The Functionist Council got the drop on Rodimus’ crew, someone’s Conjunx Endura may be beating up their partner during blackouts, and it’s possible someone might have hallucinated the last four issues. So, a typical Wednesday in the Lost Light universe then? See below for preview pages and a review of Transformers: Lost Light #5.
(As always, minor spoilers below.)
This is the issue where we find it out: in the Functionist-Dominated Alternate Universe every bot must have a purpose, and last issue we seemed to have found out what Rung was made for. No, not psychiatry. And as it turns out this issue, not as a giant drill machine either. What he’s for, turns out, is the reason why the Functionists were torturing him, why they’ve hated him but still couldn’t just blow him up. They need him, even as much as they despise him.
Here’s the thing: James Roberts’ storylines are complicated. If you’re not a fan of that, there’s some other comics you should go read. (Yeah I know, you were waiting for me to name which comics. Nope, not playing. Bagging on comics leads you to eating your hat when they turn out to be brilliant later. Or to rabid, braindead fans sending you hate mail. Either way, I’m not playing.)
ANYWAY. To understand this issue, you have to have been paying attention to the difference between Forged and Constructed Cold. And it has a lot to do with a specific type of crystal. If you haven’t kept up, you can listen to Kathryn of Binary System Podcast give us a five-minute-or-less tutorial about the whole thing (Skip to 15:15 to hear it.) After that, Rung’s going to make a hell of a lot more sense.
(Also if you think Kathryn got anything wrong in that tutorial, shout out in the comments, we’d love to have an argument conversation with you.)
But I love the verbal tap-dance the Functionist Council does to explain their own existence. Might makes right, and if they’re making the rules, they can bend those rules any way they like, even if it’s so blatantly obvious they’re lying through their teeth. (Though they don’t have teeth. Through their creepy mono-orb-faces? You know what I mean.)
Meanwhile, in the same universe, Megatron’s presented with a hell of a choice. I think the classic, 1986 Megatron would’ve taken the choice that kept him from being tried for his (entirely justified!) slaughter of millions, but our current Megatron has changed. A lot. I hope. (Also, can I just say that anybody trying to guilt Megatron into a decision is lucky he isn’t dealing with the ’86 Megatron? Even Starscream doesn’t have the nerve.)
Meanwhile meanwhile, back in our regular universe, we find out a little more about Anode, and if what I think is happening has actually happened, then my heart is just broken. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m afraid I’m not. It’s a little manipulative, completely unfair, and the kind of kick in the feels that, if I’m being honest, I really like. Damn you, Roberts. Only five issues into it and you’re doing this already?
As for the art, I’m still liking Jack Lawrence’s take on our favorite bots. I thought there was one panel with Megatron that looked odd, something about his neck seemed a little awkward to me. BUT, that’s a pretty minor quibble, and I have not the skill to draw one-tenth as good as Lawrence does, and I still love what he does 99.9% of the time, and I adore Nightbeat. No, seriously, I’ve had a special place in my heart for Nightbeat after Geoff Senior drew him in the early 90s, but I like Lawrence’s take on him even better. It helps that Joana Lafuente is spot on with the color in every panel, but something about Nightbeat in this issue strikes me as just perfect.
(Also, one of my favorite artists Jin Yung Kim did the Retailer Incentive Cover again this issue, and it’s gorgeous.)
