Megatron belongs to somebody!
He does and in this issue we find out who! With Robert Kirkman’s Void Rivals having launched Skybound’s Energon Universe, he now takes the writing reins of the flagship Transformers comic series as well. Ludo Lullabi returns on pencils with Mike Spicer on colors for this “breather” issue focused on Megatron!
In this thirty-first issue, the secret of Megatron’s enforced servitude is revealed as his hidden master tightens the reins on the Decepticon leader!
Has this got to do with the glow-y eyes and seizures Megs has been suffering?
Yep! We finally learn who is pulling the strings of the Quintesson Dezimir who had put Megatron through those “trials” and how Megatron’s gun mode can control those who wield it. It’s a concept that has been utilized in Transformers fiction before and Kirkman looks to be offering a new spin on it.
Megatron must undergo another series of trials in his own mind as his not-so-mysterious benefactor pits him against Decepticon leaders of the past, among other things. I appreciated the fanwank that Kirkman included here in terms of previous Decepticon leaders and Ludo Lullabi draws these obscure characters with his distinct style. Megatron’s secret master also cuts an imposing and flashy visual that adds to his lingering menace.
So Megatron accepts his master’s terms?
It appears he has little choice, as the alternative is oblivion. By the issue’s end, Megatron appears on the verge of another transformation, but into what… it is unclear. I sincerely doubt Kirkman is going to pull the Galvatron card already, but there are other alternatives in leveling Megatron up. It seems like something he’s keen on doing; changing the power dynamic of certain characters in relation to others and he’s done it three issues in a row now.
I am still interested to see where this goes, but I hope Kirkman spends the next arc more on character interaction than character change. It’s what he’s clearly better at even though he seems to enjoy upgrading/downgrading people in status. This is a decent-enough one-off issue that provides some answers at least to the running mystery of who is pulling Megatron’s strings. If you’re a fan of Megatron though, maybe you won’t like seeing him jerked around at the whim of another though.
Cube?
I won’t lie; the fanwank in this issue made me smile at least, and Ludo Lullabi’s art makes for a nice change of pace. We’re getting another new artist next issue and I’m sad that Dan Mora won’t be on the book, but I hope Kirkman can at least push forward plot-wise some more.
Buy Transformers # 31 this week, because mercy is not dispensed here… only DEATH!
