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Monstrosity #3

Published Date: August 7th 2013
Written by: Chris Metzen & Flint Dille
Art by: Livo Ramondelli
Colours by: Livio Ramondelli
Edited by: John Barber
Cover price: $3.99

Synopsis:

On the planet of Junk, the Terrorcons arrive and take on Megatron. Using the ripped spark from Pentius, Megatron manages to defeat them and uses their transport to head back to Cybertron to confront Scorponok.

The Autobot Scientists inform Prime of their discovery of both the unstable energon and the long-dormant Trypticon, along with the risks involved in trying to harness the energon. Meanwhile Kup unites the Dynobots and makes a case for them to turn themselves in.

As the exodus continues, tensions mount at the stars reach space port as the less wealthy have difficulty getting transports off the planet. Dai Atlas joins Optimus at the port after resigning from the convocation and the two calm the situation down. Kup and the Dynobots show up as backup, much to Primes protest. Grimlock explains the situation he and his fellow Dynobots are in and how he himself killed Skar. Prime offers to try and help.

Things take a turn for the worst when the Decepticons attack the port, causing many civilian casualties. Unfortunately in the mayhem, Grimlock becomes enraged and changes into his beast alt-mode and rampages through both Autobot and Decpticon forces, tearing many to pieces. The Decepticons try to fight him but retreat. Prime manages to calm him down and pleads with him and the Dynobots to stay.

Back at the ruins of the Toraxxis energy plant, Scorponok reveals that his attack on the spaceport was nothing more than a smokescreen to allow him to break the seals holding Trypticon in place. With the restraints removed, the giant monster rises up over Cybertron.


Characters featured [in rough order of appearance]:

Megatron, Pentius, Hun-Garr, Blot, Rippersnapper, Sinnertwin, Cutthroat, Optimus Prime, Jetfire, Perceptor, Ratchet, Kup, Grimlock, Swoop, Snarl, Slag, Sludge, Dai Atlas, Blaster, Prowl, Springer, Scorponok, Starscream, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Sky Lynx, Skar, Shockwave, Soundwave, Blitzwing, Astrotrain, Trypticon


Notes:

This issue collects the digital issues #7-9. The titles are “Prey”, “Massacre” & “Unleashed”

Trypticon was sealed away by the original Knights of Cybertron.

Scorponok is still missing the tips of his left claw – sliced off by Grimlock in their previous fight.

The populace view of the Primes is still one of fear – even Optimus is seen as a force of oppression.

Grimlock and the other Dynobots used the unstable energon to defeat the beasts in Trypticons cavern many cycles ago – but he was so uncontrollable that he killed Skar in the battle.

Goofs

Considering he lost his gun arm in issue 1 and replaced it with a long claw-like hand, where does Megatron get the cannon for his alt mode?

Quote / Unquote:

“Patience Wanderer, you were meant to be here – in this moment. For you destiny opens it arms wide” - Pentius rambles on, despite there being no transportation at the location he has lead Megatron to.

“At last… the Student… Becomes the Master. You are… truly… monstrous” - and is fairly ok with Megatron ripping his spark out to use as a power source.

“You are more terrible than ever… He doesn’t stand a chance…” – Hun-garr toadies up to Megatron after getting his clock cleaned.

“Don’t start spouting your circle of light garbage!” – Not Ratchet, just a random ‘bot who doesn’t buy into all the religious guff.

“And in the face of utter ruin, the strong, at last, shall rise” – Scorponoks grand plan in a nutshell.

Review:

Here’s the thing.

If you treat this issue of Monstrosity as a high-end fan fiction, it’s really not too bad. There are some nice exchanges between a clearly weary Prime and Dai Atlas. The battle between Megatron and the Terrorcons, while full of silliness, is still fun. The scene where Hun-garr charges at Megatron and he changes into his alt mode to blast him was done really well. And unlike the battles with the Junkions and the Sharkticons (I really don’t know why they bothered with the Sharkticons. We didn’t even get a fight scene there) this fight is long enough to resonate. It also has some seriously hammy dialogue where everyone tells Megatron how awesomely evil he is. (see Quote / Unquote)

In short summing up, it’s actually a fun issue.

Yes, there are some real silly things in here. Kup bringing the “loose cannon” Dynobots to a civilian space dock that is experiencing high tension is about an 11 on the 1 to 10 scale of stupid. Yes, we never know exactly how Scorponok breaks the Trypticon seal, or even how the seal was keeping Trypticon asleep (it’s hieroglyphics on a wall). And yes, it doesn’t make sense that Megatron can rip a spark from an alien race to use as an energy source. Or that he is even able to change into an alt mode considering how his body is a patch-work quilt of bits of Junkion. Or that if it weren’t for the Terrorcons flying to Junkion, Megatron would have been left there to rot. Or… well, you get the idea.

So disengage your brain. Maybe, just maybe, pretend that you’re reading some awesome fan-fiction that references, but doesn’t actually connect to the broader IDW universe. And you’ll find that Metzen and Dille can actually write some interesting parts. Just don’t expect the sum of those parts to quite achieve their potential.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Pretty fair review, I suppose, because take out continuity out of the equation (and the whole, you know, shoehorning in the 'Dinobots go crazy' storyline for the fourth* time in IDW comics output within a couple of months) it's sort-of decent. Kind of the 'decent' you'd slap on some of the Costa issues or the Dreamwave ones.

*Robots in Disguise, Fall of Cybertron, Rage of the Dinobots, Monstrosity... also, you might count Grimlock in MTMTE, sort of.

Just finished the review for part four - will upload once its printed (used the digital versions). Doesn't end well and there's quite the rant.You might need the editors pen for that one. It's funny, re-reading this and Autocracy shows that they definitely went with the bloated sequel effect.