After sharing the great news that issues #3 & #4 of the new Transformers series have sold out, IDW Manager, Creative Development / Senior Editor Tom Waltz reveals panels from issue #6:
Oh,
#Transformers fans… with the news that our first arc has been so amazingly received, don’t think we’re gonna just coast forward.@Brian_Ruckley and his team have big plans… big SURPRISES… in store! Like#Megatron says in this issue #6 sneak peek, we won’t stand still!
Full credits: Brian Ruckley (Author) • Bethany McGuire-Smith (Artist, Cover Artist)
Enjoy the artwork, then join in the discussion on the 2005 boards!
Grimlock528
Speaking only for myself here, I think what makes it tough for this reboot to be loved as a pre-war comic is because with the exception of AHM, IDW has really only done post war or pre-war.
That’s clever and courageous, but at some point, after years and years and years and years and years and ……..
Well, you get the point.
Every once in awhile I want to bang some toys together.
Hans
Sorry for quoting myself here, but the sales figures for May are in:
Comichron: May 2019 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops
#4: 12,920 (up from #3!)
#5: 10,793
#6: 11,489 (up from #5?)
The fluctuations are bit weird and probably influenced by reprints. But in any case, it's still selling at least double the amount of comics from the end of the previous run. I believe #6 is the end of the first "chapter" though, so it's still interesting to see of there's going to be a drop off next issue.
Goldimus Prime
Just a reminder that civility goes a long way. I've cleaned up some posts with regards to Rule 1.
While it's perfectly acceptable to disagree about the quality or content of these comics, it's unnecessary to do so while slinging ridicule at fellow board members.
Optimus Goat
I feel I should also join the defence of this book. I think it's BRILLIANT. After so many years of Barber I'm very happy to have a writer at the helm producing what reads like intelligently worded and considered dialogue, coming from complex and intelligent characters at the peak of their peacetime careers. The world building is excellent so far, the most detailed and classically sci-fi I've seen applied to Cybertron and Transformers in many a year. As readers we're being asked to fully inhabit this peaceful, wondrous world even as the chains start to crack and split under the tension they've been keeping in check for so long. Cybertron has a delicate, soft-focus dream-like quality to it, and I'm loving being there, immersed; you don't need bombastic action tropes to enjoy what you love. That's as absurd as imagining fans only being able to appreciate their toys by banging them together and throwing them at each other in simulated conflict.
Of course the action junkies want their WAAAR!!! which is why Stormbringer came hot on the heels of Infiltration back in the day, and this was a criticism too often levelled at MTMTE which also preferred exploring character over robotic battle scenes, but what we have here is defiantly mature, capable storytelling. I bet when the war does start the meticulous plotting and character introduction we've seen here will not only continue but will pay off BIG TIME. I'm very looking forward to issue 12 (and beyond) taking pride of place in my Trade collection at some point.
After all the fear post-Unicron this is, imo, a Reboot being done Right.
Majestic Senzu
I think you misunderstand me. Perhaps I should clarify. By war toys, I mean the vast majority of Transformers include missiles, guns, swords, and the like. These are all weapons of war, hence the term "war toys". I was not implying that Transformers inspire people to go to war. I mean, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility for some, but obviously it is not Hasbro/Takara's ulterior motive.
Hope that clears up my meaning.
Back on topic, let's face it…how many of us are ever actually "done" with Transformers? I'll probably pop back in and try out this series again sometime in the future. Could just be us fan boys being fan boys. I recall Infiltration was initially poorly received by some.[/color]
LAMEZOR
I know we need some set up and backstory. I love that kind of stuff. The issue I have is this is just dragging on. The Bumblebee/Rubble storyline is quite possibly the most boring material to come out of IDW Transformers comics period. Windblade's drop-in, drop-outs are just gratuitous for a "fan favorite" character. The main focus should be centered on Chromia and Prowl actually figuring something out, and not just stumbling from page to page accomplishing next to nothing.
NanakoPreame
Man, these guys would absolutely hate mid 2000s manga, what with having over 30+ chapters just to finish an arc, hell sometimes having that same amount to finish a final boss fight.
Heliblade
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUCK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
GoLion
I know I'm not making any friends by loving this book, and I can absolutely understand a lot of the criticism this book is getting. But I just gotta say that I think each issue is getting progressively better than the previous one. This series is just doing so much right. It feels like a transformers book, and not a thinly veiled sitcom with tired sci-fi tropes.
I am a fan of old school sci-fi, and this one ticks off all the relevant boxes for me. It's moving slowly, but I can see it's building to something (I hope).
misfire19d
My G1 Optimus reissue is really inspiring me to go to war.
RNSrobot
After 35 years, it's not really just an advertisement to sell war toys. The comics aren't intended to make kids excited to buy toys. The franchise has evolved. The fiction will always have ties to the toys. Of course. It's a little disingenous to suggest it's still just "toy advertisements." That said I'll grant THIS comic with it's heavy toy-centric designs and clear focus on Siege characters seems to be more directly aligned. And that's fine.
That said part 2, holy fuck this has gone too slow. No. I'm sorry. "slow burn" nah. This didn't have to have pew pew pew pew right off but this has been interminably boring and plodding til issue 5, and even parts of this still stink. Megatron's opening monologue is terrible. It's possible that the book picks up from here. Hey, pick your poison. If you want to read a TF comic and are willing to put up with that to get to some/any good stuff, awesome. If you're bored, that's genuine as well. I see comments like "you don't understand storytelling." Come on. Nothing to do with that — a slow build can be done well, poorly, or in the middle.
Anyhoo whatever, I'm a TF addict so I'll continue to read wiki summaries and skim the issues as I have for a decade now. It took LSOTW and MTMTE to get me to actually buy-in monthly and do more than passively follow the fiction. All good. Eventually there will be a fiction that really grabs me again. Beast Wars, Animated, MTMTE… there's just a lot of space between those…
Majestic Senzu
Yeah, a 12 issue lead-up is the problem. When the series comes out twice a month (for the most part) and is 4 bucks per issue, you'll have to excuse people for being upset that every issue so far is mostly dialogue. Contrast with Infiltration. A slow burn, sure, but by issue 5 Megatron started to throw down with his own Decepticons. Even MTMTE had big actiony things happening in issue 5.
Also, regardless of the "high culture" ideas people like to imprint on Transformers, at the end of the day it's about selling war toys. Again, excuse us for liking a little war and/or physical conflict with our toy advertisements.
Scurv
I'm talking about in terms of exciting story telling.
RNSrobot
LSOTW was five issues.
Scurv
Yeah, I'll admit Quake crushing some organics to death was a surprise I liked and shows the start of the anti-organics movement on cybertron. I'm trying not to judge the series yet or get excited. I hope they can get up there with LSOTW.
GrungeWerX
A more measured and extrapolated version of my earlier sentiments, and I wholeheartedly agree with your points. I didn't mention the shop overpacking and fact that the orders didn't reflect actual sales as to not ruffle any feathers or seem like I was leaning towards a negative stance, but your points are indeed accurate. It's definitely doing noticeably better in terms of sales compared to the previous series, although I suspect some of that is "good faith" buys, which is of course standard fair and normal. I'm looking forward to crunching the data on the first 6-7 issues when that's out to really gauge things. But I suspect/predict that next month's comichron numbers could see the book in the 10K range based on fan reception and current sales trends…
Mechabreaker
The story is picking up, and took an unexpected turn, I was expecting Rubble to be the subject of a break/corrupt the cutie arc with a hint of trauma conga line, ultimately putting him on the opposite side of the war as his mentor, \'Bee. I will admit that I didn\'t care for Rubble as a character at first, but now I really want to know what will happen to him now.
TeamOptimus
wouldn’t mind the lack of action if the characterization, worldbuilding and dialogue were a little better. The way it’s presented is awkward, especially whenever Optimus and Megatron are talking.
Issue 5 finally did something interesting though (and the art was so much better). Maybe there’s hope.