Newsarama.com have updated their website with a nice Interview With Brian Ruckley, writer of the New IDW Transformers Comic Series.
Mr. Ruckley comments on the situation of Cybertron during this new story. We should expect no war, but not a perfect world. He also confirms that there won’t be any crossover with any other Hasbro comic franchise, and there won’t be any contact with Earth… at least on the very first arc.
You can read the full interview here, and enjoy the mirrored cover gallery after the jump. The all new Transformers #1 is arriving to comic stores next Wednesday, March 13th. Don’t forget to grab your copy!
CyberstormSM
Probably because Hasbro wants to advertise the more expensive Optimus Prime toy in the comic.
Blitz.
this kinda resonated with me. Like I've never really thought about it but yeah I 100% agree. I know I've heard a lot of people talk about how its all political antics but I feel like thats fine so long as it's balanced with some actual schemes and evil shenanigans.
Darth Gonzo
I pointed out this was not confirmed. This is just the beginning of the Transformers comics which the story is before the war start, so of course there's no crossovers yet, wait until they get to Earth first.
Bumblebee2000
I'm a fan of both Marvel and IDW also
but let's try and answer this legitimately even though I usually avoid what little I've already done when it comes to IDW because it's either people with legitimate complaints that as someone who doesn't view Swearth as a method of torture I can still at least understand and sometimes agree with or this
Talking more about the US series because that is all I've owned up until the past year so best upset people with what I know, if Budiansky wrote an issue about Skids and a Human, Megatron stuck in Alt Mode, or the car wash of Doom that was it for the month. I don't skip any of those issues and I think the second example is even a reason for Marvel Megatron being, well not my favourite but one of the Megatrons who interest me more without being the best, but none of those are what people traditionally want from Transformers.
Personally, I don't think relationships have the same focus in season 1 and shouldn't be grouped together with the later stuff, because Chromedome and Rewind's relationship isn't ever a full issue or a standalone plot thread. Part of 12, part of 15, part of 16, couple of pages here and there where you could figure they're something else without the context of those later issues. MTMTE 2 sure, Cyclonus and Tailgate, Nautica's BFF, I'm even sitting here wondering if I can give any more examples to help your case. Because various books by Maigrhead Scott, or Flint Dille, or Shane McCarthy were being published. You also had two Wreckers books, Robots in Disguise and the occasional extra from John Barber, cartoon tie-ins, movie tie-ins, it would be crazy to buy it all but it's not like your starved for content if James Roberts wasn't doing it for you. Maybe none of the monthlies appealed, which is a problem, but its certainly easier than if you went of Marvel TF at any point.
Was going to go back and edit something but the board is doing something right now where that would delete what I've already written instead, so just sticking it on the end. Kinda glossed over the MTMTE season 2 part and maybe that helps my point because it has nothing to do with it, but that's more of a "I can see why people would complain about that" rather than "I complain about that". Not particularly into personality ticks either, but at the same time we seem to have a completely different idea of what that story was about. Doesn't actually help my point and I don't know how you've got me making a point when I just wanted to be making stupid jokes but I'm just going to hit post now. Thanks for coming.
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primalxconvoy
A shame that no crossovers will be used. Just because the original crossovers weren\'t exactly done well, doesn\'t mean they should be banned. Just do them well.
Focksbot
The 'personality ticks' two-parter was about – and spent most of its time dealing with – personality ticks. Nautica's soured relationship with Firestar had zero effect on the outcome, neither Nautica or Firestar saved the day, and the main lasting effect of the arc was to get Thunderclash aboard the Lost Light. There was as much or more interaction between Nightbeat and Getaway than between Nautica and anyone else.
Nearly every arc that developed Chromedome/Rewind or Cyclonus/Tailgate was primarily about something else, with the relationship merely being a factor in how the characters made certain decisions.
Yes, that's the correct way to do romance stories – interwoven meaningfully into the plot line. Having them as disconnected sideplots and filler episodes is simply terrible storytelling. That does indeed mean that readers can't just ignore those plotlines, but then that's true of all the various kinds of plotlines that the book utilised. You were equally shit out of luck if you didn't like space opera or action melodrama.
The main thing we're both bouncing off here is the point that Transformers has always included stories about relationships. The fact that they're now integrated into the main plots so that characters have complex or contradictory motivations during action setpieces is undoubtedly an improvement.
CyberstormSM
Doing that would run the risk of the story being too similar to IDW's original tale. Even as is, people are still saying that the story still feels too familiar, what with having Optimus and Megatron being close friends before the war begins. One of my favorite parts of a reboot is seeing all the stories, concepts, and characters that you love done in a completely different style.
Rotorstorm
Nah, I found Blackrock kinda boring, most interesting character was Verity Carlo, especially when she joined up with the Wreckers and then ended up being the last one standing against all odds.
I do agree on OP being the more slow going book however and the constant kowtowing did get old fast.
Personally, I would have quite liked it if IDW had kept some of the groundwork laid out in MTMTE such as outliers and Orion Pax super cop, having Optimus and Megatron being downtrodden by the system rather than a part of it as senators is far more interesting an angle to pursue
SPLIT LIP
What about the arc about "personality ticks" that was all about Nautica not having a BFF? Or Chromedome and Rewind's relationship? Or Cyclonus and Tailgate, etc.
Yet they also have the least impact on the reading experience. A one-off issue/episode is one thing, but if it's a long drawn-out subplot in nearly every issue you don't have a choice but to endure it. (that is, if you want to keep reading)
See, if you didn't like the ham-fisted, overdone romance plots in MTMTE/LL, you were shit out of luck. You didn't have the option of another kind of story, because they were in nearly every arc in some meaningful capacity. And they rarely, rarely felt like a natural part of those stories.
I feel like
1) I was just taking the piss
And
2) I was just taking the piss.
I just really, really like Siege Voyager Prime, and am really not fond of the inner robot for the Leader version. (the armoured form is badass, however)
dj_convoy II
I feel like
I) that's not at all up to the writer
And
2) that is not important at all to whatever story they're trying to tell. They are gonna use whatever Hasbro tells them to use.
Scoff
I'd almost add Enter the Nightbird to the list because, well, if I ever want to try to convince someone that knows nothing about the Transformers, that Megatron and Starscream used to be a thing then that would be the episode I'd use.
Yeah, I know, different time and all but Starscream was acting weirdly jealous even before Megatron starts in with replacing Starscream with Nightbird. In fact, if I recall correctly, Starscream's remark was prompted by Megatron fawning over Nightbird so the clip doesn't even feel that out of context. I get the feeling that some of the conflict that episode could have been avoided if Megatron had just told Starscream he was still prettier.
Also, Megatron just forgives Starscream for destroying Nightbird. Yeah, the Decepticons chase after him for his betrayal but he's fine in the later episodes so that clearly didn't last.
Focksbot
What entire arcs were about relationships and romance? Do you mean subplots? Because I would say that individual issues and episodes built around a single romance or relationship are far more overt.
Hadlen_Weltall
No crossovers FOR NOW and no Earth.. FOR NOW..but we all know how this goes….. can we at least get a ROM cameo somewhere down the line? The Solstar order seemed like a natural inclusion considering the intergalactic community beyond the Cybertronian Civil War.
SPLIT LIP
Does the interview at all explain why they used the Siege Leader Optimus look instead of the far and away superior Voyager design?
Ah yes, three isolated side-tales (that aren't that fondly-remembered) is completely equivalent to entire arcs about relationships and romance.
Emperor Bruticus IV
I'm with you on that one, pageesss & pagess about supposedly gender-neutral robots being in love with each other was beyond corny.
Chromedome was completely ruined as a character for me, a creepy sycophant.
Cyclonus got it the worst, The proudest of Decepticon warriors was turned into a sniveling groveling simp, willing to self sacrifice himself at the drop of a dime like an emotionally battered housewife.
I understand Roberts wanted to nod towards the gay agenda, cool whatever… but man did it become an overriding & tedious sub-theme.
Skids and that other one too.. zzzzzz. Man all the relationships were toxic and weird too.
No more drawn out stories about Marissa Fairborn, bitter ass Spike etc etc…
Optimus/Jazz being subservient to the Humans of Earth, it honestly felt like I was watching Roots and the African American struggle during slavery.. The only interesting human was Blackrock and that's because he was an evil fucking robot.
That being said, Lost Light was probably the only readable series for me due to the exploration and war aspect of a lot of it… DJD etc.
We needed moreee stories about the brilliantly written Deszaurus going after the Black Block Consortia with his goons to wipe them out.
Optimus Prime was probably the worst comic I've ever read.
As for cross promotions, ROM was the only dope crossover with Stardrive being a cool bi-product.
I reallllly want them to just get back to the war aspect literally like Warhammer 40K novels, brilliant character development in the midst of chaos, they should get Aaron Dembski Bowden, Dan Abnett & Guy Haley to write a few stories. I would never play the board games or any of that stuff but that Warhammer 40k lore and those books are incredible.
Pichomp
Not true. What applies to New Yorkers, applies to us all.
Megastar
The crossover were fine, the problem was introducing a shared universe late. As soon as the TF come to Earth they should meet G.I. Joe/Cobra, becusce if their gonna interact with humans it might as well be them!
Windsweeper II
It's promising that he claims one of the things he loves most about Transformers is the variety. But as usual that's not exactly what we are getting.
The usual fanfavs we get pushed down our throats the whole time and one, so far, bland original character.
Why couldn't they just have given that role to Fastlane or Landmine or one of the hundreds of other characters that already exist?
Focksbot
The fact that you put your opinion in this way does indeed make it invalid. It's fine to not like the previous IDW continuity, but it's not fine to be a dick about it. Ok?