers) here, Kei Zama and Bove also deliver a fantastically creepy Shockwave-centric main cover too.
Thoughts Spoilerish ahead
If my opening statement seemed unfair to the script, it's fair to also say that the focus on the characters that are explored is very well.. focused, and explored. There are some misgivings about Devastator and Starscream's behaviours, and my general feelings about the reveal are still not overly positively thrilled, but I'm enjoying the story moving forward even with those speedbumps.
Aileron also has some Seriously Good Moments
Still, even with all of that, the issue is stunning to look at, and having now had three different art teams for the past three months is working out surprisingly well - which bodes even better for the increased frequency schedule that is supposed to take place after this month, to arrive at the final conclusion of it all alongside Unicron. I'll still shake my fists at IDW's schedules, though.
The Toys That Made Us - the Netflix original documentary series focusing on 80s toys and franchises - aired its second tranche of episodes on the streaming service on Friday 25th May, and several fans and collectors tuned in to check out the Transformers specific episode (two years in the waiting, after all) but also the Star Trek, Lego, and Hello Kitty episodes that accompanied it.
As such, we sat some of the staff down and had a chat about what we thought about the way our favourite transforming robots were treated, and how it lived up or not to our expectations! Read along below to find out more, and join the discussion with your own thoughts in the thread on the Energon Pub discussion boards!
Introducing: the participants
Va'al - I have watched entire series out of interest, and in anticipation for the Transformers episode in particular, of course, so I can also see and compare this episode in the frame of the whole documentary. People who know me are aware of my stance and position towards toys, in that I don't really collect them but am fairly invested in the fiction surrounding the characters - but have gone through the motions as a kid who grew up in the 1990s, so Beast Wars and what followed were definitely a thing until the toy buying died down!
william-james88 - This was the first episode I watched of the series so far and I thought it was an excellent look at the toy brand and the best piece yet relating its history. Transformers are my very favourite toys, always have been, ever since I was 8 and discovered Beast Wars toys. I have been buying figures here and there ever since and went deep down the rabbit hole in 2014 where I have yet to emerge. I love all transforming toys, so I collect a few more franchises as well (e.g. Power Rangers, Voltron, Japanese 70s Super Robots) but my favourites are still Transformers, simply due to the Takara workmanship, which I was very happy this episode highlighted.
Qwan - I don't have Netflix myself, so this episode (when I managed to bum a friend's account) was my first chance to watch the show. Bearing that in mind, I don't have anything to compare this episode to in the show's broad scope, but hopefully I at least have enough perspective on the Transformers franchise to judge it in that way. I've been into Transformers since Cybertron (I was only 6 when it caught my interest!), and though I care most about the toys, it's the fiction and characters that keep always me wanting to buy more. I collect a bunch of other stuff too - Gunpla, Bionicle, other Lego mechs, basically anything with big robots; and then anything else with characters that catch my interest - but in the end it's always been Transformers that stands out as the one that matters most.
Cobotron - Being born in 1975 put me right at prime demographic for every toy brand this series has covered. And boy did I play with a lot of if not all of these toys! So needless to say the entire series not only hits my nostalgia button, but also covers a subject that is still near and dear to me 42 years later. I've been playing with and collecting Transformers since even before 1984, as I had friends with Diaclone toys. My love for Japanese robots grew from playing with my older brother's Micronauts, and Shogun Warriors, but really found it's focus with Transformers. To this day I still have my childhood collections, and/or actively collect not just Transformers, but Star Wars, GI Joe, MASK, Lego, and more. Transformers makes up a majority of my collection, but first and for most I consider myself a toy collector, and specifically a collector of these very toys that made us.
D-Maximal_Primal - This is a show I have been interested in watching, but this was the first chance I have gotten to see an episode, thanks to my girlfriend's Netflix account. My journey with Transformers began with the 2007 movie, and I got my first toy on Christmas eve of that year, which was movie 1 voyager Megatron. I started collecting a bit more around Revenge of the Fallen, and my collecting really took off in 2013 after I started college. I am 23 now, and still vastly enjoy the brand all the different aspects of it. I also enjoy the Marvel Universe, particularly Iron Man, Gundam, and Voltron.
With the backgrounds set out and the cards on the table, let's dive in!
What did you enjoy the most?
C - Every episode in the series has offered something interesting about each brand they've featured. With the Transformers episode I was delighted to gain more insight into the early days and the designers at Takara. In fact, Transformers humble Japanese beginnings is probably one of my favorite aspects of the brand. While this history is not new to me, I'm so happy they focused a lot of this episodes on the prehistory of Transformers, because now there is this nice, comprehensive source, wrapped in a fun to ingest package, that sums up their origins for even the newest collector to learn about how it all began.
D - ...seeing all the old Takara stuff was so neat and also incredibly informative to see where Transformers came from, what all Takara did, what Hasbro did without them for a bit, and then how things have progressed since. It is especially interesting to see how the toys changed from being good guys to bad guys and viceversa between the original Microman/Diaclone and the Transformers versions.
WJ - I agree, my favourite part of this episode was how we spent a lot of time with Takara. I liked how humble everyone was and how these men were just glad to know that what they created brought joy to children and keeps doing so as the brand evolves and grows. I also loved learning of Takara's reaction to Hasbro's take on their product, which was something I had oddly never considered.
V - Yeah, I think that was the most enjoyable part of the episode, mostly also due to the tone of the entire series: the switching between different speakers to gauge the reactions and reception of the brand initially - the history is a well known mismatched one in the fandom, and the editing of Takara vs Hasbro, toy vs marketing, with the almost flippant narration, was entertaining (though I know this is not the widespread reaction to the series).
Q - That mismatched history stood out for me. I thought it was great seeing the process leading up to the brand's creation and introduction to the Western market. All too often the background of Transformers is given as "GI Joe then Microman and then Transformers happened" with about that much detail, so I loved how much time was dedicated to seeing exactly how this brand we all adore came about, from early cultural and media influences through to actual licensing.
What do you think was missing?
Q - Since I'm a little baby boy who missed out on the whole G1 and Beast Wars scenes, I would've really liked to see even a bit of screentime dedicated to the post-BW pre-Movie stuff; Car Robots, Unicron Trilogy, Animated, anything like that. Heck, even Beast Wars got the shaft a bit in terms of its importance. Things still happened between 1996 and 2007, guys! (I also sorely felt the lack of any G2 raps: easily the most artful creations to ever come out of the brand.)
D - Yeah, I really missed seeing more of the toyline past G1 though. As a big Animated fan, movie fan, and now a Beast Wars fan, I missed seeing more of those guys, and seeing some of the newer toy designs that came from the original 80s toys. Other than that bit of oversight, I really enjoyed the episode!
C - I do wish they had spent a little more time covering the post Beast Wars era toy lines. They had Aaron Archer as an interviewee, but really just dusted over the huge contribution he (and his team) made to the brand. The Archer led era of Transformers was an important time that produced some of the toys that are to this day among my very favorites.
V - I mean, the series is dedicated to the 80s, of course, so we knew all of the toys some of us grew up with were going to be only briefly featured from the start - but for me the Italian perspective on the brand, with the GIG licensing, naming, and branding situation, essentially the creation question about the Transformers (or Trasformers on my side) would've been fun to see explored too! (That, and some issues with framing the Japanese perspective from a production point of view.)
WJ - On that last point: Since we do spend a lot of time on the Japanese side of things, with the creators and designers, I would have really liked to have the option of their speech subtitled rather than dubbed. This brand is so deeply rooted in Japan that it would have been nice to have this episode fully embrace this idea of two worlds and give us two different languages at least. Also, while the episode looks great and seems to have a budget on par with any other documentary, that intro feels like it comes from Newgrounds circa 2001 and feels off compared to the rest of the episode which has a rather decent quality.
What is one new thing you learned?
D - I only know a little bit about Diaclone, So almost the entire first half of the episode was a history lesson I really knew nothing about, so that was really cool! I enjoyed seeing the ideas form and change over time, and it was awesome to get all that history and pre-history of the brand.
V - Similar for me! The original GI Joe connection was one I was not entirely aware of - the shared Hasbro Universe everyone has been griping about at IDW goes way back further than I thought, and I'll admit I had a little 'ha!' moment about that. Oh, and the wooden toy prototypes were pretty cool.
WJ - Yeah, I really liked seeing the early process as to how Transformers (Microchange and Diaclone toys) were first designed, in wood. We are used to seeing grey prototypes but seeing prototypes in wood just shows me how limited toy technology once was and how amazing it is that we got such complex toys back in the day. Also, as a Jim Shooter fan, it was really cool to learn that he came up with the story of the Autobots vs Decepticons.
Q - Shooter yes, but also it was really interesting to hear how Budiansky ended up writing for the original Transformers; I never really stopped to think about how he got the job, only that he did it (and did it well). I've always loved behind-the-scenes stories, so learning more about how the very original TF fiction was created was fascinating to me!
C - I'll stand out on this one: I was surprised to learn that after Transformers: the Movie, Takara stepped out of the picture completely. I thought for sure the "Masters" eras of the brand were still created in tandem with Takara. In fact I've always thought that the likes of the Head Masters were so awesomely silly and original that they had to have come from the Japanese designers. I would have liked to learn more about the design process during this time frame.
What was your personal highlight from the episode?
WJ - The highlight is everyone they got to interview, including seeing our own site owner Seibertron being rather eloquent, with a contagious enthusiasm for the brand. You did us proud buddy! Oh and probably the major highlight was seeing all those gorgeous Diaclone toys. I was watering at the mouth watching those beauties transform onscreen, what gorgeous toys.
Q - Yes, seeing Bossbot represent us so well was great! That aside since it's almost cheating to pick it, I thought the moment at the end with Yoke's Perceptor was incredibly sweet and a heartwarming note to end on. (More lightly, I got a good chuckle out of the observation that even whoever was in charge of the Transformers displayed in the episode couldn't get MPM Optimus' truck mode to cooperate either!)
C - I think the biggest highlight for me was the interviews and insight into the original Takara team. Especially Yoke-san! That moment where he started to get emotional showing off the Perceptor that Hasbro had given him kicked me right in the tear ducts too. Everything I love about all Takara toys, not just Transformers, can be linked to him. And, he seems to just be such a nice and kind person, not to mention a design genius. I'd like to thank Yoke-san for giving me and so many others the fuel we needed to drive our imaginations to the farthest reaches and back, for all these many years.
V - I really want to say something else other than seeing Ryan / Seibertron on screen, as you all did. I do. So I'll go with Bob Budiansky's entertainingly dry humour, and Hideaki Yoke calling Bumblebee 'a sweet boy'.
D - The whole naming and personality part from Budiansky himself, and how it took so long to get to him and how fast he put everything together. "High Beam" huh? Guess the person who vetoed that name wasn't around when Erector came out! But really though, seeing the toys take on their personalities that have helped endear them to all of us was really awesome, and it's amazing how fast it was all done too.
All in all, we thought this was an great look at the franchise, covering the early major beats and giving us our best and most accessible version yet at the story behind these magnificent toys - it's a fantastic primer about this huge universe and the wonderful people that made it happen, even with the sometimes goofy, forced humour (to some).
Oh, and one last thing from Cobotron, before we hand the thoughts over to the rest of the community:
I watched the episode twice. The first time I was at work, and while I was looking down at my work I heard a very familiar voice. It was a true delight to look up and see the old Bossbot himself, Seibertron. It's so great that such an important and long time contributor to the fandom got recognized in such a wonderful way. You deserve the acknowledgement Ryan. Thanks for giving us Transformers nerds a place to hang out and be ourselves!
The Toys That Made Us is now streaming on Netflix, with all 8 episodes available.
Another Tuesday brings another episode of Machinima's Power of the Primes cartoon. Last week we discussed episode one, and it was not great, to say the least. Will episode two do any better? Will it fare any worse? Let's find out, as we dive into Volcanicus!
(I also suppose I should warn you that the following review does contain spoilers for the POTP Cartoon, just in case. You can read my review of episode one here.)
We jump in where the first episode left off, in the "Primal Forest", with Victorion, Windblade, and Perceptor fighting the newly formed dinobot combiner, Volcanicus.
Uh, roll credits, I guess?
Similar to the last episode, this scene is riddled with bizarre continuity errors that just make no sense, and could have been resolved with simple editing. We're introduced to our first one here: Our heroes are trying to come up with a plan to take down Volcanicus, as they recognize they should be searching for the Requiem Blaster before it falls into Megatronus' hands. Windblade blames Victorion for making the Dinobots so angry they had to combine, saying they had them "Under control" (Suuuure), when Volcanicus tries to step on them. They appear surprised, as if they couldn't see him coming from a mile away. They decide to try to find Megatron, but Victorion says she doesn't need his help.
How does one get snuck up on BY A GIANT ROBOT DINOSAUR COMBINER?!
Speaking of old Megs, we catch back up with him, as well. After being thrown miles away (a distance described in the official episode summary) into the swamp by Grimlock in the last episode, he wakes up...ten feet from where Volcanicus and the main cast are?
?!?!?
Nearby, he sees a convenient odd glint of light in the forest. He decides to go investigate, leaving the rest of the crew to fend for themselves.
The scene changes and we finally see Devastator, Computron, and Menasor again, currently being questioned by Overlord and..."Rodimus Cron" Menasor swears he doesn't know anything about where Megatron and the others have gone, and Rodimus responds by shooting Computron through the chest, apparently dead now.
Devastator also gets shot through the chest, but survives. Overlord compliments Rodimus on his firepower, and has a flashback to him pulling the "Matrix of Chaos" out of Unicron's decapitated head. Megatronus (through hologram) congratulates Overlord for finding it. Something to notice here is the the Matrix of Chaos uses the Botcon 2000 design for the Matrix of Conquest. An interesting trivia bit pointed out by Seibertronian Sabrblade. Anyway, Devastator and Menasor decide to take them on, but they aren't strong enough, and Devastator gets shot through the chest again, launched through the air, and still survives.
What is physics?
Menasor gets his fist crushed by Overlord, and then gets kicked around for his trouble. Again to the show's credit, between DashieXP's vocal performance and an actually expressive face animation for once, this scene is quite painful and desperate. Even though Menasor only gets his hand crushed, it feels violent and dramatic. I just wish some of that drama and weight would carry over to other parts of the series. Character's deaths in particular.
Back in the swamps, Windblade and crew are still dealing with Volcanicus. The grand plan that Victorion came up with is to have Perceptor distract Volcanicus while the other two attack. Perceptor decides to do this by pretending to be a researcher who wants to ask Volcanicus a few questions, even though not only did Vocanicus just see him two seconds ago, but Grimlock identified him by name last episode.
However bad of a plan it is, it works for long enough to let Victorion take a swing at the Dinos, showing that she's nearly the same size, compared to earlier in the episode where she was dwarfed by Volcanicus.
What is scale?
Just when it looks like all hope is lost and Vocanicus has them beat, Predaking emerges from the swamp, taking out the Dinobots. He demands to know where the Enigma of Combination is. We cut away just as he decides to blast Victorion. We'll have to wait till episode three to see how that turns out.
Samoa Joe, a new actor to the Trilogy, actually puts on a great performance as Predaking from what we've seen so far of him. He's not really the traditional voice for the character, but it works well in my opinion.
Back at Metroplex City, the two remaining combiners are getting torn to shreds. Overlord Demands answers out of Menasor, and orders Rodimus to continue shooting Devastator until he gets them. Devastator gets an arm and a leg blown off before Menasor talks. He tells Overlord that Megatron headed to the Primal Swamp. Overlord orders Devastator killed anyway, and then kills Menasor by...(checks notecards) gently pushing on the back of his neck.
Devastator dies by a dozen shots straight through the spark from an agent of Unicron, and Menasor dies from an aggressive backrub. Got it.
Overlord and Rodimus then start their journey to the swamp, and the episode ends.
Episode two was arguably an improvement over the season opener, though I'm not sure if that's a complement, nor if it's good enough. It certainly doesn't instill faith into the rest of the series. It feels like it's just spinning it's wheels, getting nowhere, even though it's already introduced the majority of the main cast now, and they are all on separate missions. Episode two felt too much like filler with no point or purpose, and there's no tone to speak of. While bits and pieces work, the majority doesn't, especially with an angering amount of random continuity problems plaguing both episode one and two which, and correct me if I'm wrong, weren't as prevalent in either of the two previous shows. We'll see where it goes from here.
Thanks for reading my review of Machinima's Power of the Primes episode 2! If you want to watch it for yourself, you can find it on the Go90 platform and the Transformers Tumblr account. Make sure to share your thoughts on the episode and my review in the comments below, and then tune in next Tuesday when we'll take a look at episode three!
The Beginning of the Beginning of the End (Spoiler free-ish)
Synopsis
Not a whimper, nor a bang-the end comes with a squall of entropy shrieking from the ravenous maw of death itself. The message is clear: Unicron has arrived. The Transformers lock into a desperate bid to save Rom's homeworld from the world-killer - but why has Unicron chosen this world on his path to Cybertron... and Earth? The biggest story in the history of Transformers starts now: for Unicron's arrival can mean nothing less than the end of a universe.
a narrative universe, that is
Story
First things first: this issue is part of the Free Comic Book Day initiative, in which participating physical comics stores give out free copies of comic books from a number of publishers. If you don't know where to find a store near you, try this tool (works relatively accurately outside of US and Canada too)!
Second: even just the opening, and the preview, of this book will spoil at least one and a half storylines from the current Optimus Prime ongoing series. The cover does too. So that's that, and we all know now. I will not dwell on it further, but if you'd rather wait for the next two issues of OP to hit before finding this issue, do so!
yeah, pretty much
Now, into the main course: John Barber brings Unicron to the Transformers universe, fully, entirely, wholly and viciously . And I really mean that last one. There is no sympathy from me towards those asking for the entire IDW universe casts to be annihilated as the continuity ends, but it looks like Barber is definitely starting to trim those down from the get go (a recurring theme since David Mariotte's arrival on editorial, now that I think about it...) - and not even in the main part of the story.
Snerk
Optimus Prime is the more or less de facto narrator (his caption tag says so), and the technique is one that will be familiar to all of Barber's readers - but even so, this ..thing, this threat is new to him too. He does not have prior knowledge. None of the characters beside him do, nor does the Solstar Order, nor does the reader. And that narration helps us - established fans of Transformers, and in the know about the mythos in general - see this new Unicron, this IDW version of him, in a different light.
I give you: OP raising an eyebrow
There are of course some lighter moments, where possible, mostly in the form of wit quickly truncated by the events taking place around the characters (Rom's deadpan behaviour, Wheeljack being himself, Pyra Magna's shade towards Optimus), but for such a short story, there are so many heavy beats that you will most definitely be wanting some more.
Art
Alex Milne, who has had a taste of Elonian blood already in the Shining Armor mini-series that saw the first collaboration between Cybertronians and Rom's Solstar Order (including specific characters in this issue, who reference that fact), returns to similar worlds to bring some painstaking detail to the frames he lays out with almost dark glee. And, most admirably I thought, he gives us a sense of the sheer scale that Unicron holds compared to everything else on the page, without ever fully showing the planet - this is not Unicron's story, after all, but that of the people facing him.
hi Bob
Colours are provided by a previous collaborator of Barber's and a new for Milne, Sebastian Cheng, last seen in Revolution and Revolutionaries. While showing the same vibrancy of some of those series, in fact, he manages to convey some truly dark moments for everyone involved with some impressive lighting angles and surfaces.
..it's really hard not to spoil..
What else can I add about Tom B. Long's lettering, really, at this stage - other than reiterate his necessary role in something as vast and encompassing as the entire Hasbro Universe and its unmaker, with captions placed right, dialogue paced out, and a new title redesign that ..just works.
There is just the one cover, being a FCBD comic, but the composition - one that we have seen many a time, is a pretty good reminder of the immense powers at work on the universe right here, and Sara Pitre Durocher delivers.
Thoughts Spoilerish ahead
As I said above, the pacing that Barber has created - by dropping us into the story exactly as it's happening (unavoidable, given the scheduling of the book compared to the ones leading into it) and building to it through Revolutionaries and Optimus Prime, Shining Armor, and the early days of exRID - allows for some pretty breakneck reading and experiencing of the heavier moments taking place in the pretty short issue. And it's done in such a way that will allow several readers to really want to get into the main story come July, while not relying on senseless shock value twists or carnage for its own sake (yes, we all know what I'm referring to here).
More snerk
Milne and Cheng work really well together too, which is a low-key relief. Having seen both of their work apart from each other, I wasn't entirely sure it would end up looking this good, and am excited to see more (even just on covers, like for Unicron #1). The extra treat in the book, though? John Barber's letter at the very end, tidying up a lot of the threads that have lead to this moment, and initially written in January - there's Revolutionaries, Dark Cybertron, exRID, First Strike, and more, laid out for readers who wanted to follow up without keeping everything at hand. It's good. It's Barber. It's good Barber.
And Then There Was Nothing A Somewhat Spoilerish Seibertron.com Review of IDW's Transformers Vs. Visionaries #5
Synopsis
The final fate of Cybertron! Leoric and the drill team, on a mission to stop the destruction of the planet, reach the core—only to be met by Virulina and her Darkling Lords! Now, the two sides are locked in a final battle to determine whether Cybertron sees tomorrow. Everything comes to a head in this thrilling conclusion!
Witterquick has totally heard this noise before
Story
Well it's finally the end, the fate of the Transformers homeworld is at stake(again...) thanks to an alien race, and once again it feels like a disappointment. This has been done, been there, done that, it's how we even got to this story. It was an attack on Cybertron's core from First Strike that got us to this point (that and some very bad editing decisions made between the 2, looking at you New Prysmos forcefield) and it is another attack here that finally ends the series. And it is thanks to that first attack that the final attack of the current IDW run (Unicron) will occur.
To be honest, these series should have had potential, but it just floundered it. The Visionaries are a not overly well known group of characters from a single season TV show back in the 1980's. With so few people even knowing what they are, you need to capture the attention of the readers looking for new characters to love. And this series did not do that.
Pictured: characters aware they really haven't helped themselves to be popular
There were many chances to try, but nothing ever caught on. Killing Kup in issue 1 certainly did not help, especially with how good he had been in the crossovers. Let's face it: he was the Crossover go-to Bot, and you killed him. It didn't help that some of the Bot's personalities in this were a bit wonky too.
And it most certainly didn't help that the Visionaries themselves were all over the board, not overly lovable or consistent. We had a character who was a good guy apparently actually be a traitor, yet he was tortured by the bad guy despite being a bad guy too? See, hard to reason.
Pictured: a villain who did little to be anything more than hated
I was also not a fan of the way the final bit of the series panned out. Leoric finally decides to become the spokesperson, the guy everyone rallies around, and it felt flat. He didn't do anything. We do get to see on the way too rare transformations from Visionary Bipedal to magic totem animal, but even then it doesn't last, and Virulina never uses her totem. I think only like 3 guys actually used their animal shape-shifting powers or something? They were that rare.
And then of course it turns out that Virulina and Leoric were actually meant to do this so another bad can use them both to ensure a proper future. Yeah, sure.
Meanwhile, the battle of the core, the thing advertised in the Synopsis, wasn't really a thing. It was disappointing. Only 2 of the big names were even there, and they weren't even the 2 big names. And of course in a story based around magic, everything comes down to magic, but in this case it was not clever magic. The whole series revolved around magic, and not once did it ever really feel "magical" and instead feeling like "not overly good writing and not really understanding how to make this work." The parts about helping each other and actually getting along felt quite forced in this area too, as did the ones at the very end.
Pictured: a well loved character that is sort of just here
But in short, the story didn't satisfy anything, and it was a disappointing return for the Visionaries.
Art
Art for the story was once more taken on by Fico Ossio with colors by David Garcia Cruz and lettered by Shawn Lee. The art is the part of the book that sort of pulls it back a hair, seeing as how Ossio's art is fairly good, with some interesting stylizations. I am particularly fond of his Leoric and Virulina, and most of the visionaries. The shame is the one Visionary I do like, Galadria, is the one that really isn't drawn well. Her facial expressions just aren't that good.
She really wishes Ironhide would have spared himself and stayed in a different book
The Transformers do suffer some in the art department as well, with Ossio being better with organic looking beings than mechanical. Again, it's the faces that really don't look that good.
The colors are pretty good as well, especially with the scenery. But again, the bots feel flat and suffer some. Which is a shame considering the Visionaries and the scenery do actually appear decent.
Pictured: 2 things I did like
Final Thoughts
Honestly, this series didn't do it for me at all. There really wasn't a lot going for it from stage one, and it never overcame that first bump. It's a series that should have done better, and had the potential cool factor of shape shifting humanoids who can turn into magical animals and who are basically wizards, but squandered it. I wish the series could have been handled better, or had occurred at a better time or using a different set of circumstances. All the past year or 2 have been are Cybertronians being threatened in Crossovers, with Cybertron itself being the center of the past 2 and will be center stage for the final one. The story really needed a different story set away from Cybertron, or set in the past, much like ROM vs. Transformers, itself a great series. And it needed more likable characters.
It needed the hook, and never presented one. And again I say what a shame that is.
:HASBRO: 1/2 out of
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