SDCC2019 Interview With Transformers Galaxies Writer Tyler Bleszinski

A Contructicon focused history sounds cool.

Kinda sounds like what the Combaticons part of TAAO should have been. Or at least what I expected it to be. Anyway, I'm looking forward to this, it can't be worse than the current series.

Stargrave wrote:"The thing I loved about the old IDW series was when they showed how Megatron became Megatron. In the cartoon the Decepticons were bad bad bad, evil evil evil, the Autobots heroic, awesome, incredible, The Best. And when I read the IDW series that featured Megatron being a miner, and then wising up to rebel against the bourgeois Autobot senate, I was like “Damn, finally somebody gets it, there should be layers here!

Kudos to them. That, I took notice of. Directly referencing Megatron: Origin in relation to the "old IDW series", not any of the silly retcon that came later.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

Stargrave wrote:"The thing I loved about the old IDW series was when they showed how Megatron became Megatron. In the cartoon the Decepticons were bad bad bad, evil evil evil, the Autobots heroic, awesome, incredible, The Best. And when I read the IDW series that featured Megatron being a miner, and then wising up to rebel against the bourgeois Autobot senate, I was like “Damn, finally somebody gets it, there should be layers here!

Kudos to them. That, I took notice of. Directly referencing Megatron: Origin in relation to the "old IDW series", not any of the silly retcon that came later.

my hero

Thanks again to our own ScottyP we've learned that Previews World has updated their listings with the incentive cover for IDW's Transformers issue #11 with art by none other than fan favorite Guido Guidi! Depicted in this cover is Quake still hanging onto his Titans Return wardrobe but sporting his old double Targetmaster pals Tip Top and Heater in their combined super weapon form. Anyone who's been reading the series so far will note neither Targetmaster (Battlemaster? Micromaster?) has made an appearance so far and as of this writing it is unknown if this is just a nod to the fans or actual foreshadowing of characters to debut in the issue.

Written by Brian Ruckley with art by Andrew Griffith and Bethany McGuire-Smith the issue is due August 28th at a comic shop near you. Pick up a copy and share your thoughts with your fellow Seibertronians in the forum and as always stay tuned to Seibertron for the ultimate in Transformers news!

From Preview World's description:
"Chromia and Windblade raid a Rise base in search for clues about the identity of Brainstorm's murderer, only to be discovered-and the Rise isn't happy. Meanwhile, Bumblebee sees his first bit of action as the Ascenticon Guard is called to defend a building under siege! As questions are answered, more mysteries abound! Who commands the Rise? In Shops: Aug 28, 2019"

It is almost as if the cover, alongside verbs such as 'raid ' 'bit of action' and 'under siege' in the solicit are intentionally trying to address vocal responses to this book?

Honestly, if the galaxies book turns out as interesting as the above article suggests, they should just cut their losses with the "main" book.

What do you mean "Hanging on to his TR Wardrobe"? He looks nothing like that figure outside the head

Prime Target wrote:What do you mean "Hanging on to his TR Wardrobe"? He looks nothing like that figure outside the head

Shoot and I have TR Quake right here on the shelf I goofed. I thought he’d been sporting his TR shell earlier in the series I think I was going off that memory. My bad. Good call.

Stargrave wrote:

Prime Target wrote:What do you mean "Hanging on to his TR Wardrobe"? He looks nothing like that figure outside the head

Shoot and I have TR Quake right here on the shelf I goofed. I thought he’d been sporting his TR shell earlier in the series I think I was going off that memory. My bad. Good call.

In the series, he's using the Titans Return retooled Hardhead body, IMS.

sol magnus wrote:

Stargrave wrote:

Prime Target wrote:What do you mean "Hanging on to his TR Wardrobe"? He looks nothing like that figure outside the head

Shoot and I have TR Quake right here on the shelf I goofed. I thought he’d been sporting his TR shell earlier in the series I think I was going off that memory. My bad. Good call.

In the series, he's using the Titans Return retooled Hardhead body, IMS.

Ok so I’m not completely off. Just jumped the gun a bit in regards to the cover, which does look awesome I really like Guidi’s art.

Thanks to an update at Comixology we have summaries for the first two issues of Transformers Galaxies! While some fans have found the new regular ongoing Transformers title fulfilling others have been left wanting. These same fans are hoping the new Transformers Galaxies series will help fill the void left when IDW's previous universe ended their continuity. Each issue is listed at $3.99 with issue 1 expected September 25th and issue 2 expected October 30th. Enjoy the summaries below and let us know your thoughts in the forums, and as always stay tuned to Seibertron for the ultimate in Transformers news!


Issue #1:
Written by: Tyler Bleszinski
Art by: Livio Ramondelli
"Cybertron, a planet of vast beauty and extraordinary cities, wasn’t always so perfect. After the War Against the Threefold Spark, Cybertron was decimated, and new bots—the Constructicons—emerged to help rebuild it grander and more amazing than ever before. But where are these bots now? Why have they been erased from Cybertron’s history? And what are they planning to do about it? Find out in “Constructicons Rising,” Part One!"


Issue #2:
Written by: Tyler Bleszinski
Art by: Livio Ramondelli
"“CONSTRUCTICONS RISING,” PART 2! The Constructicons are training—they know their time is coming. They’re almost ready to stand at their once glorious height. They just need a sign and some energon. When a mysterious benefactor arrives promising to provide both, how can the Constructicons resist?"

I will pick these up but I wish they'd get rid of Livio. Not a fan of his art at all.

Windsweeper wrote:I will pick these up but I wish they'd get rid of Livio. Not a fan of his art at all.

Agreed. Never liked it. The Primacy Trilogy is largely unreadable with no discernible visual narrative (aside from it being meaningless retcon, of course) and most of CHAOS, too. I thought the reboot was supposed to be a fresh start on every level.

Thanks to a post to artist Clayton Crain's website we've learned of an alternate cover to Transformers: Galaxies #1. Mr. Crain has certainly constructed an amazing piece of art showing the king of the Combiners in mid assembly. The issue is written by Tyler Bleszinski with art by long time Transformer artist Livio Ramondelli. The issue is expected to ship next month which is just a few weeks away. Also shown below is the finalized art for the regular retail cover, and also an interview with the writer and artist from the San Diego Comic Con last month where they go into detail of their own personal histories with the characters. Enjoy the images and as always share your view with the Seibertron crew in the forums. Make sure to stay tuned to Seibertron for the ultimate in Transformers news!

Finalized regular retail cover for issue #1:


Interview from SDCC from pexelatedgeek.com with Tyler Bleszinski and Livio Ramondelli from the SDCC2019:




Cover for issue #2:

Artwork looks great. Im very interested in this series and where it goes. Do we know if it's a mini series or another, longer run?

soundwave765 wrote:Artwork looks great. Im very interested in this series and where it goes. Do we know if it's a mini series or another, longer run?

The way I understood I think it's sort of like the old Spotlight stuff, but instead of a series of one shots, it's effectively a collection of mini series focused on different characters. According to the wiki after the Constructicons they'll be looking at Cliffjumper, then Arcee, then Ultra Magnus.

Thanks! That would be nice. A bit more bread and butter to the characters versus a one shot. Now I'm really optimistic about this series.

soundwave765 wrote:Thanks! That would be nice. A bit more bread and butter to the characters versus a one shot. Now I'm really optimistic about this series.

Hey Soundwave we’ve done a few articles about this so far including a way cool panel interview from SDCC2019 just go up to the main forums and type in Galaxies and that should pull you up everything we’ve got so far. Hope that helps if you’re this excited now wait till you hear the writers talk about the issues coming down the road. It totally got me pumped.

This series is looking like it has a lot of potential and I believe is currently planned as a 12 issue maxi-series but I could easily see this going beyond that.

This mini series, in concept, does open up a really maligned idea of Transformers and Combiner Teams specifically. What they actually do, their role within Cybertronian society? Why "Constructicons": Obvious yet ignored explanation: They are the builders of Cybertron!

If Galaxies follows through with this concept, it could literally add the last untapped concept of depth to the G1 characters.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:This mini series, in concept, does open up a really maligned idea of Transformers and Combiner Teams specifically. What they actually do, their role within Cybertronian society? Why "Constructicons": Obvious yet ignored explanation: They are the builders of Cybertron!

If Galaxies follows through with this concept, it could literally add the last untapped concept of depth to the G1 characters.

Exciting stuff right? Gets me all goosebumpy

I’m totally ready for it.

Stargrave wrote:

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:This mini series, in concept, does open up a really maligned idea of Transformers and Combiner Teams specifically. What they actually do, their role within Cybertronian society? Why "Constructicons": Obvious yet ignored explanation: They are the builders of Cybertron!

If Galaxies follows through with this concept, it could literally add the last untapped concept of depth to the G1 characters.

Exciting stuff right? Gets me all goosebumpy

I’m totally ready for it.

Infinitely more interesting than the lame duck that is the Regular Series...

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:

Stargrave wrote:

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:This mini series, in concept, does open up a really maligned idea of Transformers and Combiner Teams specifically. What they actually do, their role within Cybertronian society? Why "Constructicons": Obvious yet ignored explanation: They are the builders of Cybertron!

If Galaxies follows through with this concept, it could literally add the last untapped concept of depth to the G1 characters.

Exciting stuff right? Gets me all goosebumpy

I’m totally ready for it.

Infinitely more interesting than the lame duck that is the Regular Series...

The Spotlights kind of served as a bridge in a lot of ways in the prior run wouldn’t you say? Very much from that first phase into the gosh would it be Dark Cybertron? It’s starting to all blur together. I’m wondering if there may be a similar template at play here. Like time to kick things up. Maybe. We’ll see. The regular series has me not wanting to get my hopes up too much.

The -Ations intermixed with the Spotlights, was one of the most creative and innovative ways I've seen, to establish world building very quickly. The first phase (Origin up until Last Stand of The Wreckers) was probably the best Transformers has ever been, in print.

Having read quite a bit of the post-Death of Optimue Prime, via the part work now, I don't rate any of it as comparable. In my view (just like IDW 2.0) they either lost sight of or didn't know how to convey Transformers stories. So they just told the stories they wanted to tell and slapped Transformers likenesses and branding on top of it.

Personality I rate the stuff after death of Optimus Prime better then before then the pre all hail Megatron series (-ations series and spotlights) then AHM and most of the Costa run. But of course this is all opinions.

The thing with MTMTE/RiD/LL/OP/TAAO I found, with different character designs, is they could be anything. LSoTW, -Ations, Origin, Spotlights (well, most of them) etc have an unmistakable Transformers air/vibe to them. I think the post-DoOP stuff was more interested in being quirky, with slapstick comedy and GoT type intrigue, than in sticking to the source material. I've said before, Furman left virtually everything from Headmasters to Micromasters to Pretenders, in play following Spotlight: Sideswipe. They literally had the entire Transformers toybox open to them and what did they do with it? Absolutely nothing...

Just like IDW 2.0

Maybe thought that's why they didn't touch them? Because Furman had used them? Using Hasbro's characters is one thing (and bowing to their authority on certain issues like character designs matching forthcoming toys or forced appearances) but having to stick by a previous writers limitations is another. I'm glad the writers did their own things, every creator should leave their mark. I'd say that is a, big problem with version 2, that the writers aren't leaving a mark. Again though, this is just opinions. Clearly some people do like this version as otherwise they wouldn't have had to do reprints of so many issues

That's just it, Furman's run didn't leave "limitations", instead he basically said "They're all here, all canon in this universe. Feel free to use whoever you like". The only latter characters he put any development into were the Pretenders, via Stormbringer. Even then, it was superficial characterisation at best. I just think the last era of IDWverse thought the limitation was the Source Material. Hence all the nonsensical retcons that were never necessary for a series that was barely a decade old.

Reprints are not always indicative of sales either. Sometimes it is just a sign of limited supply.

I really like that Crain cover, it's pretty good!

I'm interested to see where Galaxies takes us. It has an interesting concept, I want to see it followed through on

awesome cover, all the détails are very impressive.

IDW is really letting the green and purple fly with a series of Transformers Galaxies: Constructicons Rising promotional material. First off we have two exclusive covers for issue #1 by story arc artist Livio Ramondelli. Livio posted both of these to his account on Twitter. The covers, one in line art, one completed, depict the king of the Combiners sitting on a throne of fallen Autobots. These are exclusive through Torpedo comics and can be found here. They are limited to only 500 copies so act fast and don't miss out!




Then just this morning on the official IDW Twitter they have posted two slick Constructicon Wallpapers!
From the post: "They built Cybertron’s gleaming spires, but were erased from the planet’s history. Where did the Constructicons go... and what are they planning? Get ready for TRANSFORMERS: GALAXIES with these wallpapers! Pre-order the series with your local comic shop! --comicshoplocator.com"





The title is due out September 29th. Do you feel the excitement building? Are you assembling your comic stacks and making room for Transformers Galaxies at the top? Are you ready to get totally Devastated by Devastator? Let us know in the forum and as always stay tuned to Seibertron for the ultimate in Transformers news!

Yikes, well those exclusive covers look awful. The head looks terrible and the angle is all kinds of wrong. Livio's art in a nutshell, I guess.


At least those wallpapers look decent.

Damn... I love that cover of Devastator on a throne of the dead. That is sweeeeeeet! Livio does some great work.

also really enjoy those Casey Coller covers, might make the one my phone wallpaper for a bit

Thanks to a new post to Graphic Policy we have a full preview for IDW's Transformers issue #11 due out this week. Per the rundown from Graphic Policy:
"Chromia and Windblade raid a Rise base in search for clues about the identity of Brainstorm’s murderer, only to be discovered—and the Rise isn’t happy. Meanwhile, Bumblebee sees his first bit of action as the Ascenticon Guard is called to defend a building under siege!"

Enjoy the preview pages and alternate covers mirrored below and be sure to share your thoughts in the forum. And as always stay tuned to Seibertron for the ultimate in Transformers news!

Seeing Slipstream's name gives me hope of a new figure. Hopefully not just a straight recolor of the seeker mold.

Posted to the IDW Twitter are new profiles for two of your favorite goons in green, Constructicons Bonecrusher and Scavenger!

The depth of character being pumped into this new world of Transformers is truly amazing. Writer Tyler Bleszinski with artist Livio Ramondelli seem to be natural fits to the launch of this new arm of the IDW Transformers world. We'll be sure to post here as new ones arrive but until then also enjoy an image posted by Livio to his Twitter of Insecticon Kickback feasting on...something. Let your imaginations whirl with that one, Livio's art makes it easy enough to do so most times.

Enjoy the views and share your thoughts with the Seibertron crew in the forum. As always stay tuned to Seibertron for the ultimate in Transformers news!



And from Livio on the Insecticons:
"One of the noble goals @papiblez and I have on TF: Galaxies is to deliver one of the most disturbing versions of the Insecticons ever"

Damn I am really excited for Scavenger and the insecticons and their disturbing behaviors

Again, "New" continuity, name drops combiner MacGuffin from the previous one

The enigma has been adopted by the whole franchise though, as seen in the card game and the toyline (it was used in the power of the Primes line)

Doesn't mean the comic has to.

But yeah, because we have scientists and inventors galore in Transformers that could and have created the Gestalt technology in the past. A logical concept for an advanced alien race. But no, let's just dumb down the mythology and say a trinket did it

Who says the enigma wasn't created by scientists? Besides this could be an edict to help simplify the mythos, same saying all tfs had sparks, which was a concept that beast wars introduced and carried forward to this day.

Devastator was always kinda a unique combiner in comparison to the Scramble City-types that followed. Maybe scientists will try reverse-engineering him in an attempt to reproduce the results of the Enigma without actually having access to the artifact?

ZeroWolf wrote:Who says the enigma wasn't created by scientists? Besides this could be an edict to help simplify the mythos, same saying all tfs had sparks, which was a concept that beast wars introduced and carried forward to this day.

Except that makes it more convoluted. Instead of a play on Frankenstein's Monster, we potentially have scientists creating a gizmo to create Frankenstein's Monster. Which is stupid. Strike two, would be the fact that Sixshot exists in universe, already. When you have one extremely powerful Multi-Former that can do six things, what is the point of having Gestalt technology at all?

That is why it is never a good idea to add Multi-Formers into a universe too early. They are an end product. A technological advancement beyond Gestalt. Hopefully they make them a bit more special (and durable) in the new continuity.

The Spark thing does make me laugh when people try to retroactively place it into G1. There are so many inconsistencies you really can't IE the Optimus Prime Floppy Disc.

I'm intrigued by the mention of Glyph; makes me wonder if WFC's Bumblebee figure (whenever and whatever it'll be) will have a Glyph retool (i.e. an actual mass-released Glyph toy).

Glarryg

I don't care about the Constructicons/Devastator and the Combaticons/Bruticus. I don't care about their origins if they were created by the Enigma of Combination, Omega Supreme, Starscream, Vector Sigma, a group of mad scientists, or something else.

I don't care about the Constructicons/Devastator and the Combaticons/Bruticus because IMHO they're all overused to a sickening degree and they all are boring as hell to me. If this series was about the Stunticons, Predacons, Seacons, Terrorcons, Dinoforce/Pretender Monsters, or even one of the Autobot teams like the Areialbots, Protectobots, Technobots, or the Trainbots, then I would be willing to give this series a chance.

Mixmaster's profile posted from the IDW Twitter

Thanks to a few new posts to IDW's Twitter we have two new Constructicon profiles for you to enjoy. This round gives us the master at the turn tables and the chemistry lab, the Mixmaster, and the man with the plan, the chief engineer who the rest of the team fears, Scrapper! These profile cards are very much in the vein of the classic tech spec file cards that came with all the G1 bots that gave each character a distinct personality and power rating. These are definitely a fun lead up to the Transformers: Galaxies series debuting next month. Galaxies is written by Tyler Bleszinski with art duties handled by longtime Transformers artist Livio Ramondelli.

Enjoy the views and be sure to share your favorite Constructicon and Devastator memories with us in the forum. As always stay tuned to Seibertron for the ultimate in Transformers news!

Thanks to Twitter posts from IDW, series writer Tyler Bleszinski, and series artist Livio Ramondelli we have the tech spec profiles for all the new IDW Constructicons! These give some awesome flavor and backstory to these great characters who have been staples of the franchise for 35 years. Enjoy reading up on the bot with the plan Scrapper, the new and insecure (yet utterly valuable) Scavenger, the lofty Hook, stalwart and powerful Long Haul, the chemical genius Mixmaster, and the probably insane Bonecrusher.

The first issue of Transformers: Galaxies: Constructicons Rising is scheduled to ship this month! Be sure to pre-order your issue as soon as possible at your local comic shop. Pre-ordering is a huge help to the title and ensures you'll get your copy as soon as possible. You can find your local comic shop by going to comicshoplocator.com.

Do you love these G1 style tech specs? Publishers such as Marvel and DC have in the past gathered up character profiles in single special editions or even series of issues. Would you enjoy seeing something like this for all the new IDW Transformers characters to get caught up? Do you prefer learning about characters as stories unfold in the regular titles? Are you crazy excited about Transformers: Galaxies: Constructicons rising? Sound off in the forum and be sure to stay tuned to Seibertron for the ultimate in Transformers news!

Thanks to a new article posted today to CBR.com we have a full preview for the exciting new chapter in the new IDW Transformers universe, Transformers Galaxies #1 by writer Tyler Bleszinski and artist Livio Ramondelli!

Here we get the introduction to "Constructicons Rising" and get an idea of how our favorite goons in green fit into the rest of the ongoing story. Enjoy the previews below and make sure to hit up your local comic book shop for a pre order for this title which ships in just a few weeks on September 25th.

If you don't know where your local comic shop is you can find one here at comicshoplocator.com.

Here's the rundown from the listing:
"Cover A: Livio Ramondelli
Tyler Bleszinski (w), Livio Ramondelli (a & c)
Cybertron, a planet of vast beauty and extraordinary cities, wasn’t always so perfect. After the War Against the Threefold Spark, Cybertron was decimated, and new bots—the Constructicons—emerged to help rebuild it grander and more amazing than ever before. But where are these bots now? Why have they been erased from Cybertron’s history? And what are they planning to do about it? Find out in “Constructicons Rising,” Part One!
Written by one of the founders of Vox Media, Tyler Bleszinski!
An all-new series set in-universe, exploring the many characters and ideas in the Transformers galaxy!
A spotlight on the Constructicons and their ultimate destructive form—Devastator!
The bold new era continues!
Exploring the Transformers universe beyond Cybertron!
FC | 32 pages | $3.99"

Stargrave wrote:

This page shows everything I hate about Livio Ramondelli. It's not the art style, it's the terrible use of storytelling. You either get a very far away shot or a shot that's way too up close and hat last panel gives you an angle of their back, filled in shadow, instead of their front. While there is no way to confirm, this really feels to me like this approach is to draw as little as possible. I get doing shortcuts here and there but this is a page full of them and it really hurts the reading experience when the whole point of a comic is the added visuals to the storytelling.

Love these