Transformers Comic Book News on Seibertron.com

Seibertron.com Interview with IDW Writer Mike Costa and Artist Brendan Cahill

Date: Sunday, May 29th 2011 12:51pm CDT
Categories: Site News, Comic Book News, Interviews
Posted by: Tigertrack | Credit(s): tigertracks 24

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Prior to the big summer event happening in the TRANSFORMERS comics, we here at Seibertron.com were privileged enough to be able to ask a few questions of writer Mike Costa, and new artist Brendan Cahill.

Ready to launch IDW's biggest Transformers event yet, these two creators share some of the insights in the creative process leading to CHAOS.

There may be some material ahead, considered SPOILERIFIC to some.

We opened fire on them with the biggest question we could think of...

Does “Chaos” refer at all to a certain CHAOS bringer in Transformers history?  And if not, do you have plans to bring him in?

Mike Costa wrote:I can reveal that he won't be in “CHAOS”, unfortunately. As for later... that would be telling.

How has the development of the Transformers ongoing series gone for you?  Is it going exactly as you laid it out and expected it to go, or have you had to scrap some ideas, in favor of others that you had not originally intended?

Mike Costa wrote:Well, I started writing the series nearly two and a half years ago at this point. So even though I had quite a few things planned out, of course several things have changed. New ideas have occurred to me in that time, or the work of other writers like James or Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have created new opportunities that I could not have forseen.

Some adjustments have been small (in my first-ever Q & A on the IDW message board, just as the first issue was coming out, someone asked if I had any plans for Brawn. I told them that issue #15 would make them very happy, but it eventually turned out to be #16 which had his big moment.) and a few major ideas weren't part of the original plan (I came up with Megatron's old body being turned into human-sized weapons very late into the development of that story-arc) but for the most part, it has stayed pretty-much on-track.

Who currently is your favorite character to write in Transformers Ongoing?  Why do you like that character so?  I am guessing Thundercracker for what I believe are obvious reasons, but one might say you've made your mark on many different characters--any of which could be considered your favorite to write--.

Mike Costa wrote:This is a hard question to answer. Obviously Thundercracker, because his journey has been so interesting. And both Megatron and Prime are very fun, if only because I can hear his voice so clearly in my head as I write his dialogue. If I had to pick favorites though, Ironhide is probably at the top of the list, and it might surprise some people to know this, but Bluestreak as well. I really like characters who simply speak whatever is on their minds, without any filter. Ironhide does this because he's a very direct, plain-spoken 'bot who doesn't have any interest in playing games. I admire that. And Bluestreak does it because he is a clueless doof seemingly devoid of self-awareness. So both of them, for almost opposite reasons, are both very easy and very interesting to write. (This is why Bluestreak is constantly popping up in scenes, even though he very seldom has anything important to say or d

 What is James Roberts doing to help you tell these current issues?  Is he doing the “Chaos” story, and you're doing the 'Last Story On Earth', or is it more complicated than that?

Mike Costa wrote:Well, the “CHAOS” story is an example of something that didn't exactly “change” from my initial plans, but certainly grew to a much more significant size than I had originally imagined. Two and a half years ago, when I first started thinking about it, “CHAOS” was the big arc that was going to end year two. I knew all the events from my stories (Ironhide's revival, Megatron's capture, Rodimus's exile from Earth, reclamation of the Matrix and subsequent journeys) that would lead up to it, but I could not have foreseen the work that Dan and Andy had done on Infestation and Heart of Darkness, because none of that had been planned yet. So after they came in, the story suddenly became a lot richer, and I had several more elements to deal with. Also, my plans for “CHAOS” itself were pretty sketchy: I knew the major characters involved, a couple of major plot developments, and how the story would end, and that was about it. So after Andy Schmidt (the Transformers editor) had brought in Dan and Andy, he realized that “CHAOS” had the potential to be a much bigger story than just yet-another arc in the ongoing. He decided to expand it into an event, and have both myself, plus Dan, Andy and James all come in like a brain-trust and use my skeleton to put together the biggest Transformers story we could. Unfortunately, Dan and Andy weren't able to continue working on it after an initial (but incredibly productive) meeting, so that just left James and I.

The “Last Story on Earth” was yet another story that had been planned for a long time, but since it didn't have the scope of “CHAOS” it wasn't given the same treatment. It's a relatively intimate story, so I took care of it myself.

What is the 'The Last Story On Earth' about besides Prowl, Jazz, and Bumblebee investigating Skywatch?  We know Skywatch had shaky origins in relation to the group in Maximum Dinobots that Scorponok was running, etc., but what exactly worries the Autobots so much about Spike killing Scrapper and not telling them that the Autobots feel the need to investigate further into Skywatch?  What do they really think that this version of Skywatch is keeping from them that they did not already have inklings about?

Mike Costa wrote:Well, they are definitely keeping some troubling secrets, and you'll find out what those are when you read the arc. But the Autobots are worried because Spike had made them certain promises, and he has clearly broken them. He is, in effect, lying to the Autobots, and possibly manipulating them. What's more, he went and killed Scrapper without any of his superiors knowing either, so he has performed a totally rogue operation, essentially betraying the trust of everyone he works with. It's clear that, despite being a capable soldier, he is a loose cannon. What the Autobots will do with that information, should they discover it, remains to be seen...

What are we going to see from Jazz in future issues?  He clearly wants to get back into it, but what isn't clear is that he is feeling any guilt, or remorse for what he did.  His character, and his judgment are being singled out by his comrades.  Is he going to be a subject for human hatred and mistrust?  Is this going to effect him in the way it would the Jazz many of us know as culture loving, Earth-loving Jazz?  Or is this Jazz not really the Jazz we have on Earth in Ongoing?

Mike Costa wrote:It's still the same Jazz, and I thought the fact that he both loved the Earth, but also was a highly trained operative was an interesting contrast, and made him the perfect character to take the drastic step he did. But that does have serious consequences, and you will see exactly how Jazz deals with those consequences in the Last Story on Earth.

Was Jazz always the Autobot who was going to take that shot (TF #17--killing the human with the Megatron gun--)?  Was anybody else even considered?  Why was he chosen?  Was there ever a problem passing that piece of writing off to HASBRO?  Did they want it nixed, revised, told differently, or for it to be a different character taking that action?

Mike Costa wrote:Jazz was always the character I intended to perform that act, for the reasons I said above. Hasbro must have been fine with it, because they never suggested I use anyone else, or express any reservation whatsoever. At this point, I think Hasbro pretty much trusts me (or at least they trust Andy Schmidt) and it's very rare that I hear that they've vetoed something I want to do. In fact, I can't even think of the last time that happened.

Who is in charge of the Autobots now?  As we have seen from upcoming covers, Bumblebee will be joining Jazz and Prowl to investigate Skywatch, but is he going to be the acting commander, or is Optimus Prime?  Or is Ultra Magnus?  Or is Prowl?  Or is someone that we have yet to meet going to be in charge?  Can you explain how the role of leadership has supposedly changed?  Why is Optimus Prime so willing to take the reigns again, after he was so sure he did NOT want to lead way back in the beginning of ongoing?

MIke Costa wrote:Bumblebee is technically the leader... but yes, it certainly does seem that Prime is still the REAL leader, doesn't it? This is a question that will be addressed very soon in the lead-up to “CHAOS”.

Where is Don Figueroa?  Do you feel that the group of artists you have (Alex, Guido, Brendan and Livio) are able to tell the story artistically as Don envisioned it?

Mike Costa wrote:Don lives in the Los Angeles area, I think. And I think that Alex, Guido, Brendan, Livio, Nick, Javier, Casey and EJ have all remained true to the collective vision that is Transformers. Don is a huge contributor to that vision, certainly... but I want Nick to draw like Nick, or Guido to draw like Guido. I don't want these guys aping Don's style, and I don't think Don would want that either. I think they have all created some of the most stunning and memorable work in TF history, and I am proud to have been a part of it.


(Wow. That is a really stunning line-up of TF-artist talent I've worked with when you really lay it out like that.)

Any Punch/Counterpunch or more Transformers espionage based work in your future similar to how you worked Chuckles in GI JOE: COBRA?

Mike Costa wrote:There are definitely plans for Punch/Counterpunch in the works. I'm not exactly sure when you will see them, but we have serious plans.

Any teasers for the future like, what is 'Issue #125 - encrypted' all about?  Why should readers continue to read Transformers Ongoing?  "According to Mike Costa, we should continue to read IDW Transformers comics because _______________________."(fill in the blank as you see fit).

MIke Costa wrote:You should continue reading IDW Transformers comics because “CHAOS” is probably the biggest event in TF comic-book history, and issue 125, when the details finally become unencrypted, is going to blow the mind of every TF fan who has read a comic in the IDW era. You guys will not believe it when you see what we have planned.

Thanks for your time Mr. Costa! We really appreciate you taking a few moments to fill us in on some of your creative ideas and processes.

Mike Costa wrote:Well it's my pleasure. Thank you

.



Next Seibertron.com was able to also ask new artist Brendan Cahill some questions about his experiences.

From the Transformers fans at Seibertron.com, welcome aboard, Brendan! We Transformers fans are a very fickle fandom. As you have probably read, we are quite passionate, and picky. How do you feel about the task ahead of you in illustrating Transformers Ongoing?

Brendan Cahill wrote:Thanks! I’ll try to live up to your expectations. In a way, the potential fan reaction is a bit daunting, but then I’m usually my own toughest critic, so in a different way just putting lines on paper is daunting. It sounds corny, but it’s true: I Just do my best and hope it’s good enough.

Despite the reputation you might feel the fans have, I think they’re willing to accept a lot of different styles and ideas. Each artist on the book has put his own spin on the characters. My main concern is not to be strict about adhering to visual preconceptions, but to service the core of who that character is, from the broadest identifiers of body color and eye-lens style, to how he walks, to facial expressions. For any character in any genre, I try to work from the inside out. Get the core right, and the rest follows. And that’s what I’m trying to accomplish here

.

We've seen a few examples of your work, you're off to a great start! What do you feel is your greatest strength as a new artist on this series?

Brendan Cahill wrote:I think my strength as an artist is in storytelling. When I approach any given panel or page, my main concern is how it reads: Do the backgrounds effectively establish place and time? Is the blocking clear? Is the “cinematography” internally consistent? Are the characters “acting” appropriately? The overall awesomeness of the image is a secondary concern--I’d rather a panel be workmanlike and tell the story effectively than be a smorgasboard of action that confuses and calls attention to itself. Besides, if every image shouts, then the whole thing gets really loud, and when you really want to pull out an incredible shot, it doesn’t rise above the din.

That’s a pretty general answer, I guess, but I think it’s the most important part of what I do. In bringing that to Transformers, I hope I also bring a sense of realism. The better the layouts and action read, the more immersive the experience is, and in sci-fi of any stripe--especially when you’re dealing with something as improbable as giant robots--I think it’s important that it be as real as possible. You start out with a significant challenge to suspension of disbelief (the unreality of the story), so it’s the artist’s job to remove as much friction as possible from that process of immersion. That’s not to say that a cartoony approach can’t work (clearly it can and does!), but my particular approach is to go for that realism.

Who are your influences in your creative style? Whose work do you love in comics (any) past and present?

Brendan Cahill wrote:There are many and they change all the time. My single favorite artist working in comics right now is Stuart Immonen, and I definitely try to steal as much from him (and his long-time inker Wade von Grawbadger) as possible technique-wise--while avoiding aping his style of course. Bryan Hitch, Olivier Coipel, Jim Cheung. Going back, I’ve always been a huge fan of Matt Wagner, Masamune Shirow, and Dave Sim. And that’s not even getting into writers and digging into process, which I love. As an artist, (and as a writer, which I also fancy myself) I feel like I have to pay attention to how a real pro like Mark Millar writes, because part of the visual quality of his books comes out of his scripts. It’s immensely fun and rewarding trying to figure out how much of what ends up on the page is an interpretation that Hitch or McNiven or whoever made, and how much was in there at the script stage.

Who is your favorite Transformer to draw? Who is your favorite character to draw from any company in any comic? Please give any details you can about why? What makes Transformers so unique a property and group of characters to draw compared to, oh, The X-Men, or Superman?

Brendan Cahill wrote:My issues of the book have centered a lot on Prowl, so I’ve formed the deepest connection with him--both visually and in terms of his personality. Drawing Transformers is challenging because each character has a very specific design. When you’re drawing humans, they all have the same basic parts and roughly the same shape--especially when you’re talking about superheroes. Sure, Wolverine is shorter and thicker than Cyclops, but that’s just a difference of scale. Draw a muscular male body at the right proportions and then put either claws or a visor on it, and you’re good. That’s oversimplifying, but you get the idea. In Transformers, each bot is different from the ground up. So since I’ve been drawing Prowl a lot, he’s the first one I’ve really internalized to the point where I can just lay him down on the page, rather than having constantly to check and recheck my design sheets to make sure I get all the parts right. That makes him easier for me to draw and it also lets me concentrate more on his personality as I draw him. Of course as I draw the others more, I find things to love about each of them. Ultra Magnus is fun because he’s just so darn big and imposing, Bumblebee probably has the most inherent personality, etc.

As for other properties (ignoring for the moment my own characters that haven’t actually appeared anywhere yet), I really love drawing the X-Men. I mean, who doesn’t? For a single character? That’s tough to narrow down, but Emma Frost might make the cut. Or Black Widow. In fact, the only complaint I have about drawing Transformers is the distinct lack of shapely women in spandex.

Are you new to the Transformers brand or have you been one of the 'loved 'em since I was a kid crowd?'

Brendan Cahill wrote:Of course I grew up with Transformers--I even saw the animated movie in the theater--but I didn’t keep up with the brand over the years. When I came back to it for this project, I didn’t know how much I’d remember, but the characters are so well-defined that I felt comfortable just jumping in and trusting in those strong archetypes to carry me until I got my footing. There was a weird moment where I was drawing Optimus Prime for the first time on this project and my muscle memory started remembering some of the details--the contour of his mouthpiece, that sort of thing--from when I’d drawn him when I was a kid! There’s definitely something enduring about these guys.

How do you feel about the story that Mike (Costa) and James (Roberts) are fashioning? What do you like most about working with them?

Brendan Cahill wrote:Terrible. Just awful. No, I’m kidding, of course. I have to admit that when I went into it, I was a little bit doubtful: Sure, these stories were cool when I was a kid, but would they appeal to me as an adult? So Andy sent me a bunch of issues and I sat down to read them and instantly I was relieved. As I’m sure you in the community can attest, the answer to my question is “of course.” I think Mike and James have nailed it. They didn’t start from “okay, I’ve got these big robots,” but from “okay, I’ve got these characters, and here are their personalities, their flaws, their internal conflicts.” I found it really easy to slip into the current story, even without knowing a lot of the backstory, and I found myself caring about it right away. That’s the biggest hurdle for a writer to clear, and the one where the angle of approach is so hard to identify: make me care. And these guys do it.

As far as working on it, I can only speak to working on Mike’s stuff. Aside from general quality of workmanship, which is there, one of his best traits is that he knows how to fill twenty-two pages with exactly the right amount of stuff. That’s a bigger challenge than you might think: Four to five panels a page, with an appropriate amount of dialog in each panel, comprising twenty-two pages that starts at a starting point and ends with a big reveal, and meanwhile each scene accomplishes something. Mike’s stuff is really consistent and really lean. Each scene has just the amount of dialog it needs and no more, which means there’s always space for the art, so layouts are really easy and enjoyable. And on the other side of that coin, I’m not filling in space, trying to support flabby storytelling with art that has to be forced to be dynamic. He’s very good at balance, which I think dovetails nicely with my own storytelling style.

Any bits you want to share with the community of fans at Seibertron.com about yourself, your work, or anything else? What famous Transformers moment/event would you love to illustrate, or re-create in comic form?

Brendan Cahill wrote:Well, I hope that just about everything I have to share is right there on the page. I’ve felt really accepted both by the editorial and creative team here at IDW, and by the fans who saw my work at WonderCon and reacted with an encouraging lack of jeers and hurled tomatoes. I’ve been wanting to work in comics for years and I held off even trying to get in, partly because it’s intimidating, and partly because I really didn’t think I was good enough until just recently. So now that I’m here, I plan to make the most of it. That’s the deal I’ll make with you: I do my absolute best to bring the characters you love to life, and if I pull it off, in return, you talk me up to anyone who will listen. And, you know, even people who won’t. With the Transformers fan base behind me, fame and fortune can only be a few short steps away!

As for a famous Transformers moment, I have to go back to the animated movie because at the time it blew my little mind. Unicron devouring planets, the emergence of Galvatron, the passing of the Matrix to Hot Rod, it was all grand theater--space opera in the best sense. Huge adventures with huge themes and huge reach. Any little part of something like that would be awesome.

"According to Brendan Cahill we should continue to read IDW Transformers Comics because ____________________________________________________________________________."(please fill in with your thoughts/word/words/etc, as you see fit!

Brendan Cahill wrote:Because if you don’t, Andy will cry. Seriously. And none of us wants to see that.

Thanks Brendan for all of your insights, and sharing about your role in Transformers lore today! We fans love it when we get to talk with you creators. Many of us are hacks at being comic artists or writers ourselves, and we really love the opportunity to pick the brains of those whose work has been granted status of 'approved' and have made it to 'the big show' to throw out a cliche or two.

Take care, and we look forward to hearing and seeing more from you!

Also, thanks and lots of appreciation to Transformers Editor and soon-soon-to-be HASBRO Employee Andy Schmidt for helping us to stay in contact with IDW, and getting us psyched for this summer's CHAOS! Best of luck to you Andy!

Transformers: Vault review and the first public image of Prima

Date: Saturday, May 28th 2011 9:46pm CDT
Categories: Comic Book News, Toy News
Posted by: Mkall | Credit(s): transformertoys.co.uk

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Transformers At The Moon has posted a fairly lengthy review of the upcoming book: Transformers Vault. This is certainly not the Toy-book many of us thought. Indeed there are pictures of prototypes, unreleased figures, comics and some tidbits on the future of the Transformers Brand!

Also of note is the first picture of Prima, one of the Original 13 Transformers from which the title of Prime originated. Some of the 13 were revealed during Botcon 2010. See a small smattering of images below and be sure to click here for the full review. You will not be dissapointed

Choose which characters you think should be nominated for 2011's Transformers Hall of Fame

Date: Friday, April 1st 2011 5:22am CDT
Categories: Site News, Comic Book News, Toy News, Event News
Posted by: Seibertron | Credit(s): Hasbro

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All of your votes have been tallied from your Hall of Fame "top 5" picks. The Transformers that will appear in the Seibertron.com poll, which runs now through Wednesday, April 6th, are the following 10 characters: Shockwave (62 votes), Grimlock (46 votes), Jazz (43 votes), Ultra Magnus (25 votes), Hot Rod / Rodimus Prime (21 votes), Wheeljack (21 votes), Devastator (21 votes), Waspinator (18 votes), Beast Wars Megatron (15 votes), and Unicron (14 votes). Help us decide which character should be sent from Seibertron.com for this year's fan's choice character. We'll send the top five results to Hasbro, they'll tally our results with the results from other Transformers fansites, and present the results for us to vote on later this month on Transformers.com.



Shockwave


Grimlock


Jazz


Ultra Magnus


Hot Rod / Rodimus Prime


Wheeljack


Devastator


Waspinator


Beast Wars Megatron


Unicron

Hasbro wants all of us here at Seibertron.com to pick our top 5 choices for this year's Transformers Hall of Fame's fan choice, which will be tallied together with results from the other Transformers fan sites, to create the official ballot. Hasbro has already nominated Soundwave, Ratchet, and Ironhide. It's up to us to determine who should be the 4th nominee.



Phase 1: Over the next few days, we want you to tell us who your top 5 picks are (please do not pick Soundwave, Ratchet or Ironhide since they have already been nominated by Hasbro). We'll tally those results together on Friday, April 1st 2010 to determine which Transformers should be in Seibertron.com's poll.

Phase 2: Between Friday, April 1st and Wednesday April 6th, you guys will be able to vote for your favorite Transformer from our poll of five choices determined by all of you. We'll then send off the results from Seibertron.com to Hasbro.

Phase 3: Hasbro will then tally the results together from all of the Transformers fan sites to create the final ballot which will be available on April 22nd.

Phase 4: The winning Transformer will be announced at Hasbro's 2011 TRANSFORMERS Hall of Fame ceremony at BotCon in Pasadena, CA, on June 4, 2011.

The other three nominees of this year's four Transformers to be nominated for the 2011 Transformers Hall of Fame are Soundwave, Ratchet, and Ironhide. Tell us your top five choices for the next spot so that we can put together our poll on Friday.



Here is the additional information from Hasbro regarding this year's Transformers Hall of Fame process ...

Hasbro wrote:March 28, 2011

Hello!

As we approach this year's TRANSFORMERS Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Pasadena, CA, at BotCon, Hasbro is inviting you and your readers to have a role in determining the Class of 2011!

Three beloved and storied TRANSFORMERS characters will be honored with admission as chosen by Hasbro's TRANSFORMERS Hall of Fame internal panel of judges. They are: IRONHIDE, RATCHET and SOUNDWAVE. But this year's class has room for one more robot, which will be selected by TRANSFORMERS' passionate fans.

Outlets throughout the collector-fan community are encouraged to run a Fans' Choice poll with their readers that will help shape the ballot of robots to be voted on to determine the final robot to be enshrined as part of the TRANSFORMERS Hall of Fame's 2011 class.

Hasbro is looking for the top 5 TRANSFORMERS characters to feature in a final vote on Transformers.com beginning Wednesday, April 13, 2011.

Poll your readers to determine the character they wish to be considered for the final spot in the initial class of the TRANSFORMERS Hall of Fame and share your outlet's top 5 list with me no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6, 2011. Your outlet's polling results list should be ranked in order of importance from 1-5. All polling result lists will be combined together (each outlet getting an equal voice) with the #1 character on each list worth 5 points, the #2 character worth 4 points, the #3 worth 3 points, etc. The resultant point values will be used to generate the final ballot, which will then be posted to Transformers.com for netwide fan voting through Friday, April 22, 2011.

The winning robot will be announced at Hasbro's 2011 TRANSFORMERS Hall of Fame ceremony at BotCon in Pasadena, CA, on June 4, 2011.

Review of Transformers Ongoing #13 With Spoilers!

Date: Tuesday, November 9th 2010 7:31am CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews
Posted by: Dead Metal | Credit(s): IDW

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Well it's that Tuesday again and you know what that means – idw Transformers Ongoing comic review time!

Just this time with Dead Metal, instead of TT24, that's because TT24 is chained up in my basement, and he shall remain there until idw makes a new Transformers comic I don't hate with a passion so intense that it should be illegal.
So I'll be reviewing The Transformers Ongoing #13, a comic by idw focusing on Hot Rod Rodimus Prime Roddy the Hot Rod, that is HOT, Rodimus (?), and the role he has in the future of the comic series. Oh looks like TT24's staying in my basement for a while – OR IS HE?!

And just in case you don't know, this review contains spoilers and as the name says, these spoilers spoil the comic for you. I will include the ending in this review, so if you don't mind getting spoilt keep on reading


So idw was very happy to stress to us that this issue took place in SPACE! and not on earth, but that's not all, they also stressed that this book had Rodimus, in SPACE!.
What an exciting brake from all that boring as hell Spike waffling, pseudo political waffling, propaganda, and the most boring and unexciting way Transformers have ever been portrait, seriously, they're giant sentient robots from SPACE!, how can they not be exiting and awesome – oh yea waffling...

I'm going to start by saying something about the art, since that's not just half of a comic but also the half one notices before the story.

The art, well the line art, is done by Nick Roche, the Irish artist who not only harassed idw into hiring him (according to Chris Ryall), but also made a huge impact on the fans with the art and scripting of such titles as "Spotlight: Kup" and "Last Stand of the Wreckers", the later with a great portion of help by James Roberts. He's famous for having a style that is both cartoony and organic, and still very mechanical. He's also, in his own words "Gay for Hot Rod".

And he does not disappoint, the art is very dynamic, expressive and full of character, and still very detailed.

Now on the subject that is always good for controversy in the idw comics since the Launch of "All Hail Megatron", the designs.
Nick Roche uses a mix of character designs, The Master Piece toy design for the Seekers, Don Figueroa's new design for Hot Rod, and the rest are more or less based on the Sunbow cartoon designs, except for a mystery character!

So the art will please Nick Roche-fans and displease those that don't care for his work, and comic character design nerds will probably find something to rage about.

I'll voice my opinion on the story part of the comic at the end of this review.

Now this is where the real spoilers start!

So the issue starts with Rodimus flying with Ultra Magnus's ship (which he stole from Ultra Magnus in #06) through SPACE!. They didn't lie you guys the story really is in SPACE!.

Now I'm not really going to say too much about the first five pages, since if you click here you can read them in the pre-view.

The pages give us a basic gist of what happened earlier, Rodimus "unexpectedly" getting swindled by Swindle (also #06), oh wow we didn't see that happening back when Swindle showed up in #02, how could you not trust someone going by that name. Rodimus also goes on about how smart he is, yea Swindle thinks so too, and that Ultra Magnus has a super-duper high security safe which can't be broken by anything short of Omega Supreme, which he doesn't lock. Why Magnus went through the trouble of owning that I don't understand, but I do think it's kind of funny, stupid but funny.

Rodimus arrives at the Decepticons' asteroid base and we see Acid Storm, yes he's even actually referred to as such, and Shrapnel. They lose their cool and shoot the ship, but due to an error the ship crashes and destroys their defences.

Bombshell gets the job of telling Starscream the bad news, who doesn't really care and tells him to go and fix it. Then we have a bit of an awkward moment in which Bombshell kind of suggests he should have The Matrix and tries taking it from Starscream (I guess it's like the "one" ring), who's still wearing it with a chain around his neck. Starscream orders him to "Leave us", which is odd as there is only Bombshell and Starscream in the room, maybe he's going nuts.


"And one to enslave them all."


We cut back to Rodimus who has survived the crash and gets ready to attack the base. However Acid Storm, Kickback and Bombshell search the wreak for survivors and useful things, and well they find Rodimus, who ambushes them and kills all three of them, well I guess he kills them.


I guess a fridge could have also been used for this.


Rodimus himself is then ambushed by Razorclaw, they exchange some dialogue in which Razorclaw reveals he could bite off Rodimus' head and swallow it whole, which is odd since he's a robot, but then again we've seen Transformers do stranger things. Rodimus tells Razorclaw to "Swallow this!" while sticking one of Bombshell's cerebro shells in his mouth, and he does. Razorclaw is now under Rodimus' command, because well roll with it.


Razorclaw will swallow anything smaller than his own head without question.


Rodimus then uses Razorclaw to ambush Starscream, who quickly kills him, yea sorry no Predaking in these comics.
Rodimus attacks Starscream, who tells him that he's impenetrably armoured, but Rodimus shoots The Matrix which knocks Starscream out, or kills him I'm not sure which.
click here for spoilerish image

He then takes The Matrix and goes deeper into the base, where he's surprised by Astrotrain, who's in his cartoon design, Rodimus thinks he's smart and decides to sneak up on him, while thinking to himself he's destined to bring the Matrix back. But surprise! And out of the shadows steps our mystery character! I'm not going to use any spoiler tags since, well it won't work.


"Out of the Dark, into the light."

The mystery character is Megatron in his new design, marking the first time the design has been used in fiction.
Due to Megatron having a new body, Rodimus panics and shows us that he knows what happens when a character gets a new body and shows it off to the reads/viewers for the first time! Rodimus somehow thinks The Matrix could shield him from Megatron, possibly forgetting Megatron is not Unicron (who isn't even in this universe, but still).


"Erm, Rodimus he's not Unicron, but whatever."

It goes just as well as one would think, and Rodimus is back in SPACE!


"SPACE! Blacker than the blackest black times infinity!"

Megatron somehow no longer caring for The Matrix, strange, he seemed to have been all over it in AHM, guess it was important enough to start a war over it (if we ignore the fiction prior to AHM) but blasting it with a huge cannon into SPACE! is OK, guess he thinks his new body is a much better "toy".
Megatron then tells Soundwave to assembly the Decepticons since he wants "To address my followers".

And on the last page we see Rodimus floating dead through SPACE!
Image spoils the final page of the comic.

So that was it, our space related issue in the ongoing, enjoy it while it lasts as it might take a while till we get another issue set completely in space.

Now I'll get to the story part , which is the most important part of a comic. A comic can be good with horrible art as long as the story is good, just like a wonderfully illustrated comic can be bad due to a bad story and horrible writing.

The comic is written by Mike Costa, who's been writing the ongoing since #01 - poorly in my opinion. Everything's dragged out far too long, characters act weird and the plot seems to be nothing more than Costa's statement of how much our beloved alien robots suck when compared to humans, it's so poor that it overshadows the few pretty good ideas and concepts he brings in.


"A typical and unedited page of what dialogue in the Ongoing."

However, this issue is different, it's pacing is good, although it kind of feels rushed near the end; it's dialogue is waffle free, something which we usually suffer through when Costa writes dialogue involving humans or Optimus Prime (please die Prime, you suck in this continuity now); Rodimus' internal monologues are pretty good, sometimes stupid and cliché, but overall pretty good; and the best part, no Spike!
However, there are some bad or let’s say week parts to the story, like Razorclaw's part in this, which was pretty pointless since Rodimus' would have had the same effect if he just went and attacked Starscream himself, Razorclaw was basically just there to get killed. The part about Ultra Magnus' safe, that odd scene with Bombshell and The Matrix, The Matrix in general which seems to be indestructible and Megatron's appearance, while cool is somewhat sudden and not explained. But we might get the explanation in a following issue or heck even a Spotlight, telling us the story, which idw planned from the beginning but wanted to wait, of how and why in a few months.

So yea the story's not that bad, plus the fantastic art by nick Roche, with fantastic colours by J. Brown, make a pretty good and enjoyable comic.

I give it three stars out of five, which means I must have liked it.

"This I recommend!"
5 point of cool to who gets this.

Personally I think it's not as good or interesting as idw's earlier output (-tion, Stormbringer, etc.) but not that bad and might be the first sign of the series actually getting better, but then again Megatron might come back to earth and team up with Osama Bin Laden or revive Hitler, which would sadly make sense looking at what happened in previous issues.

First look at Generations Kup?

Date: Monday, October 4th 2010 11:17am CDT
Categories: Comic Book News, Toy News, Reviews
Posted by: Dead Metal | Credit(s): TheBoo

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Now this is just a bit of a follow up on yesterdays story concerning the in package images of the upcoming Battle in Space two-pack, no idea what I'm talking about? Just click here for the story we'll wait for you while you read it.
Done?
Good we may continue.

Now as you know the set comes with a comic, a comic written by Simon Furman and illustrated by Boo, fan of Transformers Animated will know him for his work on the Arrival. Well if you look at the cover you will see the new Classics Rodimus repaint standing prominently in the foreground of the cover, illustrated here:

Upon further inspection you will notice that the Sweeps and Cyclonus are also on the cover, in their Universe 2008/Generations bodies, illustrated here:

Now after we have noticed those we will see that the largest space of the cover is taken up by Kup, who is not in his original G1 body but a new one, illustrated here:

That is his Generations design, not convinced?

Boo wrote:wasnt told to put Kup on the cover but i knew folks would want the toy when i saw what i was drawing because I WANT THE TOY, so i had to slip him in and it worked, now everyone is hungering like a MarvelZombie for Kup...

but what other secrets lay inside hehehe

You can see his post by clicking here and here for a journal on the comic itself.

But that leaves another question, Unicron is he on the cover because he's in the story and fits the cover or did Boo put him there as a hint at something coming our way, might Hasbro be bringing over the TakaraTomy 2010 remold/repaint of Unicron to it's markets? Only time will tell!

Post your speculation of what might be in the comic by clicking here!

Ark Addendum: Headmasters and the fate of Cybertron

Date: Tuesday, April 7th 2009 5:18pm CDT
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Jim Sorenson

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Jim Sorenson has updated his blog Disciples of Boltax, once again revealing a page cut from his Ark Addendums, this time featuring some items that had a massive impact on the fate of the transformers home-world, Cybertron.

For those of you yet to watch the Headmasters series, you may wish to skip this Ark Addendum update.

While at first glance these items do not appear to be much, they leave a lasting impression on the history of Transformers, managing to do something to Cybertron that not even Unicron himself could...



These three bombs, and their special backpack, were given to Wipe by Scorponok. The unusual design appears to be a concession to Wipe's anatomy.

To check out the full image of the Vector Sigma Bombs, and for Jim's full blog update, please click here.

Simon Furman Q&A Online!

Date: Friday, December 14th 2007 8:24pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, People News, Interviews
Posted by: Raymond T. | Credit(s): simonfurman.wordpress.com, www.idwpublishing.com

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Views: 179,625

Last year IDW gave fans the chance to submit questions for Transformers writer Simon Furman. The best 20 were picked out of the litter and were answered by the Transformers guru himself. This year, fans were again able to ask the writer their burning questions. The best 20 questions were put together and are online in the second Simon Fuman IDW A&Q session. The first 15 on the IDW forum and the last 5 on Simon Furman's Blogpage.

The following 15 questions have been taken directly from the IDW Forum:

1) Character-wise are there any aspects of a character ie: role, alt. mode, character that you haven't had an opportunity to explore but you still would like to either through an original character or through the expansion on an existing one?

SF) What I feel I used to do well but (in the new IDW/TF-verse) haven’t done much of recently is take a little used character and really kind of escalate/advance them into terms of motivation, role and overall story impact. I’m thinking of the likes of Bludgeon, Thunderwing and Carnivac, where characters with little or no depth ended up virtually carrying whole story arcs. The closest I’ve come of late is with Razorbeast, in Beast Wars (Gathering/Ascending), where a toy/character who otherwise came and went without much of ripple has become quite pivotal (even collectable!). So far, with the Spotlights, I’ve largely focused on already A-list characters (or the likes of Nightbeat, a character I'd already got to grips with in a previous incarnation). Moving forwards, what I’d like to do is bring in a character or two from the ‘B’ or ‘C’ list and really go at them from scratch, bring them thundering into the ‘A’ list in terms of the IDW/TF-verse. Sixshot more or less fits those criteria, but I found there were limitations with a ‘living weapon.’ I’m looking forward to doing more with the likes of Doubledealer, Banzaitron and Jhiaxus. Right now, I’m searching for ways to confound expectation, so pretty much every character I tackle in an IDW comic comes with a fresh coat of paint, so to speak. Whatever established profile/tech spec/biog the characters already have, I’m using that as a loose template and taking it in different directions, without necessarily reinventing the wheel. It’s a very exciting way of working, as it seems to really let the creative side of me loose.

2) In your years working in the comic industry how much does it differ today to when you broke into the industry (art, story and the general production of a comic)? How do you see it in the years to come? And what is your favourite part of working in that industry?

SF) For me, the main difference is structure. Everything now is about the trade (paperback). With that in mind, stories are pretty much always arcs, be they four or six or more issues. I kind of miss the more rambling, unfolding nature of an ongoing comic. When we came to do the Titan reprints of the Marvel Transformers series, it was a challenge to break up the storyline(s) into cohesive (vaguely standalone) volumes. And, in fact, it often didn’t work. If you look at All Fall Down and End of the Road, there’s a distinct ‘To be continued…’ at the end of the first of those volumes. And I think because of distinct story arcs, there’s a natural tendency not to make single issues as self-supportive as they used to be. Which is also a shame. It’s why I love the Spotlights so much. They seem to hark back to a different era, where, as well as being part of a larger structure, each single issue also had to be semi-complete in and of itself. What I don’t miss about the ‘good old days’ is thought bubbles. It’s weird how old-fashioned they seem now. I much prefer narrative captions. They seem, to me, more grown-up (in a good sense of the word). Because, and this is a shame, comics are just no longer pitched at (or as accessible to) kids. Even ‘kids’ comics are just more sophisticated. I think back to the (Marvel) UK Transformers stories and compare them to the (Titan) UK stories of today, and there’s a big creative gulf. The one is not necessarily better than the other, just different. It’s no point getting misty-eyed with nostalgia, as a writer you have to move and evolve with the times, which I hope I’ll continue to do (wherever, and in whatever form comics go/take). The best bit is just being IN the industry. They’ll have to take me out in a box!

3) What one change would you make to the Transformers history you've created? (eg. do you wish maybe you hadn't made Magnus quite so scared of Galvatron? Do you wish you hadn't killed off Cyclonus? Not used Unicron in a particular story, etc).

SF) It sort of depends which Transformers history is being referenced. And even then, the only places I’d maybe want to go back and change/revisit are where external circumstances (such as imminent or sudden cancellation) dictated that either a story not go the way it was originally intended or not be completed at all. Certainly, the IDW/TF-verse is too new and still evolving to be the subject of retroactive second-guessing. New opportunities and avenues to explore are plentiful and ongoing there, and it’s probably the most well thought out/cohesive long-term structure I’ve ever had the luxury of working within. If I had to pick points to revisit, it’d be: with the original Marvel UK stories, I’d have loved to be able to play out the Ultra Magnus/Galvatron ‘rematch’ as originally set up. But the imminent change to black & white 5-page stories meant that Time Wars pretty much had to wrap up everything (and with two Primes in the mix, Ultra Magnus kind of got sidelined). With the Marvel US stories, I’d love to have been able to do the full post-Unicron storyline I had mapped out, with wasteland Cybertron and the quest for the Last Autobot unfolding over multiple issues (instead of, like, one). But again, it wasn’t to be. Once I knew issue #80 was our last, everything had to be condensed/accelerated (to an ultimately unsatisfying degree). I wish I could have continued Transformers Energon, I wish I could have wrapped up War Within v3, but really these things were just not meant to be, I guess. Largely, I try not to look back, only forwards. What’s out there already is out there, end of story. Truthfully, I’m not sure I’d want to tamper even if I could.

4) Will we be seeing more of the Micromasters in the future? (ie. why they are small and such and related to the Dead Universe?)

SF) Definitely more Micromasters in Revelation (and beyond)! This time around, in the IDW/TF-verse, I’m trying to apply thought and logic to concepts that previously were maybe just thrown into the mix without much due care and attention. If it’s Pretenders, it’s well why would Transformers need an outer shell? As a disguise element it always seemed slightly redundant to me in the original storylines. If it's Headmasters, what is it about a human/Transformer hybrid that makes them special? Why bother unless the end product is markedly better, and it cuts both ways (after all, it’s a kind of symbiosis)? I’m asking myself all the tough questions that were maybe skipped over in the rush of new product lines, and the same applies to Micromasters. Why is small better? What new, interesting abilities do pint-sized Transformers bring to the mix? And, as always, who is responsible? What’s their bottom line? The whole Jhiaxus/Nemesis Prime/Dead Universe storyline is about to explode, big time, and Micromasters are an integral part of what’s to come.

5) It's a very loose term, though. Can you define "brothers" in a TF sense? Is it merely some trivial notion of 'created around the same time' or 'somewhat looky-likey designs', or that they share some E.S.P., or what?

SF) What defines a ‘brother’ is going to feed into and be explored in two ’08 storylines. In the ‘ongoing.’ Sideswipe is about to step up and make his presence felt, most notably when he meets Sunstreaker again and realises he’s no longer just Sunstreaker! There is a bond between lots of characters, it’s just that in some cases it’s more pronounced, and the pair (or more) of characters in question are aware of it (even if it’s purely subliminal). Then, in a kind of standalone (but, of course, very connected) series, we’ll start to understand exactly where that link/bond came from. It’s connected to the lineage idea introduced in Spotlight Optimus Prime and to the eventual concept/realization of Combiners. Whatever it is, in some Transformers the bond is very strong, almost like in twins, in others it’s so watered down they don’t even know it’s there. A lot of ‘fundamental’ stuff, in terms of what makes a Transformer tick, is planned for next year.

6) If you were to radically reinvent the concept, allowing you to disregard anything and everything, for a one-off ‘Evolutions’ type story, what would it look like?

SF) It would probably not be terribly different to what we’ve done for the IDW/TF-verse. In many ways, it’s a reinvention/update of the classic G1 era, cutting out some elements, making others more contemporary, dropping in new ideas/designs/rationales, etc. So if I was handed carte blanche to do an Evolutions-style story, I’m not quite sure what I’d do with it. Even with Beast Wars, where I thought the abrupt leap into Beast Machines missed major storytelling opportunities, I got to drop The Gathering and The Ascending into that mix (and maybe more to come). The idea of just taking a different era and setting Transformers (G1) there doesn’t greatly appeal to me. Trying to re-do or re-style classic G1 stories doesn’t greatly appeal either. I feel (strongly) Transformers (as a whole) needs to keep moving forwards, evolving, in a way that doesn’t limit it to hardcore fan appreciation. That’s why I was so pro the new movie makeover. The quickest way to kill it dead would have been to make it a retro G1 piece, harking back entirely to the 80s (either in look or sensibilities). What I did enjoy recently was doing the ‘classic G1’ mini-comic for Madman’s DVD release of the entire animated series. That, in essence, ‘plugged a hole’ if you like, between the end of the animated show and the animated movie and felt more pertinent. Mostly, though, it’s my preference to keep looking upwards and onwards.

7) Given that you're well-known for taking obscure characters and breathing new life into them (Bludgeon, Nightbeat, Thunderwing etc.), are there any underdeveloped Transformers you'd like to give the same treatment in future?

Yes. And, assuming the Spotlights continue, I hope to do just that. The IDW/TF-verse is just so brimming with potential right now, I feel there is this vast pool of characters waiting for their chance to shine, to step out from (often limited) profile/tech specs, or simply just to be completely re-thought/re-made from the ground up. I think it's important that the main players have been established, either as the title character in a Spotlight or the main supporting character in a Spotlight (such as Ultra Magnus/Scorponok), but that done it’s time to move other, maybe more minor characters into major roles. After the trio of Blaster, Arcee and Grimlock Spotlights, I’m involved (rather than outright writing) in one more Spotlight (in what will be volume 3). That one definitely feels more in the spirit of minor character given due credit, gravitas and screen time. And, as always with the Spotlights, it plays into something much bigger. Can’t say any more at the moment, but I think it’ll surprise a few people.

8) What exactly does it take to kill a Transformer in IDW continuity? The amount of damage a TF can take before dying has always seemed to be fairly inconsistent to me, and so I'm curious as to what your take on the matter is.

SF) I think if I have played fairly fast and loose so far in the IDW/TF-verse, it’s with the actual mechanics (literal and otherwise) of how much injury a Transformer can sustain before it becomes critical. The two key elements to me are neural processor (brain) and Spark core (‘soul’). Take out either one of those, and you’re dead, gone, etc. Mind you, both are heavily shielded. Even a headshot (such as in Spotlight Ultra Magnus) might not necessarily destroy the processor. In Escalation #5, Megatron digs his hand into Optimus Prime’s chest cavity and squeezes his Spark core, meaning to crush it. Had he followed through, Prime would be dead. We have to assume that when Megatron shoots Starscream (in Infiltration #6) he misses (or fails to destroy) his spark core. EJ made it more graphic (and a much bigger torso hole/wound) than I’d maybe anticipated (in the writing), and so a certain degree of dramatic license may have to be applied there (especially if we ever actually place the Spark core specifically in some kind of internal cross-section). Though presumably there’s some room for manoeuvre here, what with different sizes and shapes of Transformers and all. Though we haven’t shown it as such, in the case of disembodied heads (such as Sunstreaker in Devastation), I’m working on the principle that the head is still hooked up to the Spark core (which has either been removed to a place of safekeeping or the original body preserved). The one can’t function without the other. I do mean to pay stricter attention to the physical limits of Transformers in upcoming arcs and series.

9) Now that IDW has the licence to produce Doctor Who comics, do you want to write for the series again? If you could, what elements would you explore, like in Axis of Insanity you explored the Doctor's curiosity and the dynamics between Peri and Erimem.

SF) I’ve always had a soft spot for the Doctor. Over the years I’ve done a fair few Doctor Who stories, whether in Doctor Who Monthly/Magazine (in the 80s) or in audio drama. And I’m currently doing some new (junior) Who for the UK (more details on my blog as and when I can trumpet this officially), as well as some Torchwood comic work (again, watch my blog for more details). So the short answer is yes, I’m always up for more Who. And, in fact, I have talked to Chris Ryall about doing some IDW-Who. But if I do, it’ll be later rather than sooner in 08, as story arcs (by other creators) are already in progress or upcoming (and I’m snowed under right now). What would I do, story-wise? I’d like to put the Doctor in a situation where he’s just totally and utterly out of his depth. Sometimes I feel the just always seems to know what’s what and what to do about it. I think if I get to do an IDW arc, I’d put the Doctor completely out of any kind of comfort zone, in a situation where he’s got to more or less think/act on a wing and a prayer. I loved the Human Nature/Family of Blood two-parter in series 3 of the new TV show. It showed the Doctor in a refreshingly new light. It’s that kind of thing I’d like to tap into any story I might write. Beyond the companionship, why does he have a companion? It’s for situations exactly like that.

10) What are some of the best experiences you’ve had working with artists? Any particular issues, old or new, where you were especially blown away?

SF) Too many ‘blown away’ experiences to list. Some notables would include: my very first strip work (a ‘Library of Death’ story in UK comic Scream), drawn by (of all people) Steve Dillon. What a way to start out. Story was truly dire, by the way, but hey, it looked good! Transformers UK #113: Geoff (Senior) was forever blowing me away with his artwork, and in fact #113 isn’t his best TF work (I’d reserve the likes of Target: 2006 pt 8 and Edge of Extinction in US #75 for that distinction), but it was inspirational inasmuch as it pretty much pushed me into rethinking what was supposed to be a minor (disposable) supporting character (Death’s Head) and turning him into what’s become, I guess, my signature creation. For all the wrong reasons, I remember a Dan Reed UK job where he was so late with the pages I thought I was going to have to run with a reprint filler story. He had to physically bring the pages (from Paris, where he was living at the time), at which point he lost the splash page (in customs) and had to redraw it with me standing over him looking at my watch. I still shudder to this day. The first page of Transformers (US) #56 is another of what I’d call personal landmarks. It wasn’t just my first page of Transformers US, it was my first work for Marvel US (something I’d always dreamed of). Good, bad or indifferent (art-wise), that page was always going to be special. My collaborations with Andrew Wildman have always been memorable, not least because we actually developed our own IPs. Some of the ones that got away, like the (proposed) Neo-Knights series, I remember vividly. Again, for all the wrong reasons, I remember working with Pat Lee and how kind of disappointed I was to find how little of the art was actually him. He gave me an original art page of Armada, and there’s so little art on it! The good side of Dreamwave was my first collaboration with Don Figueroa on War Within v1. His art blew me away (in terms of its amazing detail and dynamism) and then blew me away again (because this was when I first realized that the new generation of TF artists were utterly passionate about the work).

11) In 2008, are there any plans for a mini-series of Primus and Unicron story and fit the core continuity?

SF) I shall restate categorically what I’ve said before. No Primus. No Unicron. I’m just not going there (outside of Beast Wars, and then not directly). BUT, that’s not saying we won’t at point start poking and prodding around the pre-history of the Transformers and begin to ground what’s happening in the present with stuff that goes all the way back to the very beginning. There’s stuff I’ve laid into the IDW/TF-verse already that pays into the timelost roots of the Cybertronian race and I don’t intend to let that mystery drag on too long. The Dead Universe wasn’t always dead. That’s all I’ll say for the time being.

12) Marvel G1 question: whatever happened to Professor Morris? I believe the last we saw of him was when Centurion was beheaded by Galvatron. Later, when Wheeljack rebuilt him, Morris was never mentioned again. So was he trapped in his underground bunker when Centurion was sent to the bottom of the Thames or what?

SF) OK. This question sent me scurrying back to my collected editions of the UK stories (and de-archiving the original issues that featured ‘Ancient Relics’ the Transformers/Action Force crossover). We last see Professor Morris (in person) in issue #102 (‘Fallen Angel pt 2’), when he mentally communicates with Swoop, asking permission to mind-share again (following on from events in The Icarus Theory in UK #45/46). We ‘assume’ that’s him communicating through Centurion later in ‘Ancient Relics’ (though I confess it’s not clear). However, it’s still something of a loose end, as we never really know if Morris was ever extracted from that bunker (after Centurion disappeared into the Thames… to be extracted later in ‘Salvage pt 1’ in TF-UK #160). Let’s assume so, eh? Maybe Swoop was feeling charitable and (after the events of ‘Ancient Relics’) freed him. Or maybe Triple III finally broke in or RAAT got involved. Whatever the case, let’s hope Morris got out somehow. He only had enough food and water for a year!!

13) Have you ever considered that maybe all the various storylines from all the previous companies (Marvel, DW, Club exclusives, etc) could be brought together in a huge storyline that could redefine the future of Transformers and use all the characters from all the comics, toys, manga and anime available (G1 to Galaxy Force, Beast Wars, and back), just like DC is actually doing in their Countdown comic series?

SF) Some kind of big ‘Crisis on Infinite Transformers’ was considered (and then rejected) when IDW first picked up the license. Chris Ryall and I discussed several options, of which that was one. Another was a way of running G1 and Cybertron comics in tandem, with a sort of crossover story that simultaneously launched both titles (the original pitch for which can be seen as an ‘extra’ in the Best of Simon Furman book). Both were ultimately rejected in favour of the complete reboot of the G1 line that now forms the IDW/TF-verse and I believe it was the right way to go. Even if we’d gone the ‘Crisis on Infinite Transformers’ route and effectively cleaned house, it would still have been a confusing and off-putting (especially to new readers) way to start. Though part of me still loves the idea of doing something on that scale I don’t think (this far on and in) it’d be something IDW would ever consider.

14) You have been involved with Transformers more or less since the beginning. How do you feel about how the line has grown and evolved since its inception? Has it improved, degraded, remained true to the original vision, forgotten it, reshaped it for the better?

SF) I think, as with all properties that have been around as long as Transformers has, there have been both highs and lows. The great thing about Transformers as a whole is how easy it is to ‘transform’ itself for each new generation (whether they be young kids or adults, fans or newbies) without losing the core concepts and ideals that underpin it. I’m not going to get into what I feel those highs and lows are, but I do think that even 23 years on from when it first hit toy shops in the west, Transformers is still delivering across a wide variety of media. Whether it's the IDW/TF-verse, the new movie franchise, Transformers Animated, the passion the creators and toy designers and moviemakers bring to each is undiminished by time. In fact, I’d go as far as to say we’re in something of a golden age right now, where the sheer momentum delivered by the first (new) movie is pushing everyone involved to be that much more on their game when it comes to new product. There will always be those who hanker for what they see as the original and best, the G1 of the 80s (be it toy, comic or cartoon), but clearly the main reason Transformers has survived and thrived is because things haven’t stopped still, haven’t remained stuck in the nostalgia era. The long-time fans are incredibly important, but it’s even more important that new generations are given an easy access point into what otherwise could be a daunting and off-putting 23-year (and counting) history.

15) When writing dialogue for the Transformers, do you imagine it being spoken by the voice-actors that played the respective characters in the cartoon?

SF) Sometimes, but increasingly not. I pretty much always write dialogue for Optimus Prime with Peter Cullen in mind as I do so. He’s just so completely attached to the character in my opinion. But when it comes to the IDW/TF-verse, I try not to go in with any vocal preconceptions, because it may subliminally make me write a given character as if its their classic G1 equivalent (which it’s not). However, when I write Beast Wars characters in comic form I absolutely do think of their voice actor counterparts. How can you not think of David Kaye (“Yess”) when writing BW Megatron or Scott McNeill with Rattrap? So it depends. The (new) movie voice cast didn’t really have enough screen time (or make enough impact on me) to affect the way I write any surrounding prequel/roll over movie comic material. So, strangely, those I do tend to base more on their original animated counterparts. (New) movie Starscream I write just like his G1 counterpart. I have Chris Latta’s whiny, shrill delivery in mind when I write him. Mostly, though, when it comes to writing dialogue for Transformers, I try to approach each character as I’ve previously set them up (with any accompanying vocal tics) and not be too influenced by ‘outside’ sources. That said, while writing Torchwood stories recently, I had each of main actor’s voices nailed to my subconscious.

The following last five questions were taken directly from Simon Furman's Blog.

16) How does the Matrix work in the IDW universe (i.e. power of Primus, souls of all the Transformers, sacred battery, etc)?

SF) Well, we’ve yet to actually meet the Matrix in the IDW/TF-verse. So we may be getting ahead of ourselves here. What do we know about it so far? Well, according to Spotlight Galvatron, the Matrix was (and maybe is) “carried” by Nova Prime, and he (Nova Prime) disappeared into the Dead Universe (along with the Matrix, we assume). Nova describes a bottomless well and a resonant tug on the Matrix. What happened next we don’t know (yet). But what is the Matrix (hm, that sounds familiar somehow)? Not telling. Not yet. But ’08 holds the answers: what it is, where it came from, what is does (then and now!). The Matrix (and what it’s become) will figure large in all that happens post-Devastation. The Matrix has been gone from the IDW/TF-verse for a long time, and its return will not necessarily be a thing of celebration.

17) Was it always the intention to introduce Acree to the IDW-verse, or was it as case of being suddenly struck with a workable idea? If so, what inspired the idea and story?

SF) I think once the nature of IDW/TF-verse Jhiaxus started to properly take shape, so the idea of doing an Arcee story became both workable and desirable (in the context of both a Spotlight and the larger story). To an extent, I wasn’t willing to go anywhere near Arcee (as a character) until I had worked out the whys and wherefores (in the IDW/TF-verse) of quote-unquote female Transformers and the whole issue of gender. Back when I was writing the first clutch of Spotlights, the idea of Arcee started to germinate. The Nightbeat Spotlight opened a door, and the involvement of Hot Rod just somehow made me want to get Arcee in there too, somehow, even though the two aren’t linked in the IDW/TF-verse. But even then I didn’t really have all the answers I needed (for myself) to properly introduce/write the character. I’ve been vocal about my resistance to the idea of gender in Transformers, so if Arcee existed (and she was a she), then I really needed to know exactly why that was (and how she and others react to that fact). Arcee, Combiners and Micromasters all have a common point of origin, in terms of forcing the evolution the Cybertronian race. Once I had that in mind, Arcee just seemed to work (and I had the motivation on both sides) as both a concept and a character.

18) As more people chip into building this new IDW/TF-verse continuity, are there any guidelines for what creators should/shouldn’t include to avoid clashing with other books?

SF) My main rule of thumb has always been (and remains), if it’s been done that way before, don’t do it again. It applies equally to me and, I hope, the other writers contributing to the IDW/TF-verse. Mostly, other than looking at what’s been established so far in the ‘ongoing’ arcs, the Spotlights and so forth and making sure new story elements don’t blow it all (in terms of the over-arcing story) out of the water, it’s just a matter of continually thinking outside of the box, and not falling back on classic G1 (knee-jerk) story/character traditions. Defy expectations. Turn characters on their heads. Assign them roles and functions that don’t necessarily match their classic G1 counterparts. And try and keep the story rolling onwards, rather than keep dipping back into what’s gone before (or if you do go back, make sure it has some present day/future resonance/pay off). On the IDW forums there’s a great thread, which painstakingly details who’s appeared, when and where. It’s very helpful, not least to me. The great thing about the way the IDW/TF-verse is set up is there are stories to tell that don’t necessarily have to be set on Earth. It’s been established that the war is spread out across many worlds, many frontiers, and that there are disparate groups of Decepticons (Infiltration units) and Autobots (Tactical Response units) involved, and that the ‘staged’ process established in Infiltration, Escalation and the like is underway on those other worlds too. So it’s reasonably straightforward to assemble a cast on some far-flung world and tell whatever kind of story you want to tell.

19) What goes into writing a new character who’s not been featured before? With, say, Sixshot was there a process involved in how he would act or did you look at tech specs or previous appearances in other mediums to get a basic idea?

I do at least start with the tech specs. Then, largely, I look for whatever it is in that character that interests or intrigues me, or seems to open the door to some kind of dramatic conflict (and if it’s not there, then I’ll start to rethink or flesh out the character more) and subsequent resolution (to a degree). With the Spotlights in particular I look for a way to give the reader an almost instant insight into what makes the character tick, and why we should care about or empathise with them. Good guy or bad guy, it’s necessary that the reader become involved with the character quickly. So if there’s nothing much there in terms of tech specs or previous appearances to start with, I’ll introduce something to lift the character out of a kind of template role. Taking Sixshot as an example, having divined that he’s this ‘living weapon,’ I thought, so what does that mean? (Both to us and to him.) Why should we care? How does he view himself? Is he happy being a living weapon? Might he, if given a way out, take it? And so forth. When addressing any character, I’m continually asking myself questions about them. First job really is to get myself interested. Once I am, it’s that much easier to get other people interested. Sometimes I actually prefer it when there’s little or nothing already there in black and white and I can just build the character from the ground up.

20) In Spotlight: Shockwave, did Shockwave beat the Dynobots or did he just destroy their organic covering forcing them into stasis lock? Any chance of a rematch?

SF) I think the answer to the first part of this question is that Shockwave beat the Dynobots by destroying their organic covering, at which point they went into stasis lock. Did he beat them? Yes. Would he, if they too had been resistant to the high levels of energon? Hard to say. Maybe, maybe not. Grimlock, clearly, had foreseen the possibility of losing and planned an appropriate no-win scenario before ever setting foot on the planet. So maybe he won. Either which way, we do have something of another grudge match in the offing. Only this time it’s the Dynobots versus… ah, but that’d be telling. Whatever the case, stuff is set in motion in Spotlight Grimlock that will have huge repercussions. Will Shockwave figure in any of this? Maybe. Are the Dynobots coming back in 08? Definitely.

Diamond Comics Shipping List For September 26th, 2007

Date: Monday, September 24th 2007 3:58pm CDT
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Darth Bombshell | Credit(s): Diamond Comics

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Views: 9,006

The products on the list(s) below from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. are expected to ship to comic book specialty stores on the indicated date(s) below. Note that this list is tentative and subject to change. Please check with your retailer for availability.


Products available this week on September 26th, 2007:

AUG074408 TRANSFORMERS MOVIE T/C BOX (O/A) PI

NOV064436 TRANSFORMERS UNICRON MOVIE STATUE $200.00

There are no Transformers or GI Joe products available next week on October 3rd, 2007

Product Codes

(O/A) offered again
(PI) please inquire at your store
(MR) mature readers
(RES) resolicited
(Note Price) new price increase

Furman Update on UK Transformers Issue 4 and IDW

Date: Monday, May 14th 2007 6:44pm CDT
Categories: Comic Book News, People News
Posted by: Hotrod | Credit(s): Simon Furman

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Views: 16,209

Once again Simon Furman has updated his blog. In his latest entry Furman talks about the soon to be released UK Transformers Issue 4 and gives us some bits of information on what we can expect to see in the IDW comics. First Furman reveals that Issue #4 of the UK Transformers, featuring Devastator, will be drawn by Don Figueroa.

That means we know now who the artist for the first four issues are:
Geoff Senior Issue 1 Optimus Prime
Nick Roche Issue 2 Megatron
Andrew Wildman Issue 3 Ratchet
Don Figueroa Issue 4 Devastator

Artist Dougie Braithwaite and Guido Guidi are in the frame for other issues.

Now for some information about IDW's series. Simon revealed:
"reveal that while there will indeed be IDW Headmasters, it’s more character multiples than multiple characters (at least to start with). Might have also mentioned that while there will be no Unicron in the Infiltration/Escalation/Devastation (and so on) storyline, there might, possibly, be a passing mention of the planet-devourer in Beast Wars!!"

Terrorsaur Extract from the Beast Wars Bible

Date: Friday, March 16th 2007 7:49pm CDT
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Hotrod | Credit(s): Unicron.com

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Views: 15,967

In a news story last week we reported that Unicron.com had received some extracts from the Beast Wars "Bible", and that they posted extracts from it about Rattrap. Now Unicron.com has added new extracts from the Beast Wars "Bible". They have posted extracts about Terrorsaur.