#like if only the whole livio deal

[beesinspades]

ok so next week's episode is gonna hurt. ok. cool. fine. i'm totally ready for that

also next week's ep being another flashback ep means they have only three (3) episodes to wrap up the season, so there is No Way there's gonna be just one season and when they called it "final act" they really just meant "season finale", right?

[tomboyyyaoi]

SOOOOO many more thoughts than last week ok

how much time has passed since ww's experimentation? i like the idea of him not ageing faster but just ageing to a certain point and continuing from there? or ageing to a certain point then being stuck like that? but bc the time is indeterminate and we dont know how old he was when he was sent off (kinda like the manga) im gnna keep assuming hes an adult and not caring♡ not my problem♡ also of we take the fact rollos whole thing was 20 years ago and the doctor still looked the same in both wolfwoods and rollos flashbacks then??? idk, im not jumping to anything yet, the time is still uncertain just like it was in the manga and honestly? thats fine by me im absolutely smelling an age discourse revival and i will be killing myself im abt to be so brutal with blocking new fans i can tell

nick been smoking that zaza since he was fresh out the womb

livio and nicks relationship. im bawling. they r brothers. im on the floor...

legato giving me mean twink vibes for this version im actually loving it hes such a petty insecure bitch "dont talk about my hair" *breaks nicks spine* LMAO i love him, he made me giggle, i love a petty gay villain whos genuinely a threat

meryl REFUSING to let the investigation go. her boss is like "its getting a little too dangerous for us we better scoot back 2 office" n shes NOT having it, her reckless driving and complete dismissal of whatever rob says, i love u queen

THE BACKSTORY SEQUENCES and wolfwoods hallucinations were animated so beautifully... omg.

not enough of livio yet to get a read on his characterisation but. please be a little similar to the manga at least. please.

lil nick n livio r so cute. they r so little. putting them in the blender.

rob couldve entirely been like "no meryl we need to go back" but the fact he still let her drive and still let her pursue the steamer with his only protests being stern warnings tells me hes a little curious to know what the fuck vashs deal is

wolfwood and vash absolutely fucking screaming at eachother. couples quarrel♡

i am SO excited for BDN next week

seems that the gung ho guns are basically blended with the eye of michael at this point, it did click they havent been calling them the gung ho guns so i assume they just. merged them together. pretty cool, not a bad choice

vash being quite cold toward meryl n rob, his honestly really mean response to wolfwood calling them his buddies stabbed me in the heart a bit, but is that a coping mechanism for him to not get attatched or is it an actual effect of him forcing himself to detatch from people so its easier to leave them. ouu. it hurted me a little. it did. EVEN WOLFWOOD CALLED HIM COLD FOR IT AND HE JUST KILLED A MAN LIKE. YESTERDAY

ok thats all i can think of rn gnna go watch the ep again see u all next week

[kindaoptimisticsquirrel]

Trigun Bookclub Trimax Vol10 Part 4

Vol01: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  | Vol02: Part 1 | Part 2

Trimax: Vol01 Part 1Vol01 Part 2 | Vol02 Part 1Vol02 Part 2 | Vol 03 Part 1 | Vol03 Part2 | Vol04 Part1 | Vol04 Part2 | Vol05 | Vol06 | Vol07 | Vol08 Part1 | Vol08 Part2 | Vol09 Part1 | Vol09 Part2 | Vol10 Part1 | Vol10 Part2 | Vol10 Part3 | Vol10 Part4

God why is this volume so long and full of so many epic pictures

Commentary for chapter 6 and 7 of Vol10, will do the last one in another post!

While I'm doing this, reading each chapter and after that, doing my commentary, I notice the effect of the volume lessening...damn! I should read it in one go first and THEN write my thougths but I'm afraid I'll forget what I want to say. Vol9 and Vol10 are in a way really meant to be read in one go for the full effect.

Chapter 6:

Yes! Wolfwood trying to end this fight not with his weapon, but with his bare hands is so important! He's not fighting to kill, he's not EoM's puppet, he's trying to bring back a friend...I can't say why but also the fact that this obviously pains Razlo more than bullets also feels right. That's how it should be. And then...there's Vash.

Oh god and then there's Vash.

This is...one of the most cruel images of Vash yet. To me it is THE most emotional in the whole series. Pure desperation. Sadness for things lost. Vash allowing himself to break down while we only hear the punches of Wolfwood beating down on Razlo. Looking at this image makes me sad. Damn it Nightow for making Vash have to grief before they even had the chance to start their future together.

But again, props to Nightow for the storytelling.

Vash promised Wolfwood to leave Razlo to him BUT NOBODY DARE INTERFERE.

LIVIOOOOOOO

And just when we fought we had gotten rid of him and he couldn't piss us off any more he's coming back round to hurt our boy

THANK YOU RAZLO. There can never be enough bullet holes in this dead man's body.

I really really like that Livio is not treating Razlo like the bad guy here, but acknowledges that Razlo is also a victim in a way. A victim of having to live through the fucked up shit that Livio could not cope with, of having to deal with that. (I hope I worded that all right, since I don't really know anything about the medical condition of which Razlo is the result?)

You did it, man. You saved Livio. And now you're even a person he looks up to you. Of the feels.

CRYBABY LIVIO IS BACK BITCHES oooh you earned that cigarette, Wolfie

Chapter 7:

I just love the kids and Melanie and how lively it seems. Surely it was hard and filled with loss as everybody had lost their parents, but it must also have been a childhood filled with love.

Baby Wolfwood oh my sweet boy... Sometimes I have wondered how little Vash and Wolfie would have gotten along. Or well, I'm sure they would've gotten along. I just would love to see them interact as kids. Out there, little Wolfwood, a long time ago, was once a boy drifting in space who would later be your most trusted friend. And who would, not in every way, but in an important way, save you.

Ah, just below is the panel where it says "six years have passed since that day" that always confuses me?? Still now because 6 years is not possible? I will wait for any explanation that you, my fellow bookclub readers, will come up with.

Don't scream at him!!!

Vash wanting to explain it to them is killing me. And Wolfwood's expression here is so...unclouded. Completely honest. Vulnerable. No my sweet boy you are no monster, did that not get into your head??

With the little time left...maybe he's right, maybe he can not explain to the children what he is, all the complex stuff.

You know, Vash, Wolfwood is tired. This moment, he just wants to spend it with you, and isn't that enough?

Wolfwood saying this...and then Vash begging to GOD, praying to not lose that man.

I never really got the grip on what Vash means with "stupid things". There's been this theory that Vash denies Wolfwood telling Vash his true feelings, but I don't think so. I think they both at this point know how they feel about each other. I think Vash just...can't stand to hear the emotional talk now because it's simply too much. Maybe it would be nice if they could talk out their innermost feelins at last. But maybe, they don't need that. Have their actions not proven enough already by now?

Throw that confetti guys

If some of you are on twitter and have followed the trigun fandom there you might have stumbled upon the marriage tweet my friend made when she read this scene the first time. I have nothing to add apart from that it rips my heart and soul in two. Now, there's one more chapter to this volume but this arc kinda already concludes with this here...and so I just want to say: I have NEVER before read something that felt so deeply emotional and tragic like this whole...Wolfwoof dying scene. Or, I might have and I might not remember, but in my mind this is the most tragic thing I can recall. Because...it takes its time. It already starts in Vol08, with Wolfwood's inner thoughts, and then it goes on for the whole next Volume where the stakes are getting higher and higher, until Vash appears to save them and save Wolfwood but it STILL is not enough. And Vash is shocked, is in denial, is in anger and is griefing and then we get a short moment of breathing, before it hits us again. We're living this all through Vash, and...and he can't bring himself to smile in the end. He can't. He only stares blankly until he then slumps down. Oh, and I read in the Trigun Wiki I think that this scene here is the only scene where we see Wolfwood cry. Which....gives it also so much more impact.

And, all in all, I think this is not the worst ending for Wolfwood. Of course I am devastated. Reading so much fanfiction, seeing so much fanart, makes it pretty easy to forget that there is no future for these two in canon...not together. (which is WHY I read the fanfiction because good lord did I need something to cope) And when I think about how they never get the chance to live the life together as they both may have wanted...then the feeling of loss hits the hardest. But then, on the other hand: First, killing off one of your main characters while giving them a metaphorical wedding scene is a sick move. An evil, sick move. And second: it fits the series. Because Trigun feels so real, and in real life, things don't always turn out the good way. And Wolfwood, with his life, never really had any future...but the thing is also, he died while knowing that he was able to achieve what he always wanted: the orphanage is safe and he brought Livio back. It is all he ever wanted to do, and it is thanks to Vash that he was able to do it. Would it have been dope if he lived on and if he and Vash could build their own orphanage and be caretaker dads together? Oh hell yeah. But, within the story of the series...it was always unrealistic. Wolfwood died smiling- whatever we think about it, he was content with what he achieved. (I think so at least! The panels where he cries out, they always strike me as a defiance, not wanting to die, but that might be reading to much into it. The whole thing for him is so emotional, the confetti, which tells him they welcome him back, despite knowing who he is...it would be a wonder if he didn't cry. So it might just be the emotionality of the whole scene.

PHEW I'm sure I could say more if I thought a bit about it but I'm gonna shut up here now. Time to do the last chapter, though I'll make another post, this one is far too long already.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Trimax Thoughts Vol. 12 Pt. 1

Stream of consciousness thoughts. There are only three volumes left and I am scared. :)

There's NINE CHAPTERS??? HUH? Ok I'm breaking this up then. I'll do half here and half on another post.

Livio on the front cover. My good lad. :) I can't believe how much I like him; it took me no time at all.

So Chronica has already faced "many fused entities". What is happening on Earth??? There's so many questions I have about the Plants there. In the interim though, I'll just say Domina is so cute.

Depression. :(

The Fall. July. Fifth Moon. That bitter expression. And then he looks up and thinks of all the people he knows. Because that's what it's always been about, hasn't it? Friends, allies, and enemies alike. AUGH

Sorry Milly's so cute here and I needed a screenshot. <3

OH GOD. WHY. WHY. I turn the page to that. Wolfwood's grave given the same page space as Rem. Are you for real here. His grave too, like not even his face. The past he tries so desperately to keep alive and the future he was forced to bury. FUCK OFF. STOP. What the hell. I can't do this man.

Oh this goes so hard.

Chronica and Domina's dynamic is super cute... but it makes me wonder what kind of crap Chronica has had to deal with to make her resort to such a strong offensive so quickly. I doubt the dependent Plants are going to like that at all.

KNIVES TELEPORTED? WHAT.

So, is Domina another Independent? Her hair is darker but not black... for some reason I thought Independents were all blond hehe

Knives why are you giving Domina visions.

AUGH WTF WTF! Ok up until now I was chill about the body horror but HOLY SHIT. DOMINA NOOOOO (she's fine, right? she'll be fine???)

So. Vash's bullets are cool. From what I understand they're cancelling things out? So did he sever the thread binding Domina...? Does that mean she's ok...?

His hair looks even darker...

"You're a hard man to understand." <- What a thing to think about your own brother. Your twin, no less. They've grown so far apart.

Knives is apparently really powerful for an Independent. But we know Vash is even more powerful than that. Really kind of. Terrifying.

"I know... that you've just decided to kill me." This plus the image of them as kids is a fucking gut punch.

...covering your own face this time, are you Knives?

Vash choosing to face Knives as a "simple gunman" instead of as an all-powerful being. Just hits hard.

They spent 80 years together after the Big Fall??? WHAT? They still look so baby though...

"I knew I couldn't leave him. It was that thought that made me keep him at arm's length." "Even though I saved you?" "You only fell for their lies because you're so gullible." <-YIKES.

I hate it. I hate it. He looks so baby. He's a traumatized kid and panels like this are a slap in the face.

He cut off his arm and then just left him chained up??? KNIVES WHAT THE HELL DUDE.

"We don't belong in the future of this planet." VASH NO.

THIS IS. A WHOLE LOT. Be back later.

[deludedfantasy]

Trimax Vol 11 Ch 1-3

I'm a little behind this week because my brain hasn't been cooperative. But here are some thoughts on the first half of volume 11.

It’s been really hard for me to start reading this volume. I’m still grieving from volume 10. Everything past this point from my first read is a blur and I don’t remember much of it. I was reading in a frenzy because I was very in denial about Wolfwood being dead and was hoping he’d come back somehow. This feels all new to me and while I know the broad strokes, I’m a little scared of what’s to come. 

Really hope this is the last I have to see of Chapel. Why are we opening on this old scene?

Zazie saying “Chapel and the old man” confused me for a moment. Did—did no one tell Zazie that Wolfwood isn’t Chapel? Who did she think that random old guy was? Did Knives even know Wolfwood wasn’t really Chapel? Honestly, who knows at this point. 

Damn, I didn’t realize Wolfwood shot Legato in the spine. At this point, you gotta wonder if the only thing keeping Legato alive is his insane devotion to Knives because I don’t know how else he’s pushed through all the shit that’s happened to him. 

Elendira “jokingly” threatening to kill Legato is everything to me. It shouldn’t be so funny and yet there’s such a morbid humor to it. 

Where in the world did Vash and Livio get a car from?

Other people have pointed this out, but the fact that after everything that happened, despite Vash’s own anger at Livio, he still trusts him. That means a lot. Vash hasn’t abandoned his beliefs and importantly, he’s not giving up on the person Wolfwood sacrificed everything for. This is the first time we see the blank ticket in action! 

No one else has taken Vash up on the chance to change, to become something better. But Livio has, because of Wolfwood’s belief in him, so Vash is going to take him at his word, because then what in the world has he been fighting for all this time? At the same time though, someone else had to die for that to happen, and I think that’s going to create some cracks in Vash’s convictions, though how still remains to be seen. 

Vash’s anger isn’t gone though. Not at all. “You are the one he believed in,” Vash says. So start acting like it is the subtext. You want to be trusted? Then don’t act surprised or like you don’t deserve it when I do, because Wolfwood gave up everything for you to have that chance. Vash has this problem where he places a lot of meaning and emphasis on other people’s sacrifice’s and this isn’t something he’s going to let go of. 

Brad really cares about Wolfwood. I wonder when they got to know each other so well that Brad would be so mad at Livio for what happened. But I also think Brad is there to remind us that the way he’s trusting Livio is out of the ordinary because we’ve become so used to seeing everything from Vash’s point of view, it’s easy to forget why trusting Livio is such a big deal. 

An ion cannon…this isn’t gonna end badly or anything. 

Oh an ion cannon powered by Plants. That’s very bad. 

The first time we see Dependent Plants have their own autonomy! They keep the military from firing the ion cannon at Knives. Which suggests they’ve been able to control their energy output this whole time. For some reason, they’ve been (apparently) helping humans willingly all these years. That’s certainly an interesting revelation.

Ch 2

I don’t know why but the wording of this page makes it sound like the vast majority of the human population has gathered in Octovern. I remember thinking that on my first read too and later wondering if I’d misinterpreted something. But this really does have the feel of, “This is humanity’s last stand, and they’re all huddled together in fear.”

Which really does beg the question: how big is the population of No Man’s Land? And how much of it has Knives destroyed over the past seven months?

Luida!!! She’s trying to give all these bigwigs the knowledge they need to successfully resist Knives, but she’s coming in at a disadvantage. She’s been hiding for years and now she’s telling them that dependent Plants have a will of their own, which is news to everyone. Now she’s telling them they shouldn’t attack when the situation is truly dire. It’s frustrating, but it makes so much sense why people are unwilling to listen to her. 

And Meryl!!! Always happy to see Meryl again, being her little gremlin self and flipping people off behind their backs. 

Oh…Meryl and Milly’s conversation really drives home how much things have changed and how much they have changed. Things were simpler, once upon a time, when they first met Vash and started following him. They were more peaceful and Meryl and Milly hadn’t seen as many horrible things. Now, the world is on the brink of destruction, they’ve witnessed the worst of humanity, and as Milly says, there’s no going back. They can reminisce all they want, but they’ll never be the same. The subtext being that even if they win, the world won’t be the same one they knew when they were younger. 

It’s important that Milly delivers this message too. Because coming from someone else, it could sound hopeless. From her, it doesn’t feel quite so horrible. It’s sad, but to me, it feels like she’s saying it’s not the end. Those memories will still be there for them even if they can’t be those people anymore, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s good to remember, it’s good to feel all of that and be able to live with it. 

Vash makes a wonderful entrance! Just as they’re contemplating how their lives have changed because of him, Vash drops in again and does things the way he always does. With precision and a little bit of silliness. 

Their reunion makes me so happy!! Look at them, they’re so overwhelmed seeing him again! They mean so much to each other and they hadn’t even known he was alive for the longest time. And Vash’s surprised little, “Oh!” After all these months, he likely didn’t know if they’d survived the destruction and had probably shoved all of that to the back of his mind so he could function. But there they are!! They’re his friends and he’s just as excited to see them!

The Earth fleet’s arrival feels like it should be a moment of hope, but then we transition to Knives. He’s become more and more inhuman. He’s fused so deeply with the Plants that he’s started resembling them. The Ark is even starting to fall apart. It’s overtaken by much more biological matter as Knives’s powers spiral out of control a little and the Plants grow and grow. It makes you wonder: can the fleet actually stand up to him?

Ch 3

Luida: Hey, Vash what happened to your hair?

Vash: Haha, how about this final battle though?

Vash continues being incapable of letting anyone in on his problems and it drives me bananas! Let someone help you carry your burdens!!! It’ll make your life just a little bit easier!!!

The way Livio starts turning here. He was about to admit that he killed him or was responsible for his death. But Brad stops him! Brad, who was so angry at him before! Whether it’s to keep the girls from being so hurt or because he’s come to believe (just a little) that Vash is right about Livio, it’s not easy to say. But it still speaks volumes about Brad that he does this to lessen the blow for so many people. 

Is it bad that what Brad said reminded me of someone saying, “Oh, your dog went to live a happy life on a farm upstate”? 

But they know. Meryl and Milly still know what he really means. The hard truth is they don’t have the time to properly grieve him or break down about it. They have to stay focused on their current goals. So while they go along with it, the way Milly cries just hurts me. It’s a loss they can’t even speak about yet. 

And now Knives has made an enemy of Zazie, who isn’t thrilled about their planet being destroyed. This was not what they signed up for! 

I love that Meryl and Milly kept everything from Vash’s old coat as evidence for Bernadelli. The fact that they took it when they went back to HQ during those seven months is actually so sweet and sad too. It was the only thing they had to remember him by, even if it was just the random crap he carried in his pockets. I know this is just Nightow’s way of bringing the coins back into play, but in this instance, it actually shows a bit about the girls’ relationship to him. 

“That’s scary.” I mean, yeah fighting Legato is scary, I do get it, but also…Vash, WHAT? You’ve been through some terrifying things and that’s your reaction to this? He really does forget who and what he is sometimes, because he forgets that he’s pretty dangerous too. Then again, he doesn’t want to be, so he never thinks of himself that way. 

Brad has no idea how much it means to Livio that he’s showing him this kind of trust and respect. This is exactly what he needed to hear. That he is capable of change and people believe in him, people outside Vash and Wolfwood. Brad says he didn’t do what he did earlier for Livio but I don’t know. The way he’s acting now seems to say that maybe he did, just a little. He understands what Wolfwood gave up for him and that Wolfwood wouldn’t want Livio blamed for his death, so while Brad might give all kinds of other reasons, I think it all comes down to that. 

A lot of other people have commented on this scene and I totally agree with everyone’s takes! Vash is so overwhelmed hearing this from Marlon right now. This is something Vash has struggled with the whole story: letting people in and asking for help. He never does this. He always tries to go it alone and keeps his cards close to his chest, even with his closest friends. Wolfwood, Meryl, and Milly wormed their way into his heart through sheer stubbornness because Vash wouldn’t let them otherwise. And it’s hitting him now, just how much it means to ask for help, that he could have it and he’s always had it. He probably wishes Wolfwood had asked him for help and hearing now that he should do the same hurts. It’s a spin of regrets and should’ve-beens in his head right now and it’s not something he needs to focus on the coming battle. 

The thing is, he really does need to hear this now! He can’t survive this battle on his own. He isn’t the only person fighting. Even if he is the most powerful Independent Plant, he can’t win by himself. This isn’t just a fight between him and his brother. This is a fight for humanity’s survival. His friends have a stake in it and they want to help him. They can! Vash has been martyring himself for so long, letting people in is a foreign concept, but it’s the only way to survive. If Vash had to learn anything from humanity, it’s that survival isn’t a one person game. Society lives and thrives on human interaction, on people helping each other, and if his greatest want is to be close to humans, to live with them and be like them, then he needs to let people in and accept help. 

[quippip]

grrrr RUFF RUFF RUFF LIVIO ISNT THE ONE IN THE PONYTAIL FLASHBACK PANEL THATS RAZLO HES LITERALLY HOLDING THE PUNISHER

[Image ID: The meme of a person growling and shaking a smaller person in their mouth like a dog. end ID]

this doesn't sound like anything to growl about but it's because of the punisher that i care. it's explicitly shown that getting a punisher is an honor in the eye of michael. that's why wolfwood turning against them was such a big deal to the whole order, not just to chapel. to be given a punisher is something reserved for only the highest assassins of the eye.

it's the entire reason livio trains himself to the point of unconsciousness!! because razlo has a punisher. livio doesn't. livio's never been given that honor. razlo's given three. razlo killed nine of the eye's most prized assassins, and they still gave him three punishers. livio doesn't get one.

[the-puniisher]

❝VASH THE… ALIEN?❞

PART 1!

Meryl, Milly, Livio, and Nick were your average college buddies. Sorta.. Nick didn’t really want anything to do with the girls but didn’t have the heart to say “You’re lame, I’m out.” And because he would never willingly choose to leave Livio’s side. They would usually hang out in Meryl’s room because it was the tidiest, Milly’s was too small, and Nick and Livio’s shared room was a literal man cave that smelled like axe cologne and depression.

So, it was the start of a brand new semester. The girls and Livio were excited to find out who the new students would be, as they heard they were getting two transfer students from some undisclosed country��� or something along those lines. Nick propped his feet up on the commons area table, slouching into the sofa with his arms crossed in annoyance. They really dragged him out here to watch the new students arrive.

“Seriously? We’ll meet them at some point anyways.” Nick complained, glaring through shades at Meryl.

“C’mon! Wouldn’t you want to feel welcomed as a new student, too?” Meryl opposed, pouting with her hands on her hips.

“No, actually. I’d rather not feel like the entire room was staring at me.” Nick grunted, opting to use his phone instead of deal with everything going on.

“Dude, you don’t even count! Nobody can see your eyes!” While Meryl was busy pestering Nick, Milly began to tug at her sleeve.

“Oh, Meryl look! They’re coming in now!” Milly cheered, squeezing her fists in excitement. One by one, a few students walked into the building, clutching their belongings tight. “Welcome! My name is Milly, and this is Meryl and Livio!” She opened her arm to the side, Meryl and Livio beaming with excitement. They exchanged greetings for a good while before flopping back onto the sofas with Nick. “Meryl, isn’t there supposed to be two more coming?” She pondered, turning to blink at her with confusion.

“Ah, yeah. But they don’t all have to come in at once. They have the whole day to come in and settle into their dorms.” Meryl reminded her, crossing her legs. Right, they had plenty of time to sit around and do … nothing.

After several boring hours of “hanging out”, Nick had grown impatient. He pinched between his brows, starting to collect his things before hearing the entrance swing open. Huh, guess they’ve finally decided to show up. Why so late, though? It was nearly 7 pm. One of the boys led the other along, dragging him by the sleeve. The one in the front had light blonde hair and was dressed in a white dress shirt and black pants, as if he was showing up to a meeting. Behind him, the other was almost totally concealed by his sweatshirt hood. Only a bit of darker blond hair poked out the front. He turned to look around the area, his blue eyes meeting Meryl’s gaze.

“Oh! you’re the new transfer students, right?” Meryl guessed, fast walking over excitedly. She reached out a hand, and the hooded boy did the same, exchanging a handshake. “We heard your room would be right across from Nick and Livio’s room, they’re our friends too!”

“Hello, uh— my name is Vash, and this is my brother Nai.” He pointed to the other in front of him.

“We can help you guys set up your room if you’d like, Milly is pretty strong.” Nai hesitated before nodding in agreement, following Meryl’s lead. “So uh, where are you two from?” Meryl inquired, keeping a steady pace.

“Haha— Uh, we’re from uh…” Vash started to speak, but Nai quickly jabbed his side.

“Norway.” Nai quickly answered almost as fast as Meryl closed her mouth.

“Oh, interesting!” Meryl smiled, stopping at the dorm room that would soon belong to the twins. “Here we are.” Meryl grinned, feeling accomplished.

“We’re fine on our own from here, thanks.” Nai stated bluntly before he opened the door and started to drag their luggage in.

“Ah— um, don’t mind him! He’s just like that.” Vash scratched the back of his hood, giving an awkward smile.

What. What?? Meryl could not believe her eyes. This boy had literal fangs. She didn’t see them earlier when he spoke, is this for real? “Oh, alrighty then.. Good luck!!” She turned around, cursing under her breath. Good luck doing what? Great going, Meryl! She hurriedly made her way back the commons area, eyes wide in disbelief. “Guys, we need to go to my room now! Like ASAP!” She squeaked, turning on her heel to make her way to her room.

“What the fuck is it this time.” Nick sighed, tailing the group of friends. They shuffled into her room before Nick closed the door behind him.

“Dude! Guys! Like… I can’t even right now! That boy, that one with the hood. He had literal fangs! Like a vampire or something!” Meryl whisper yelled, leaning into the circle they had created.

“What.. Dude, this is what you dragged us all in here for?” Nick scratched his head in irritation before continuing. “Vampires and ghoulies or whatever else is going through your brain aren’t real. You must’ve been seein’ things.” Milly turned towards him aggressively.

“Meryl wouldn’t lie! I believe her, shame on you!” Milly reassured Meryl while simultaneously scolding Nick.

Huh. What the hell is going on? Nick thought to himself. There’s no way, right? No way some supernatural creature was in their school, right?

[smokeygrayrabbits]

I have no explanation for this, but it needs to be out of my notes app.

I've been thinking about modern au trigun. stampede specifically but take your pick.

just . . . divorced dad vibes older brother knives trying to spoil the heck out of tiny little broke vash who is moved out on his own and is also really bad at money

like,,,, maybe SEEDS was a cutting edge tech company from forever ago. maybe vash and knives are still immortal, and so when the giant rich company that raised them (experimentation? adoption? who knows.) went under after a massive fire, vash and nai saverem inherit everything. but it's locked away until they turn 18 because idk bank stuff or something, so they're functionality broke, homeless orphans for a while. maybe vash lost his arm in the fire or something. maybe the sold it for parts idk.

little genius babies become the only plant engineers in the world overnight, with plants having been a new cutting edge technology only in development by the seeds corporation. baby nai starts inventing stuff and maybe becomes a mob/cult boss or something and drags them out of poverty.

nai wants to get back to the tech industry luxury and rebuild, vash has fallen in love with humanity and life and wants to live with the people and be part of society.

they grow up. nais doing some sketchy stuff and is now the head of his own company. vash is,,, idk college maybe? couch surfing? NO I GOT IT! HES LIVING OUT OF A VAN!!! for fun, but also because it's how he grew up and he feels most at home on the road not in the big empty house where nai is never home.

nai is very exasperated by his brothers lifestyle choices, but also very over protective, so he's always sending vash fancy expensive things and making sure vash has connections wherever he goes.

also!! vash wasn't/isn't oblivious to nais illegal dealings. he helped him run the mob for years when they were younger, but never liked the violent side of it

he mostly delt with like, maintaining relationships between smaller local gangs and organizations in other cities, all of whom adore the funky lil baby who would come visit them and consult on their crimes

so yeah. rich people wanna be the saverems, and crimy broke people love them! (because of course any mob partially run by vash would take care of the community). nai makes a point of bringing people from his illegal buissness into his fully legal and very profitable professional one, mostly at vash's request and recommendation.

after a while of this, vash is like "I wanna see the world!! :D".

nai is very worried about this. his baby brother is leaving the nest!!! nai knows how dangerous the world is, heck, he runs half the danger! but vash is stubborn AF so he goes on tour.

probably ends up meeting Meryl and wolfwood and Roberto and/or Milly somewhere along the line, all of whom are very confused about the rich tech mogul who lives in a van and eats packaged ramen with wagyu beef. Meryl smells a story. Roberto smells a rat. wolfwood is a simp.

shenanigans ensue.

throw in a little livio tried to steal from one of nais operations, and to work it off wolfwood took the fall and now has to babysit vash.

nai looked at wolfwood and was like "ah yes, protective big brother, knows how to do hard things for the greater good. he will be good to teach vash the importance of sacrifice" or something, but then on their first time meeting wolfwood watched vash bribe a cop, threaten a mob boss, and inhale a whole box of really shitty gas station donuts within like 2 hours and was head over heels immediately.

at some point, nai gets kidnapped or something and is freaking out about who will look after vash now, only for vash to come in and save the day really epically

nai remains in denial and sobs all over him.

nai also totally like, flys his private jet out to wherever vash is when he's having a bad day because he's a fraud and is actually just as big of a baby as vash is

after wolfwood and vash get over their inevitable idiots to lovers arc, wolfwood will randomly wake up on the floor of their little van bed to find that nai kicked him out in the middle of the night with no warning that he was gonna show up

nai sends them anniversary or holiday gifts and vash gets like, a truckload of super expensive currated stuff and wolfwood gets a handful of Cheerios nai found a pigeon eating on the subway that's shaped like a middle finger or something

or like, a half eaten hotpocket

motherfucker would give wolfwood a half eaten cup of instant noodles

or just the empty styrofoam cup which nai saw a pigeon eating, it reminded him of wolfwood, so he went over to personally wrestle the cup away from the winged rat. in a buissness suit. in the middle of the day. it was videoed, which then went viral.

sticky note on top "happy holidays fuck you wolfwood"

that link was the best present Wolfwoof ever got. he teared up a little.

vash was touched by the amount of effort nai put into wolfwoods present. he did it personally Nick! that means he likes you!

wolfwood does not believe it for a second.

[tri-punisher]

The fandom is already fucking up with Razlo so badly. I legit saw a zombie au someone drew, where Livio was a human and Razlo was his dog. And they keep drawing them like weird skinny little wraiths because terminal Stampede-brain. They have the worst media literacy too, I swear. I saw one Stampede fan the other day say they don't like that Legato "isn't loyal" in 98 because he forces Vash to kill him, and that's apparently out of character. It's like, Stampede has so little characterisation that they have to get all their ideas about the characters from bad Fanfics, and I guess in stampede fanfic land Legato is a gentle lil fella who would never fuck with Vash because Knives wuvs him or some bullshit.

Watch Razlo turn out to be intentionally made as an experiment and be pure evil or some Orange bullshit. I'm totally prepared for an overwrought "this isn't who you are Livio, come back to us" scene.

jesus fuckihng christ i could feel my face just scrunch up in disgust when i read "and razlo was his dog" what the HELLLLLLLLLLLLL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE COME THE FUCK ONNNNNNNNNN it's bad enough you make the deliberate decision to erase any instance of livio having a dissociative disorder (which is something already heavily stigmatised and misrepresented!!!) by separating him and razlo completely--which i have seen myself multiple times now, and relatedly i've seen people remove vash's prosthesis in so-called "modern" AUs too, sooooo great that in your little cutsey uwu AUs the disabilities and disorders a character has miraculously disappear!!!!!!) but then you can't even dignify razlo by making him a human, he has to be livio's DOG??? A FUCKING DOG??????? is the presence of a character having a dissociative disorder really that much of a fucking mystery to you that the only way you can comprehend it is when it just doesn't exist at all??????

I'M BETTING ON RAZLO TURNING OUT THAT WAY I TELL YOU MAN. unless they lift his deal whole cloth straight from the manga but atp that doesn't seem very likely at all. he will not be dignified he will not be his own person with his own flaws and complexities he will just be some fucking construct that the eye is using to control livio that vash and the others fight once when livio decides to betray the eye and then it's over, u never fucking see him again. i would gladly eat my words if this doesn't turn out to be the case but orange has given me zero reason to believe that razlo will be treated with even the bare minimum of respect. the bar is ON the fucking GROUND !!!!!!!

only thing worse than that that i can imagine is that one flashback frame of razlo that appears for like 2 seconds is in there only as an easter egg for manga fans and.. that's it. that's the extent of razlo's appearance in tri.stamp. though i don't know, personally i would rather him be totally excluded than treated as just some fucking prop, some evil that livio has to "overcome" and not an actual character at all. Patoohey

[lonesplashy]

Sorry to get into blorbos meta but one of my favorite versions of this was what it took vash to take a life. Trigun 98 gave us a pretty generic legato being a suicidal dick reason, but I think the the manga was really fucking fantastic at how it did it.

The whole story builds up to this giant conflict with vash's brother about their conflicting ideals that ended up screwing over the planet gunsmoke but honestly I feel the real peak of this is when he's fighting legato. In the anime it's a crowd of people and id say missing a lot of what made the scene pack a punch since livio was wiped off the face of gunsmoke in the anime.

Just in general the manga gets a lot heavier with it than the anime, and it handles it all pretty well compared to other manga that deals with the heavy shit it does.

In the MANGA, Wolfwood, someone near and dear to vash's heart sacrificed his life in order to save his younger brother. Vash and wolfwood are shown to have this deep relationship, there's an innate connection and understanding between them from the moment they met, the best word for it would honestly be soulmates. Their backgrounds shaped them in a way that makes them the only people who can keep up with the other, the one made to have the others back in a fight, but with incredibly conflicting ideals. Despite this conflict they ultimately care for each other so deeply, and wish for nothing but another day with each other and tbh I'm letting my shipping get in the way but it is kinda impossible to interpret the relationship as purely platonic.

Wolfwood dying literally killed part of Vash, him erupting in a massive breakdown pleading to God to 'please don't let wolfwood die, if I could have just one thing' that literally halved his life. And at the end of it he gets up and he makes breakfast for him and Livio. Because what else can he do? He needs to keep going. Him and Livio need to be fed. Wolfwood gave his life for this man, he needs to eat.

In the fight between legato and vash, (and there's things to be said about legatos fanatic religious loyalty towards vash's brother, trauma bonding, and just in general how he's not suicidal but in fact does not see a purpose on his existence outside of being a weapon, much like how vash does not see a purpose in his existence other than to carry on the words of his long dead and forgotten mother- but that's a thought for another day) Legato in the manga threatens the life not a group of people as a whole, but a single person. Livio, the man wolfwood gave his life to defend and bring back.

Vash in that moment throws away his entire belief system just to make sure Wolfwoods sacrifice wasn't in vain.

Up until this point any kill vash has committed was purely accidentally triggered by a third party and devastated him. This was what it took to finally break the 150 year streak of a violent but ultimately pacifistic life. There's something deeply satisfying about Wolfwood taking on vash's stance not killing someone he's fighting and dying for it, because at the end of the day he's just a man even if he is hopped up on so many crazy experimental drugs, and Vash being unable to handle the idea of that being all for vain and finally purposefully taking a life. God the love is doomed but the love is there. The sacrifice was not in vain and vash will carry that love in his heart for the rest of his life.

Also shout-out to the wedding imagery when wolfwood dies. That shit is insane.

Expanding a thought from a conversation this morning:

In general, I think "Is X out-of-character?" is not a terribly useful question for a writer. It shuts down possibility, and interesting directions you could take a character.

A better question, I believe, is "What would it take for Character to do X?" What extremity would she find herself in, where X starts to look like a good idea? What loyalties or fears leave him with X as his only option? THAT'S where a potentially interesting story lies.

In practice, I find that you can often justify much more from a character than you initially dreamed you could: some of my best stories come from "What might drive Character to do [thing he would never do]?" As long as you make it clear to the reader what the hell pushed your character to this point, you've got the seed of a compelling story on your hands.

[umlewis]

2007 Monaco GP, Wednesday press conference

Interviewer: "Lewis, quite a few comments since Spain, and we still remember that you said in Spain that this circuit is not one that you regard as a lottery, having won here three times before, but do you think it's going to be a lot different in Formula One?" Lewis: "Definitely. Over the week we were looking at previous races and the different strategies you can run here, and I think possibly because of the rules and regulations it does tend to make it a little bit more of a lottery than other circuits, but still you need to be quick. It's not necessarily always the fastest driver that wins here. It's just all about having everything in the right place, so that's what we need to work for." Interviewer: "How much use will the experience of those previous wins be, in spite of them being in different cars?" Lewis: "It's a slightly different car, a bit of a different beast, but I think it will definitely help. Experience of a circuit is always a positive for a driver, and especially on a circuit like this where, as David said, there's no room for error and it's all about knowing your braking zones, knowing where the bumps are, so I'm sure it will help."

Interviewer: "Obviously you've had fantastic results over the four races we've had so far. Do you think that your relationship has changed within the team, particularly with your teammate? He's the world champion; you're now the world championship leader." Lewis: "I don't think it's changed. I think, with the team, the relationship grows constantly. I've been at McLaren for a long, long time and it just gets better and better. We're very much working extremely hard together to succeed and it's going extremely well at the moment so, as you can see, it's getting better and better. I think with me and Fernando the relationship is growing. We're sort of starting to understand each other. Obviously we've got a huge amount of respect for each other, as we always have, but it's doing fine." Interviewer: "Is it rivalry or a master-pupil relationship?" Lewis: "I never actually thought it was a master-pupil thing, to be honest. I think that, as in every team, there's a little bit of rivalry there but that's only on the track. We're professionals. Off the track we're friends, we can talk, we're relaxed, there's no tension there."

Journalist: "Sal Zanca, Associated Press. Lewis, what do you remember from your first time here and how has it changed for you to come here as leader?" Lewis: "Well, I think the first time I came here obviously was in Formula Three and it wasn't the grand prix weekend. We were in some other paddock, miles away, but it was still a great experience. The track is awesome to drive, but obviously I've come here this weekend as a Formula 1 driver. It's completely different outside the car, just because of the tension, the whole glitz and glamour. You start to see it and it's unreal." Journalist: "Livio Oricchi, O Estado de Sao Paulo. Lewis, you won here in Formula Three and in GP2, and in testing at Paul Ricard on a slow configuration circuit you were one of the fastest as well. Do you think you have best chance of winning here in your first five races?" Lewis: "I think the chance I have here is as good as ever. We come here having improved the car over the last few test days. We're getting stronger and stronger throughout the season, and I think that we're going to be strong here this weekend, but without a doubt the BMW will be there and so will Ferrari. Yes the test went well, but we just have to see. It's still a new experience for me. to drive a Formula 1 car around here is a lot different to a GP2 car or an F3 car, so we have to wait and see how it goes."

Journalist: "Dan Knutson, National Speed Sport News. Lewis, when you left for Australia you were relatively unknown. Now you can't pick up a British newspaper without seeing your name. How do you deal with all the hype? Do you read all the press?" Lewis: "No, I don't read much about what's going on back in the UK, in terms of what's being written about me. I think it's the way I deal with it. I don't feel I particularly need to read it. The hype for sure is growing, but that's the way I control it. It's nice to see your face in a magazine or a newspaper. It's good to see that you have the support, but I hear they're very good stories, so that keeps me happy." Journalist: "Ian Parkes, The Press Association. Lewis, one of the comments made since Barcelona-by Eddie Jordan and by Keke Rosberg, to name but two-is that we have not yet seen an aggressive side to your racing nature and that a true champion, a consistent winner, has an aggressive style and a win at all costs attitude. Do you feel you have that in you?" Lewis: "I don't know if I particularly believe that 'win at all costs' is the way forward. For sure we're here to win, so you prepare yourself and you work as hard as you can, but I don't particularly agree with win at all costs. Sure, every driver has a different way to look at it." Journalist: "Randy Phillips, The Gazette. Lewis, when you're by yourself and reflect on the last four races, four podiums, what do you think? Do you give yourself a pat on the back?" Lewis: "Well it's just been a rollercoaster, the whole journey. One, getting to Formula 1, and then having four podiums in my first four races. It's unknown, but it's difficult. I don't think it's kicked in, really. You look at the races and you think, 'Wow, I finished second to Felipe Massa!' It's just that these last few years I've been watching these guys racing and I was admiring them, and now I'm amongst them. It is really difficult to come to terms with."

Journalist: "Sal Zanca, Associated Press. For David and Lewis, as the oldest and newest, what are your views on night racing? And were you consulted by the FIA or by Bernie?" Lewis: "For me, it'll be quite exciting. It's something new. I've never driven a single-seater at night. We've seen the Champcars. It seems to work with them and they've done a great job. As David said, it'll be something new, exciting. I think it'll be pretty tough, the speed that we drive at, and being a street circuit as well, I can see it being extremely challenging, especially for me. No one has approached us about it. I don't think any of the drivers get approached about any decisions that are taken in regard to circuits." Journalist: "What is the toughest element going to be?" Lewis: "I can only imagine it'll be something like Monaco with the barriers, if it's going to be a street circuit. Usually in Monaco there's plenty of sun so we're able to see the circuit, see the bumps and see far ahead of yourself, but I imagine it will be a little bit darker. Okay, we'll have the lights, but I don't know how good they're going to be. What kind of visor are we going to use? Judging your position on the track is going to be different from before, too. In the daytime you can take in a lot of information because you can see it all, but if you miss out a couple of bits on a street circuit, you never know what could happen."

[kindaoptimisticsquirrel]

Trigun Bookclub Trimax Vol9 Par2

Vol01: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  | Vol02: Part 1 | Part 2

Trimax: Vol01 Part 1 Vol01 Part 2 | Vol02 Part 1 Vol02 Part 2 | Vol 03 Part 1 | Vol03 Part2 | Vol04 Part1 | Vol04 Part2 | Vol05 | Vol06 | Vol07 | Vol08 Part1 | Vol08 Part2 | Vol09 Part1 | Vol09 Part2

And next part!

Chapter 5:

I assume this is a time where Wolfwood really really didn't want to pull the trigger. Because as much as Livio has changed, he still once was a part of his family.

Wolfwood, spying Chapel with the eyes of a hunter. (I like to say "hunter" instead of "killer" as a hunter, much like a wolf, can also be someone who only kills to protect? Maybe? I'm trying to make sense but it's late and I'm mostly spilling thoughts that come to my mind as I read these pages again)

Looks like this show of supreme fighting instinct is smth Chapel is proud of. Ugh, Wolfwood is no longer a part of you! You have no right to be proud of what he does or what he has become!

No super cure without some nasty side effects. Or a price, the price being that they itselves take a toll on the body.

Oh the way the light is set, the composition, this is a very beautiful panel! Hmm I like when we get tone gradiant from dark to light!

Razlo!!! Teheee. Also what the hell is the deal with that third armm?? I want to know the logistics, how is it connected to the body? Can it rotate 360°?

Chapter 6:

Farewell Nicholas my ass that man is not done yet and you still have to pay for what you did to him, old man.

Oh I think I got it just now that they sacrificed one of the three dudes in order to distract Wolfwood with his blood and flesh. Best employee of the month, but at what price!

A Wolfwood in the wild will spread all its limbs far apart to appear more big and threatening.

First of all: oh dear oh dear oh dear. Second: I dore how Nightow draws so dynamic, like in these moments with quick movement, he draws the limbs without too much care for the joints. Stressing the speed and direction of movement by having the limbs flail behind and also kinda angling them like the speedlines. AND making it more dynamic by adding perspective, cause the hands are bigger and just a bit in the foreground!

D'awwwww he looks like a happy little vampire!

No stop don't give me Wolfwood thoughs, they will make me sad :((

Vash, in Wolfwood's mind: standing upright and proud and a smile on his face. Me, the reader: *bawling internally*

oh oh oh in that moment he was saying to Vash what Chapel once taught him!

It is a crime that I'm reading these pages while stopping in between to comment so I'll read these first and comment afterwards. The impact of Wolfwood's thoughts is so so strong. Let me just...post the rest of the chapter in one go.

You really, really need to read the last chapters of vol9 in one go and directly start with vol10 to get the best feeling and flow of storytelling. Complete quietness around you or some music playing, but something that makes you focus only on these words and the emotions and ....everything.

And oh my god oh my I just tried to get behind the meaning of the last sentence and I might have found something. Please look at the lyrics for "Time" by Pink Floyd. The last verse especially but also, the whole song fits??? I can no longer listen to this the same way:

"Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today And then one day you find ten years have got behind you No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking Racing around to come up behind you again The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way The time is gone, the song is over Thought I'd something more to say

Home Home again I like to be here When I can

When I come home Cold and tired It's good to warm my bones Beside the fire

Far away Across the field Tolling on the iron bell Calls the faithful to their knees To hear the softly spoken magic spell"

Also what a beautiful end note to end this review with.

[thanksjro]

Dark Cybertron Chapter 1: Welcome to Comic Event Hell

You know what readers love? When the stories they’ve gotten invested in over the course of a couple years get interrupted for some pseudo-crossover bullshit.

And you know what writers love? When the story they’ve been crafting over the course of a couple years get interrupted for some pseudo-crossover bullshit.

Did I say love?

Because I didn’t mean it.

“Dark Cybertron” was penned by John Barber and James Roberts, with collaboration with comic writer and artist Phil Jimenez, and was published from early November, 2013 to late March, 2014. Atilio Rojo, James Raiz, and Livio Ramondelli did the art, each responsible for scenes in specific locations, with Robert Gill filling in as needed. Alex Milne, Andrew Griffith, and Brendan Cahill would also contribute pencils to the first issue and the back half of the series. It was a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the franchise, and the second birthday of Phase Two... which went on for over four months, but never mind that!

Both "Dark Cybertron” and its preliminary materials were made to go alongside the Transformers: Generations toy-line, each issue being included as a toy pack-in with whatever character was being featured… or, at least, that was the plan. Sometimes it didn’t work out. Regardless, this storyline was created to sell toys directly, as opposed to the MTMTE/RID series being made to sell toys more through the power of suggestion. It’s a small distinction, but important, because it will help explain any lack of soul one may perceive while they read “Dark Cybertron”.

“But Hannz!” you cry out, reaching to grab me by the throat and shake me like a rag doll, because to you I’m merely a faceless voice on the internet. “Surely by calling this specific storyline soulless, you’re completely ignoring the very nature of this franchise that you’re almost uncomfortably invested in!”

To which I’ll say this: look, I’m pretty realistic about where my giant space robots came from; Transformers as a franchise would not exist the way it does without Ronald Reagan introducing the Free Market to literal children and fucking up how we interact with media for the rest of time. There is no ethical consumption under capitalism, and that rings especially true when I’ve got a Spinister on my bookshelf staring me down as I write this, that was likely made out of plastics which either involved blood oil or unethical labor practices, if not both.

However!

The choices of a company to have their comic license holders to cook up an entire plot that derails what they’ve already got planned out for toy tie-in comics is a completely different animal than what IDW had had going on up to this point. Phase Two had been about exploring different ideas that hadn’t been able to be explored during the war, and seeing what happens when you take away a third of the logline for Transformers G1 as a whole. Being a part of a brand of toys was almost inconsequential to how the stories were being told; even the Spotlights, which were also toy tie-in comics, had plenty of charm to them, if only because there weren’t quite as many constraints placed on the writers, and they were stand-alone issues.

Of course, being tie-in comics isn’t the only reason that “Dark Cybertron” is a bit of a slog, considering everything IDW itself was trying to get done within this storyline, but we’ll cover the publishing company’s/Simon Furman’s/Transformers’ tumultuous relationship with the concept of gender identity and expression later on, when it becomes relevant to the story proper. This point also ties into the interesting origin of Windblade, who we’ll meet in a few issues, and what happens when you let your fanbase have a taste of power and forget that people might like to see themselves represented in the media they consume.

“Dark Cybertron” is what ended up making me stop reading MTMTE the first time I tried it in 2015. A big part of it was because it forced the reader to need so much information from RID and even events prior to Phase Two, it wasn’t very fun to try to parse what was going on, on top of the writing beginning to flag because of obvious constraints to what Barber and Roberts could actually do, both within their deadlines and the rules put in place by their higher ups for the event.

 “Dark Cybertron” is the result of the sort of executive meddling that kills reader enjoyment by requiring writers to cram their two worlds together as quickly as possible, without the option to go for nuance because there simply isn’t time. The reason we have four separate artists for the front half of this story is because Milne and Griffith didn’t have time to draw both their current workload and “Dark Cybertron” at the same time... but sales probably went up due to the nature of how the story was published, so I’m sure they didn’t really see a problem with it.

That’s a general “they”, not a Milne and Griffith “they”.

In short, we’ve got license contract obligations, fan-poll obligations, and gender stuff fighting for space within the next 12 issues, which will be published in the span of roughly four months. Things are probably going to be a little bloated and sloppy.

Regardless of any of these points, this is what we’ve got. It’s not like it’s all bad- “Dark Cybertron” has the benefit of being written by two people who had been working closely before it had even been conceptualized. Barber was the senior editor for MTMTE, and IDW as a whole until he left in 2016. It also isn’t a proper crossover- y’know, where two completely separate titles get mashed together for a bit. MTMTE and RID exist in the same universe, just have their own things going on, so a decent amount of things still carry over without you needing to have read every single thing in both. The writing, while not quite up to par with pieces that had more creative freedom and breathing room between scenes, is still recognizable as being Barber and Roberts’. Their voices are still here, they’re just strained under the weight of everything that has to be said inside of 12 issues.

With all THAT out of the way, let’s dive in to Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1.

We get a quick rundown of the most basic information you’ll need for this entire story to make sense, as we reintroduce the fact that Shockwave is an ecoterrorist with more agendas than a daily planner factory on meth, and also that he grows magic crystals. I don’t care what he says, the Ores are fucking space-magic. If you don’t want to read through all of RID for everything else, please see Robots in Disguise (2012), #1-22- A Recap, For Reference Purposes.  We also get a quick rundown of the Lost Lighters’ deal, as Swerve potentially has a meta-episode.

Be careful what you fucking wish for, bucko.

Our story proper starts with a flashback to the shittiest road trip Cyclonus ever went on, as the Ark 1 finds itself at the edge of a mysterious portal. This is likely why he wasn’t super thrilled when the portal to Luna 1 showed up- portals are probably a touchy subject for him.

Jhiaxus doesn’t know what this portal is- surely this means that science has failed us, and it’s time to call in the religious crowd to try and suss out what’s going on here.

It’s moments like this that make me wonder what exactly happened in the Dead Universe that made Cyclonus’ cheek meat just pack up and leave.

Now, we know that Cyclonus is correct here, because we as readers have more knowledge than the characters at this point, but Jhiaxus tries to write off this theory as hogwash, because he is a man of rationality and science. This is a slight removal from his character in the present, whose most notable traits seem to be a lack of ethics and screaming.

Everyone here seems to be slightly different from their current iterations, actually; Galvatron doesn’t say a word as he steps between Jhiaxus and Cyclonus, only using his body to communicate that the scientist might want to back off. Cyclonus himself is certainly the wordiest we’ve ever seen him to be, droning on through his actual thought process before he comes to a conclusion on what exactly they’ve found. Compare this to the Cyclonus of today, who only deigns to grace everyone with his voice if they outright threaten him, have something he wants, or are Tailgate. If he were to ever pull this verbal meandering on board the Lost Light, people would probably assume he’s having a stroke.

Nova Prime- you remember him, don’t you?- gives not a fuck about the Dead Universe, only what it means for him personally. And what it means for him is more locations to subjugate, because he is cartoonishly evil. His character is the least removed from his present-day iteration out of everyone. He tells the crew they’ll be getting a little closer, only for the portal to do the work for them, by way of dark energy tentacles.

Wow, the pilot for the Ark 1 really is just straight-up named Butt, isn’t he? And what the fuck is that face you’re making, Cyclonus? Are you- oh my god, are you emoting? Oh my god, he’s emoting.

As the Ark 1 is pulled to its doom, Jhiaxus makes a quick phone call to Shockwave to tell him he’s his favorite, and to keep up the good work.

In the present, Shockwave reflects on just how friggin’ long this whole ordeal has taken. Fortunately, Waspinator and the Titan are almost here, and he can hardly wait.

Not, uh, that he’s got emotions or anything. It’s been established that he doesn’t have those anymore. Is impatience an emotion? Does that count?

Shockwave seems like he’d be really frustrating to write for.

Anyway, the Titan shows up, the Ore inside him and the Ore in the underground Crystal City combine, and the Titan starts screaming because everything hurts. Shockwave’s about as thrilled as he can be about the situation, given his lack of emotions.

Above Crystal City, we finally get back to that nonsense about the early sunrise, as someone- maybe Starscream, given the color of the narration box- waxes poetic on the planet of Cybertron, wartorn and wild in its rebirth, ruled by paranoia that has nothing to bounce off of, and so creates its own walls.

Then we get a detailed shot of Rattrap’s mug, and the moment is broken.

Rattrap’s character is a lot of fun in everything he gets tossed into, but you’re a goddamn liar if you think he’s pretty to look at. You are lying to yourself, and I won’t apologize for saying it.

Starscream walks out of his room in his hot new body, feeling fine and ready to take on the world. We’ll check in on him later in the day to see how that positive mentality is working out for him.

So, the sun hasn’t moved, and it’s way too early for the sun to even be up right now. That’s weird. Because I guess he didn’t know how the sun works, Starscream’s only just realized that this is perhaps a problem. He does some computer work and realizes that this is indeed a very bad thing, and asks that Rattrap call the Autobots. Not the ones who fucked off into the wilderness, the other ones. The gay, space ones.

Up in space, Orion Pax and his pals have found themselves in dire straits, the collapsing Gorlam Prime sucking their ship back down as the Death Ore consumes everything.

That’s not how engines work! And I think it really says something about the “Prelude” issues that I completely forgot why Wheelie was down an arm for a solid five seconds.

It turns out that Orion was the narrator the entire time, which I should have known- since when is the once and future Optimus Prime not the primary voice in any media he appears in?

It’s looking rough for the fellas, but luckily we’ve got to get the plot rolling, so the Lost Light VZZZZTs into existence and picks up the Skyroller to place it gently into its belly.

Orion isn’t exactly jazzed about the fact that Rodimus didn’t listen to what he told him, not even bothering to thank the guy for saving his life. I say y’all keep going on your Thunderclash Quest and leave this ungrateful loser behind. No space yachting for you, Orion.

The rest of the Pax Posse enter the Lost Light proper, and Hardhead reveals that he nearly joined the Quest, before he saw who all would be coming with, while Garnak has a tearful reunion with Rodimus. The fact that he’s calling him Sir- which I don’t recall him doing in Transformers (2009), at least not in a way that seems reminiscent of an unfortunate Antebellum Period Romance- feels rather weird, but I’m glad someone’s fucking happy to see Rodimus at least. Ultra Magnus asks Orion if he’ll be assuming command of the vessel, as Rodimus tries not to look horrified by the thought alone, but fortunately Orion’s not going to pull his “I’m Optimus Prime and I Can Do What I Want” Card just yet.

Smash cut to the bridge, as Rodimus tries to make himself sound competent, when Starscream calls. Orion doesn’t like that Starscream has their number, Perceptor almost reveals the fact that this ship technically doesn’t belong to a faction, likely due to being purchased after the war, and Cyclonus gets brought in for his professional opinion.

As it turns out, that early sunrise isn’t a sunrise at all, but a portal to the Dead Universe. This is a problem, because the Dead Universe really sucks, and you don’t want to go there, especially if you enjoy being alive. Orion seems more concerned about the fact that Starscream is ruling the planet, and Bumblebee is nowhere to be found.

Speaking of Bumblebee, he and all his camp buddies are psyching themselves up for a confrontation.

Swoop, please, this is hardly the time for crudeness.

The Dinobots, sick of Bumblebee’s dithering about, decide they’re going to fight the fucking sun and gear up. Prowl, though generally disliking their brand of problem-solving, does share his begrudging respect of their can-do attitude.

Their can-do attitude over fighting the fucking sun.

Then an earthquake happens and the ground rips open to reveal that Titan that Waspinator showed up with.

Shockwave takes over the narration at this point, and we get artsy, as we see events that haven’t transpired yet over musings on the nature of... time? Maybe? It would be in line with Roberts’ go-to topics, but honestly the whole thing’s kind of vague so I couldn’t give you a solid answer. Shockwave gets awfully introspective for a guy who shouldn’t care, I know that much. The point is, he is inevitable and is super good at logic and science.

Also, Nova Prime and Galvatron are back, which is cool, I guess. Not sure where Galvatron had gotten to exactly after the events of “Chaos”, but he’s back now, so it doesn’t matter too terribly much. Shockwave serves them, which we’ll probably get an explanation for at some point.

God, you can practically taste the desperation to pin all these plot points together before the entire thing implodes on itself.

[trans-rights-coastalmangoes]

THANK YOU i am on vol 13 trimax rn so i cant say anything for the ending

but as i was reading it i was surprised that trimax managed to bypass my "ugh a DID system where one is a crazed killer" ick bc.... razlo isn't uniquely violent. we have seen so many singlets in the series before LR even comes on and have come to understand that this world is full of violent people, each with their own unique justifications for violence. razlo even loses fights against them sometimes. i like that razlo has a personality, that he has frustrations with livio ("it's not just your body") and that livio acknowledges razlo as a whole person ("i'm sorry i only let you front for the traumatic stuff so i wouldnt have to deal with it").... resonates a lot with me and my alter. but also the theme of you are not alone and we gotta take care of each other (which trimax puts into the whole story anyway). i was worried a bit when Livio decided he was gonna front for a while bc i though the solution the book gave us was just that Razlo was a problem and the solution was for him to never come out again but when razlo returned like "you idiot!!! stop trying to do everything yourself!!" i was very very happy

also the fact that the cast seamlessly accepts that LR are two people? i've seen a lot of DID rep where it's just "ah. here is one crazy guy with multiple personalities" but everyone just seems to acknowledge the personhood of each and it's refreshing to see. even people who don't know they're a system are suddenly like "wait. you're acting differently. who are you now?" without having to be explained what's going on

anyway i watched tristamp before reading trimax. didn't realize livio was supposed to be part of a system. thought the eye glowing thing was a part of the horrible experiments and he got turned into a murder cyborg or something. when watching him i just got the impression "oh here's a crazy guy character who's violent and unstable. great." didn't like that he shot himself in the head. they didnt give me much to hold on to in regards to getting invested in him as a person/character, feels like they made an attempt by saying "look! he was a child once! and ww liked him :)" and that's just, not enough for me. we never really got to understand who this guy was at all.

I feel like trigun maximum just hit that perfect sweet spot of bad DID representation done right. like yes the classic small system, blackout split, with one of them being the stereotypical crazy murderer but there's more to trimax before and after their introduction thats so important. they took all of the DID villain movie tropes, put them in a dying word + a murder cult, and shouted the same thing they've been shouting at everyone for the past 80 chapters: THEY'RE STILL HUMAN, THEY DESERVE A FUTURE!! the same volume they introduce him in is the same volume they get thrown on their redemption arc, because it wasn't DID that was his problem it was their abuser and the thing he made them do. trimax just hits you over the head with all the themes with one character and they're well written and well loved in the rest of the series. they get a cowboy hat and they both purse the cowboy way! the main take away wasn't that razlo needs to be put in a cage, it was hey this protector is trying his best, he has his own emotions, be kind to him. it was really refreshing to see in media and I didn't expect it to come from this.

im afraid that trigun stampede is going to miss the mark. not in a sense that I think they're going to change the ending, but how the story is building up is different. we haven't been shown several instances of the average joe having to kill for personal gain to survive on no man's land, so it makes livio and razlo feel like an individual crazed threat looming over the horizon. it also leans into the horror of episode 6 and 7 and ends up having a demonizing way of depicting disassociation. when wolfwood is in the cell pleading for him and livios just standing there with his eye mysteriously glowing, it gives me the ick. not that there can't be a narrative where both livios and wolfwoods feelings are being recognized in a meaningful way, its more that there's too much time given to ruminate in wolfwoods pov, that the audience is going to see them as threatening longer duration. manga readers know whats coming but a majority of viewers do not. [I did absolutely enjoyed wolfwood pulling him out of disassociation with smell the smell of smoke and calmly saying wake up old friend, it melted my heart. I also thought it was funny when livio shot himself but thats just me and a whole other tangent lmao]

do I think this is going to be better when the series is finished and everyone has all of the pieces? yes, absolutely. its just that the years inbetween their redemption undos what made trimaxs good

TLDR: trimax makes you feel like a fucking idiot for even doubting for a chapter that they were going to stray from their core theme of "everyone deserves a future" just because these guys are a DID system with blood on their hands. meanwhile tristamp finds its faults in the time it takes to get livio and razlo to their redemption arcs because it paints them to be a looming threat more than 2 dudes in a lot of pain.

other systems in the trigun fandom please tell me your thoughts + we should be friends

[transformers-art-showcase]

P.A.T.C.H. #7: "Starscream: The Movie"

Most often in comics, continuity is a problem for newbies. If you don’t know what the characters are talking about and what in-jokes they make, is there really a point in recommending the book? Yes, I hear you; this here feature is supposed to help with sorting those messes out, after all. But what if something has such a killer concept you can’t help but blabber on about it? Even to people not into the comic series?

Case in point: a Cybertronian tries to make a movie about Starscream for humans. My mom was sold. Be as cool as my mom!

“Thundercracker in: Starscream: The Movie”

“Optimus Prime” Annual (2018)/“Transformers: Optimus Prime” Volume 5 (upcoming as of this writing) Written by John Barber, pencils by Priscilla Tramontano and Andrew Griffith, colors by John-Paul Bove and Josh Burcham, letters by Shawn Lee

SO WHAT’S IT ABOUT? Starscream, Lord of Cybertron, fed up with his notoriety amongst his subjects, decides on a solution: good old-fashioned propaganda! Having learned of his old wing-mate’s passion for writing, he tasks ex-Seeker Thundercracker with scripting, casting and directing a movie about his life. Who cares if said ex-comrade has only written human soap opera fan fiction and unpublished screenplays so stilted, they would make “Birdemic” green with envy? He’s really into it! Surely, nothing can go wrong!

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW? Given that this issue came out in the last year of the IDW Generation One continuity, there are various bits and pieces to consider before diving in, but probably the most important has to do with the evolution of Thundercracker, from Seeker repaint to real boy fleshed-out character. While his goofy and hopelessly optimistic personality is well-established in the series and this here issue completes his origin story, it can’t harm to go over it and pick some highlights.

The fate of Thundercracker –or TC to his friends- has long been intertwined with that of two more famous Decepticon fliers: OG bad boy Starscream and official stair-pusher Skywarp. The first years’ worth of stories weren’t different: the three met Megatron together for the first time in the mini-series “Megatron: Origins”, written by Eric Holmes, penciled by Alex Milne and colored by Josh Perez. His most interesting beat in that story was expressing doubt over burning the city of Kaon, only to be pacified by Skywarp –“Don’t think. Just do it.”, he said. After that, and for the longest time, from the “Autocracy Trilogy” to the “–ations”, the blue jet remained a constant if discreet presence in the Decepticon forces. He was always there, often under Starscream, never in a major role, sometimes uncomfortable with his place.

Still, there were a couple exceptions to this. In “Spotlight: Orion Pax”, written by James Roberts, he was a reluctant underling to mad scientist Bludgeon. He crossed paths with the creepy samurai again much later, in “Spotlight: Thundercracker”, written by John Barber with art by Chee Yang Ong, this time while searching for the original Titans. In that story, he had a change of heart when he found Metroplex, and lied so the ancient Transformer wouldn’t fall into Decepticon hands. In both cases, the further away he stayed from bad influences, the more functional his moral compass became.

The great break from all the above –ironically, inspired by his original toy bio– came with his rejection of the Decepticon cause. In “All Hail Megatron” (written by Shane McCarthy and with art by Guido Guidi), after witnessing the brutalities and monstrosities his side was capable of –namely, razing human cities and creating the Insecticons-, he prevented the detonation of a nuclear bomb and briefly worked with the Autobots. (His reward? Getting shot in the face by Skywarp. Some comradery.) In the next ongoing (look for the stand-alone issue #4, written by Mike Costa, penciled by Don Figueroa, with colors by James Brown and letters by Robbie Robbins), it was revealed that thankfully, he survived, kept barely online on Earth and scavenging for fuel. He also picked up a new best friend: human television! Laugh all you want, but it gave him a new appreciation for humans and their adaptability –couldn’t his own species be like this? While he turned into a reluctant ally to the Autobots, he stayed out of intense battles...

... until he got to work with his new best friends in Season 2 of “Robots in Disguise”: Earth people! Between the regeneration of the planet and Starscream’s rise to power, TC stayed back on the blue marble and got in touch with human anti-Transformer forces, who provided him with fuel and a home. (A gift puppy named Buster sealed the deal and immediately became fealty.) In return, they wanted his services against Autobot invaders, but his love of Earth got in the way of that. What also got in the way was his new calling: writing! Inspired by the years he spent watching TV, he then went on to create totally original and very high quality screenplays, hoping they would lead to a career in film. (They haven’t so far. There’s a reason the Wiki has quotes from “The Room” in his personal page.) Still, eventually things turned out well enough: he helped untangle the mess of allegiances between the Earth Defense Command and Cybertronians and formed an enduring friendship with female Earth human Marissa Faireborn. Not bad for someone whose biggest claim to fame was being the answer to a trivia question –“Who was the first Decepticon shown in active combat in IDW continuity?”

Finally, some minor bits of backstory to make a few character beats land easier. An institute protecting Transformers with “abnormal” powers was first introduced in “More Than Meets the Eye” #11, by James Roberts and Alex Milne. The re-discovery of the Cybertronian Colonies started with the people of Caminus –Windblade, Chromia and Nautica- in “Dark Cybertron”, and they were all immediately integrated into the books –we’ve talked about the first “Windblade” mini here. The dead colony of Prion, shown in “The Transformers” #57 (by Barber and Livio Ramondelli) wasn’t nearly so lucky. The creation of the Council of Worlds for the governance of the surviving ones was detailed in the “Windblade: Distant Stars” mini-series, written by Maighread Scott, with art by Corin Howell and colors by Thomas Deer. After that, colonists such as Aileron (“The Transformers” #44, by Barber, Griffith, Perez on colors and Tom B. Long on letters) joined the action on Cybertron, though not without problems. Oh, and that huge dinosaur was brought online in the “Salvation” one-shot and has been used as an embassy since “Optimus Prime” #13-14 (by Barber, Ramondelli and Long). As it happens.

WHERE DO I GO FROM THERE? Why’d you think I listed all those previous stories above? So that you can go and get ‘em!

Okay, to be less abrasive and more specific, there isn’t that much to get into after this story, but there’s plenty to jump back to. Almost all these minor characters have had memorable stories told about them, so I’m only going to single out some personal favorites and let you decide what you might be into. Fat Fast Tankor’s most memorable outings have been at the hands of Maighread Scott, and it was in the first “Windblade” mini that he and his bestie, Tall Tankor, started getting some attention. For another visit to Alpha Trion, Adorable Old Man (And More), see “Optimus Prime” #10, by Barber, Zama and Burcham. For the amazing life of Richard Ruby, film producer and ex-superhero (no, really), check out “Revolutionaries” #3 by Barber, pencils by Ron Joseph, Sebastian Cheng on colors and Long lettering. Finally, for a story that demonstrates Marissa’s own issues (and just how much of a sweetspark TC is), “New Cybertron” (“Optimus Prime” #1-6) by Barber, Zama, Milne and Burcham has you covered.

But clearly this isn’t why you’re here. You want more of The Artist’s work. For that, head over to the “Transformers Holiday Special” (which we’ve visited before here), for the ten-page story by Barber, Burcham and Long. It is a Christmas story that is children’s storybook by way of Frank Miller, and it might be the best thing in the whole line. In the same trade you’ll find the “Revolution” tie-in issue for the “Robots in Disguise” series, written by Barber, with pencils by Griffith and colors by Thomas Deer. While it’s connected to a much larger event, it’s valuable for seeing how TC evaluates his own work and how he works with Marissa. It is a Hollywood action movie pastiche with a failed screenplay layered on top, and it’s a sweet little tribute to the character. Both of these stories work with similar themes to this one, but expand them in different directions.

IS IT ANY GOOD? It was the culmination of a few years’ worth of stories with an endearing secondary character taking center stage. It offered a sideways look into a fascinating time in “Transformers” comics, through its less important players. It was a funny and poignant look into what can go wrong with any piece of art we create, consume, curate and love (or, more importantly, ignore). It had some exceptional so-bad-it’s-good writing and art. It had a cute puppy in it.

PUPPY! WHO’S A GOOD PUPPY, WHO’S THE BEST PUPPY?! BUSTER IS! YES, SHE IS! Stop baby-talking one of the main characters and concentrate! Here, this should keep you busy!

LIKE A MOVIE STAR WITHOUT MOVIES | THEME AND CHARACTER Strip away all the superficialities, and what is this story about? An artist attempts to create a work of art, and Poe’s Law comes into full effect. His source material is controversial –few people have kind things to say about Starscream. His sources lack credibility –the subject of the movie himself is a liar with a ton of guilt on his shoulders. His production value is low -seriously, I’m having “Pop Quiz Hotshot” flashbacks here. He himself lacks training and discipline, and he and his crew aren’t on the same page –oh, and one of them isn’t paid. He gets preoccupied with details -Megatron had a different frame in “Robots in Disguise”! There goes the suspension of disbelief! He has so little faith in himself that he blindly follows whatever advice he’s offered –is it a commercial or personal work, then? And in the end, no matter his passion and drive for the project, he fails for reasons beyond his control, not even his own mistakes. This kind of story can work only if we’re invested in the mad ambition of its main creator, and TC’s unlucky, stubborn and likeable enough to pull it off. The annual, then, becomes a love letter to art creation in general: a whole lot of people with conflicting ideas try to create something meaningful against all odds. Even if the end product isn’t great, you have to feel for all the effort, the time and energy spent (or wasted) on it, right?

There’s also an extra layer to all this, and it’s specifically about Cracker’s relation to his work. At this point in the series, TC has officially renounced the Decepticons and wants to leave a peaceful life on Earth. This project about one of his former associates makes him ask all sorts of questions: what drove Starscream to do the things he did? How does he handle the unstable political climate after the Autobot victory? Did the War ever mean anything to anyone? And what is there to do after the War? These aren’t easy questions, and the ex-Seeker’s own stance on these issues is complicated by his personal feelings and involvement. This might be a movie about Starscream, but deep down, this is a story about Thundercracker. (This becomes even more apparent when one remembers the two share the same mold.) While the theme of failed or doubtful artists is universal, the specificity of this million-year-long War informs it with extra nuances that enrich an already interesting character portrait.

“Oh man, I just can't figure Starscream out. Sometimes he’s just too smart. Sometimes he’s just flat-out stupid. Other times he’s just evil.”

ENHANCED BY BRAND NEW SPECIAL EFFECTS| ART This whole examination could have ended up dry and boring, but in the hands of penciler Priscilla Tramontano, it gets a life and energy it would otherwise lack. Her greatest strength is the expressiveness she lends to the characters, and so she’s the perfect fit for a story with lots of quick, fully dialogue. Little casual touches and details, like reading glasses or cups of coffee, make the world of alien robots a little more approachable and help ease us into its confused protagonist’s mind. John-Paul Bove’s colors are bright and poppy, but moody in the more serious parts (like TC’s meeting with Dirge and relaxing at the beach near the end). Andrew Griffith and Josh Burcham contribute pencils and colors respectively in two key scenes, one flashback to just before the War and the trailer for a rival production. Their more detailed, somber yet action-oriented style helps draw attention to them, but the overall tone doesn’t shift from the fast-paced comedy and introspection of the whole issue. In any case, the story never loses its sense of wonder: this is a charming, strange little world, and in the increasingly serious main title, this can sometimes fall through the cracks.

However, this is the rare case of a comic whose artistic failings are also interesting in their own way. The scenes shown from “Starscream: The Movie” itself are bad on purpose, and so multiple movie mistakes are recreated in comics form. The lighting is almost always off in most scenes, and in some cases, it’s easy to make a green highlight around the actors –the result of cheap color correction. In another scene, the focus is all wrong, and so “Megatron” and “Starscream” are blurry or stick like sore thumbs from the background. When Thundercracker cannot stage the Decepticon uprising from the first storyline of “Robots in Disguise”, he ends up using archival footage for it –and so the same panels that Andrew Griffith drew for issue #13 are re-used wholesale! While it can be distracting at first, these mistakes become doubly fun when spotted and only add to the joke. (They can also make all amateur filmmakers out there check their equipment twice before starting filming. Never go with auto-focus, people!)

“Hey, everybody! I have an announcement to make!”

AN AWKWARD PAUSE, THEN “WHAT'S MY LINE?”| PLOT AND DIALOGUE But forget pretty much everything I’ve written so far, because the number one reason to read this story is how damn funny it is. And that’s not just for the guilty pleasure of mocking Thundercracker’s work. Sure, the tone-deaf, repetitive dialogue, the hammy acting and the flubs of the final film (poor Waspinator, always a victim) are extremely enjoyable, but that ignores the real back-and-forth of the characters. Even better is how the movie scenes are staged alongside the rest of TC’s discussions and efforts. The issue is expertly paced, each page functioning as a scene into its own, with set-ups and payoffs. When read all together, it’s like a very well-edited movie: it remains fast and doesn’t sag, and the connections between the disparate scenes become apparent on a second read-through. The cyclical flow of the story –it begins and ends with a very similar scene- can be seen as bittersweet and uplifting at the same time, and it made this here reader want to re-read the issue the moment it was over.

One of Barber’s greatest gifts as a writer –owing to his experience as an editor- is his mastery of continuity, but here he also demonstrates a firm understanding of Transformers and pop culture. His cheeky world-building –giant robots make movies, too!- combines satire and Trans-fan practices -repaints are totally a thing!- into one whole. Humans get a lot to do in this world, too, being both friends and potential business partners, in a co-existence that might even bring to mind the days of the original cartoon. My favorite example might be TC’s interactions with a former superhero, prospective film producer and distributor. The practicality of creating and curating a movie clashes wonderfully with the insanity of a sci-fi world and some obscure pop and high culture references. It’s this level of detail and care for all those losers that gives the story a beating heart that is often forgotten when talking about this specific writer’s work.

“You know what they say, ‘Love is blind’!”

THE CREDITS ROLL, THE CAMERA PANS | FINAL THOUGHTS Going over all the things I’ve written so far about this annual, I see that I could still go on. This here read focused on the story from a newbie perspective, because with continuity in mind, there’s a whole other essay’s worth of stuff to unpack! (One could re-interpret it as a Starscream and not a Thundercracker story, in fact!) But even with all that aside, this is a really fun, sweet diversion from the political drama of “Optimus Prime”, a great tribute to the bit players of the franchise and a love letter to the creative process as a whole. Oh, and there’s new jokes to find in, like, every new read! I literally just today remembered Fake!Ironhide’s Southern accent! That stuff’s amazing!

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 18 December 2017

Quick Bits:

Accell #6 concludes Danny’s first confrontation with new villain Midnight Blue and it’s interesting to see him still navigating how to be a hero, in this case ultimately failing. Damion Scott’s art is easily worth the price of admission alone.

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

Angelic #4 really starts getting into the happenings behind the scenes and the truth of what humans did before disappearing from the face of the Earth. It also shows that both the monks and the mans have been perpetuating their own ideologies and systems of belief to retain their own power structures. Not surprising, but like Orwell’s Animal Farm it’s a good way to show us some of our own failings through analogy.

| Published by Image

Assassinistas #1 isn’t exactly what I was expecting, but this is better. For whatever reason, I was expecting madcap female assassin action a la Kill Bill. That element is present, but this is really an interesting, humorous, and heartfelt look at three women who were assassins, who have moved on with their lives to create families and different situations. It’s about what happens after the usual exploitation movie, and it’s wonderful. Tini Howard has created some believable and interesting characters that are perfectly suited to Gilbert Hernandez bringing them to life.

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

Backways #1 is off to a good start. Anna’s girlfriend Sylvia goes missing amidst dabbling with magic and the occult, leading to Anna’s quest to find out what happened to her. Justin Jordan and Eleonora Carlini create some interesting characters and setting here, with some great art by Carlini.

| Published by AfterShock

Betty & Veronica: Vixens #2 gets us into the recruitment phase of the gang. I like the two narratives that Jamie Lee Rotante is providing, one of the current day gang and one of their formation. The art from Eva Cabrera fits this story perfectly.

| Published by Archie Comics

Dark Ark #4 gives us the battle between Nex’s vampires and the rest of the ark. It’s not pretty. The art by Juan Doe, though, is glorious.

| Published by AfterShock

Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan #3 manages to make Wade and Logan feel like an old married couple. It’s hilarious.

| Published by Marvel

Evolution #2 makes me sad that this isn’t weekly or released in huge chunks. The story from James Asmus, Joe Keatinge, Christopher Sebela, and Joshua Williamson is great, with each group of characters having their own unique point of view to give a broader picture of the coming epidemic. But the real star remains Joe Infurnari, whose art just pulls the whole thing together and elevates it to what’s looking like a horror masterpiece.

| Published by Image / Skybound

The Family Trade #3 sends Jessa on the run as the intrigue amongst the Family and the Clans begin to reach a boiling point. Morgan Beem’s art again makes this one of the most unique looking books on the shelves, very well done.

| Published by Image

Hellboy: Krampusnacht is a beautiful one-shot illustrated by Adam Hughes showcasing Hellboy vs. Krampus. It’s a fun take on the folklore, changing it up to more suit Hellboy’s world.

| Published by Dark Horse

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Fairies #1 kicks off a new anthology mini series with Matt Smith’s interpretation of the Icelandic fairy tale, “The Elf Queen and the Shepherd”. It’s a good story, with a bit of humour about talkative birds, and Smith’s art is beautiful.

| Published by Boom Entertainment / Archaia

Joe Golem: Occult Detective #4: Flesh & Blood #1 starts off a new two-parter with an interesting mystery of either a haunted house or a possessed woman or possibly both. Although the stories by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden are good, the main draw for this series for me has been Patric Reynolds’ depictions of the Drowning City. New York City recast as a derelict Venice just has something inherently right about it and Reynolds continuously nails the visuals.

| Published by Dark Horse

Kong on the Planet of the Apes #2 continues to feel like a seamless fusion between the two properties. The artwork from Carlos Magno is wonderful as expected, and I really like how Ryan Ferrier has incorporated some of the tropes of Kong stories, even briefly in the explorer’s notes as narration at the beginning of this issue.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Made Men #4 makes a bit of a mess of their operation regarding the captain who ordered the hit on Jutte and her squad. There are some great comedy moments again this issue with Hadry continuing to adjust to the changes in society. Month in, month out, Paul Tobin and Arjuna Susini continue to make this one of my favourite books on the shelves.

| Published by Oni Press

Marvel Two-in-One #1 finally gets around to dealing with the aftermath of Secret Wars and the disappearance of Reed and Sue. Chip Zdarsky and Jim Cheung manage to create something mournful and beautiful here.

| Published by Marvel

Optimus Prime #14 closes out the “Dead Come Home” arc with more gorgeous artwork from Livio Ramondelli. It’s also interesting as to how many threads John Barber is weaving from to craft this story. There’s bits from various Spotlight issues, the Dinobots trilogy, the recent Shining Armor mini, the First Strike crossover, and more, yet it never seems confusing or busy.

| Published by IDW

Redlands #5 is probably the darkest issue to date. While it focuses a bit on Bridget’s history, with Zuzu and with darker entities further back in time, it also dives deep into different narratives of abuse, “ownership”, and forced prostitution.

| Published by Image

ROM and the Micronauts #1 spins out of the First Strike crossover, but there’s not much continuity there that isn’t repeated in the first couple of pages. The rest of the book is heavier on the previous ROM series continuity, but it shouldn’t really serve as an impediment. Basically, ROM and the Micronauts team up to take on the combined forces of the Dire Wraiths and Baron Karza, then everything goes to hell. Christos Gage sets up an interesting predicament for the heroes and a compelling reason for them to continue together. Paolo Villanelli again proves adept at just about everything the Hasbroverse can throw at him artistically.

| Published by IDW

Sherlock Frankenstein & The Legion of Evil #3 is a turning point in Lucy’s investigation, as she searches out the Metal Minotaur and uncovers some of the secrets of Sherlock Frankenstein’s villainous meeting. The twist is interesting and should lead to a good final confrontation. The art again from David Rubín is truly amazing.

| Published by Dark Horse

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #15 begins Aphra’s latest mission for the murder bots. The dialogue for this issue from Si Spurrier is just spot on as it punches up some of the more humorous aspects of the series. Emilio Laiso’s art also gets to shine again, with some of the best depictions of various species throughout the Star Wars universe. 

| Published by Marvel

Summit #1, like Noble and KINO, focuses on one of the astronauts who were sent out to stop the asteroid from crashing into Earth. Ostensibly, Valentina Resnick-Baker was the only one to publicly survive, even though we as readers know at least the fates of David Powell and Alistair Meath, which makes Val’s supposed visions of her crew a little more interesting. Amy Chu and Jan Duursema seem to have one of the more central books here to the comics universe’s central plot, with explicit ties to Foresight and following up on the deliberate murders of scientists who knew the truth about the asteroid, so it’s nice to see the story focus on character more than plot. It’s also really nice to see Duursema’s art again. 

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

Tales of Suspense #100 is a great first issue from Matthew Rosenberg and Travel Foreman. Rosenberg’s Hawkeye is very much in the Fraction vein and his interactions throughout the comic are hilarious.

| Published by Marvel

Transformers: Till All Are One Annual 2017 brings both the series and Mairghread Scott’s tenure to a close. This ties up a few loose ends from the series and from the First Strike crossover, while giving Cybertron a new status quo going forward. This change hasn’t been reflected yet in the other Transformers titles yet, but it should be interesting to see a potentially friendlier and more progressive Cybertron. I am hoping that some of the personal revelations about Starscream will be picked up by either Optimus Prime or Lost Light.

| Published by IDW

Unholy Grail #5 brings the series to a close. In order to do so, it jumps over a few things, and pushes forward the timeline, which to me makes it feel a little rushed compared to previous issues. Still, the entire series has been a bleak reinterpretation of the Arthurian myth and that time shift adds to the feeling of emptiness. Wonderful artwork from Mirko Colak.

| Published by AfterShock

Other Highlights: 30 Days of Night #1, America #10, The Beautiful Death #4, Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack #4, Centipede #5, Champions #15, Curse Words Holiday Special, Dark Fang #2, Defenders #8, Doctor Strange 383, Generation X #85, Genius: Cartel #5, Guardians of the Galaxy #149, The Harcourt Legacy #2, The Hard Place #5, Head Lopper #8, Horizon #17, Incredible Hulk #711, Lazaretto #4, Luke Cage #168, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #22, Mighty Thor #702, Monsters Unleashed #9, Ms. Marvel #25, Ninja-K #2, Old Man Logan #32, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #298, Quantum & Woody! #1, The Realm #4, Rockstars #8, The Shadow #5, Spider-Gwen #27, Star Wars: Poe Dameron #22, TMNT Universe #17, Tomb Raider: Survivor’s Crusade #2, Uncanny Avengers #30, Unholy Grail #5, Vampirella #9, Venom #159, Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse Christmas Special, X-Men: Grand Design #1

Recommended Collections: All New Guardians of the Galaxy - Volume 2: Riders in the Sky, Black Hammer - Volume 2: The Event, Cosmic Scoundrels, Deadly Class - Volume 6, Grrl Scouts: Magic Socks, Hawkeye - Volume 2: Masks, Hillbilly - Volume 2, Monsters Unleashed, Secret Weapons, Superb - Volume 1: Life After the Fallout, The Unbelievable Gwenpool - Volume 4: Beyond the Fourth Wall

d. emerson eddy is going to collapse and go to sleep now.