Transformers Comic Book News on Seibertron.com

IDW Transformers Comics for March 2017: Revolutionaries, Ongoings, Hearts of Steel, More

Date: Wednesday, December 21st 2016 1:02am CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW

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Via IDW Publishing, on this first day of winter, we have a full set of new releases in the Transformers universe (and a little shared bits) for spring 2017: the March solicitations are here! Featuring Lost Light, Optimus Prime, Revolutionaries, the Aw Yeah! version of Revolution, Transformers vs GI Joe, and.. Hearts of Steel? Also, the Deviations series is back, though no Transformers titles are part of it yet (whew), and no Till All Are One issues are scheduled for then. Check out the covers and blurbs out below!

Revolutionaries #4
John Barber (w) • Fico Ossio (a) • Tradd Moore (c)
Cobra Commander vs. Hearts of Steel! Thousands of years ago, a starship crashed on Earth—and the Hearts of Steel Transformers were born... but how can these steampunk Cybertronians be real?! And what does Cobra Commander want with them, when he hasn't even got Cobra to back him up? The Revolutionaries have uncovered one of the darkest and most incredible secrets on Earth!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Revolutionaries #4—Subscription Variant
John Barber (w) • Fico Ossio (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Revolutionaries #4—Tone Rodriguez Variant
John Barber (w) • Fico Ossio (a) • Tone Rodriguez (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The secret history of Cybertonians on Earth—but how can it be!
Who is behind the Cobra Commander mask?!
Springing from the fan-favorite Transformers: Hearts of Steel limited series!
Variant cover by John Royle!

Revolution: Aw Yeah! #2
Art Baltazar (w & a & c)
After learning that his favorite comic book character SNAKE EYES is real, BARON KARZA, along with his new ally COBRA COMMANDER, tries to capture him and claim SNAKE EYES as the ultimate collectible! WHAT?! Someone call G.I. JOE! What will happen when the JOES get involved in the battle, you ask?  That’s right! A showdown between Snake Eyes and the Ninja STORM SHADOW!  But what happens next…would be a SPOILER! Beware BARON KARZA! Or the world will be crushed in his grasps!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Revolution: Aw Yeah! #2—Subscription Variant
Art Baltazar (w & a) • Jay Fosgitt (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Variant cover by Franco!

Optimus Prime #5
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a & c)
NEW CYBERTRON! It's battleground: Earth once more, as the uneasy peace between Optimus' forces, the Junkions, and G.I. Joe collapses amidst betrayals and subterfuge. Will Optimus Prime and Pyra Magna be able to put aside their differences—or is war really the only way forward?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Optimus Prime #5—Subscription Variant
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a) • Casey Coller (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Optimus Prime #5—Andrew Griffith Variant
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a) • Andrew Griffith (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Variant cover by E.J. Su!

Transformers: Lost Light #4
James Roberts (w) • Jack Lawrence (a & c)
RODIMUS, MEGATRON and the exiled crew of the Lost Light realise that there's only one thing they need to do before they can resume their quest. Unfortunately, that thing is "save the world." Can the AUTOBOTS overcome the odds and save the day? To be honest, probably not.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Lost Light #4—Subscription Variant
James Roberts (w) • Jack Lawrence (a) • Nick Roche (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Lost Light #4—Alex Milne Variant
James Roberts (w) • Jack Lawrence (a) • Alex Milne (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Some characters might die! Oh no!
Variant cover by E.J. Su!

Transformers vs G.I. JOE: The Movie Adaptation—SPOTLIGHT
Tom Scioli (w & a & c)
Imagine a world where the greatest comic book crossover of all time inspires a movie adaptation… and that movie adaptation inspires its own comic book! Visionary writer-artist Tom Scioli returns to the weird world of Transformers vs. G.I. Joe and brings an even weirder twist to this new story: what would the comic book adaptation of the movie version of the comic book look like? It’s time to find out in the most epic, scintillating, off-the-wall, exciting comic of 2017!
FC • 40 pages • $4.99

Transformers vs G.I. JOE: The Movie Adaptation—Subscription Variant
Tom Scioli (w & a) • Robb Waters (c)
FC • 40 pages • $4.99

Bullet points:
Tom Scioli’s spectacular vision returns!

Offered Again!
Transformers vs G.I. JOE, Vol. 1 • FC • $19.99 • ISBN: 978-1-63140-190-9
Transformers vs G.I. JOE, Vol. 2 • FC • $19.99 • ISBN: 978-1-63140-270-8
Transformers vs G.I. JOE, Vol.

Deviations: Alpha HC (Direct Market Exclusive)—CERTIFIED COOL
Kelly Thompson, Paul Allor, Tom Waltz, Brandon Easton, Amy Chu (w) • Silvia Califano, Elena Casagrande, Priscilla Tramontano, Zach Howard, Corey Lewis, Nelson Daniel (a) • Daniel (c)
What if the Ghostbusters never crossed streams to save New York? Or how about if Shredder was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ sensei?! Find out the answers to these questions and more as IDW presents Deviations, a special event series featuring alternate takes on some of your favorite books including Ghostbusters, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Files, and G.I. JOE!
HC • FC • $24.99 • 136 pages • ISBN: 978-1-63140-947-9

Bullet points:
Advance solicited for April release!
The most unlikely moments from your favorite franchises, brought to life through the magic of comic books!
Available ONLY in the Direct Market!

Pack-in Comic for e-Hobby Exclusive Convobat

Date: Tuesday, December 20th 2016 3:27pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Toy News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): #AXEL

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Views: 41,325

Via fellow Seibertronian Sabrblade, who found the news on Twitter account #AXEL, we also have the pack-in comic that accompanies the recently released Takara Tomy Legends e-Hobby Exclusive Convobat - which is not the same as the one we've seen previously - with both Japanese and English scripts, and due to continue in the Magna Convoy release. Check it out mirrored below!

IDW More Than Meets The Eye Wins 2016 Best Sci-Fi Comic Vote

Date: Tuesday, December 20th 2016 3:17pm CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): Comics Alliance

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Views: 33,651

Remember that Comics Alliance nomination for the Best 2016 Sci-Fi comic, for IDW Publishing's Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye? Well, we have news of the good kind for the entire creative team behind the book, from Roberts to Milne, to Lafuente, Long, Barber, and the rotating artists, colourers, inkers and more: They won! Check out more info below, and head here to see the rest of the list!

Winner: Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye
James Roberts, Alex Milne, Joana Lafuente and Others / IDW


It’s monumentally difficult for a story to shift between cosmic space opera, alternate universes, sitcom comedy, heartbreaking romance, 4,000,000 years of wartime anxiety, and the kind of action that makes you afraid to turn the page and risk your favorite characters, without also being a mess of tonal whiplash, but James Roberts, Alex Milne, Joana Lafuente and crew did it every single issue with every single character — and I remind you, many of these characters are talking pickup trucks. [Chris Sims]

Sneak Peek - IDW Optimus Prime #2 iTunes Preview

Date: Sunday, December 18th 2016 2:49pm CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): iTunes

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Views: 26,135

Via the usual iTunes screenshot uploads, we have an early look at the next issue of the new IDW Publishing Transformers ongoing series - Optimus Prime #2 - in which we meet the newcomers to Earth in their corkscrew ship. Check the three pages mirrored out below!

NEW CYBERTRON! A massive corkscrew-shaped space ship has drilled into Earth, bringing with it a surprising disruption to OPTIMUS PRIME's plans. Meanwhile—ARCEE fields a dangerous offer that may be too good to resist!

Comic Book Resources interview with John Barber on IDW Optimus Prime Ongoing

Date: Friday, December 16th 2016 3:22pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, People News
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal | Credit(s): Comic Book Resources

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The interviews keep on rolling in for John Barber and the whole of IDW's Optimus Prime ongoing. Comic Book Resources were able to snag an interview with Mr. Continuity himself and ask him even more questions about the new ongoing and where it will be headed. You can check out the full interview HERE and catch a sneak peak below. Let us know what you think of this latest interview in the comments section below!

In Prime, you have this unique lead with literally millions of years of history. Will you be digging into that?

We’ll definitely be digging into Optimus Prime’s past. The first arc has a parallel story set before the war — back when Optimus was Orion Pax, a police officer on Cybertron. It’s another view, on another world, in another time, of a lot of the same issues at play in the present day: the relationship of a protector to the protected, and how Optimus/Orion looks at his enemies. Back then, Cybertron was on a downward curve, historically speaking. Orion’s on the precipice of a four-million-year-long war that he winds up being an essential part of.

.....

Optimus tends to have a crew around him. Will that be the case in here? Who can fans expect to see at his side?

Optimus still has a big crew with him. The real difference here is that Optimus’ actions are so big, the people around him can’t help but be pulled into the orbit of what he’s doing. Soundwave is still at his side, and Pyra Magna and the Torchbearers (who form Victorion) are there, but she’s not exactly standing at his side. Arcee is cautious toward him, but in a different way. And Aileron, who was a Colonist who sees Optimus as a space-messiah, has had her worldview shattered a bit. She sees Optimus is just a guy – a big, metal guy – dealing with things as best he can.

But then Optimus brings in a half-dozen new Colonists, all very eager to follow his every word. This decision doesn’t sit well with all of his crew, but it introduces some very obscure faces into the fold – characters like Oiler, Slide, Gimlet, Bump, Midnight Express, and Roulette. Don’t be worried if you don’t know them — nobody else on Optimus’ team knows them, either. But Aileron and Pyra are both colonists themselves, and seeing these hopeful ‘bots willing to lay down their lives for Optimus, right or wrong…well, they get a little uneasy with the situation.

.....

How does bringing in a new artist like Kei change your approach to Optimus and these other characters?

When I thought about what a comic drawn by her would look like, it was like a whole new approach to the Transformers opened up. I mean, I’ve been writing these characters for a while, and I’m always super-excited to get to do this stuff, but the idea of Kei’s vision of the characters, of the way she’d draw G.I. Joe characters, and how she’d approach all this…it seemed like such an exciting idea.

Carlos Guzman, our editor, didn’t take too much convincing, and he brought in Josh Burcham to color and Josh has brought a very unique, very cool color palette. The book has an amazingly distinct look to it. It doesn’t feel like anything else out there, which is amazing.

Variant Cover for IDW Transformers: Till All Are One #6

Date: Wednesday, December 14th 2016 11:29am CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): Previews World

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In even more comics news, we have the subscription variant cover for the upcoming Transformers: Till All Are One #6, due out in a couple of weeks from IDW Publishing (short preview here). The image, from Previews World, is mirrored below though we have no indication as to who the authors are - check it out!

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Nominated for Best of 2016 Sci-Fi Comic

Date: Wednesday, December 14th 2016 11:24am CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Contests
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): Comics Alliance

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Views: 33,820

It's a comics busy week, for IDW Publishing and its Transformers books! Comics and entertainment website Comics Alliance - who can always afford more exclusives than us - have Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye nominated in their Best of 2016, Sci-Fi category, alongside big hitters like Saga, Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye and Bitch Planet. What say you, TFandom? Time to roll out? Check out the full voting page here!

Review of IDW Optimus Prime #1

Date: Wednesday, December 14th 2016 4:01am CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW, Va'al

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Views: 62,019

Synopsis
REVOLUTION is over—but the danger to Earth is just beginning. As OPTIMUS PRIME pulls Earth into the larger universe, he’s painted a target on Earth… and a new alien incursion begins when a corkscrew shaped craft drills into our world!



Story

What do we have here? A new title from John 'Continuity' Barber? Look at it this way: Revolution is over, Reconstruction is starting, corporate is backing out slightly just for a little bit, and it's time to patch up what's left of crossover events. Enter the same cast, a different title, and a lot of clashing personalities. Welcome back to Earth.



Barber has a penchant, has always had it, to play with story from an entry point. This series is probably the most promisingly enabling of that, with Optimus Prime being narrator and thread, as his personal story bleeds into his formation and current situation, shaping and being shaped by the context and the players around him.



This is true for the flashbacks, in which we see his young idealist law-enforcer self. This is true for when we switch back to the current events, where those ideals are a little shakier, and other people are more likely to call him out on things, from Pyra Magna (more of her please), to Soundwave, and even to his older allies.



For a reader who's followed RID, Transformers, all the crossovers and events, and even before all that, back to earlier stories with red-blue-bot, some of this may feel familiar, sure. But it's an excellent first issue that doesn't compromise its jumping on point in any way. It has enough new stuff to keep regulars in, and enough grounding to bring new audiences along too. That's a win-win for me.

Art

Kei Zama's work on the pages is something to behold. It's not often that an excellent cover artist is also a truly great interior artist, and when it happens, they deserve all the praise they can get. One of the interviews about her cited a number of heavy influences, from Marvel G2 to 2000AD, but I also see some James Raiz in more TF-friendly terms, and it's definitely her own take on sequential narrative, with bold inks and shading to boot.



And if the lines are gritty, and bold, and heavy without crushing the page, Josh Burcham crushes the work with some of the best colours he's produced in his career. If you thought Sins of the Wreckers was good, this goes in a different, even better direction altogether, and the two styles work oh so very well.



With the old style coming back, and a lot of new faces, Tom B. Long has a lot on his lettering plate, but do we really have any doubts that he can make it work, even with new art and busy panels? Not at all. The flow is great, the captions fit, and nothing is sacrificed. Plus, IDW got Paul Pope (with Lovern Kindzierski) to do a variant cover. Sara Pitre Durocher tags the shiz out of graffiti art, regulars Casey Coller, Joana Lafuente, Andrew Griffith are still magnificent, and the Sonny Liew and Tim King are great additions/banes to completists. Nice touch on the UK-variant Zama cover too, with David Garcia Cruz on colours.

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

We know this by now: Roberts and the MTMTE Lost Light team work best with the fandom they created, Barber and his rotating titles and teams are in charge of the core mythology, lore, and backbone storylines for the IDW verse. Optimus Prime, in this first issue is very similar to the early RID books I loved so much - internal narration devices included - and yes, while full of stuff, leads directly from the general reader that bought Revolution.



If this is what Reconstruction is going to bring, I'm quite happy to cautiously join in for the ride, and for one, accept our benevolent diplomatic if ego-inflated robotic overlords. And if they look this good doing it, thanks to Zama and Burcham, it's definitely going to be a swish ride for a little while at least, despite the criss-crossing plotlines that the editorial team will have to keep track of (thanks, synergy - we will achieve Total Brand Awareness).

IDW Transformers: Lost Light #1 Review

Date: Wednesday, December 14th 2016 2:31am CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Kurona | Credit(s): IDW, Kurona

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Views: 66,309

The Old Man's Back Again

Somewhat-spoilery review for Lost Light #1. A little spoilery. Spoiler-ish.

Synopsis

Five years ago, Rodimus and a collection of traumatised, lovelorn and/or sarcastic Autobots set off on a quest to find Cyberutopia. So far, they've made a right hash of it. They've misplaced their map. They've lost their ship, the Lost Light, to a mutinous escapologist. Oh, and they're dead.

Story

Well guys, it's been a painful few months with only Fort Max's Titans Return cross-sell and the Scavengers' little mini-issue to tide us over, but finally we're back! Rodimus, Megatron, Ultra Magnus, Ratchet, Drift, Nautica, some dead bodies, a legislator and a whole slew of new and returning characters! The main story! A bunch of lonely losers gallivanting around the galaxy who barely ever transform or fight but we still love for some reason!

Yes, we're finally back to the main focus after that nail-biting cliffhanger at the end of #55 from... Primus above, July. It has been a long time. As more and more details about its continuation came out with each one decidedly confusing us - why the re-branding? They're dead? Why did Rodimus get replaced with his Shattered Glass toy? Who's this new 'Anode' character, why are they partnered with Hosehead's Headmaster and what gender are they? - we finally get all the answers.
Well, most of them.
We know Anode's a girl, at least.



Talking of Anode, she takes up quite a bit of the issue; stepping into the newcomer-for-the-benefit-of-the-reader's-experience role. She's fun, obviously has a lot to her than she's letting on, and is delightfully quirky with a number of one-liners to drop here and there. Her partner, Lug - who, as noted, some might remember as being Hosehead's headmaster in the original G1 toyline and Marvel comics but bears no such role here - plays the straight man were they a comedy duo, but don't fret, they're not simply comic relief. That's as much as I'll say about them though; you'll have to read the issue for the rest. I'm such a tease. But make no mistake, after just a single issue, I'm in love with them.



That's quite a lot about Anode and her not-Headmaster companion, but there's no need to worry - the old Lost Light crew most certainly wrestle the spotlight from them soon enough.
And in a series built around them, it shouldn't surprise you to know that there's a lot of great character moments this issue. The whole gang gets their time to shine with laughs and berating and mourning their companions, but the ones who stands out in particular are Megatron and new addition Terminus; their long-standing intrigue taking center stage. In simply a few panels you really get the feeling this is going to be one of the most interesting dynamics of the book, but all the fuss over the newcomers does not come without an important homage to those lost.



The whole gauntlet of emotional expression is represented excellently partly through aid of a beautiful, elegant flow - one never feels as if one scene stops too soon or goes on longer than it should; nor does one feel the transitions are too jarring. The pacing is just as on-point as it's always been.

This issue is largely a breather and recollection of what happened before we get going again. A pit stop, if you will - but with some new faces among your usual crew of mechanics. As expected, this is very character-driven - not a whole lot moves forward in terms of plot, aside from some very spoilery stuff at the end. And I'll remind you this isn't a very spoilery review, just spoiler-ish.

Art

If you've been following Lost Light news for the past few months, you might have heard tell of the new art duties - Alex Milne is still aboard, but his duties in the art department are now shared with newcomer Jack Lawrence. And it's this issue he makes his debut; both with the comic itself and with the main cover. How does he do?



Well, a better job than Drift. In all seriousness, he's a perfect fit. He manages to bring his own unique flare and style to the issue, yet at the same time it still has that... special feel MTMTE did. That sort of balance between simplicity and complexity that allows for fantastic variety and emotional expression; that balance that allows us to believe these are still giant space robots who turn into cars yet are fluid and human in their motions and activity. There's also one scene in particular that's... rather breathtaking, but it's also very spoilery. And since this is once again, just a spoiler-ish review, I'll simply say the page after Drift & Anode

Final Thoughts

If there's one particularly good way to sum this issue up... it's by calling it MTMTE #58. Or #59 if you count the Scavengers' little Revolution adventure. It's the perfect continuation of MTMTE and has everything you could want in there with nothing feeling off or awkward or like someone's lost their touch; with only a new art direction perhaps being a tad distracting (though in a delightfully good way; Lawrence expertly captures the simplicity yet complexity of both design and character)... but that wonderful positive is also the issue's biggest negative - and it's something pretty important that needs to be addressed.

It's not called MTMTE #58/#59. It's called Lost Light #1.



This is seemingly through no fault of any of the creative team; as best as I can tell it's a re-branding mandate from someone up high. But no matter the reasons why, the fact is this is an Issue #1 and hence has a responsibility to be a decent jumping-on point for new readers. And were I a new reader? I would be extremely confused. Putting a lot of the issue behind a newcomer's eyes (Anode) helps a lot, but you still feel really lost. Magnus' short explanation of the prior events is hardly enough.

And clearly the Lost Light team felt the same way because there's a massive 5-page summary of the entire MTMTE series after the main comic story. Yeah, this isn't something I mentioned in the review, but it's there and it's huge and it REALLY gives off a vibe of "we didn't want to be an issue #1 but this is here if this is your first issue". For a returning reader this is a good refresher of what happened and helps you catch up in case you forgot anything - though with one notable error; the main villain of Dark Cybertron was apparently D-void, who knew? - but for a new reader I get the feeling it'd be an overwhelming turn-off.

However... this is my only big criticism of the book. It's still the comic, story and characters we know and love (with a few new wonderful additions). It's still arguably the best Transformers comic to have ever been. It's still MTMTE. But because of that last bit, it's not something new readers should start with.

Basically? If you want to continue MTMTE, read this comic; it's wonderful and still the same comic you know and love. If you're a new reader? ... start with MTMTE #1. Then MTMTE #2. Then the rest of the series. If you start here, it's going to be just a little confusing and overwhelming.

Final Score:

IDW Till All Are One #6 Sneak Peek

Date: Tuesday, December 13th 2016 5:18pm CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal | Credit(s): iTunes

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Views: 28,100

iTunes have provided us with a sneak peak at Till All Are One #6, as we rejoin the zombie titan battle, with Metroplex down, Knock out upset over some scratched paint, and Sparkstalker and Lightbright making a run for it. Check it out below!

A wave of undead TITANS has touched down on CYBERTRON! Even with the help of the massive METROPLEX, WINDBLADE and STARSCREAM can only hold them off for so long. They need help from Elita-1—and they’re going to get it whether she agrees or not. The fate of CYBERTRON depends on it!