Full Preview of IDW Transformers: Till All Are One #7

Strika... just caught... Devastator's fist... Holy freakin' crap.

Nexus Knight wrote:Strika... just caught... Devastator's fist... Holy freakin' crap.

Yep... She was not impressed by him

Wow. You go, Strika!

Glarryg

Did the Constucticons just decide to give up on finding a sixth member and form a one-legged Devastator?

Also, considering that this involves IDW storyline, I thought I might bring this up: I've been reading summaries of IDW story arcs for a while, so I finally decided to actually buy the books. I currently have Last Stand of The Wreckers, Phase Two collections 1-4, and the phase 1 compendium consisting of collections 1 and 2. Is there any other stories you would suggest I read?

MagicDeath wrote:Did the Constucticons just decide to give up on finding a sixth member and form a one-legged Devastator?

Nope, they're currently using Scoop - as seen in this panel in the last comic.



I'm not entirely sure how they done it in-universe, but the fact Devvy has a new design which merges aspects of both his CW toy and the AHM design along with making Scoop as a leg more obvious and prominent makes me happy.

ctrlFrequency wrote:]

Can't.. breathe... laughing... too.. hard...

Obligatory OT insert....

I certainly hope Scott takes this chance to actually give some story to Screamer and Windblade. There was always a hint, I'd like to see more focus on it.

doin' the nasty...

i deffo wanna see a pic of Starscream as a llama, & maybe a toy made

Emperor's new Groove <3

Evidently, Chromia's thinking was justified.

Synopsis
As Windblade and her team fight their way through Elita-1’s Titan, Carcer, they face opposition at every turn to stop them from awakening the sleeping giant… and they soon find out why!



Story

Till All Are One is still keeping up the tension and the storyline that was so quickly done with in the Titans Return mini-arc (the trade was only out these past weeks, with MTMTE and Transformers joining the One-shot - all of these, their casts, and the covers and credits can be found in our database entries), and it does it in a very natural way, not forgetting its other sources and bringing in some very intriguing twists.



The major players, as we know are Starscream and Windblade, the Council and Cybertron on one side, Elita, Obsidian and Strika, and her crew on the other (there is also the faction of undead titans, I guess, like whatever - again, full cast can be found here, though beware of some spoilers), and it's in the contrasts between the characters and the writing of their interactions that the meatier stuff comes out.



In particular, Strika and Obsidian get a nice dose of spotlight each this month, with the latter already playing a fairly major, menacing role on the Council as the bearer of bad news (backed up with facts and data), and we also finally see what the former can do, dipping into both of their seeding in the Beast Machines series.



What we also get in the issue, which is exciting and almost a little surprising, I'll admit, is a direct link to information and story development that were achieved in the Revolution tie-in issue for this series, in the form of the issue's resolution/cliffhanger... and more on that below.

Art

Sara Pitre Durocher delivers yet another pearl of linework and layouts, with some truly memorable Starscream and Elita-1 condescending looks, and some impressively expressive faceplated faces (Obsidian and Strika are but two). The concluding pages echo the very first Windblade series, too, with some other hints towards the Revolution tie-in, again.



Joana Lafuente adds to the excellent linework performance, once more, too - the panel below I believe proves it marvellously: the lighting, the shades of purple, the way they work with the inking beneath them, almost drowning out everything else in the image, all goes to show how the visual language of the medium can be fully employed.



Likewise, the lettering in the example above is an integral part to the frame (and the storytelling), actually adding weight to the word itself rather than just remaining sound - Tom B. Long does this often, and still well. The covers are also this month a full IDW TF grouping too, with Pitre Durocher on main, Priscilla Tramontano on Chromia's criminal cover, and Joana Lafuente (thumbnail) joining the theme of her other two pieces this month.

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

Till All Are One was ramping up the tension since issue 5. It took a potentially good story seedling in Titans Return and made sure it took roots in the ongoing series, while also connecting previous aspects of Transformers lore, the expanded mythos we are encountering across IDW, and bringing in a new-but-old major player, if the last page is to be believed.



We will not know what makes Elita and her crew so adamant to protect their Titan-ship, until another month at least, but we can enjoy just how hard, how strenuously, how viciously, how well laid out and constructed each scene is, and how the visual and verbal languages are co-deployed for this month. Very, very good indeed.

So my big thing is... how are they making this work titan wise? Metroplex registered the titan as Tempo, Elita called it Carcer, and it is actually Vigilem? Was Plex wrong? Why would Elita even want to employ the evil prime's titan?

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:So my big thing is... how are they making this work titan wise? Metroplex registered the titan as Tempo, Elita called it Carcer, and it is actually Vigilem? Was Plex wrong? Why would Elita even want to employ the evil prime's titan?

Well, Elita and her crew haven't exactly been depicted as angels either.

But my personal theory? Elita didn't want him activated; Obsidian was clearly distressed at his activation - like, beyond just disobedience of orders; this was 'this is the worst possible catastrophe you could perform' distressed - and he's even been referred to as a Prison Ship.

Elita has an intensely strong army - whose commander can apparently face off the goddamn Devastator - and if we're to assume some strong sense of duty (not out of the blue considering her colony's general philosophy)... if they came across the personal Titan of one of the greatest villains in Cybertron's history, surely the best way to keep them prisoner would be to de-activate them and keep them under your constant watch by being within them?

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:So my big thing is... how are they making this work titan wise? Metroplex registered the titan as Tempo, Elita called it Carcer, and it is actually Vigilem? Was Plex wrong? Why would Elita even want to employ the evil prime's titan?

Oh gosh. I had the same question. My first thought, back when Elita One called him Carcer, was that she and the Carcerians were essentially holding Tempo hostage and mode locked in his starship form, and that Carcer was dead or his people had overthrown Tempo.

With this though, man. Maybe the Carcerians had imprisoned Vigilem to keep him from contacting or serving Liege Maximo and destroying the universe. When Elita said last issue "You can die. I can die. The galaxy can burn in flame and darkness. But Carcer will never transform." maybe she meant that because Carcer IS dead and can't transform.

Makes me REALLY curious to find out who the massive Titan on the cover to #8 is now. Thankfully we'll only have to wait a couple of weeks.

Kurona wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:So my big thing is... how are they making this work titan wise? Metroplex registered the titan as Tempo, Elita called it Carcer, and it is actually Vigilem? Was Plex wrong? Why would Elita even want to employ the evil prime's titan?

Well, Elita and her crew haven't exactly been depicted as angels either.

But my personal theory? Elita didn't want him activated; Obsidian was clearly distressed at his activation - like, beyond just disobedience of orders; this was 'this is the worst possible catastrophe you could perform' distressed - and he's even been referred to as a Prison Ship.

Elita has an intensely strong army - whose commander can apparently face off the goddamn Devastator - and if we're to assume some strong sense of duty (not out of the blue considering her colony's general philosophy)... if they came across the personal Titan of one of the greatest villains in Cybertron's history, surely the best way to keep them prisoner would be to de-activate them and keep them under your constant watch by being within them?

THIS.

Though I am curious why, if the Carcerians are so powerful, Obsidian was so easily taken down by Tigatron, Moonracer and Fireshot. Granted, Strika is not only built like a tank, she IS a freaking tank, but you'd think Obsidian would have put up more of a fight than he did.

Wow, Ominous..

One thought though inCARCERation makes sense if he was called a prison ship.

Sunstar wrote:Wow, Ominous..

One thought though inCARCERation makes sense if he was called a prison ship.

"Carcer" is Latin for prison. At least, according to TFWiki.

Bounti76 wrote:

Sunstar wrote:Wow, Ominous..

One thought though inCARCERation makes sense if he was called a prison ship.

"Carcer" is Latin for prison. At least, according to TFWiki.

then there may be something to my thinking now.

Bounti76 wrote:Though I am curious why, if the Carcerians are so powerful, Obsidian was so easily taken down by Tigatron, Moonracer and Fireshot. Granted, Strika is not only built like a tank, she IS a freaking tank, but you'd think Obsidian would have put up more of a fight than he did.

From what little we've seen of Tigatron, that kitty ain't no slouch. Or it's just the most powerful of Cybertronian Relics: good ol Plot Armor

On a different note, maybe it's a prison ship because that's where Maximo was keeping bots as candidates for domestication while he did his messed up stuff on the farm? This is to assume they're borrowing some stuff from The Covenant of Primus but from what we saw in MTMTE 47, 56, and 57 with the Roboids I'd guess that's the journey we're on.

I'm also going to assume that Carcer is dead, Tempo is dead, and Vigilem is using one of their bodies since we've seen that Titan brains can kinda just get jumped from one place to another.

is Vigilem a pre existing character?

Sunstar wrote:is Vigilem a pre existing character?

Vigilem is not a name that has existed in the franchise before, no.

Kurona wrote:

Sunstar wrote:is Vigilem a pre existing character?

Vigilem is not a name that has existed in the franchise before, no.

But the name was mentioned in the Till All Are One Revolution one-shot, noted as being Liege Maximo's titan, and he was evil

I am not sure I got that one shot or not. I googled it. thanks

Is that Obsidian's rotor blade in his mouth? That's how I'm going to interpret it anyhow, really

ScottyP wrote:Is that Obsidian's rotor blade in his mouth? That's how I'm going to interpret it anyhow, really

Yup, it's Sara playing about with art.

From Sara PD:



Also, made me chuckle (from here):

What are Onslaught and Blast Off doing?

They're just being bros, man. Two bros, just hangin' out, one embracing the other tenderly, the other looking up at him as if to say "I feel safe in your arms, bro", as all best bros do.

Airachnid man, Airachnid. I found her to be the creepiest and scariest of the cons from Prime, and probably from ever. The fact they are bringing her in as a mnemosurgeon is very unsettling but very cool

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Airachnid man, Airachnid. I found her to be the creepiest and scariest of the cons from Prime, and probably from ever. The fact they are bringing her in as a mnemosurgeon is very unsettling but very cool

Wait, they're what?! Did I miss something in an issue because I never heard this before. That's friggin' amazing!

Kurona wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Airachnid man, Airachnid. I found her to be the creepiest and scariest of the cons from Prime, and probably from ever. The fact they are bringing her in as a mnemosurgeon is very unsettling but very cool

Wait, they're what?! Did I miss something in an issue because I never heard this before. That's friggin' amazing!

Issue 10 cover, the one Va'al posted above and in the May solicites

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Kurona wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Airachnid man, Airachnid. I found her to be the creepiest and scariest of the cons from Prime, and probably from ever. The fact they are bringing her in as a mnemosurgeon is very unsettling but very cool

Wait, they're what?! Did I miss something in an issue because I never heard this before. That's friggin' amazing!

Issue 10 cover, the one Va'al posted above and in the May solicites

Doesn't say she's a mnemosurgeon though!

We continue today with some more comics news, in the form of new listings on online retailer Amazon.com, for books released by IDW Publishing in the near future! Next we have the third collected volume of the one of three staple ongoings in the Transformers universe, with Till All Are One - more info and mock cover below, due in November 2017.

After the costly victory against the Titans, Iacon is in shambles and Starscream finds himself on shakier ground than ever. The key to his political (and likely literal) survival rests in the outcome of a very unlikely event: the trial of the Council's first official war criminal—Chromia of Caminus! Collects issues #9–12.

Series: Transformers (Book 3)
Paperback: 96 pages
Publisher: IDW Publishing (November 14, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1684050863
ISBN-13: 978-1684050864

I wouldn't worry too much. She'll invoke an ancient long-forgotten law that she can only be judged by a Prime, kickstarting a new spin-off book where Chromia teams up with the Fort Max's gang to find Microspace.

Va'al wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Kurona wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Airachnid man, Airachnid. I found her to be the creepiest and scariest of the cons from Prime, and probably from ever. The fact they are bringing her in as a mnemosurgeon is very unsettling but very cool

Wait, they're what?! Did I miss something in an issue because I never heard this before. That's friggin' amazing!

Issue 10 cover, the one Va'al posted above and in the May solicites

Doesn't say she's a mnemosurgeon though!

Look at those fingers! Those are Domey styled needles if I've ever seen them! Besides, in Prime her whole schtick was mind controlling insecticons, so it would totally fit if she were someone who does surgery on the mind

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Va'al wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Kurona wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Airachnid man, Airachnid. I found her to be the creepiest and scariest of the cons from Prime, and probably from ever. The fact they are bringing her in as a mnemosurgeon is very unsettling but very cool

Wait, they're what?! Did I miss something in an issue because I never heard this before. That's friggin' amazing!

Issue 10 cover, the one Va'al posted above and in the May solicites

Doesn't say she's a mnemosurgeon though!

Look at those fingers! Those are Domey styled needles if I've ever seen them! Besides, in Prime her whole schtick was mind controlling insecticons, so it would totally fit if she were someone who does surgery on the mind

Oh, it's very likely and possible, and probably true - but we don't know that yet.

From Previews World, we have a whole bunch of variant covers shown for IDW Publishing Transformers and Hasbro Universe comics, starting with Till All Are One #8 - and featuring Nelson Daniel once more (already seen on both Lost Light and Optimus Prime). Check it out below!

(W) Mairghread Scott (A) Sara Pitre-Durocher (CA) Nelson Daniel
This is it: the final stand for Cybertron! Will Starscream and Windblade's gamble finally pay off or will all of Iacon be destroyed by the zombie titans?

OOOh, any idea when?

Sunstar wrote:OOOh, any idea when?

Which one?

You have a point - TAAO

iTunes has updated with the next Transformers comic preview, this time in the form of Till All Are One #8! Issue 8 picks up where 7 left off, with the evil Titan Vigilem coming online, and it features Metroplex realizing the great evil has once again awoken, despite taking his name and his memories from him. Check out the preview below and let us know what you think in the comments section!

This is it: the final stand for Cybertron! Will Starscream and Windblade’s gamble finally pay off or will all of Iacon be destroyed by the zombie titans?

Oh, this just keeps getting better and better!

I don't want to be too much of a wet blanket, but does this story ever actually go anywhere? I dropped all the Transformers comics over a year ago, at least, when the synopsis for every issues was "Titans walking around; Starscream and Windblade stare at each other and try to determine whether or not they've done something bad!"

The Titans Return aftermath ends in TAAO 8

Nik Hero wrote:Oh, this just keeps getting better and better!

I hear ya. I'm loving Lost Light and Til All Are One! Both are just awesome!

Definitely agree on that. I really hope this gets to be a full-on ongoing instead of being yet another short series that we'll get a sequel to in a year. That situation's plagued the Windblade comics since they began and I'd love to see it remedied...

Kurona wrote:Definitely agree on that. I really hope this gets to be a full-on ongoing instead of being yet another short series that we'll get a sequel to in a year. That situation's plagued the Windblade comics since they began and I'd love to see it remedied...

I'd like to think it will. This series is more Cybertron-and-its-inhabitants focused than JUST focused on Windblade. Optimus Prime is focused on Earth, and Lost Light on outer space. Three very different stages for different stories to focus on. If the solicits for issue #9 aren't misleading, it'll focus mostly on Chromia, Starscream, and the council, and The Mistress of Flame will likely be sitting in for Windblade as she did in the Annual.

Also in comic news today, Newsarama has uploaded the full preview for IDW's Till All Are One #8, which is set to finish off the Titans Return story arc! Check out the preview, and get ready for some mass chaos as the evil titan Vigilem comes online!

Ooooh, this is gonna be good.

My guess is, Windblade is able to keep Vigilem dormant, but take control of his body (parts of which he took from Tempo) to fight off the zombie Titans. But the strain is too much, and she goes into stasis lock.

business is about to pick up

Good lord, Elita looks...robust.

Black Hat wrote:Good lord, Elita looks...robust.

She's a tough old bird, that Elita