Now that Dreamwave has announced that James "Brad Mick" McDonough and Adam Patyk
have left due to serious differences, it has to be said that the remaining
issues of G1 written by the two will certainly take on some kind of sentimental
quality. That's because these two writers brought so much to the Dreamwave TF
universe, the greatest of which, to my mind, remains the G1: More Than Meets The
Eye series. But they also brought a fan's love for the little and big things to
the G1 series, along with a sometimes mysterious but obviously cosmos-spanning
plan to solve the big riddle of where the Transformers fit in the galatic scheme
of things. Though one always wishes the announced arrival of Chris Sarrancini
(his G1 mini-series was dark but good; his Armada not as) on the title well,
McDonough and Patyk will be missed.
And with all honesty, Transformers G1 # 10, "The Route of All Evil," written
by McDonough and Patyk, with art by Don Figueroa, is one of the best issues in
the best Dreamwave series so far. Seriously.
On Earth, Starcsream is trying his best to get the Combaticons to work
together by beating on a power-dampened Sky Lynx when Predaking arrives. A
brutal Bruticus-Predaking duel follows and only one combiner team stands back
up. Starscream escapes to the safe confines of Decepticon HQ. Oops. Megatron is
back, and Starscream, in turns out, has been duped by Megatron's ever-loyal
Soundwave.
A captive Shockwave is also confronted with the fact that previously-hidden
Sunstorm had in fact escaped and perhaps destroyed. Shocky's got some explaining
to do.
Megatron then, recalling a pre-War Withi experience in a mind-bending
sequence for long-time TF fans, explains how the High Council has been deceiving
everyone and how he discovered there was more to the Transformers than anyone
thought by exploring a forbidden cavern that held the tomb of long-dead
Cybertronian ancestors. Not only did he take something valuable from that tomb,
but Megatron survived what he called an assassination attempt by agents of the
Council, which had been infiltrated by the Quintessons. That soon led to his
founding of the Decepticons.
Marrisa Faireborn of the Earth Defense Command is arguing with a superior
about the Autobots when she ordered to reactivate a project that may hold the
key to destroying the Transformers threat on Earth once and for all. But there
seems to be a bit of history unsaid here--the superior officer's nameplate reads
"Witwicky."
Jazz and the Earth-bound Autobots hide the Shuttle Orion at the edge of the
woods and are led by Ratchet through the foliage, all of them ruing the loss of
the Ark and Teletran-1. But upon arriving in the clearing, Prowl and the
recently-arrived Autobots from Cybertron surprise Jazz and company with quite a
sight: Autobots busy working on what is to eventually to become Autobot City.
In the Wastelands, the remains of the Triplechanger Blitzwing, who had
been destroyed by the Predacons last issue after he wouldn't abandon Shockwave,
are found and recovered by a someone we see only in shadow.
In Autobase, Ultra Magnus is assigning posts when Hot Rod is told he is not
qualified for any thing save perimeter guard duty with Wheelie and Gnaw. As he
watches Springer walk away with Arcee, Hot Rod does not realize is is being
watched.
The Quintessons are watching him, and the Transformers' creators are
planning the sending of an extraction team, whose leader had just shown up:
Elita One.
I cannot even begin to say what is not to love about "The Route of All
Evil," which ties in so many disparate elements of TF lore and fandom that it's
hard to know where to begin. Everyone plays a very active part in the story
(save for the still recuperating Optimus Prime but he will be back real soon)
and everyone is characterized on the mark. This issue involves a combiner
throwdown, mysterious arrivals, hope for the Autobots, Decepticons rebuilding
their forces on Earth, the humans designing their own monkey wrench of sorts and
the Quintessons with own devious plan. Some of the parts are a bit talky ( a
rather quaint aspect of McDonough-Patyk issues) but what they talking about more
than makes up for the fact that they just, well, talking. Best issue so far,
period.
And sorry to gush, but Figueroa had quite a job here because he had to
feature so many Transformers from different eras, and he does so with the same
supreme confidence and surehandedness he possesses. Oh and great cover, very
catchy. In particular, his 360-degree view of the fight between the combiners is
a treat. But the most impressive thing this issue is how Figueroa shows us the
Transformers' sizes relative to one another. In the Autobot meeting, the
Dinobots are clearly shown bigger than all the other Bots, save Ultra Magnus.
And in the flashback, see how small Megatron is to the ancient Transformers.
Wow.
If you haven't been reading the G1 series because on continuity concerns of
because you feel left behind, then this is the perfect issue to jump on. It's
just a fantastic piece of work from a team that's been consistent doing great
work.
Reports from Vector Sigma:
1) Nice to see all the Combaticons all lined up, clearly visible and with
speaking lines. Previously you caught them only as protoforms, in blakc and
white monitors or together as Bruticus. Swindle's personality is clearly intact.
2) Nice to see Sky Lynx has survived the fall to Earth--with personality intact
as well.
3) The Pentagon scene's full of little nods. First of all, Witwicky is the
surname of Spike (whom we've seen palling around with Bumblebee last issue),
Sparkplug (who died in the Ark II explosion) and Buster (who has yet to be
seen). So as to which Witwicky this is, use your imagination. His line "you
don't know them like I do," might hold the clue.
4) The project that Fairborn is assigned to reactivate, "Project: Centurion" is
a reference to a Transformers UK storyline by Furman involving the Dinobots and
an escaped prototype robot called the Centurion.
5) On Witwicky's screen is a schematic for what he calls an exo-suit. The suit
is clearly referencing the transforming suit Spike and Daniel used in the TF
movie and later in the TV series.
6) The Autobots shown working on the future Autobot City (which should
eventually be Metroplex) include some new arrivals from Cybertron: Grapple,
Hoist, Cosmos and Pipes. And in a nice touch, that's Omega Supreme doing some
literal heavy lifting in the background.
7) Kup getting assigned to work with the Dinobots is a reference to the TF
movie, again.
8) Any guesses who is was who picked up Blitzwing's remains?
9) Flashback time: In the his recollections of his time as pit fighter, Megtaron
clearly has a variation of his War Within mode, but with various markings that
look like components of what would eventually be the Decepticon symbol.The pit
fighter Megatron has just defeated is none other than Gobot Renegade leader
Cy-Kill. The High Council is shown exactly like the same one in the War Within
mini-series.
10) That shiny item in the dead Transformers' hands that Megatron procures? It
looks like yet another golden disk. How many of these things are there?
11) The Quintessons are speaking of an infiltrator within the current Autobot
ranks. Last issue, they gave some clues that their plans involved Hot Rod and
Arcee. But who is the target and who is the infiltrator?
12) This issue marks the first appearance of Elita One in Dreamwave continuity.
Traditional TF lore has Prime and Elita-1 being romantically linked (such as
robots can be), and the TV series has the female Autobots operating against the
Cons on their own (remember Chroma?). But remember how there were female robots
shown guarding the Quintesson throne room in Transformers G1 # 0? Maybe now we
know why. Or do we? Bring on the female Autobots!
13) The best hardcore tribute this issue: The inert "ancestors" that Megatron is
shown looking at are none other than Dai-Atlas and Deathsaurus from the Jap-only
series "Zone" and "Victory," respectively. Bring on the Japanese Transformers!
More! More!
