Preview for IDW Transformers: Optimus Prime Volume 2 TPB

Mr. Prime... Now that's a name he should be called more often.

Thanks to a heads up from Seibertronian Sunstar and Twitter user The Kup, we have a newly revealed cover for the upcoming Optimus Prime #16, which is due out in February! The new cover is drawn by regular artist Kei Zama with colors by Josh Burcham, and shows off Soundwave with Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, and Ravage. What is interesting about this cover is that Ravage is drawn in a body style that is similar to his much earlier Megatron Origins design, which is fitting seeing as how Soundwave appears to have a rubsign, much like he did in Optimus Prime volume 1 during the "in the past" scenes.

Check out the cover below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

They’re a all drawn in their pre-earth forms

Fellow Seibertronians ScottyP and Sunstar have linked us to a recently uploaded variant cover for the current arc taking place in the IDW Publishing ongoing Transformers comics series Optimus Prime, specifically, the 1-in-10 incentive that will be released with issue #16 of the series, due end of February!

The art, featuring Optimus Prime (the Thirteenth/Arisen from Aligned and now seeping into IDW mythology) and Onyx Primal - the baddest winged spiky centaur of them all - is by Marcelo Matere, the colours are not credited, but may very well be Priscilla Tramontano or Joana Lafuente. Check it out below!

W) John Barber (A) Kei Zama (CA) Marcelo Matere
The Falling, Part 2: The arrival of Onyx Prime throws Cybertron into chaos-because he hasn't come alone. Onyx's treacherous companion forces Soundwave to finally make a choice: is Optimus Prime a friend... or foe?

Would you kindly explain what 1 in 10 promotion means?

I'm not sure if I'm correct but I think it's something along the lines of every 1 in 10 issues will have this cover

For every 10 standard covers a shop orders they can get 1 variant,.

ZeroWolf wrote:I'm not sure if I'm correct but I think it's something along the lines of every 1 in 10 issues will have this cover

Alas, it takes proactive ordering from the shop, Rodimus Knight has it correct here:

Rodimus Knight wrote:For every 10 standard covers a shop orders they can get 1 variant,.

Va'al wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:I'm not sure if I'm correct but I think it's something along the lines of every 1 in 10 issues will have this cover

Alas, it takes proactive ordering from the shop, Rodimus Knight has it correct here:

Rodimus Knight wrote:For every 10 standard covers a shop orders they can get 1 variant,.

There is 1 variant cover I want for an IDW book (the only decent cover offered imho). I checked with 3 local shops, 2 nearby out of state shops and my friend looked into the 5 shops near him halfway across the country, and only 1 place ordered enough to get the variant cover I wanted, and it was already spoken for.

This is another reason I dislike IDW.

Rodimus Knight wrote:

Va'al wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:I'm not sure if I'm correct but I think it's something along the lines of every 1 in 10 issues will have this cover

Alas, it takes proactive ordering from the shop, Rodimus Knight has it correct here:

Rodimus Knight wrote:For every 10 standard covers a shop orders they can get 1 variant,.

There is 1 variant cover I want for an IDW book (the only decent cover offered imho). I checked with 3 local shops, 2 nearby out of state shops and my friend looked into the 5 shops near him halfway across the country, and only 1 place ordered enough to get the variant cover I wanted, and it was already spoken for.

This is another reason I dislike IDW.

I understand the frustration, but this is not IDW's doing. This is the scourge that is the Direct Market. Those comics that the shops buy? Mostly non-returnable, and they've already paid for them. If no customers buy them, and they're on no orders, they'll just drop the title. That's the case for any publisher doing variants to drive sales, misunderstanding the fucking point entirely.

Va'al wrote:

Rodimus Knight wrote:

Va'al wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:I'm not sure if I'm correct but I think it's something along the lines of every 1 in 10 issues will have this cover

Alas, it takes proactive ordering from the shop, Rodimus Knight has it correct here:

Rodimus Knight wrote:For every 10 standard covers a shop orders they can get 1 variant,.

There is 1 variant cover I want for an IDW book (the only decent cover offered imho). I checked with 3 local shops, 2 nearby out of state shops and my friend looked into the 5 shops near him halfway across the country, and only 1 place ordered enough to get the variant cover I wanted, and it was already spoken for.

This is another reason I dislike IDW.

I understand the frustration, but this is not IDW's doing. This is the scourge that is the Direct Market. Those comics that the shops buy? Mostly non-returnable, and they've already paid for them. If no customers buy them, and they're on no orders, they'll just drop the title. That's the case for any publisher doing variants to drive sales, misunderstanding the **** point entirely.

Actually you just pointed out that it is the publisher's fault. If people don't want to purchase their books, it's the fault of the company making it. Either the writing is bad, the arts is bad, or the subject is bad.

You need to put out a good product if you want people to purchase it. If you're doing something new and original, then maybe don't make the variant requirements so high, or allow them to purchase multiples.

If you put you best cover on the variant in hopes that it will cause shops to purchase more of the standard, then you should have just used it as the standard, and maybe the stores would purchase more. Comics are a visual medium, and if you create stupid or ugly covers, people will skip over it.

The guy who runs the shop I spend most of my time at, directed me to one of the biggest shops with an online store that sells across the country, and even they don't appear to be ordering enough to get the variant.

Rodimus Knight wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Rodimus Knight wrote:

Va'al wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:I'm not sure if I'm correct but I think it's something along the lines of every 1 in 10 issues will have this cover

Alas, it takes proactive ordering from the shop, Rodimus Knight has it correct here:

Rodimus Knight wrote:For every 10 standard covers a shop orders they can get 1 variant,.

There is 1 variant cover I want for an IDW book (the only decent cover offered imho). I checked with 3 local shops, 2 nearby out of state shops and my friend looked into the 5 shops near him halfway across the country, and only 1 place ordered enough to get the variant cover I wanted, and it was already spoken for.

This is another reason I dislike IDW.

I understand the frustration, but this is not IDW's doing. This is the scourge that is the Direct Market. Those comics that the shops buy? Mostly non-returnable, and they've already paid for them. If no customers buy them, and they're on no orders, they'll just drop the title. That's the case for any publisher doing variants to drive sales, misunderstanding the **** point entirely.

Actually you just pointed out that it is the publisher's fault. If people don't want to purchase their books, it's the fault of the company making it. Either the writing is bad, the arts is bad, or the subject is bad.

You need to put out a good product if you want people to purchase it. If you're doing something new and original, then maybe don't make the variant requirements so high, or allow them to purchase multiples.

If you put you best cover on the variant in hopes that it will cause shops to purchase more of the standard, then you should have just used it as the standard, and maybe the stores would purchase more. Comics are a visual medium, and if you create stupid or ugly covers, people will skip over it.

The guy who runs the shop I spend most of my time at, directed me to one of the biggest shops with an online store that sells across the country, and even they don't appear to be ordering enough to get the variant.

That is not what I said.

Let's try again:

"They’re a very normal part of the comic book landscape and are offered to retailers in a few different ways: A and B covers where a shop will get an equal amount of the standard cover and the B variant. And Incentive Variants where a retailer has to order a certain amount of A issues from Diamond to get issues with the B cover, or occasionally separate covers for the same issue with Separate Order Codes that shops can order as they wish.

Variant covers are a really popular part of comic buying for fans, but can be a real struggle for retailers, as they encourage speculation, where collectors buy rarer books specifically to resell them at a higher price. If a shop takes a risk on a large variant scheme that doesn’t land well, it can really damage a business.

[...]

One of the most interesting things about variant covers is they are always sold to shops at cover price. So the inflated prices that you will often see for the rarer books are set by whomever is selling them. Comic shops will usually set a price close to what the book is being sold for online, as this means that they won’t just be selling it to someone to sell on at a hugely inflated rate.

Variant covers can impact order numbers in different ways. They can drive initial sales up as shops order to get specific covers for customers, but sometimes they actually lower numbers by spreading them out among different codes, which can cause sales to be completely misreported. A separate order code is typically used when a variant cover has a higher cover price than the standard cover. Also, the number of comics sold by Diamond in no way equates to the actual number of comics sold. "


Source

If getting the variant cover is so important to some wouldn't it be easier to just order the 10 directly from the distributor? Sure you would be paying for more books but you end up getting what you want

Ultra Markus wrote:If getting the variant cover is so important to some wouldn't it be easier to just order the 10 directly from the distributor? Sure you would be paying for more books but you end up getting what you want

Some people do pool together and do that, or then resell the other copies on secondary market, or both!

Va'al wrote:

Ultra Markus wrote:If getting the variant cover is so important to some wouldn't it be easier to just order the 10 directly from the distributor? Sure you would be paying for more books but you end up getting what you want

Some people do pool together and do that, or then resell the other copies on secondary market, or both!

I'm willing to pay double or maybe triple for the variant (because I only know one shop that sells variants at cover price), but I'm not willing to go higher then that. Otherwise, If I read it I'll just read the comic online and not buy it at all.

I purchased the transformers Archie x-over book for the cover with Hot Rod, Betty and Veronica because I liked the cover. I couldn't' give a rats ass about the story. I never read it, but I display the cover art.

Companies create variant covers to try and drive up sales, for their own profit. My point is, if they wrote and drew comics people want they wouldn't need to create a false sales model. People would buy the books. If a company feels they need to put their best covers on hard to get variants, it's because they don't believe the book will sell well, and In the case of IDW it's become a way of life for them period and really needs to stop.

Again, if one of the largest online retailers is apparently not even getting the variant cover, it shows just how bad they are expecting the book to sell.

Rodimus Knight wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Ultra Markus wrote:If getting the variant cover is so important to some wouldn't it be easier to just order the 10 directly from the distributor? Sure you would be paying for more books but you end up getting what you want

Some people do pool together and do that, or then resell the other copies on secondary market, or both!

I'm willing to pay double or maybe triple for the variant (because I only know one shop that sells variants at cover price), but I'm not willing to go higher then that. Otherwise, If I read it I'll just read the comic online and not buy it at all.

I purchased the transformers Archie x-over book for the cover with Hot Rod, Betty and Veronica because I liked the cover. I couldn't' give a rats ass about the story. I never read it, but I display the cover art.

Companies create variant covers to try and drive up sales, for their own profit. My point is, if they wrote and drew comics people want they wouldn't need to create a false sales model. People would buy the books. If a company feels they need to put their best covers on hard to get variants, it's because they don't believe the book will sell well, and In the case of IDW it's become a way of life for them period and really needs to stop.

Again, if one of the largest online retailers is apparently not even getting the variant cover, it shows just how bad they are expecting the book to sell.

Nah. Still not getting it.

EDIT: Oooh, and I initially missed the bit about not actually buying the comics, therefore not supporting the comics, therefore not supporting comic shops, and really just being part of the problem.

Va'al wrote:

Ultra Markus wrote:If getting the variant cover is so important to some wouldn't it be easier to just order the 10 directly from the distributor? Sure you would be paying for more books but you end up getting what you want

Some people do pool together and do that, or then resell the other copies on secondary market, or both!

i remember doing that once with one back when dreamwave put out transformers and ended up with a shitload of one issue like 20 just for the variant and decided i wasnt going to do it again but just 10 issues doesnt seem too bad

Ultra Markus wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Ultra Markus wrote:If getting the variant cover is so important to some wouldn't it be easier to just order the 10 directly from the distributor? Sure you would be paying for more books but you end up getting what you want

Some people do pool together and do that, or then resell the other copies on secondary market, or both!

i remember doing that once with one back when dreamwave put out transformers and ended up with a shitload of one issue like 20 just for the variant and decided i wasnt going to do it again but just 10 issues doesnt seem too bad

If comics prices were not as high as they currently are with all major publishers, I'd say go for it! But with 3.99 minimum per issue, I wouldn't recommend it, just for the one cover.

After yesterday's full reveal, from artist Marcelo Matere, of the incentive cover for the IDW Publishing ongoing Transformers comics series Optimus Prime, we now have - via fellow Seibertronian Sunstar again - the inked lineart of the same Optimus Prime and Onyx Prime piece, for those of you interested in the pre-coloured artwork!

You can see the gigantic piece mirrored below, as Matere shared on his Twitter account the scan of the full board - and then join the conversation in the Energon Pub, and let us know what you think of the mythology returning to the series, and what you expect Onyx's role to be!

Va'al wrote:

Ultra Markus wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Ultra Markus wrote:If getting the variant cover is so important to some wouldn't it be easier to just order the 10 directly from the distributor? Sure you would be paying for more books but you end up getting what you want

Some people do pool together and do that, or then resell the other copies on secondary market, or both!

i remember doing that once with one back when dreamwave put out transformers and ended up with a shitload of one issue like 20 just for the variant and decided i wasnt going to do it again but just 10 issues doesnt seem too bad

If comics prices were not as high as they currently are with all major publishers, I'd say go for it! But with 3.99 minimum per issue, I wouldn't recommend it, just for the one cover.

It's cheaper to buy them on eBay than it is to do self-fund an RI order. Way cheaper.

Va'al wrote:After yesterday's full reveal, from artist Marcelo Matere, of the incentive cover for the IDW Publishing ongoing Transformers comics series Optimus Prime, we now have - via fellow Seibertronian Sunstar again - the inked lineart of the same Optimus Prime and Onyx Prime piece, for those of you interested in the pre-coloured artwork!

Come now, you make it sound bad I need to do something while my mum's recovering from surgery and I am off work taking care of her (when I am not taking care of her)

Sunstar wrote:

Va'al wrote:After yesterday's full reveal, from artist Marcelo Matere, of the incentive cover for the IDW Publishing ongoing Transformers comics series Optimus Prime, we now have - via fellow Seibertronian Sunstar again - the inked lineart of the same Optimus Prime and Onyx Prime piece, for those of you interested in the pre-coloured artwork!

Come now, you make it sound bad I need to do something while my mum's recovering from surgery and I am off work taking care of her (when I am not taking care of her)

Not at all, you're being super useful!

We're headed back into the past again, as Soundwave takes on the narrative frame of the second part of The Falling arc in IDW Publishing's ongoing Transformers series Optimus Prime, in issue #16, as Onyx Primal has made his return, with Liege Maximo in tow. Check out below the three-page preview from iTunes, and check back on Seibertron.com in a couple of weeks for more material on the chapter, including a full preview and review.

The Falling, Part 2: The arrival of Onyx Prime throws Cybertron into chaos—because he hasn’t come alone. Onyx’s treacherous companion forces Soundwave to finally make a choice: is Optimus Prime a friend... or foe?

And in an entirely different tone direction... It may not be the anticipated Sharkticonado script, but the Optimus Prime annual from IDW Publishing's Transformers comics does see Thundercracker's obvious and not at all hammy scriptwriting talents put to good use (in what is probably set before the end of Till All Are One) to create Starscream: The Movie.

Check out below the sneaky preview from iTunes, and head back in a couple of weeks for more!

THUNDERCRACKER IN: STARSCREAM: THE MOVIE! The good news: somebody finally gave Thundercracker money to make a film. The bad news: it’s Starscream, and he wants a biographical picture to win over the people of Earth. Will Thundercracker stand by his principles or... well, no, he makes the movie.

God dammit Prime why didn’t you just apologize for that...

What event was Thundercracker trying to dramatise there?

That is some delicious art in the Annual...

ZeroWolf wrote:What event was Thundercracker trying to dramatise there?

The life of G.I. Joe spy Chuckles, which was chronicaled in the G.I. Joe: Cobra miniseries.

why does the art remind me of Kim Possible?

Thundercracker is that a Starbucks cup?

Microraptor wrote:That is some delicious art in the Annual...

Yes, I wish we got that monthly!

WreckerJack wrote:Thundercracker is that a Starbucks cup?

Robots with Coffee is now canon.

MrBlack wrote:

WreckerJack wrote:Thundercracker is that a Starbucks cup?

Robots with Coffee is now canon.

With Earth having control of one of the few remaining energon sources, it would not surprise me in the slightest if starbucks was selling engex or circuit speeders to corner the new giant robot market in this universe's canon.

Daniel Adkins wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:What event was Thundercracker trying to dramatise there?

The life of G.I. Joe spy Chuckles, which was chronicaled in the G.I. Joe: Cobra miniseries.

Thanks

Have I forgotten any similar references?

This looks like a fun Story. I might have to pick it up.

Soundwave has become one of my favorite cons thanks to this book, and he and Ravage continue to thrill me. Those 2 are/were great IDW characters

I no longer read the comics but, why does Thundercracker have a different seeker type of body?

horus wrote:I no longer read the comics but, why does Thundercracker have a different seeker type of body?

All Seekers have gone through some changes, be it personal preference, location (Cybertron vs Earth), or artistic licence that then stuck!

The first of the previews coming to us from a number of comics media sources, for comics due out next week from IDW Publishing is via Newsarama, and featured the next chapter in the ongoing Transformers series Optimus Prime, and the second part of The Falling arc. Check it out below, as Soundwave takes the POV for the issue, and join the Seibertron.com discussion inside!

When Starscream tells you "good luck," you know things must be bad. Check out this preview of next week's Optimus Prime #16.

Optimus Prime #16
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a & c)
The Falling, Part 2: The arrival of Onyx Prime throws Cybertron into chaos—because he hasn’t come alone. Onyx’s treacherous companion forces Soundwave to finally make a choice: is Optimus Prime a friend... or foe?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

The final preview, for now, for a comic out next Wednesday with IDW Publishing is the Optimus Prime annual, which picks up the story with Thundercracker (and Buster) as we follow his steps through the making of his first movie - all about currently-ex-ruler of Cybertron Starscream! Read on below from ComicCrusaders, and join in the discussion waiting for next week's review and discussion here on Seibertron.com!

THUNDERCRACKER IN: STARSCREAM: THE MOVIE!

The good news: somebody finally gave Thundercracker money to make a film. The bad news: it’s Starscream, and he wants a biographical picture to win over the people of Earth. Will Thundercracker stand by his principles or… well, no, he makes the movie.

Optimus Prime Annual 2018
John Barber (w) • Priscilla Tramontano (a & c)

FC • 48 pages • $7.99

Ugh I keep saying I need to start reading this comic in addition to the others I read.

Goodbye money, hello books!

I love Thundercracker's face in that last panel, and I can't wait to see how the movie will turn out, it's got a razzie with its name on it...which knowing how Thundercracker's mind works he'll think it's an achievement.

I am looking forward to this. :3

LMAO Thundercracker's face!

MrBlack wrote:

WreckerJack wrote:Thundercracker is that a Starbucks cup?

Robots with Coffee is now canon.

It's probably called Starscream's Coffee! Lmao. There's plenty of fan art of it too.

Chibi Starscream wrote:

MrBlack wrote:

WreckerJack wrote:Thundercracker is that a Starbucks cup?

Robots with Coffee is now canon.

It's probably called Starscream's Coffee! Lmao. There's plenty of fan art of it too.

Bot's have been drinking can's and Juice boxes of Energon with Kremzek's face on it for millions of years now.

Ah man, this is Thundercracker's "don't dream it, be it" moment! Honestly I'm really looking forward to this annual. One last story for El Presidente Starscream, I think it's gonna be great.

Chibi Starscream wrote:

MrBlack wrote:

WreckerJack wrote:Thundercracker is that a Starbucks cup?

Robots with Coffee is now canon.

It's probably called Starscream's Coffee! Lmao. There's plenty of fan art of it too.

This?

Sunstar wrote:

Chibi Starscream wrote:

MrBlack wrote:

WreckerJack wrote:Thundercracker is that a Starbucks cup?

Robots with Coffee is now canon.

It's probably called Starscream's Coffee! Lmao. There's plenty of fan art of it too.

This?

In Japan, we actually GOT Starscream with our coffee, like a boss.