TF Views

Dominic wrote:Read a little more yesterday:
Axer's origin involves him getting a power set that reconciles him as G1/RiD Axer. It is written a bit more stream of conciousness than I would like. But, my biggest problem is the fact that it ties in with the fan-wank club's take on the character. Characterization-wise, Irvine does a good job or presenting Axer as a regular guy who is no angel, but is not a complete monster.

Howso, with the wankery? Axer was actually pretty much confirmed to be that guy since the beginning. Doesn't his bio say something about coming from another universe? It's Sideways who the club and Wiki dick around with.

The whole thing started with RiD. Axer was an idiomatic character re-use, similar to most any Optimus or Megatron or Starscream. It was Sipher (and maybe Walky) that took a stupid fanfic idea (that sprouted on one of the larger boards) and made it official with that idiotic multiversal flow-chart back in '06.

Axer's origin in "Exiles" is possibily set-up for that, taking a bad idea that was official but largely isolated and making it part of the core of the franchise. Irvine handles it well enough, but knowing the origin of the idea makes it harder to accept.


Dom
-not quite halfway through.

War breaks out on Velocitron. The Autobots are one step closer to finding the traitor. And.....oi. There is more 40K-light when Alpha Trion and Wheeljack try to jury-rig a way of communicationg through the warp....erm Space Bridge using the Matrix as a beacon.

This book is kind of a grind.


Dom
-gonna finish it, but damn if it ain't work.

No comics this week....so here is more of "Exiles".

The civil war on Velocitron is handled well. Rather than everybody lining up to take a side in a straight forward power struggle, most Velocitronians are content to go about their business provided that the fighting is not too disruptive to their lives. However, there is still more "hunt the McGuffin" action than there really needs to be. And, as was the case with the first novel, there are a few scenes that are likely to be unclear if somebody is not familiar with the franchise.


Dom
-aolmost wants a Makeshift toy.

Irvine gives us a bit of practical TF theology in the 13's origin.

-Unicron is all but established, which is not unexpected.

-despite the fact that Matrix has been leading Optimus around for the last ~300 pages, Optimus comes to terms with the fact that the gods are not going to be constantly intervening in Cybertronian affairs.

Irvine does his best to keep this all readable. I get the feeling that the better parts and execution of "Exiles" and "Exodus" are Irvine, and the rougher parts are a result of him struggling with editorial mandates. Of course, that is no excuse for the sheer number of "this thing/character just shows up for some reason" moments.

-the McGuffin is revealed to be the Requiem Blaster.

-a buncha stuff happens.


-late edit: The author is Alex Irvine, not Alex Milne, as I originall posted.

Dom
-figures irvine leaving will let us sort out blame/credit in the next book.

You're confusing Alex Irvine for Alex Milne, Dom. Also, Irvine is done after this book--the mess is someone else's to clean up and explain.

-what the hell, pirates just kind of show up?


Dom
-really close to the end now.

And....I finished it last night.

-the pirates are just a lead in for the next book.

-yes, this book ends on what is more or less a cliff-hanger. It is not a "gun to the hero's head" deal. But, it is pretty clearly setting up for a third book.

-there is a *really* obnoxious use of an exclammation point during a battle. I do not know if it is Irvine's fault or an editor got stupid. Either way, I am taking points off for it.



Final thoughts:
This book is a vast improvement over the first. It is more readable than any reasonable person would expect. But, it is mid-grade filler at most. I would not even recommend it to fans unless they have read most other bits of modern Transfiction. And, even then, there is probably older stuff that is no available in reprinted form that newer fans may not have read.

By the standards of soft sci-fi as a general category, this is more or less what one would expect. But it if you see it and are curious. But, there is probably better stuff on the GW shelf.

I am not sure that I am going to bother with the 3rd book. I will come down to who is writing it, and how much I have to read at the time.


Grade: C/D


Dom
-time for a general discussion of Hasbro's "Aligned" continuity?

Dominic wrote:Dom
-time for a general discussion of Hasbro's "Alligned" continuity?

Continuity? I didn't know it had any!


DO-HOHOHOHOHO!!!

Yeah, it's just as much of a mess as ever. It used to be that Hasbro was content to just go, "Everything counts somewhere, maaaan," and was content to let it go. Now they just go, "It's all the same continuity, despite there being tons of differences. I don't know. Work it out."