Review of IDW Transformers: Till All Are One #8
Thursday, March 30th, 2017 3:26AM CDT
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site ArticlesPosted by: Va'al Views: 38,399
Topic Options: View Discussion · Sign in or Join to reply
(Spoiler free-ish)
Synopsis
This is it: the final stand for Cybertron! Will Starscream and Windblade’s gamble finally pay off or will all of Iacon be destroyed by the zombie titans?
Story
We know how this story ends. We know from solicitations and other ongoings that have a differed timeline in the storytelling. We know that the Titans are defeated, and that something happens on Cybertron and Caminus that requires the Mistress of Flame to show up, and wider repercussions. But we did not know it would happen like this.
This is the culmination of an action sequence that started three issues ago, one that began much earlier, and one sustained excellently through the arc, while trying to deal with one landscape of scenarios so crowded and multi-sided that anything wrong would've tipped it all off. It didn't. It doesn't.
The most surprising part? Metroplex is the one voice running through the story, as the ties he and his kind have to Carcer/Vigilem are the ones that Windblade must use, exploit and endure to bring an end to the Titans' return at the hands of Infinitus/Sentinel and Sovereign (yeah, remember them, that long while ago?). And it works, in such a powerful, moving, way. The connection is palpable.
There are two stories being told here, through Windblade and Carcer, Vigilem and Metroplex: one has to do with Titans Return, and the end of that story arc; the other has to do with the entire TFverse, and digs much deeper than some of Windblade's moments have done so far (go back to the Revolution tie-in, for example). Both are poignant, neither detracts from the other, and they deliver blows of equal violence - as only Scott's evil writing can do.
Art
Sara Pitre Durocher truly, really shines in the issue. She combines the use of layers and contrasts, playing with negative space and foregrounds, sizes and overlays in such a way as to convey the scale - and not just in a tangible sense - metal warfare, as well as physical, are exquisitely portrayed in a very concrete way, and the designs of some newcomers (of sorts) only add to that.
Those uses of negative space and contrast? They wouldn't be as effective without the perfect synchronised work of Joana Lafuente's colours, playing with the layers, adding shadows and light where the two can bring the most to the panel, shutting out either where only one suffices. Adding transparency to some overlays. Allowing us to savour the art on its many battlefields.
TAAO has always brought some fascinating ways of using Titan brain modules and captions into the storytelling, and with Metroplex taking centre narratorial stage, Tom B. Long has some significantly hefty work on his plate, which he also delivers, as usual, effortlessly. And cover-wise, we have seen two out of three with Pitre-Durocher on the looming main, Priscilla Tramontano on the thumbnailed ominous silhouette, and Nelson Daniel (found in our database entry) taking the Awesome Twosome to front page material.
Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead
The three current ongoing series from IDW Publishing all have their degrees of excellence, and appeal to slightly different readerships perhaps: Till All Are One, for me, maintains the perfect balance of lore shaking/building, character development, sustained action (it just did so for over four issues) and the more light hearted sides - even with darker humour - of the series. And it does so with such glee and revelling in its twisted, even darker plot turns.
What has just happened may probably not be revisited soon enough, as there will be a settling arc and story to follow this up as we find out what happens to its key players. There will be more, so much more to come now that some of the even BIGGER players are on the board; or perhaps, starting to move from outside the board altogether. I am most definitely in for the ride - you coming?
News Search
Got Transformers News? Let us know here!
Most Popular Transformers News
ROTB Optimus Prime Lead Designer Discusses Why the Face Looks Similar to the 2007 Movie
57,823 viewsMost Recent Transformers News
Posted by Va'al on March 30th, 2017 @ 4:22am CDT
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on March 30th, 2017 @ 7:58am CDT
Posted by Kurona on March 30th, 2017 @ 8:19am CDT
Posted by Va'al on March 30th, 2017 @ 8:35am CDT
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on March 30th, 2017 @ 8:36am CDT
Hmm, being literal or a slight dig at how I talk too much?
You decide!
But really though, this was a great issue. TAAO has done some amazing things within the minds of cybertronians. First Bruticus, then this!
Posted by Optimus Prime13th on March 30th, 2017 @ 9:03am CDT
Posted by Va'al on March 30th, 2017 @ 9:05am CDT
Optimus Prime13th wrote:Now that the titan arc seems to have finally come to a end, it looks like the next part of the series is about to begin. Prime Wars. Can't wait to see how this pans out with Onyx Prime and Liege Maximo being introduced into the series. Also I wonder if they'll mention anything about the Mistress of Flame believing Optimus is the Thirteenth Prime or as she puts it he is The Arisen
She's back next month, so we'll find out soon enough!
Posted by Targetmaster Kup on March 30th, 2017 @ 9:30am CDT
#211 Optimus Prime 4
#214 Lost Light 2
#231 Lost Light 3
#242 Till All Are One 7
#263 Revolutionaries 2
And they all sell better than any of the other Hasbro Universe comics (Other than Jem), so I would not be too worried at this time.
Posted by Randomhero on March 30th, 2017 @ 10:00am CDT
Posted by Randomhero on March 30th, 2017 @ 10:18am CDT
Kurona wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Ok, so I just came to a realization: the whole 13 ores ending up on the planets that the 13 primes ended up on is starting to fall apart more.
it was already in danger because of Alpha Trion being on cybertron, thus leaving 13 ores to 12 primes, and then micronus being in a whole other universe (though the entropy cloud as an ore can still be said to make sense).
But this does break it. Liege Maximo was onboard Carcer AKA Vigilem, who I really think had some salvaged Tempo parts forming him, hence how Metroplex detected that titan as Tempo. But if Liege Maximo was on board that titan the whole time, then was the titan resting on a planet where an ore was planted, only to take off later? or is this a continuity order with the 13 ores and the 13 primes?
IIRC, Shockwave planted the Ores where he thought the Primes had gone. There was no indication of just how correct he was, if he got all of them right if any at all; nor any indication of if he knew Trion was a Prime or not. It's very possible that Shockwave was simply incorrect.
I don't think Shockwave was wrong. Alpha Trion confirmed in that Galvatron story that Shockwave knew and hid lot of stuff and one of the things he knew was where the colonies were and that's where he launched the ores. It's like I've been saying, where there's an Ore there is or was a colony/Titan and where there's those there is or was a prime. Not all the ores fermented or mutated like he wanted. During Dark Cybertron he only collected the ones that were altered for his plan. Several of those ores didn't work out or became standard energon like the energon on Caminus, Eurakis, Prion, velocitron and Devisiun. All those planets and colonies have or had energon and energon is only natural on Cybertron. It can't grow anywhere else naturally (said by jetfire allllllll the way back in stormbringer) which would mean some of Shockwaves ores had to have landed on those planets or colonies.
This is Why I'm hoping Shockwave returns before Power of the Primes starts or when it starts because what he's done and what he's knows is very important.
Posted by Randomhero on March 30th, 2017 @ 10:27am CDT
She's not dead. Mistress Flame said in OP 3 she's recuperating from what's happened in this issue.
Posted by ScottyP on March 30th, 2017 @ 10:48am CDT
Earth already messes that up since the Titan there doesn't arrive until the 2012 RiD Annual. Unless there's a second one someplace.
Posted by Randomhero on March 30th, 2017 @ 10:54am CDT
ScottyP wrote:If there's a Titan everywhere Ores are then I hope Elonia's Titan is Ejector.
Earth already messes that up since the Titan there doesn't arrive until the 2012 RiD Annual. Unless there's a second one someplace.
And that's what I've been thinking since the beginning. That there's another Titan on earth or Metrotitan was suppose to go to earth but he wasn't able to for whatever reason and he stayed on Cybertron till Dai atlas took him. Once he awoke he went back to Cybertron and then he went to earth after like he was always meant to.
But I do think there is another Titan. Soundwave said human minds are just like cybertronians in ways which has always lead me to believe humans are the fully organic cybertronians and our "souls" are sparks. Little fanfic wanky but would justify earth being a colony and why an ore is there.
Posted by Va'al on March 30th, 2017 @ 11:25am CDT
Randomhero wrote:
She's not dead. Mistress Flame said in OP 3 she's recuperating from what's happened in this issue.
I didn't think we were suggesting she was dead.
Posted by Randomhero on March 30th, 2017 @ 11:36am CDT
Va'al wrote:Randomhero wrote:
She's not dead. Mistress Flame said in OP 3 she's recuperating from what's happened in this issue.
I didn't think we were suggesting she was dead.
Sorry i miss read that as "perished" instead I persisted. Wow...sorry lol
Posted by Optimus Prime13th on March 30th, 2017 @ 12:46pm CDT
Posted by Va'al on March 30th, 2017 @ 12:51pm CDT
Randomhero wrote:Sorry i miss read that as "perished" instead I persisted. Wow...sorry lol
Oooh gotcha! Fair fair, but yes, no illusion about recovery, as I hinted at in review too.
We knew how it would end up, just not how it would get to that point.
Posted by Randomhero on March 30th, 2017 @ 1:15pm CDT
Optimus Prime13th wrote:Still wondering what Titan and Prime colonized Junkion. If I had to guess though my money would be Prima.
I've been thinking Almagalmus or alchemist for Junkion.
Tempo has to be Vectors since Temp is Italian for time which raises the question what happened to Tempo since Elita originally said they renamed Tempo Carcer and we know that was a cover but that still begs the question what happened to Tempo.
Little nitpick but I really with IDW would have made their own designs for the thirteen instead using the Aligned designs. I'm sure that prolly was a Hasbro request which I get but I really hate Liege Maximo's design. I'm not a fan of robot Loki.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on March 30th, 2017 @ 1:21pm CDT
Also, a bit of shameless plugging here, but I created a thread that tries to keep up with the 13 Primes, Titans, and ores in IDW as a reference for everything that is exploding onto the scene.
Here it is: idw-the-13-primes-titans-and-colonies-t108628.php
Posted by ArmadaPrime on March 30th, 2017 @ 4:36pm CDT
D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I really think Tempo was used as parts for Carcer/Vigilem. They found that colony and used it to repair their own, hence how Metroplex detected Carcer as Tempo first.
Agreed, though I wouldn't necessarily write Tempo off just yet. Unless I'm mistaken what Metroplex was reading was just the signatures of the spacebridge each Titan held, so it's entirely possible that a spacebridge-less Tempo is still out there somewhere with little means of contacting other Titans (possibly with Vector in tow, I don't think we've actually seen his IDW incarnation at all yet)
Posted by LE0KING on April 1st, 2017 @ 12:58pm CDT
Randomhero wrote:Optimus Prime13th wrote:Still wondering what Titan and Prime colonized Junkion. If I had to guess though my money would be Prima.
I've been thinking Almagalmus or alchemist for Junkion.
Tempo has to be Vectors since Temp is Italian for time which raises the question what happened to Tempo since Elita originally said they renamed Tempo Carcer and we know that was a cover but that still begs the question what happened to Tempo.
Little nitpick but I really with IDW would have made their own designs for the thirteen instead using the Aligned designs. I'm sure that prolly was a Hasbro request which I get but I really hate Liege Maximo's design. I'm not a fan of robot Loki.
I agree with you on the designs. Especially onyx prime's. It's not a good design.
I've personally been using the old RID Gigatron as onyx on my primes shelf, (that guy screams evil beast prime) so it was disappointing to see him show up in the Drift comic.
Either way I hope if we get toys they will be a little more subdued.
Posted by ScottyP on April 3rd, 2017 @ 9:07pm CDT
I will fight you.LE0KING wrote:I agree with you on the designs. Especially onyx prime's. It's not a good design.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on April 3rd, 2017 @ 9:09pm CDT
ScottyP wrote:IDW's Onyx Prime is a totally rad flying dragon centaur beast that looks like he could wreck your world with his army which is Beast Wars.I will fight you.LE0KING wrote:I agree with you on the designs. Especially onyx prime's. It's not a good design.
I like the aligned versions, so I think they work here. That Micronus from the TAAO Revolution was exceptionally well done. and I like the Liege and Onxy.
Hopefully if we see other primes Amalgamous comes out better. Too bed Nexus was really underwhelming when he was seen
Posted by Kurona on April 3rd, 2017 @ 9:36pm CDT
Posted by LE0KING on April 3rd, 2017 @ 9:40pm CDT
ScottyP wrote:IDW's Onyx Prime is a totally rad flying dragon centaur beast that looks like he could wreck your world with his army which is Beast Wars.I will fight you.LE0KING wrote:I agree with you on the designs. Especially onyx prime's. It's not a good design.
He feels like he was designed by a kid trying to prove that his robot is the bestist.
Kid 1: My robot is a centaur.
Kid 2: my robot turns into a dragon!
Kid 1: my robot is a dragon too. And a bird, and he's gold! And he can teleport! And and he controls all other beast robots including yours.
It's just to busy. There's too much going on to be a good design. And how the heck does that transform into anything?
Posted by Big Grim on April 4th, 2017 @ 7:35am CDT
Posted by ScottyP on April 4th, 2017 @ 10:24am CDT
LE0KING wrote:ScottyP wrote:IDW's Onyx Prime is a totally rad flying dragon centaur beast that looks like he could wreck your world with his army which is Beast Wars.I will fight you.LE0KING wrote:I agree with you on the designs. Especially onyx prime's. It's not a good design.
He feels like he was designed by a kid trying to prove that his robot is the bestist.
Kid 1: My robot is a centaur.
Kid 2: my robot turns into a dragon!
Kid 1: my robot is a dragon too. And a bird, and he's gold! And he can teleport! And and he controls all other beast robots including yours.
I don't see an issue with this
Posted by Big Grim on April 4th, 2017 @ 11:32am CDT
ScottyP wrote:I will fight you.
I totally read that in your voice.
Posted by Va'al on April 5th, 2017 @ 12:46pm CDT
FEB170418
(W) Mairghread Scott (A) Sara Pitre-Durocher (CA) Priscilla Tramontano
After the costly victory against the Titans, Iacon is in shambles and Starscream finds himself on shakier ground than ever. The key to his political (and likely literal) survival rests in the outcome of a very unlikely event: the trial of the Council’s first official war criminal-Chromia of Caminus!
In Shops: May 03, 2017
SRP: $3.99
TRANSFORMERS TILL ALL ARE ONE #9 10 COPY INCV
FEB170419
(W) Mairghread Scott (A) Sara Pitre-Durocher (CA) Jin Kim
After the costly victory against the Titans, Iacon is in shambles and Starscream finds himself on shakier ground than ever. The key to his political (and likely literal) survival rests in the outcome of a very unlikely event: the trial of the Council’s first official war criminal-Chromia of Caminus!
In Shops: May 03, 2017
SRP: PI
Posted by Targetmaster Kup on April 5th, 2017 @ 1:25pm CDT
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on April 5th, 2017 @ 2:06pm CDT
Nik Hero wrote:That last cover is beautiful.
It really is
Posted by Kurona on April 5th, 2017 @ 4:28pm CDT
Posted by SW's SilverHammer on April 5th, 2017 @ 7:26pm CDT
Posted by Pflore99 on April 6th, 2017 @ 9:14am CDT
Posted by Va'al on April 14th, 2017 @ 2:53pm CDT
After the costly victory against the Titans, Iacon is in shambles and Starscream finds himself on shakier ground than ever. The key to his political (and likely literal) survival rests in the outcome of a very unlikely event: the trial of the Council's first official war criminal—Chromia of Caminus!
Posted by Randomhero on April 14th, 2017 @ 3:37pm CDT
Posted by Va'al on April 19th, 2017 @ 1:24pm CDT
Can we just.
Also, alternate sketch for that last cover:
Posted by Sunstar on April 19th, 2017 @ 3:38pm CDT
Posted by Va'al on April 19th, 2017 @ 4:05pm CDT
Sunstar wrote:is it out yet?
Which one do you mean? The last issue released was #8, as reviewed here.
Next one to come out is #9, and as we saw the iTunes preview last week, expect a couple more weeks before actual release.
Posted by Sunstar on April 19th, 2017 @ 7:22pm CDT
Posted by Va'al on April 22nd, 2017 @ 2:38pm CDT
Check the image out mirrored below, and compare it to the first look we had at the Loki-esque character in the Covenant of Primus art by Ken Christiansen and the very first appearance in the Marvel G2 comic by Geoff Senior and Sarra Mossoff!
Posted by Carnivius_Prime on April 22nd, 2017 @ 2:51pm CDT
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on April 22nd, 2017 @ 2:54pm CDT
Posted by Deadput on April 22nd, 2017 @ 2:55pm CDT
Posted by Carnivius_Prime on April 22nd, 2017 @ 2:58pm CDT
D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I really like the TAAO version best personally. Something about it just sings awesomeness
Guess we got very different ideas about what awesome is cos I think that's the lamest one.
I didn't realise I was in the IDW sub-forum. I only clicked here cos it was on the news bit and I was so happy to see that glorious G2 page for first time in ages. I'll leave ya to it. Bye bye!
Posted by Noideaforaname on April 22nd, 2017 @ 3:23pm CDT
Posted by MKW Primal on April 22nd, 2017 @ 4:53pm CDT
Posted by Kurona on April 22nd, 2017 @ 5:00pm CDT
Noideaforaname wrote:Yeahhh... the Liege's original design is imposing as all hell, and the new one takes away literally everything in favor of Robot Loki for whatever inexplicable reason.
For a while now (solidifying around the mid-40s of ex-RiD), IDW's Thirteen seems to have adjusted to matching the Aligned line-up - why that is I'm not sure; was there anything said officially about Hasbro saying they had to? - so more than likely that includes the designs resembling Aligned's versions as well. Hopefully it doesn't also mean IDW's Fallen matches how lame he was in RiD; a demi-god with unlimited telekinesis and he gets beat up by standard prison equipment...
Regardless, if that's the direction they had to go in, I'm glad it was executed well no matter what I might think of the concept (which I'm not entirely sure on myself). Basically the Aligned Maximo but better.
Posted by Deadput on April 22nd, 2017 @ 5:42pm CDT
Kurona wrote:Noideaforaname wrote:Yeahhh... the Liege's original design is imposing as all hell, and the new one takes away literally everything in favor of Robot Loki for whatever inexplicable reason.
For a while now (solidifying around the mid-40s of ex-RiD), IDW's Thirteen seems to have adjusted to matching the Aligned line-up - why that is I'm not sure; was there anything said officially about Hasbro saying they had to? - so more than likely that includes the designs resembling Aligned's versions as well. Hopefully it doesn't also mean IDW's Fallen matches how lame he was in RiD; a demi-god with unlimited telekinesis and he gets beat up by standard prison equipment...
Regardless, if that's the direction they had to go in, I'm glad it was executed well no matter what I might think of the concept (which I'm not entirely sure on myself). Basically the Aligned Maximo but better.
Probably because Hasbro doesn't want the effort that went into the failed aligned continuity to go to waste so their going to copy and paste to do whatever they can to salvage the mostly abandoned ideas which will ultimately mess IDW's universe more instead of giving it any benefit mostly.
I do like some of their original ideas though like the Arisen sounds like a cool concept such as a Prime who is literally chill with him constantly making the areas around him freeze and a good counterpart for The Fallen which I'm waiting for it's eventual butchery like IDW's been doing with good ideas lately.
As for the Fallen their probably going to do this...thing
Instead of the first two more original designs that should make the Fallen unique instead of a direct Megatron rip off and say what you will about movie Fallen but at least his design was original and unique to him as a skinny guy instead of a bulky brute like Megatron.
I hope they don't give him true telekinesis but maybe magneto styled magnetism or something like Windcharger's abilities but stronger but also not overpowered since he is most likely going to be a villain so he has to either be defeated or give up on evil.
Also make him legitimately bad and not aligned's Anakin/Darth Vader rip off with the whole "I'm evil and angry cause I killed my love!" with maybe some justification to hate the other 13 like they neglected him for something or he wasn't anyone's favorite.
If they had to bring something from aligned for him how about this helmet cause that was pretty bad arse which makes his actual face underwhelming in comparison.
Maybe Windcharger is the Fallen's grandson or something.
Posted by Hydrargyrus on April 22nd, 2017 @ 11:46pm CDT
...right?