Duke of Luns wrote:A good comparison would be original Gundam to Gundam SEED. Gundam SEED took a lot of elements and basic plotlines for the first half of the show from the original series(though it did have more than a few divergences), but was overall met with a resounding kinda meh by fans. Why? Well, fans had more or less seen it all before, and it didn't engage fans the same way the original Gundam did. The second half was better received, because it introduced a lot of new ideas and plot points that didn't mirror the original Gundam as much.
This is a fantastic comparison. The first couple arcs of SEED were good, but it was essentially Mobile Suit Gundam 0079: The Retold Modern Version with Shinier Gundams. Once they figured out you can nod to tradition while telling a new story, it got much, much better.
In my humble opinion, the IDW books have become the "G1 Comeback" you're looking for CombaticonsCombine. There's a metric ton to catch up on if needed, but the first five years are worth the sometimes laborious trudge to get to the last three years which has been a damn golden age for TF comics.
John Stamoist wrote:I would love to see some of the stories from Autocracy, Monstrosity, AHM, MTMTE, and/or RiD animated into a movie still using that flush animation as in the comics.
Oh hell yes. This.