Customer Reviews

Transformers: Megatron Origin (Transformers (Idw))

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

How did megatron become the megalomaniac conquerer that we know and love? Well, here it is at long last! Now you can see how a lowly energon miner with a strong distaste for politicians becomes a natural killer, and the leader of a powerful new army. It shows how he meets the core Decepticon contingent, and goes on to challenge and defeat the impressive Sentinal Prime, who is finally shown to us in full form.

The only problem with the book, like some other reviewers have mentioned is the art. While it looks great, the colors are so dar that it is very difficult to tell what is going on sometimes. What should've been displayed in large splash pages are reduced to small panels, forcing you to look for a good while to tell what's going on. A second read-through is plenty enough to make sure you catch the action, but you shouldn't need to do that.

Otherwise, this is a great comic! A must read for fans!

I thought this was a great comic with wonderful art work, it's a bit hard to follow at times, only because it's so fast paced, and there is a large amount of story to be told in a short amount of time. Keep in mind this is the story of where "Megatron" came from, and how he single-handedly was responsible for the rise of the "Decepticon" faction on "Cybertron". It's a tale of how one Robot choose to stand up against the system, and ultimately became a force of nature. I think this is also a great prequel to the "War-Within" comics, because we actually get to see the fate of "Sentinel-Prime" who is mentioned in the first page's of the afore mentioned "War-Within". In closing I believe this is a must have for all Hard-core Transformers fans who want to know the true story behind the rise of the great war!!!!

This Origin of Megatron is an interesting read. The artwork is nice and the story is intriguing. The story is similar to the movie Gladiator with Russel Crow in that Megatron is a wanted criminal warrior fighting in the pits. He then unites all the fighters together to take on the autobots and lead a revolution to make changes and brands his troops the decepticons. The story shows you how each of his loyal servants came about and how they met.

The story is great, but could use some tweaking. You will find gaps in the story and you will be wondering it if this is days later, or what not. The artwork sometimes is murky and you cannot make out if they are fighting or just sticking their arms out in certain panels. Slightly confusing.

If you love Transfortmers history, and want to expand your knowledge of the characters written by IDW publishing, this is a must have book.

Megatron... Who is he and where did he come from? As a Transformer fan for more than 20+ years I have wondered this. I along with other fans had heard Optimus Prime's origins many times; not so the case with Megatron. This comic attempts to answer this question. Does it succeed? Sort of But I found it a bit confusing to follow. I just don't feel like the story was that easy to read. I had to read it 3 times and an online summary to just understand what was going on in the grand scheme of things. I did like it because I felt some of my questions were answered and it is written in a darker more mature style. However I did leave this material with more unanswered questions. I must say though I also did walk away with a certain sympathy for the Decepticon cause.

IF YOU HAVE NOT read this book yet, I do not wish to spoil it for you so I would suggest not reading here any further. For the rest of you I ask these questions and welcome any comments or feedback, positive or negative.

1. With Sentinal Prime killed off is this where War Within starts? I feel it is BUT does the Dreamwave continuity fit in with the IDW continuity?
2. The book starts with Megatron in the Energon Mines. How did he end up there in first place? Does this mean I should hope for The Origin's prequel?
3. What are the origins of the Seekers?(New Book idea!)
These are just some of the questions I wish I had the answers to.

Its a good story, about how Megatron became the Evil Decepticon leader. I dont want to spoil the story, so the only thing im telling is that it is a good story, great drawings and overrall great quality in terms of the materials used for the printing. Thanks to IDW for making such high Quality colector comics. It is a good fine piece to add to your comic colection.

I was skeptical that a really good origin for such a great bad-guy could be written. I was wrong! The story starts with Megatron working as a Energon miner. So you see already where his thirst for energon and his intuition for where to find it comes from. Then he and his fellow minors are wronged by an Autobot senator. You see where his hatred for Autobots comes from.

He escapes arrest and goes underground and begins a fight club for other Cybertronians who are in equally hopeless situations. Here he learns to fight, to be ruthless when need be, and also where strongest and most loyal (to him) fighters are.

Various well-known characters enter his life such as Soundwave and Starscream and they help build Megatron into the character we know and love (Starscream will certainly later regret his contribution). You see what is under Megatron's helmet (strange but interesting) and how he goes from a frustrated worker to a murderous leader. You even get a look at Autobot leadership before Optimus Prime and how it had become very selfish, arrogant, and very "ends justifies the means." So you see why Megatron never trusts that the Autobot way will bring a better life for everyone.

The story is great and the art is very good. Sometimes it is difficult to make out what exactly is going on in the smaller panels during fights, but overall it is very good. The story ends with a great teaser for future stories. I was actually glad to see that the origin of Megatron had nothing to do with Optimus Prime. He will come later and didn't have to be joined at Megatron's hip from the very beginning.

This book captivated me. I fell into it, nose inches from the pages, and had difficulty emerging again into the real world. It was the first Transformers book I'd ever gotten, but as I followed it up by purchasing five others, including War Within, Infiltration, and Spotlight 1, I feel I have a good range for comparison. And this book is still one of my favorites. Here is what I like about it:

THE ART is my favorite out of all the transformers art I have ever seen. It is incredibly detailed, with many hidden "Easter eggs" to find in it, including many character cameo appearances. I took this book around with me for two days, just looking at the art, trying to find everything I had missed the first time(s) through, and figuring out a lot more layers of the story as I did. I enjoyed the treasure hunt aspect of deciphering the story. But be aware that if you prefer a more straightforward style of art and storytelling, you may not like this book.

The other thing I loved in this book was that it answers the "What Does Megatron Look Like Under His Helmet?" question, but gives that answer a very profound meaning. *spoiler warning* I love that Megs keeps his old beat-up miner's helmet to help him focus his hatred for the society that condemned him, but that underneath that ugly old helmet, he is beautiful. I like the glimpse of what might have been, had he made other choices... *end of spoiler*


Weakness of this book: THE WRITING.
The writing is not nearly as strong as the art. In fact, the writing is sometimes bad enough to distract from the story. Luckily, the story is mostly in the art: the words give the gist, but the pictures tell the whole story. I wished that an alternative to the labor dispute premise could have been found. It seemed like such an uncreative, "earth-bound" idea. Robots angry because they are being replaced by... robots? Huh? Silly. And this may be nit-picking, but I just can't see transformers yelling, "Kicka$$!" That's just too human a word, and feels out of place.

There are a few head-trip moments: You will never think of the phrase, "Till all are one!" in the same way again, or see the Autobot symbol as so benign. This book very effectively takes you deep into the twisted, seething mind of Megatron, and it is a dark place. Be warned.

Bottom Line:
If you are interested in Megatron, or if you just want to see some truly great art, buy this book. You'll spend a lot of time with it. If you want great writing, easily-comprehended art and story, and if you want fun, buy Infiltration.

The character designs are top-notch and the concept is intriguing. Unfortunately, I couldn't understand anything that was happening. The colors were murky indigos and blues, characters were often indistinguishable from the backgrounds there's too much action crammed into tiny little panels, and at least 30% of the panels in this book consist of close-ups of huge glowing eyes, which all look alike. The writing doesn't help clarify what the art fails to illustrate. I tried reading this book several times before giving up and reading an online summary.

Good book for awesome robot and Cybertron designs and atmosphere, plus it's shiny and packaged very nicely. Can't comment on story, characterization or writing as couldn't figure out either one.

Flawlessly written with gorgeous illustrations and epic action! Definitely for the older reader as "Damn" and "Kickass" are used several times. A must have!

Like Star Wars Revenge of the Sith, Megatron Origins tells how a simple miner will become one of the most feared villain of popculture. Unlike SWRotS however, I really care about his transformation from simple miner to rebel leader and from rebel leader to conqueror. I even side with him as Sentinel Prime, the Autobot leader at this time, is posing as the personnal enforcer of a corrupted government. An essential for any TF fan. Looks for a cameo of Go Bots Renegades leader Cy-Kill! A nice touch for thoses who remember that crappy '80 cartoon!