Artist and colorist Josh Burcham updates our February 2021 solicitations coverage with a closer look at his Transformers Beast Wars issue #1 cover A:
There’s so much I wish I could show you from the book but til then enjoy a little look at my process in creating the cover for Beast Wars #1!
Join in the discussion about this upcoming series on the 2005 boards!
Creator credits: Erik Burnham (Author), Josh Burcham (Artist, Cover Artist), Fico Ossio (Cover Artist), Dan Schoening (Cover Artist), Nick Brokenshire (Cover Artist)
Celebrating 25 years of Beast Wars! In the future, the planet Cybertron belongs to the scientific-minded Maximals and the action-oriented Predacons! When a crew of Predacons, led by the successor to the Megatron name, steal a golden disk and a ship capable of traveling through time, it’s up to Optimus Primal and his Maximal crew – Rattrap, Rhinox, Cheetor, and new character Nyx – to catch them! A brand-new Beast era begins in an oversized first issue by Erik Burnham (Ghostbusters, Transformers/Ghostbusters) and Josh Burcham (Transformers, Transformers Galaxies), yesssss!
AzT
ThunderDestron
I agree with this view. I do think it is funny that the redesign looks very close to the insecticon on the right of the panel.
Bass X0
I can accept the new design as being a young Straxus before he becomes the sadistic and brutal Lord High Governor.
AzT
In shops: Feb 03, 2021 TRANSFORMERS BEAST WARS #1 CVR A JOSH BURCHAM (DEC200412)
NGW
So is Beast Wars #1 out? Like can I go buy it at my LGS tomorrow?
Bumblethumper
I might be angry about the design, if I had any fucks left to give.
I thought they'd have figured a few things out by now, but apparently they will continue to reinvent the old stuff as clueless as ever. In full ignorance of what made it effective in the first place. Oh it's always going to be like this.
That design is just so typical of everything they've been doing, their whole approach hasn't been awful but is getting stale and predictable at this point. Well, I'll let them carry on with it. I'm not here to stop them.
Solarius
I don\'t think this is a bad character design, just a bad character design for Straxus.
Megastar
Those people's opinions are not a fact the art isn't bad just different.
Yes. I can, but you would probably dismiss them as Tumblr fan artist just because they have different taste than you. And for the record I don't have to prove anything to you and just because a bunch of people here don't like it doesn't mean he's every fan hates, help there are probably more fans that don't care either way.
Actually it does and their explanations are wrong, they just don't like it and have something to strengthen their opinion.
Okay how's this for an explanation; the characters have the same name and the same colors and that is all that is need for a very generic character like this who will probably go for a redesign hunts and look way more more like you and others prefer.
SPLIT LIP
There is no anger over the new design.
If anything the mood is more jovial with jokes and wisecracks over a traditionally bulky character becoming super thin and lean.
Rodimus Prime
People are discussing and shit posting about a drastic redesign of a character on a message board.
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Omegax80
Then you didn't understand either. I'm observing the level of anger over a new design. I specifically stated opinions are always acceptable to express, but to condemn artists and IDW for a non-life changing event seems a bit excessive.
Rodimus Prime
kvetching about other people having an opinion comes across as uptight and overly serious.
SPLIT LIP
Clearly it is given how many people are calling it bad.
Can you? Because I don’t think you can. There’s a pretty clear consensus on most thinks that tend to make them mostly positive or mostly negative.
Except it doesn’t, I and several others have explained why.
No, what I’m doing is giving solid reasoning and basis for my opinion, rather than just saying it’s one thing without anything to back it up. I even gave visual aide simply to avoid just shitting on the art without being constructive or critical. You just keep saying it represents the character but you don’t say how, I’m saying it doesn’t and explaining exactly why I feel that way.
Omegax80
Then you didn't read through.
I was thinking one of the Squadron X members.
Megastar
Those games tend to be review bombs or have negative scores because of the slightest thing that doesn't break the game.
And don't try to dismissed my opinion that the design is fine by claiming I'm a troll.
SMOG
lol… yeah, OG Straxus is a total bear, not a twink.
But yeah, his thickness helped to make him stand out.
zmog
ThunderDestron
This drawing looks like the bulked him up a bit more:
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MehWave
Nope. Just nope. Not feeling this redesign at all.
Grimusaur
IMO this design is less hot than his classic design/silhouette so it even fails at that. Not that Straxus is super high on the list but he fills an important niche as a beefy portly masked bad guy/thick boy, while this new design can get in line behind any number of Starscreams with bodies that look basically like this. Yawn!
MINDVVIPE
I dunno, when I look for games on Steam, I can often find games with an "overwhelmingly positive" score. Where do I search to find that game's "overwhelmingly negative response"?
Oof. At this point:
