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britesparc · 5 years

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Weekend Top Ten #386

Top Ten Coolest Things About SDCC 2019

So another SDCC has come and gone, and with it a cavalcade of nerdy news. This was a weird year, as there were some simply huge pop-culture-defining announcements, but for my money it was all about Marvel, which was to be expected; other epoch-shaking revelations were thinner on the ground, I feel. There was less of a comics presence, which I know is often a criticism of SDCC nowadays, as it has become an arm of the movie business really. But all the same, without a cinematic DC presence, and with choice animated fare such as My Little Pony essentially taking a year off, the sheer gravity of the MCU consumed almost all else.

However, what a gravity! And there was stuff, great stuff, surprising stuff. So here we go: my top ten things from SDCC.

Marvel Rules the Universe: I mean, this was it really, wasn’t it? A lot of stuff we knew, a lot we sort-of knew, but plenty that was an outright surprise. Biggest moments? Natalie Portman back as The Mighty Thor; Mahershala Ali as Blade; “The Multiverse of Madness”; What If…? I could go on. I expected it to be supreme, and it was. Make Mine Marvel.

Picard’s Triumphant Return: Unquestionably the TV event I’m most excited for, seeing Sir Patrick Stewart as an older, sadder Picard is a highlight. Intrigue, action, and Seven of Nine. And Data! Data! I’d long predicted the plot would centre on Picard trying to save/resurrect Data, and that sure seems to be the case, doesn’t it? although I’m still holding out for Q…

Tremendous Transformers Toys: Absolute Unit Unicron is just phenomenal. The scale of it, the accuracy, the price… but I’m just as giddily happy that Rung has a toy. Rung, the creation of James Roberts, who first appeared in his own fan-fiction. That’s just lovely.

Brandon Routh’s Back Behind the S: Now this was a surprise: the Arrow-Verse is doing Crisis on Infinite Earths, and low and behold, Brandon Routh – who was brilliant in the often weird and a bit disappointing Superman Returns – is back playing the Man of Steel. Return he very well will. It’s the Kingdom Come version of Superman apparently, so we’ll see what that’s like.

Will the Real John Connor Please Stand Up: Who is the Terminator franchise’s John Connor? After Edward Furlong gave one of the greatest child-star debuts in Terminator 2, he’s been played by a different actor in every film. But now, surprisingly, OG John is back, back, back, in the increasingly-curious Dark Fate. Also nice to see Arnie on stage!

Party Like it’s 1984: I have a funny feeling that Transformers ’84 might have been teased or something beforehand, but all the same it’s great to see Simon Furman back writing a Transformers book, with classic artist Guido Guidi too.

Nice Job, Agents: Agents of SHIELD is ending, which is to be expected. Rumoured, I think, before the conference, and confirmed on stage. From a rather inauspicious and derided first season, it rallied, producing some great TV and very fine character arcs. I think at this point any pretence it’s set in the main MCU is out the window, but it was a good show with a good run.

Trailermageddon: Blimey, where to start? Not including stuff I’ve already mentioned, we’ve got The Witcher, His Dark Materials, the new Harley Quinn animated series… I have to say, the calibre was high and the majority of the trailers dropping in SDCC week was very impressive.

Kylo Rises: This was a surprise: the story of Ben Solo’s fall to the Dark Side will be told, not in a mainline Star Wars movie, but in a Marvel comic. The Rise of Kylo Ren will – presumably – fill in all the blanks. I’m actually quite pleased we don’t need this in a film; it should either have been the spine of the trilogy or ignored entirely, along with Snoke and Rey’s parents…

I Really Need to Watch Duck Tails: The rebooted Duck Tails remains one of the best-looking shows I’ve not seen yet, and the teaser poster for the upcoming season is bananas. With characters from Darkwing Duck, Tailspin, Rescue Rangers, and more, Duck Tails is looking like the MCU of ‘90s Disney animation. Goofy’s there, too, looking very Goof Troop, although I don’t see Max. Anyway, this is incredible and I really need to watch it.

As I was sorta saying earlier, it was a funny year in that a lot of it was predictable, and yet also surprising. As far as my predictions went from a few weeks ago, I was on the money in the broad sense, although my specifics were a little off. Yes, Marvel announced a slew of Phase Four goodies, showing footage from Black Widow and giving us firm release dates and parading their A-list cast around; but we didn’t get a Loki trailer, for instance, and my out-there picks (Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel!) were out-done by other weirdness (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a title I guarantee no one predicted). Yes, we did sorta get the tiniest tease of Discovery season three; we sort-of have new Transformers (especially with the confirmation that the Constructicons-centric mini is now an ongoing focusing on side-characters); and there were plenty of trailers, although nothing yet from the Thrones spin-off. SHIELD is wrapping up, but I think the writing was on the wall there. And my predictions for Teen Titans-related stuff were, I think, pre-empted, although I didn’t know it at the time; we are indeed getting a straight-to-video movie starring the Teen Titans Go! cast as well as the OG Teen Titans from the noughties. Two Robins with one stone.

Anyway, maybe not the most vintage of vintage years, but when a company the size of Marvel Studios is putting out films with titles like Thor: Love and Thunder, you’ve got to tip your hat to them. We’re past the Endgame now, people. Who knows what comes next?

#top ten #sdcc #sdcc 19 #marvel #mcu #picard #transformers #disney

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transformers-art-showcase · 6 years

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P.A.T.C.H. #06: "Life After the Big Bang"

There’s a common rule of thumb when it comes to comics: you can jump in when you see a new #1 on the cover. If not, be wary –you’re not gonna get it, you’ve skipped episodes, you’re missing out. Well, you know what? Nuts to that! We here at P.A.T.C.H. like to stick it to common sense and provide a halfway decent explanation for it! So here we are, presenting a story from possibly the most popular “Transformers” comics title ever that is not a number 1 and provides a satisfying, complete story with connections to more! Enjoy! ... No, seriously, did it take us that long to talk MTMTE?!

“LIFE AFTER THE BIG BANG”

“The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye” #4-5 (2012)/ “Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye” Volume 2

Written by James Roberts, pencils by Alex Milne, colors by Josh Burcham, letters by Shawn Lee The amazing sogn for this wondrous edition of P.A.T.C.H.: https://youtu.be/tvqlt7OWTOk https://open.spotify.com/track/4p82pfEa4cayPqXLN6Rhzm

SO WHAT’S IT ABOUT? After receiving a cryptic, worrisome message, Autobot medic Ratchet, turncoat Autobot Drift and bad luck magnet Pipes land on the medical outpost of Delphi on the planet Messatine to investigate. Faced with a motley crew of doctors and patients and a deadly epidemic, our heroes have to rush both against unexpected enemies and their own worsening health... Oh, and Tailgate and Red Alert aren’t doing so hot on the ship, either. WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW? The opening blurbs mostly fill you in on everything: the recent end of the Autobot-Decepticon War, the proposal to search for the fabled Knights of Cybertron (“Death of Optimus Prime” one-shot), the open invitation by captain Rodimus into the starship “Lost Light” and its disastrous launch (“More Than Meets the Eye” #1). Other than that, the rest are character threads picked up from previous issues of the series and can be ignored for now, to focus on the stand-alone nature of the thing. Still, let’s go over some major ones. In terms of pre-existing character development, the most pressing issue would be Drift’s dramatic arc(s). Although he first appeared in “All Hail Megatron” #5, he already had a pretty long history behind him, mostly outlined in the first “Drift” mini-series. In those four issues (written by Shane McCarthy, penciled by Alex Milne, colored by Josh Perez and lettered by Chris Mowry), it was revealed that Drift started out as destitute and homeless before the War, and so the Decepticon vision of equality appealed to him greatly. (Not to mention giving him an outlet for his pent-up rage.) He was renamed “Deadlock” and garnered a reputation of cruelty and efficiency. That is, until a disobedience episode, an escape attempt and a brief stint with the Circle of Light, a group of pacifist warrior-scholars, changed that. Following that, he bumped into the Wreckers (“Spotlight: Drift”, written by Shane McCarthy, penciled by Casey Coller, colored by Joana Lafuente and lettered by Chris Mowry) and started associating with the Autobots, with whom he stayed for the next few years, up to the second confrontation with the Dead Universe forces (“Chaos”, written by Mike Costa and James Roberts, with art by Livio Ramondelli and letters by Chris Mowry, which we’ve briefly talked about here). One near-death experience later, he emerged as a cheerful spiritualist, much to one famous medic’s annoyance. Just this once, Ratchet’s wrong –this latest rendition of the character is one of his most popular ones, and even if you’re not interested in his pre-history, you can go by what is said about him easily. Though Tailgate is (rather famously) one of the breakout stars of the series, it’s not he who has the more extensive history, but his roomie Cyclonus. An ancient warrior and comrade of deranged megalomaniac Nem-, excuse me, completely stable individual Nova Prime’s, he was an undead creature under the sway of the Dead Universe for a long time (“Revelation”, written by Simon Furman and drawn by various artists). He later joined fellow Golden Age survivor Galvatron and his reformed army against Cybertron (“Chaos” and “Heart of Darkness”... I think so, at least). Following the betrayal of his commander for the love of his home planet, he joined the “Lost Light” after a misunderstanding (and beating up Whirl, but that’s perfectly normal). He’s been warned at least one on his violent tendencies by Rodimus and has expressed his doubts over the entire War; can he really make a fresh start with these people? Finally, and although that could be considered a bit of a spoiler, certain details –locations, characters, even phrases– first appeared or were mentioned in “Last Stand of the Wreckers”, and specifically its trade paperback editions. Click here to get there immediately and (hopefully) get a few good reasons to check out the book yourselves! WHERE DO I GO FROM THERE? To all of “More Than Meets the Eye”, obviously! These two issues, apart from being stand-alone, plant the seeds for so much more down the road, it’s dizzying! Keep up with the series, where all the characters mentioned here receive further development, and when you’re done, be sure to jump in on “Lost Light”, its continuation. If, however, you want to go to specific arcs from the first season of the series based on individual elements (most by the same team as this issue), I’d suggest “Shadowplay” (issues #7-9 or Volume 3) for Ratchet’s past with Drift (and Red Alert’s troubles), “Remain in Light” (#17-21 or Volume 5) for the comeback of Ratchet’s antagonist, “Before and After” and “Cybertronian Homesick Blues” (#12 and #13, both in Volume 4) for Cyclonus and Tailgate’s continuing development and “Under Cold Blue Stars” (issue #15 or Volume 4) for Pipes’ shining moment. Reader discretion is advised: at least one of these stories is known to cause intense pain in the feels. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Finally, make sure to pick up the dual 2012 Annuals for “More Than Meets The Eye” and “Robots in Disguise” (both contained in Volume 3 of their respective trade collections). Both are split in two. One half of their stories are the adventures of the present cast interacting with a Titan, a huge Transformer from the distant past. The other half, drawn by artist Guido Guidi (who also colors his work) in the style of the old Marvel “Transformers” series (as well as various “cosmic”, high sci-fi titles of the publisher), provides added world-building and backstory for the entire universe. While seemingly unrelated, the origin stories explain a few holes in the pasts of key characters (Cyclonus was young once?! And he knew Dai Atlas, too?!) and become vital later on, especially in the finale of “Lost Light”. IS IT ANY GOOD? It was a satisfying mystery that showcased how unique this world and its characters are. It featured the evolution of a true master artist. It introduced about a trillion things in 44 pages. It provided us with proof that Ratchet is, and shall forever be, one of the greatest things we have ever produced in this miserable world. WAIT, WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING ABOUT DRIFT?! Oh yeah, he’s there, too! Did I forget that? Never mind, song, playlist, go!

AND YOU THINK YOU'VE FIGURED OUT EVERYTHING | PLOT AND DIALOGUE While the format of this story isn’t unfamiliar, even for this feature (this is our third mystery, after “Windblade” and “Punishment”), what separates this one is how dense it is. Within the first three pages of the story, we’re introduced to three characters, one location and an impending threat, all unrelated to the main cast so far. Various techniques –unreliable journal narration, dialogue insertion, two-page spread– are mixed to give everyone as much character as possible and make everyone suspect for what’s going on. And the onslaught of detail doesn’t stop there. This is the kind of story that would’ve been impossible with any other type of property, even a sci-fi one: the very idea of transformation is integral to how it works. Alt-mode details, in-universe cultural views, even having the ability to change shape are used both as world-building and clues for the mystery. This is the kind of story that makes the casual, vaguely interested reader into a devotee and forces them to go back and reread it to get all the foreshadowing. This applies to the dialogue, too. Roberts’ language, which we’ve seen before here, has been praised as snappy and quotable (Ratchet and Drift here, full stop), but it also shows a deep appreciation for all “Transformers” lore. The famous joke on the best names being taken, for example? Done at the expense of an obscure character from a previous generation reusing the name “Prowl”. If there’s one downside to all that, it’s that some scene transitions can be a little clumsy (Red Alert’s scenes, though important for later, come a bit out of left field), but it’s a small price to pay for the excellence on display.

Hark! What is that I see? A vessel is leaving the port! The sirens of the “S. S. Dratchet” are blaring! All aboard! FEELING SPACED BREATHING OUT LISTERINE | ART And speaking of excellence, the team of Alex Milne and Josh Burcham are on fire here. The amount of detail, fluidity and expressiveness on all pre-existing characters is incredible, but the new designs are a triumph on their own. Most will be distracted by Pharma (I know I was!), but it’s Ambulon’s story-important form that’s the real star here. In general, however, there’s incredible synergy between the art and the story. Background details (First Aid’s badge collection) and actions (again, First Aid’s fiddling in the second issue) are as important as anything else to solve the mystery, so make sure you read slowly and pay attention. In general, Milne’s able to pack an incredible amount of information into very tight pages. The best example is probably Drift attacking another character and transforming in a single, enlarged panel and a few mini, inserted ones. Lastly, the backgrounds need to be highlighted. The arrival to the outpost and the climax excluded, all scenes are set indoors, but the art doesn’t feel constrained by them. Instead, it has two different approaches to interior spaces. Everything in Delphi looks used, dented, past its prime –even the very walls feel grimy. This makes it the polar opposite to the brightly lit, spacey rooms of the “Lost Light”, full of inviting light blues and pinks (the violent outburst in Cyclonus’ room is the exception). Burcham’s richly textured work favors faded browns, sickly greens and rusted reds –the liquid of the mysterious disease looks eerily much like blood. Two flashback-montage sequences (Tailgate’s narration and the final explanation for the outbreak of the epidemic) are much freer in panel construction and dreamier in color pallet, but are once again tight and informative. Add to this some splashes of robo-gore and the unobtrusive lettering (Pharma’s silent speech bubble and use of a laser scalpel is another small miracle) and this is an artistic five-course meal.

Pssst. Nobody tell Pipes “corpse-pile” isn’t an actual game. Let him figure it out on his own. YOU'D KILLED THE BETTER PART OF ME | CHARACTERS AND THEMES But, if you’ll let me get personal for a moment, despite all the above gushing, my favorite element in this story is still its protagonist. Ratchet’s arc in IDW has been one defined by his old age, not a unique element in the franchise –same goes for his “Animated” and “Prime” incarnations, after all. Where this medic separates himself, however, is how he’s tied to the larger themes of reconstruction and moral grayness. The characters of this universe are no strangers to morally questionable actions –we have already seen one such early demonstration from the Autobots on this feature–, but the culprit behind the Delphi disease really takes the cake. He claims all sorts of survivalist justifications for his criminal actions, but the one that rubs the worst are his similarities to Ratchet –he calls attention to them to buy time and out of a need to show off, in traditional “baddie” fashion. And that hurts. After all the effort to end the war, there’s still rot, (literal and figurative) disease and evil. How long can anyone hold onto their ideals in such a world? Won’t these ideals be corrupted, sooner or later? Why not just copy the bad guy’s tactics? If such violence is justified, why not snap and kill the bastard already? Why remain selfless and sacrificial –isn’t it tiring? The villain’s charm and Ratchet’s moral dilemma play off of each other wonderfully through Roberts’ snarky dialogue, and the final stinger remains uncomfortable. In the b-plot, this theme is further emphasized with Tailgate and Cyclonus’ scenes, where the senior bot berates the younger one on choosing a faction knowing little of their world. The younger characters introduced do offer another view –that there can be hope for the future-, so there really is no final closure offered. Instead, I wish to end this paragraph with the words of another great author: “Life persists”.

Even beaten down, rusting from the inside out and minutes before death, Ratchet is still cooler and more presentable than all of us at our best. BUT I CAN'T STILL FOCUS ON ANYTHING | FINAL THOUGHTS While reading this story again for this feature, I had flashes of my first time reading it a few years back. At that point, I hadn’t been completely sold on “Transformers”, but processing the facts and the details and the character beats here, I started seeing that there was something great about them. “More Than Meets the Eye” is a special book, the perfect gateway to a rich, complex, beautiful universe and introduced me to one of my faves. This wasn’t the story that blew me away (that might come up later), but it definitely was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

#maccaddams #tf comics #IDW #MTMTE #james roberts #alex milne #josh burcham #Shawn Lee #P.A.T.C.H.#p.a.t.c.h. 06 #all aboard the dratchet #all the best names are taken #first aid mah man!#hey guys remember pipes??#might solve a mystery #problematic faves #the medic of our hearts #the precious weeb babe #the transformers are all dead

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