Full Preview of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #5

Anyone else notice the large amount of FoC Shockwave alt modes?

Diaboragon wrote:God I hate when the story focuses on Rung. He's such an intrusive OC.

Agreed. Rung sux.

ScottyP wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote:G2. Always a good decision.

So the 1st story arc of Lost Light is about to come to a close. Has it met your expectations?

It's written as a trade and that'd be more OK with me if Dying of the Light, Titans Return, All Hail Optimus, and New Cybertron weren't also the same way. I'm kinda looking forward to the upcoming stretches of standalone stories and two parters/etc. Those are the bricks that make it all work and let creativity really flourish when it comes time to unveil the house that they've built, and right now this parade of homes is starting to get too long.

I love having three good ongoings but when they're all in full-on trade paperback epic longer form story arc mode for 12 months+, it starts to make you miss, say, Spotlights.

I came to say this basically. Now I don't need to! Awesome! While there has been gold (like the aforementioned squeeing of Brainstorm and Nightbeat. And the fact we see Nightbeat driving around the walls in his excitement!) I'm ready for a few smaller arcs. I enjoyed the issues of dancing and personality parasites, the Scavengers and the like. Fun little breathers. And yes, I wanna know what's happening on the Lost Light.


The preview looks good and I daresay that's Megatron co-ordinating the attack and being a military genius. And Rung rocks.

Apparently so. News to me too!

Kurona wrote:People don't like Rung?

It's just that I'm constantly reminded he's someone's special OC insert. What with the mysterious alt-mode that wrecks an entire government, a super-powered spark that attracts a sparkeater, and being a timeline constant who's met every other important character in history. On top of related to Vector Sigma as the story's direction seems to be taking.

Here we are on part 5 of 6, "Modes of Production", the latest chapter of author James Roberts' massive Transformers tale. With just forty pages to go when you start Lost Light #5, you may be wondering just how much will end up resolved by the end of "Dissolution". After all, there are several plots all running concurrently: a whole crew of characters from the book's namesake ship that have been displaced twice-over to the point of finding themselves in another reality, a new duo of characters that fans have been trying to figure out, tension between former Decepticons and parts of "Team Rodimus", a Whirl/Tailgate/Cyclonus soap opera side-plot, Nightbeat and Rung's ongoing conversations, Megatron and Terminus' interrupted reunion, the return of Roller to action, mysteries of the Functionist Council, more clarification to get to on Rung, and then finally there's the whole part where the alternate Cybertron our heroes are on is slowly being torn apart by a Luna 2 that's been converted into some sort of gigantic galactic recycling unit.

Phew. I've probably missed something.


With Mr. Roberts clearly going for some kind of plot-juggling world record, it falls to this review to try and decide how it's working out (that is the point of these, right?) It took some careful reflection and multiple reads, but to be completely honest, it's just impossible to know how good this issue is without being able to read issue 6.

Before you accuse yours truly of going for the review-cop-out world record, hear me out. Is the pacing of this issue justified, where very dense pages jump from point to point interspersing some of the main focus with secondary stories where needed, sometimes tangentially in Roller's case? Are the interludes, including one heavy exposition dump with respect to Rung, worth the space they're taking up in a book with so much going on? To repeat a question one can find in spades over both our own Energon Pub Forums and out there online: Is the space given to Anode and Lug in this arc deserving of its inclusion? I don't know because I don't know what they're for yet. "Knowing what someone turns into is not the same as knowing what someone's for", indeed.


While the paragraph above wasn't directly critical, it does bring up a point that I'll just come out and say explicitly: "Dissolution" feels written as a trade paperback and the month-to-month reading cycle is suffering for it. I felt this way before during "Elegant Chaos", and that turned out quite amazingly well in the end. This issue has a healthy amount of effective, meaningful, and downright quality material that gives hope that everything is, indeed, fine.


One of these highlights involves an A-Lister of the Transformers franchise. Megatron and Terminus are one of the more fascinating duos in an issue/series/meta-series/universe of sometimes-robo-monogamy (platonic and otherwise) that Roberts has created. In this issue we see things progress logically, with some moments including Roller that are simply fantastic. Morality, peril, specters of the past, and peace through the tyranny of choice are all examined when these two are on the page. In a book with a big cast this is the kind of material that serves as an anchor, especially in this case as we're reminded of the ultimate reason that Megatron is caught up in all of this to begin with. Even readers jaded with this story - you know who you are and it's ok to have opinions - will have a hard time not wanting more of these two in my opinion.


Then there's this. Quite possibly the biggest mystery in Transformers comics of the past five-plus years is beginning to be brought into the light. Will this issue tell you what Rung does? Yes, and you'll need to read it to find out whether or not the answer is "Drilling! Takara Tomy loves drill tanks after all." Lost Light #5 stops just barely short of giving the total 360° answer about what Rung is for. If you've read the issue, you might take pause at that statement, because there was a very great deal explained. However, when reflecting on the last scene of the book I began to wonder if, perhaps, there are more to Functionist Universe Rung's present desires than... there appear to be.

What? What happened?


Comics are a visual medium and I've said little about that side of this issue so far. This is probably worthy of at least a night in Fan Jail because it's almost perfect to me from this standpoint. Artist Jack Lawrence's characters continue to evolve visually in this issue in a pleasing way. In some cases, this evolution brings characters closer to looks established by Alex Milne while in others, Lawrence continues to put his own touch on the series. The line work, aided by Joana Lafuente's tonally appropriate color palettes and Tom B. Long's usual lettering masterwork, gives a book that is by my count 96% pure eye candy.

The 4% that's not? The final panel. I think this needed either a big splash spread or perhaps some different posing by one of the characters involved. The point is still made and wow, what a moment! That is a thing that has been built up since 2012! Unfortunately, the visual delivery came across somewhat underwhelming. Of course, maybe that is the real point and I don't truly grasp it, but that's the kind of fun chatter we can get to in course when you reply to this post to debate, opine, and converse in our Energon Pub Forums.

Returning to the good stuff, there are four really and truly outstanding covers available for this issue, including another installment in Nick Roche and Josh Burcham's beautiful series of character vignettes that you'll see in this review's News Story thumbnail. As always, you can find full credits and covers in our database entry for Lost Light #5, along with a list of characters that appear in the issue so do be aware of possible spoilers.


When reviewing Lost Light #4, I said that scores don't feel fair to big multi-part works. I stand by this even moreso for #5 as a standalone work. Taken as part of the whole, it's quite good, but with so much going on and the finish line so close, it ends up being partially victimized by its purpose and by the need for some of the resolutions occurring. The Anode interlude stops the pace dead for a reveal that, rather unfortunately for involved fans like myself, was guessed by the fandom at large two months ago. Brainstorm somehow became a wisecracking parody of himself at some point and I find myself missing the brutally clever scientist we used to know. There's more I could pick out for criticism but it wouldn't change the point, that being that despite all the good stuff in here, there's also just enough that feels off the mark to drag down the finished product.

This needs #6 and it needs it soon. Very possibly, this is an inappropriate score to give something that deserves much, much higher, and in moments it really genuinely does. However, without knowing what everything here was for this is all I can commit to from a strictly critical perspective. I will freely admit if this was too low in #6's review. For now and with a dose of hesitation -



Bonus! James Roberts' soundtrack suggestions for this issue:

• Orlando - "Just For A Second"
• Pedro The Lion - "Of Up And Coming Monarchs"
• Tarwater - "All Of The Ants Left Paris"

Encore Bonus? Uniclock Update? Unfortunately, actual real world scary things and warmongering would make it a bit insensitive and tone deaf for me to continue including this little feature, which was intended to be a fun and possibly self-deprecating bit of humor. If that doesn't make sense to you, please do realize this was not inspired by 'Watchmen'.

Randomhero wrote:It certainly is a story of convienient coincidences. Stuck in a altnernate universe by a weapon designed by Killmaster, Killmaster is conveniently and coincidently on the necroworld with his wand that shares similar tech and can take them home. Rung revealing he can make constructed cold sparks with his body with Alternate Rung explaining the same thing the exact moment across the galaxy to those who arnt with the normal Rung. Anode being introduced for the first time conviently and coincidently as her functionist counterpart being introduced as the second in command to a rebellion.


This is lazy.

Lazy? Have you ever actually written for a living? I do it as a hobby and it isn't easy. If you're going for something with some sort of sense, it isn't very simple to think of a unique way of doing so. Roberts has to try to get his characters back to where they belong without seeming to pull out of his rear, so setting up Killmaster's tech as the way to do so is pretty smart. We know that Killmaster was supposedly killed by Whirl (who isn't reliable for good intel on the account of being y'know INSANE), so his lying about it isn't too far-fetched and thus making KIllmaster's inclusion of being part of the Disappeared rescued by Necrobot plausible.

Next, they never say when exactly Rung has this talk with Nightbeat (unless they did and I wasn't paying attention). Even so, I don't see how to the two versions giving to same information at the same time is being lazy. Maybe one of them could've been cut, but it was a character building moment for "our" Rung, so it is far from lazy.

Finally, Anode. If Roberts was tasked to try and pull new readers in with Lost Light, her inclusion could be his trying to do so. It doesn't feel like he meant for MTMTE was supposed to end there at issue 55 (I'm referring to the Lost Light's storyline), so I'm sure Roberts was scrambling to try and do so and launch a new book. My point? Having both Anode on Necroworld with her problems and a version of her with the AVL was probably his way to help his new readers understand the different universes better with giving them a character they've known since her conception.

To end this rant, I'm not a comic expert and a lot of that is pure speculation. I do, however, consider myself an amateur writer and feel that work from a good writer should be defended if it feels justified, as I believe so in this case.

Randomhero wrote:

Nexus Knight wrote:

Randomhero wrote:It certainly is a story of convienient coincidences. Stuck in a altnernate universe by a weapon designed by Killmaster, Killmaster is conveniently and coincidently on the necroworld with his wand that shares similar tech and can take them home. Rung revealing he can make constructed cold sparks with his body with Alternate Rung explaining the same thing the exact moment across the galaxy to those who arnt with the normal Rung. Anode being introduced for the first time conviently and coincidently as her functionist counterpart being introduced as the second in command to a rebellion.


This is lazy.

Lazy? Have you ever actually written for a living? I do it as a hobby and it isn't easy. If you're going for something with some sort of sense, it isn't very simple to think of a unique way of doing so. Roberts has to try to get his characters back to where they belong without seeming to pull out of his rear, so setting up Killmaster's tech as the way to do so is pretty smart. We know that Killmaster was supposedly killed by Whirl (who isn't reliable for good intel on the account of being y'know INSANE), so his lying about it isn't too far-fetched and thus making KIllmaster's inclusion of being part of the Disappeared rescued by Necrobot plausible.

Next, they never say when exactly Rung has this talk with Nightbeat (unless they did and I wasn't paying attention). Even so, I don't see how to the two versions giving to same information at the same time is being lazy. Maybe one of them could've been cut, but it was a character building moment for "our" Rung, so it is far from lazy.

Finally, Anode. If Roberts was tasked to try and pull new readers in with Lost Light, her inclusion could be his trying to do so. It doesn't feel like he meant for MTMTE was supposed to end there at issue 55 (I'm referring to the Lost Light's storyline), so I'm sure Roberts was scrambling to try and do so and launch a new book. My point? Having both Anode on Necroworld with her problems and a version of her with the AVL was probably his way to help his new readers understand the different universes better with giving them a character they've known since her conception.

To end this rant, I'm not a comic expert and a lot of that is pure speculation. I do, however, consider myself an amateur writer and feel that work from a good writer should be defended if it feels justified, as I believe so in this case.

Yes I do write. I've said on here before I am artist that writes and draw comics and publish them. I've been reading comics since I was 5 and I've been creating comics for 14 years and have been publishing my own comics and going to comic conventions since 2012 with my other friends who also create their own comics and we sell and promote them at tables. Even been on a couple podcasts and been on a couple Q n As at conventions telling people about being a content creator and how to start it. So I kinda know a thing or two about comics.

In my opinion this is utterly lazy. Having Rung explain to nightbeat what has happened to him while his alternate version also explaning it at the exact same time is lazy. Having the crew sent to an alternate universe by technology created by someone who just so happens to be there and then him having a weapon that can solve it all is lazy.

A). I'm sorry, I overreacted and haven't been around much to know much about anyone here. So, ignorance on my part and I apologize for this.

B). I didn't notice that Killmaster had made the tech. And I still stand beside the explanation I give about Rung. However, I will say it to be my own opinion now and apologize again for heavily criticizing yours.

Randomhero wrote:Killmaster is the creator of the Geobomb which was the weapon used by the Galactic Council at the end of mtmte that trapped everyone in this universe. And it just so happens he was on th necroword and it just so happens his wand is also based on similar technology. It's a convenient coincidence on top of a convenient coincidence with a macguffin as a cherry on top. I'm sorry I find that lazy

Nothing to apologize for. To each his (or her) own. I do think MTMTE, ahem, the Lost Light is the type of series to have a goofy coincidence like that, but as I said, to each his own.

Also, if you do writing, could you direct me (via PMs) to some of your work? I'd actually be interested in reading it.

Nexus Knight wrote:I do, however, consider myself an amateur writer and feel that work from a good writer should be defended if it feels justified, as I believe so in this case.

This is where I disagree. I don't think James Roberts is a good writer. I like MTMTE generally, but it could have been so much better. It feels too cluttered, though not as bad as ReGeneration One was. If Roberts was truly worth his salt, he would have tidied up the story and maybe gotten more out of the pages he was allotted. Having said that, I still do plan on picking up the TPB of Lost Light, so I guess in the end that's all that matters.