Starscream struggles to maintain control of Cybertron in the wake of the battle with the undead Titans and Windblade’s…I mean her….look I don’t want to talk about it and it’s not entirely clear yet so I’m holding out hope, okay? Okay?
Anyway, things are getting political, but not in a paperwork and bureaucrats way but more in a propaganda and blackmail and “yes I have you over a barrel it’s for your own good and you’ll do what I say and you’ll like it” way. Also Elita One is not to be trifled with. Ever.
See below for a review of Till All Are One #9.
(As always, minor spoilers follow. If you’d rather go read the issue first, I promise I won’t mind.)
The thing about Elita One is that she’s ruthless, unsympathetic, uncaring, conniving, and right. She said Carcer was off-limits, and she had good reason. Oh, she should have told someone she had one of the universe’s most dangerous Cybertronians imprisoned in her Titan? She basically says “loose lips sink cityships” and if the wrong person said the wrong thing someone might have tried to free him. (I’m sure we don’t know anyone who’s ever been ruthless enough to stop at nothing in their quest for victory, *cough* Megatron Starscream Galvatron Overlord *cough*.)
I’d go into all the details about the conversation she has with Starscream, the Mistress of Flame, and the rest of the council of worlds, but it’s so much better if you read it yourself, so in short: she asked everyone to leave her alone, they didn’t, now she has dirt, potentially riot-rousing information, and an aft-load of leverage, so she’s kind of in charge.
I haven’t loved to hate and hated to love a Cybertronian so much since….well since Starscream actually. And I still love him because he surprised me this issue, in a way that shouldn’t have surprised me. In the end he did both what he always does and what he’s never done before, and it all makes sense. Plus he’s pretty, let’s not forget that.
My love of the Sara Pitre-Durocher and Joana Lafuente team knows no bounds. Every panel is stunning. The line-work is intricate and the colors give everything so much depth. They capture every face beautifully and oh my goodness can they make Elita sneer. I had to go back to rewatch her expression change from rage to polite condescension to out and out smug.
As an additional bonus? (spoilers) (just a little) The Mistress of Flame refers to Elita as “that pink-shelled megalomaniac” and that’s just awesome.
AND this issue’s cover was the first in a series by Sara Pitre-Durocher, if you haven’t seem them you should take a look, they’re downright glorious.
