Review for IDW Transformers: Lost Light #8

Bounti76 wrote:I love the new/old character that Lug and Anode meet! Even if Anode still does rub me the wrong way. And correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't this issue feature more fembots than male 'bots? At least until the last few pages?

Randomhero wrote:I really wish I could say I was surprised by the ending but I'm so fed up with fake deaths and resurrections it's just become the norm with roberts anymore. Kill a character and a year or two down the road and they're back. Sometimes it's the very next issue. It's just another tiresome thing.

ricemazter wrote:

Randomhero wrote:I really wish I could say I was surprised by the ending but I'm so fed up with fake deaths and resurrections it's just become the norm with roberts anymore. Kill a character and a year or two down the road and they're back. Sometimes it's the very next issue. It's just another tiresome thing.

If I can ask, what happened? I don't plan on picking this one up.

Cmdr. Trailblazer wrote:

ricemazter wrote:

Randomhero wrote:I really wish I could say I was surprised by the ending but I'm so fed up with fake deaths and resurrections it's just become the norm with roberts anymore. Kill a character and a year or two down the road and they're back. Sometimes it's the very next issue. It's just another tiresome thing.

If I can ask, what happened? I don't plan on picking this one up.

It's revealed that Nautica is looking for a way to resurrect Skids at the very end. If that does indeed happen, I'm gonna be very disappointed. Wolfman has a point, Roberts (or maybe just comics in general) have a habit of bringing back 'dead' characters. However, if Skids is brought back, I think it'll make his death and sacrifice worthless.

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I was also sort of let down by the issue. I don't know anymore, it's like for every good thing, there is an inexcusable bad thing.

I mean, come on! Skids death was final, meant to be so, and was so meaningful. Similar thing with Ravage and Trailcutter. and how we are trying to resurrect him? If he does come back, that is scrap and it basically ruins Dying of the Light. If he is nearly brought back but somehow goes back to the afterspark,
or if Nautica needs to die for him to come back, ok I can give a little there.

Now I do like where we are going with the warworlds, the things from issues 7 and 46, we are getting somewhere. And Flame is back, nice

ArmadaPrime wrote: Most interesting to a mythos-theorising nerd like me though is the Knights' symbols. It's something I'd thought possible for a while, but the reveal of those clearly shows imo that the Knights follow the Guiding Hand, each clan a different member. The bottom right is unmistakably Mortilus' head. The question remains then- who/what exactly does the Gear symbol we've seen a lot represent, and what does that imply about this Grand Architect who's name keeps cropping up?

Daniel Adkins wrote:Transgender robots = Awesome.

*micdrop*

Kurona wrote:Transformers have had a concept of gender ever since the first Marvel issue referred to Optimus Prime as a 'he'. If they have enough of a concept to describe each other with such pronouns, it's really not that much of a stretch to believe some would end up preferring different pronouns later in their lives.

Daniel Adkins wrote:Transgender robots = Awesome.

*micdrop*

Deadput wrote:And now we can make the joke about Trans-formers with emphasis on the trans amiritegys?

"sigh" Why can't we just stay simple with there being only two genders and media not sucking up to the popular trends of the year damn it Roberts.

I might be bias though since besides being in a Christian family I'm personally very much against the concept of people deciding what gender they are and ignoring science and biology like their god like I don't care if you think your an attack Helicopter or an alien your born either a boy or a girl that's the way it's always been and how God intended it to be so why are we only now doing this stuff for the last couple years?

Sorry if I'm getting political or being self centered I don't like being that but this subject is just wrong and unnatural to me and in my opinion those people need help and not encouragement.

Kurona wrote:Transformers have had a concept of gender ever since the first Marvel issue referred to Optimus Prime as a 'he'. If they have enough of a concept to describe each other with such pronouns, it's really not that much of a stretch to believe some would end up preferring different pronouns later in their lives.

Only real reason for that besides toys and humanizing them is that there isn't really any terms when it comes to genderless or other gendered people like there is for people being referred as him and her among other terms.

Hard to write a character like that without calling them it and making them seam less alive.

Daniel Adkins wrote:Except there is a word: "they."

Daniel Adkins wrote:"They went to the store and bought soda for themselves." The same you would refer to the plural they.

Daniel Adkins wrote:Also, gender is a construct. There's more than two genders.

Kurona wrote:either grow up or read something else and leave the subject at that.

Rodimus Prime wrote:

Kurona wrote:either grow up or read something else and leave the subject at that.

There's no need for insults. Just because you don't agree with his opinion, doesn't mean he can't state it, just like you can state yours even if he doesn't agree.

I will say it once more: back to the Lost Light. No more of this subject in this thread.

Daniel Adkins wrote:

Deadput wrote:And now we can make the joke about Trans-formers with emphasis on the trans amiritegys?

"sigh" Why can't we just stay simple with there being only two genders and media not sucking up to the popular trends of the year damn it Roberts.

I might be bias though since besides being in a Christian family I'm personally very much against the concept of people deciding what gender they are and ignoring science and biology like their god like I don't care if you think your an attack Helicopter or an alien your born either a boy or a girl that's the way it's always been and how God intended it to be so why are we only now doing this stuff for the last couple years?

Sorry if I'm getting political or being self centered I don't like being that but this subject is just wrong and unnatural to me and in my opinion those people need help and not encouragement.

Kurona wrote:Transformers have had a concept of gender ever since the first Marvel issue referred to Optimus Prime as a 'he'. If they have enough of a concept to describe each other with such pronouns, it's really not that much of a stretch to believe some would end up preferring different pronouns later in their lives.

Only real reason for that besides toys and humanizing them is that there isn't really any terms when it comes to genderless or other gendered people like there is for people being referred as him and her among other terms.

Hard to write a character like that without calling them it and making them seam less alive.

Except there is a word: "they."

Also, gender is a construct. There's more than two genders.

With that, I must board a plane. Please don't go to hell, Thread!

EDIT: And awesome because it's more representation for transgender fans.

Rodimus Prime wrote:I will say it once more: back to the Lost Light. No more of this subject in this thread.

Kurona wrote:For god's sake.

Rodimus Prime wrote:I will say it once more: back to the Lost Light. No more of this subject in this thread.

Stormshot_Prime wrote:We have aliens whose lifespans are seemingly infinite (at least in the IDWverse) expressing a lot of overly human feelings and angst.

DeadCaL wrote:

Stormshot_Prime wrote:We have aliens whose lifespans are seemingly infinite (at least in the IDWverse) expressing a lot of overly human feelings and angst.

This bit here is what's been turning me off with Lost Light/MTMTE for quite a while. I realise that it's being read by squishy humans, so we have to understand them to an extent, but I prefer my giant alien robots that transform into cars to be a bit more alien and robotic, and bit less forlorn people in robot suits who occasionally have discos.

Also if they could transform once in a while, that'd be nice

ricemazter wrote:I'd be happy if current transformers titles could keep the feelings and angst related to the issues affecting the robot society. Like, I don't think any of the current transformers titles have really dealt with post war reconciliation between Autobots and Decepticons in any meaningful way. I mean, we sort of got that with RID, but from my recollection the Decepticons were pretty Hell bent on starting another war throughout most of it. I want to say that TAAO dealt with it a bit, but for the life of me I can't remember anything beyond the Combaticons being antagonists.

So far, the only stories I can think of that really cared about the open wounds on both sides and the emotional aftermath of the war was the one shot with Sandstorm and the couple Scavengers stories. Maybe some lip service here and there. I still really like the line Ratchet has in MTMTE about peace being an anti-climax.

I like Nautica and a lot of the other crewmembers, but I can't really bring myself to care about her feelings of alienation on Caminus because it doesn't have anything to do with the issues that have been set up in the past decade. I have similar qualms with other characters.

Also, I'm tired of titles that are more or less starring Autobots who are the defacto protagonists. You'd think we could get a series that headlines Decepticons for once, one that deals with the fact that everything they fought for was ultimately pointless.

Cheesinator wrote:

ricemazter wrote:I'd be happy if current transformers titles could keep the feelings and angst related to the issues affecting the robot society.
I like Nautica and a lot of the other crewmembers, but I can't really bring myself to care about her feelings of alienation on Caminus because it doesn't have anything to do with the issues that have been set up in the past decade. I have similar qualms with other characters.

Also, I'm tired of titles that are more or less starring Autobots who are the defacto protagonists. You'd think we could get a series that headlines Decepticons for once, one that deals with the fact that everything they fought for was ultimately pointless.

You've nailed it, IMO.

I like Lost Light, but less so than most of MTMTE because of the reasons largely stated above. The series always basically a sitcom, but it was always set very firmly within the Transformers universe and was clearly a Transformers story but with more characterisation and personal twists than we're used to (which was fantastic).

The focus now seems to be edging more towards the personal dramas and relationships, and less so on the broader Trasnsformers stuff. It's still good, but as a Transformers fan, the shift in tone dilutes the appeal for me.

I'd love to see some more focus on how Decepticons and Autobots are actually coexisting. For all the progressive strides MTMTE is making, it's odd that it still follows the basic 'all Autobots good, all Decepticons bad' decree (with a very small handful of exceptions like Pharma and Megatron...and I guess the Scavengers but they're still burning Autobots alive when they get the chance aren't they?).

Kurona wrote:Transformers have had a concept of gender ever since the first Marvel issue referred to Optimus Prime as a 'he'. If they have enough of a concept to describe each other with such pronouns, it's really not that much of a stretch to believe some would end up preferring different pronouns later in their lives.

Burn wrote:So yeah, this latest issue? Boring.

Don't care about the characters. Don't care about all the relationship stuff, very much over it.

I miss the days when comic books told good old fashioned stories and didn't resort to making socio-political statements.

Kurona wrote:

Burn wrote:So yeah, this latest issue? Boring.

Don't care about the characters. Don't care about all the relationship stuff, very much over it.

I miss the days when comic books told good old fashioned stories and didn't resort to making socio-political statements.

But that's kind of what fiction does?

It's what it's always done. I don't even need to bring up literary greats like Shakespeare and Orwell because it's been with comics since the beginning. A huge proportion of the first Marvel and DC comics were made as a response to the rising threat of WWII, while X-Men - one of whose issues has the proud owner of being the #1 best-selling comic of all time - is an allegory to oppressed groups in society. Politics and social commentary always have been and always will be a part of comics and fiction as a whole.

Burn wrote:

Kurona wrote:

Burn wrote:So yeah, this latest issue? Boring.

Don't care about the characters. Don't care about all the relationship stuff, very much over it.

I miss the days when comic books told good old fashioned stories and didn't resort to making socio-political statements.

But that's kind of what fiction does?

It's what it's always done. I don't even need to bring up literary greats like Shakespeare and Orwell because it's been with comics since the beginning. A huge proportion of the first Marvel and DC comics were made as a response to the rising threat of WWII, while X-Men - one of whose issues has the proud owner of being the #1 best-selling comic of all time - is an allegory to oppressed groups in society. Politics and social commentary always have been and always will be a part of comics and fiction as a whole.

We must be reading different modern day comics then. Because I don't see any of it in Batman, Flash, or a lot of DC titles (Superman may be an exception), and setting Marvels current "Secret Empire" series, a number of their titles are socio-political free.

But hey, you like them, that's fine. I don't.

Ironhidensh wrote:Yeah, but it wasn't the only thing in the story. Those comics still told kick ass action and adventure, with the commentary on the side. Lost Light feels like a platform for commentary, with a tiny bit of action on the side.

I loved MTMTE, but so far, LL is a completely different book, with vaugly similar characters. It sucks.

Stormshot_Prime wrote:

Ironhidensh wrote:Yeah, but it wasn't the only thing in the story. Those comics still told kick ass action and adventure, with the commentary on the side. Lost Light feels like a platform for commentary, with a tiny bit of action on the side.

I loved MTMTE, but so far, LL is a completely different book, with vaugly similar characters. It sucks.

That's my main issue, above all else. All those socio-political arguments aside, the series changed so abruptly in quality and theme that many readers like you and I are left with whiplash. The premise of MTMTE was a bunch of emotionally broken, PTSD-having, war torn bots on an epic quest, and now half of the cast can't even relate to the war. This last issue really shows this off for me, there was not one original Lost Lighter in the main cast. Not that I don't love the fembots (maybe save for Anode), but the quest and whole essence of what MTMTE was about is lost on them it seems.

Collective groans when the whole Skid's-brain-in-eye thing happened. Can we and the Rodimus crew not legitimately feel the weight of loss for once?

ricemazter wrote:No, currently it's all about vengeance against Getaway, not contacting Cybertron, not explaining to anybody outside the crew what's going on, just stopping Getaway from finishing the quest before him.

ricemazter wrote:

Burn wrote:

Kurona wrote:

Burn wrote:So yeah, this latest issue? Boring.

Don't care about the characters. Don't care about all the relationship stuff, very much over it.

I miss the days when comic books told good old fashioned stories and didn't resort to making socio-political statements.

But that's kind of what fiction does?

It's what it's always done. I don't even need to bring up literary greats like Shakespeare and Orwell because it's been with comics since the beginning. A huge proportion of the first Marvel and DC comics were made as a response to the rising threat of WWII, while X-Men - one of whose issues has the proud owner of being the #1 best-selling comic of all time - is an allegory to oppressed groups in society. Politics and social commentary always have been and always will be a part of comics and fiction as a whole.

We must be reading different modern day comics then. Because I don't see any of it in Batman, Flash, or a lot of DC titles (Superman may be an exception), and setting Marvels current "Secret Empire" series, a number of their titles are socio-political free.

But hey, you like them, that's fine. I don't.

I think it's more a point of how every work of fiction is in some way political, not necessarily sociopolitical, but political in that it makes a point about something whether philosophical or moral or whatever. Superman stands for truth, justice, and the American way, which makes everything he does a political statement practically by default. If an author were to come along and say he didn't, that would also be political.

Vigilante characters is also a political statement, not to mention what audience members bring in with their own interpretations. For instance, and not making a judgement call on whether this is a good thing or not, I've always seen Batman as a conservative superhero. I won't explain why, that's way off topic and will probably get me banned.

Some books are much more on the nose than others. For a while now, Roberts' transformers have been about oppression, institutional or otherwise. Remember when the Scavengers learned to accept mental illness after freeing robotic torture slaves while Fortress Maxemus, now a cop, learned that this one group associated with criminality wasn't as bad as he thought?