Previews World has brought us another list of incoming comics for June, 2016. First off, we have issue 54 of the two current ongoing titles: Part 5 of the All Hail Optimus for Transformers, and the continuing adventure of the Lost Light Crew for Transformers: More Than Meets the Eyes. We also got the Transformers IDW Collection Compendium VOL 01, which consist of IDW Collection volumes 1 and 2. Transformers: Robot in Disguise will get another Trade Paperback with stories from episodes in season one. Next, we have the first issue of the brand new title, Till All are One, by Mairghread Scott and Sara Pitre-Durocher. Last but not the least, the swan song issue of the ending title: Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe. For more on these books, check out that full solicits after the break.
TRANSFORMERS #54
(W) John Barber (A/CA) Andrew Griffith
ALL HAIL OPTIMUS-part 5! OPTIMUS PRIME orders all all-out siege against the DECEPTICONS… leaving himself wide open to a counterattack by the human forces. Which is just what GALVATRON wanted all along…
TRANSFORMERS IDW COLL COMPENDIUM TP VOL 01
(W) Eric Holmes & Various (A) Alex Milne & Various
The TRANSFORMERS universe is vast and full of ongoing conflict between the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS. A war that stretches across the galaxy and throughout time. These tales-from IDW’s timeline of events-re-present the saga as it unfolded. From CYBERTRON to Earth, this is the story of The TRANSFORMERS. Included are The Transformers: The IDW Collection volumes 1 and 2.
TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS EYE #54
(W) James Roberts (A/CA) Alex Milne
MASSACRE! The battle between the DECEPTICON Justice Division and MEGATRON’s AUTOBOTS reaches its nerve-shredding climax. Pray for your favorites-because not everyone makes it out of this issue alive.
TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE MTMTE TP
(W) Steven Melching, Michael Ryan (A/CA) Various
A new generation of TRANSFORMERS continues in adaptations of the celebrated animated series! The Great War has passed and CYBERTRON is rebuilt with BUMBLEBEE now leading a small group of AUTOBOTS on Earth in a secret mission from OPTIMUS PRIME! This volume collects the season one episodes “More Than Meets The Eye” and “As The Kospego Commands!”
TRANSFORMERS TILL ALL ARE ONE #1
(W) Mairghread Scott (A/CA) Sara Pitre-Durocher
PEACE IN OUR TIME! STARSCREAM and WINDBLADE have given everything to bring together CYBERTRON’s Lost Colonies into a Council Of Worlds. But when the increasingly brutal tactics of STARSCREAM’s secret police increase tension among the former DECEPTICONS… how long can the Council maintain this fragile peace?
TRANSFORMERS VS GI JOE #13
(W) John Barber, Tom Scioli (A/CA) Tom Scioli
THE END IS NIGH! Final battle erupts-the forces of G.I. JOE and the AUTOBOTS head-to-head (or head-to-toe, depending on the size difference) with the DECEPTICOBRA alliance! The fate of the universe hangs on every decision!
Autovolt 127
Prowl on Earth would do so much good, at least he'd finally get rid of Spike once and for all.
Well said.
StarScheme
I'm actually a little interested in till all are one despite not really digging much into the IDW Transformers universe
(though it's mostly due to the presence of windblade and starscream)
Chaotic
IDW Optimus Prime isn't allowed to be his own character and instead is a vehicle of the plot. He has flaws only because the story requires him to make those mistakes for his writers to work the plots they want to spin and his positive qualities exist for much the same reason.
He exists to sell toys, both his and those of other characters who wouldn't be given the opportunity to shine quite as brightly if his writers allowed him to be competent or even possess a developed sense of self, and the writers don't seem to care enough to disguise this fact.
He literally asked the Camiens(aka the plot) what they needed him to be and then proceeded to act as he thought they wanted(while still protesting that he wasn't what they thought he was, because 'angst' is the only trait he's allowed to call his own) even though he's known these people for less than a week . These aren't the actions of an idiot. Taken at face value, this is a sign that someone should consider seeking professional help. His behaviour would be highly concerning if it came from anyone in real life.
To be honest, this is the reason I have trouble disliking him for what he gets into. While I might heavily disagree with his actions(and voice my grievances), at the end of the day, most of these issues are due to the machinations of his various writers and the executives at Hasbro who simply aren't putting in the effort it would take to give him internal consistency or make Prime as character make sense.
For me personally, it's kind of like blaming a shadowplay victim for what was done to him. It's important that he's stopped if his actions are harmful, and you notice his issues and inconsistencies, but there will always be a part of me that can't help but feel sorry for the tragedy of his existence.
Even Megatron is treated better.
WilyMech
I get the feeling a lot people on Cybertron wouldn't mind Optimus and Prowl stay on Earth for good.
Autovolt 127
Don't forget Optimus leaving RID for Combiner Wars as all this shit starts going down on Earth…..
IDW Optimus is a goddamn idiot.
Chaotic
I think my favorite part of Exrid becoming "the human book" is that Starscream reminded Superion that Prime had abandoned Cybertron in it's moment of need… Right before Optimus left again to annex Earth.
Cybertron needs help. He saw how bad things were going. He made no effort to improve life on the planet for others- besides set up the Council(which had no guarantees that the representatives sent in wouldn't be corrupt or make things worse).
He basically threw Starscream and his badgeless at Windblade, a Camien who has been on the planet for about a year, and told her to handle a dangerous situation while he pursued a pointlessly protracted pet project.
It should've been 'go in, grab Galvatron, get out'(easier said than done, but this reasoning would be more logical than what's being attempted). Instead he's occupying a planet for reasons that have yet to make sense. They're judging others when they haven't ensured the proper quality of life for their own citizenry. Am I meant to see them as hypocrites? If so, it's been a rousing success.
Windblade will handle this task, because she's a main character and Scott is invested in her success, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy and from an in-universe perspective that was horribly negligent of him. She's the Camien ambassador and she should be looking out for the best interest of her planet but by putting her on Starscream watch, he's making Cybertron her duty too. It's one thing to work with her on a project together, it's quite another to leave her to do it on her own.
I guess the takeaway from that is Optimus Prime is a terrible leader who likes delegating tasks he's not interested in doing to others he only recently met? It explains why the Autobots got so out of hand when he was their "leader" at least.
The sad part of Exrid on humans is that I have doubts on whether Barber has the writing ability to make the species likable and if he can't, his book will suffer. You can understand their actions, if you work to put them in perspective, but that doesn't necessarily appeal to a fan base, especially Transformers fans who aren't fond of the humans in the first place.
This feat would require excellent character writing which is something he has always struggled with. I'd like to say he could handle the task, but so far I've been disappointed.
He couldn't even sell me on the logical reasoning behind invading a sovereign planet(Optimus doesn't know what to do on a planet that is heavily in need of a community outreach program and has a midlife crisis? Some people buy overpriced sports cars, others annex planets. It's a phase) and I had actually been excited to see where he intended to go with this plot.
I've been with this title for 51 issues, so I don't think I could easily drop it. The fact that I'm considering it for the first time worries me. Hopefully the next books will be better than the first two.
As for TAAO, Scott has a fantastic artist on her side and a great setting to work with, so I'm cautiously optimistic. Hopefully she's listened to some of the non-sexist criticism of her work and will make the appropriate changes. It's the best we can hope from any creator to be honest.
StarScheme
so anyone hyped for it then?
Chromia76
This exactly. MTME-'Bots in Space, ex-RiD-'Bots on Earth, TAAO- 'Bots on Cybertron.
Thelonicon
So we can have an ongoing Cybertron centric series again. This is something we've been lacking since Dark Cybertron ended and ex-RID took most of its action to Earth.
StarScheme
can anyone tell me what is the point of Til all are one?
00raiser956
Doesn't that bot behind Sentinel look an awful lot like Megatron?? I don't think he will die seems like a waste to just set up Megatron to die I think they want him to keep going to show his atonement
BombSquad
Killing Nightbeat would just seem lazy, since he already died and they went through the trouble to bring him back. I'll be surprised if Roberts decides to kill any of the really popular characters, though.
Autovolt 127
Rodimus, Cyclonus and Swerve are my favourites….oh crap.
It's mostly bait but I'm actually kinda scared even if it's more likely going to be Skids or Nightbeat.
Omegashark18
I think there's one more issue after this one. The end of season 2 is near!
Nocturne
I hope it's because there were too many characters to fit on one cover.
WilyMech
I notice that as well.
Side note. I have doubts that Megatron will die it does not mean he will not leave the group.
barry
There's a ominous lack of Minimus/Magnus, Skids, Brainstorm, Nightbeat, Cyclonus, Tailgate and Rung on that MTMTE cover.
I think Rung is safe, mainly because he's a massive, dangling plotpoint but the rest…
Mort
Half the team missing from that cover. No Rung, Skids, Magnus, Megatron, Brainstorm, Cyclonus, Tailgate, Ten or Velocity :/
I hope that just means they've been split into two teams for some reason.
Nocturne
I just hope my favourites make it through the Dying of the Light.
rjcallaghan1997
It tarns face on the mtmte cover