It’s here. It happened. The final issue of what I believe to have been the best two-series production in modern Transformers storytelling. I include DreamWave in “modern” series. James Roberts and company did what no one ever expected to be done, except in fan-fic.
At first, I was one of those stereotypical G1-purists who felt it was repulsive. The concept of the Transformers having these intimate relationships, boyfriend/girlfriend style. It was intriguing how gender, while present, never was really a focus or issue. Ratchet and Drift, two “male” robots were together. In Optimus Prime, we did not see much of it, but recently Arcee and Aileron became an item. There were terms for it, and unlike Marvel or DC who had to throw it in our faces when someone was either gay, Hispanic, or something-or-other, we knew it was for shock value and sales. I believe, and I could be wrong, Roberts and co. did not have any shock value intent at all.
I got over my G1-purist attitude and embraced the fluid and natural progression of storytelling which made all this seem normal and routine. No “brick-to-the skull” gender-provoking issues. A story was told. A great story.
Moving on, I read on as what began as a haphazard quest with brilliant humor, and my style of sarcasm and cynicism, developed into some serious moments and plots, some crossing over into other titles, while others became famous all on its own. The rise of the Decepticon Justice Division, the return of Overlord, tales of impending death and despair. All while able to maintain the humorous bar introduces at the onset of the series. As it evolved into Lost Light, new characters were introduced. Hell, MEGATRON rebranded as an AUTOBOT for Primus’ sake!
Events which took place in the larger Transformers universe, such as Robots in Disguise/Transformers, Windblade, Optimus Prime, and even in the final tale in the six-issue Universe-Ending Crisis of Unicron, the story of Lost Light was largely unaffected. The final issue showed evidence of that as Rodimus and crew recap their final adventures, and we seem to see these flash-forwards into a future where many characters have retired from war, settled down, continued to travel around the galaxy. The flashes back to the present show how each character copes with the final events of their biggest battle, and fittingly, a glimpse of a Megatron filled with remorse and regret for… You’ll just have to read it. The flash-forward reunion of sorts takes place at the funeral for a longtime Autobot mainstay throughout the entire IDW run. Seems fitting, where else do people (or robots for that matter) come together to reminisce about good old days and better times than at a funeral for one of their own?
As we say good-bye to the cast and crew, it’s ideal to understand some of the other unique qualities MTMTE and Lost Light brought to the table. From a massacre by the DJD or Overlord, to a side-story featuring a ragtag wayward group of ex-Decepticons and a Dinobot leader thought lost, it also challenged the ethos of their own history. While in the pages of Optimus Prime and Windblade, the concept of the title “Prime” was constantly scrutinized, eventually leading to a result of complete manipulation of Transformer’s history. In Lost Light, these events went unnoticed, as they challenged the original Transformer-gods themselves. Lost Light pushed all the way back to the beginning and even challenged their own moral codes after crashing through and surviving a bout in an alternate universe where events played out much differently.
The final issue of Lost Light earns its 10 out of 10. The big battle finished, and the final issue plays out like a fantastic epilogue wrapping it all up.
In closing, I’d like to thank James Roberts, Joana LaFuente, Jack Lawrence, and all the other masterminds who gave use years of incredible tales which I don’t see how could ever be replicated. These were unique. I am a bit jealous, as an aspiring writer, I don’t know if I ever could reach the genius level of creative storytelling.
Although… to use a Furmanism: “It never really ends… Does it?”
