IDW's Beast Wars: The Gathering #3

[Covenant]

First off, I have to include Outtsyder's review of the ish posted at IDW's board. The guy just does it right. Hope he doesn't mind, it's good.

Originally Posted by Outtsyder@IDW

(cues up searing electric guitar solo by Metallica)


COVER:

Keeping with the smaller numbers of variants like last time. Cover A shows Magmatron hanging onto the spark of Tripredacus Agent Ravage, almost like Gollum fixated on the One Ring. Cover B shows the organicized Lioconvoy, transforming from lion to robot mode. Cover C is a fight scene between Magmatron and Transmetal Megatron. And Cover D shows three of the show’s Maximals – Transmetal Cheetor up front, Rhinox behind him, and a close-up of Optimal Optimus’ profile behind them both – set with a sunlit forest above them, and a volcano at the bottom. Two collector’s covers are available: a foil-stamped version of Cover C, and a monochrome sketch cover version of Cover A.


INSIDE COVER DETAILS:

Generally the same as before; artists details crediting Simon Furman, Don Figueroa, Josh Burcham and company. The “story so far” blurb summarizes the events in previous issues, and uses the same negative-film black-and-white shot of Magmatron as well.


THE STORY:

We open in front of the Maximal base – Optimal Optimus’ Maximal team, to be exact, just outside the defense station they built just outside the Ark. Primal says he senses something while his friends Cheetor and Rhinox don’t see anything out there. Rhinox notes that with Optimus having gone through so many changes, he might be “chasing ghosts”. It just so happens that Razorbeast, Snarl, Bonecrusher and Optimus Minor have just walked past them, but through their time displacement, Primal and Razorbeast’s respective groups can’t see each other (as Razorbeast explains to a surprised Optimus Minor). Razorbeast’s team goes further inside, looking for the tools to repair the transwarp signal booster they swiped from Ravage’s destroyed cruiser. Snarl suggests just using the tools in Primal’s base, saying they’d be more compatible with same-era technology. But Razorbeast says the missing (and displaced) tools would be noticed, and could possibly trigger time fractures. Their only option? The Ark.

Out in the southwest, Transquito and his Predacon squad are being “vewwy vewwy quiet, and hunting Maximals. Heheheheheheh!” (*ahem* Sorry. ) As Scourge complains about the planet while Transquito seems to like it, they find their prey and go on the attack. However, instead of Maximals… it’s the Mutants! Poison Bite and Soundwave overwhelm Retrax and Powerpinch, and Icebird rope-a-dopes Transquito into a counter-attack ambush, forcing Scourge and Insecticon to clear out with “nothing to report”….

In the Midwest, Magmatron, Drill Bit and Iguanus locate a stasis pod housing a sparkless protoform, perfect for the next step in their plan. Magmatron noted they’ve taken too long in their assigned mission, so to avoid suspicion by the Tripredacus Council, Magmatron decides to return to the duty of capturing Megatron, while sending an agent to finish off the other Maximals for him. He inserts the spark of Ravage into the blank protoform, but Iguanus wonders if the revived agent can be trusted. Magmatron assures his lieutenant, saying that while Ravage was working for the Tripredacus Council, he’s still a former Decepticon with millions of years of undeniable resources and talents, as the reborn Agent awakens….

We return to Razorbeast’s squad in the Ark; they find the tools they need, but they’re so old, they’ll only have a VERY short time to send the transwarp message before it all burns out. They notice that Snarl has gone missing, but he pulls a G1 Mirage and appears right behind them, scaring them half to deactivation! He explains he was off working on a sensor drone to track the Predacons – one that he took from either Primals’ Maximals, or from the Ark; I’d bet on the latter – and they track their targets on a hand-held screen…

Toward Megatron’s base, the Darkseid! His Predacons have just succeeded in claiming the salvaged Sentinel from the wrecked Axalon, and he sends them indoors to get to work. However, he lets the others go ahead, as he senses something behind him. He turns around, and appearing right in front of him is Magmatron, wearing a time displacement device around his arm, allowing him to return to “real time” and attacks Megatron! Megatron fights back fairly easily, but Drill Bit and Iguanus sneak up behind him, also wearing the same time displacement armbands, and snare Megatron. They switch the devices and tag Megatron, dragging him with them as they vanish, just before Inferno and Quickstrike can even seen what happened.

Razorbeast’s team are now outside the Ark, having taken the parts they need, but having found out about Megatron’s capture along with Magmatron’s own agenda, time is running out. They have to get to work immediately on the transwarp signal booster to alert the Maximals on Cybertron, while stopping Magmatron from taking his quarry back home. Razorbeast tries to send another signal to another other activated Maximals who have yet to arrive… while out in the east, Ravage assembles Lazorbeak, Sky Shadow, Buzzsaw, Injector and Jetstorm to scope out the Maximals and let the heroes lead them to their lair, where they can all be finished off at once. And speaking of the Maximals’ lair, we meet them in said location, where Wolfang, B’Boom and Ramulus are waiting for those same other Maximals to show up, but they still haven’t. Ramulus is getting more and more testy from not being able to go out there and act, Wolfang says there’s not much they can do until Razorbeast’s team or any other reinforcements show up, being strongly outnumbered.

We meet with Magmatron and Co. having set up camp with their rogue Predacon prisoner, about to return to Cybertron, setting the transwarp transport gantry to self-destruct right after they go through. Razorbeast and Optimus Minor find them, but too late. Though the remain in hiding and spying on Magmatron, Razorbeast notices something among the tools lying scattered near the gantry… one of the time-displacement pads the Predacons used in capturing Megatron. Razorbeast tells Minor that he’s need his help, but first, needs a distraction before going in and snaring their quarry. It just so happens they get one, when the Predacons detect a VERY powerful spark entering their territory… its bearer is yet another legend from the ancient past, and he is not happy…!

To Be Concluded…?

[Covenant]

Covers available; Don Figueroa, Roche, Guido Guidi, & Raiz.

I thankfully had a read through on The Gathering #3 yesterday evening. I'd wanted the Guido cover or the Raiz cover, but ended up with the Fig cover as I'd inquired too late and didn't want to wait for them to reorder. My last name still mispelt, but as I was told, it was too late to change once they knew.... ...since my last name on the emails I send isn't evident enough... Sucks, oh well. Still, awesome to be in there. Twice now no less.

THE RETURN OF RAVAGE! Yeeeeees! Stinks there couldn't have been some decent time to see the interaction between Magmatron & Ravage. I would have cared to see that conversation. Totally wasn't expecting Megatron to get snagged, and I have to say they did great on his dialogue. Snarl's little scare on Razorbeast in the Ark was hilarious!

I also like how the mutants have apparently gathered into their own territory, and how the invading Predacons were properly scared off.

To top things off, Grimlock. ROCK, naturally. Have to wonder about Grimlock though. Looking forward to the explanation of his appearance in the finale.

The action's really heating up and I'd be lying if I didn't say with all honesty I can't wait to be blown away next issue. I. Dig. This. Also, I'm wondering what will become of the participants who are active, but not featured so much in the tale. Return to Cybertron I hope? Hoping so for my book really, would be nice to add some back story to some characters n'what not..

The vibrant colors and differing color schemes among all the cast is still just too good to not smile at. Simon, Don and Josh are doing a bangup job.

[Autobloke]

Not collecting mine until next week, so...

[General Tekno]

Nice - at first I thought that it was Starscream's spark, but evidently it's not...

Didn't Grimlock die in Alignment though? So his spark could easily be explained away.

Now I've got to wait for the final issue though- this has already invalidated my fanfic (which I haven't worked on in cycles) by several counts; even though I tried to plan for this mini. I might have to buy the TPB when it inevitably comes out.

[Covenant]

Originally Posted by General Tekno

Nice - at first I thought that it was Starscream's spark, but evidently it's not...

What Spark? The Ravage one? But didn't they say in ish 2 it was Ravage?

Originally Posted by General Tekno

Didn't Grimlock die in Alignment though? So his spark could easily be explained away.

Yes he did die. He was disintigrated entirely into nothingness. Thankfully that was a mere convention exclusive story. And in my opinion not Furman's best work.

Originally Posted by General Tekno

Now I've got to wait for the final issue though- this has already invalidated my fanfic (which I haven't worked on in cycles) by several counts; even though I tried to plan for this mini.

I hear you on that one. I've attempted to craft my novel with either explanations that connect to this, allow for that, and could easily be explained away in an author interview. This mini puts a wrench in the works of that. I'm going to have to wait and see how this all ends up, then decide if I can slip it in here and there and just change a character or two to a new/different one if it won't work out, or if I just ignore the IDW Beast Wars run and do the damn thing as is. I'd have no trouble ignoring the new company stuff, in fact it might help with license issues later (not that I envision IDW being stingy mind you), but if I could work it in it would be nice. HECK, if Magmatron survives this all I'd have more than a decent place or two to work him in at.

[General Tekno]

No - I meant that 'legendary spark' entering Magmatron's territory.

I got an alternate hypothesis on why Grimlock could be there though - maybe he was brought by the Maximals for a similar reason for them carrying Protoform X onboard.

[Covenant]

Originally Posted by General Tekno

I got an alternate hypothesis on why Grimlock could be there though - maybe he was brought by the Maximals for a similar reason for them carrying Protoform X onboard.

Perhaps!

[T.V.]

#3 was a nice read and the last page made me smile.

However, the intro of the mutants was a bit messy. I had to reread the swamp bit to get what was going on.
If you're not familiar with the toys (such as me) it is easy to lose track of things.
The art wasn't the most clear on that one.

Still good overall.

I guess that Grimlock is one of those sparks activated by Razorbeast in #1.
Or... he was an agent sent by Leo Convoy (as a backup), just as Magmatron was supposed to be a back up in the event of Ravage failing.

[General Tekno]

Or, of course, it could be that he was brought on board to kill Protoform X - this IS Grimlock after all. I reckon that he would need a whole remote planet to finish the job considering the damage that would be done between him and X.

[T.V.]

Heh..

Just noticed I was featered AGAIN in the lettercol, along with alot of other familiars.

Next time I'll post my full name.
An I-net pseudonym looks kinda lame...

[Autobloke]

Regretting the non-impact of the name 'T.V.' now then?

'Autobloke' would have been better.

[Covenant]

Originally Posted by T.V.

Next time I'll post my full name.

Make sure to spell it for them.

[Covenant]

A page preview (without the dialogue as of yet, if there is to be any) from the final issue in IDW's Art Du Jour today.

[General Tekno]

Grimlock's back!

Man, I wouldn't want to be those two Predacons...

[T.V.]

Originally Posted by Covenant

Make sure to spell it for them.

I did.

Nice AduJ update, btw.

[Rumble Xal]

Damn. Every body seem like they like this new Transformer comic stuff. I may have to pick up the trade later on. But what the hell is Grimlock doing there?

[Covenant]

Originally Posted by Rumble Xal

Every body seem like they like this new Transformer comic stuff. I may have to pick up the trade later on.

Hey, far be it from me to tell somebody how to spend and what to buy, but as a recommendation and sign of support for IDW Publishing I'd recommend picking up the issues. More covers, plus it helps them out.

Originally Posted by Rumble Xal

But what the hell is Grimlock doing there?

No one's got a clue on that one. We're waiting for issue four.