The Energon Pub

[Randomhero]

I think everyone was just expecting Optimus to use the matrix to walk out of that but we did see him completely shredded in an earlier issue. John Barber is a genius and crazy person. Thinking about this story and syndromica from RID and plots like dark Cybertron and making hearts of steel part of the IDW-verse, barber and Roberts and others treat their audience like they’re smart. So much media nowadays is dumbed down. I went back this spring and read infinity gauntlet, war and crusade and there’s some heavy stuff in those books. I don’t think modern day and casual readers would want to finish those stories or even understand some of the stuff in those books. Personal I think marvel just dumbs down their books so everyone can enjoy them. DC not so much but I find it hard read anything that’s DC.

I’m not trying to defend OP 21 but going back and reading this arc. Some really deep and heavy stuff in here.

And no one has mentioned it but the Aileron and Arcee scene was great. First actual onscreen kiss between two transformers in 34 years! That nuts. Closest was silvebolt and black arachnia but they always cut away or did camera tricks.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Most likely because Silverbolt didn't technically have a mouth, as such. Although I think the 34 year gap can be attributed more to the relevance of such an event, than it being some watershed moment.

Segue..

One of the first stories that really grabbed my interest in the revamp going on in IDWverse was Spotlight: Arcee. Arcee's dubious origins always rang of hollow marketing and yet since her last stint in G1 being relegated to Secretary, the Spotlight made her 1000 times more interesting. An entirely fresh perspective on a previously one-note Marketing mandated character.
So then, through the Wiki, I read on about the "Later Retcon"...



I've said before, IDWverse never reached an age wherein Retcon was needed. I'd say the benchmark should be if your series has lived beyond a generation of fans IE 20-30 years. The more I read on the Retcon and the subsequent fuss generated, I see as just another reason why this Reboot has become necessary.

In other words, If you're only at issue 50 and you're already trying to re-write issue 5, it's time for intervention.

[Randomhero]

Let’s not bring retconning again. We don’t need 3 days of people explaining that word to you again. You have your version of that word and everyone else uses the actually meaning and definition.

Also they have over 300 issues of transformers comics.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Also they have over 300 issues of transformers comics.

Oh, I didn't realise IDWverse had been going for that long.

[ZeroWolf]

Idwverse all adds up to an impressive number, though does that include the twenty (?) Odd issues of regeneration 1?

[Randomhero]

Idwverse all adds up to an impressive number, though does that include the twenty (?) Odd issues of regeneration 1?

No just what’s in continuity. Literally they hit 125 issues December 2011. They have done a lot. That’s not even including regeneration one or the Beast Wars and the infestation cross overs. That’s just the IDW-verse

[ZeroWolf]

That is a good number then reminds me of the run the UK comic got before it concluded.

[Randomhero]

Still sad it’s going.

[Ironhidensh]

Okay, so what panel was "the panel" that Twitter kept referring too?


I'm just very lost in this book? Maybe once it's all out and I read it in one go, it'll make more sense to me.....

[ScottyP]

Okay, so what panel was "the panel" that Twitter kept referring too?


I'm just very lost in this book? Maybe once it's all out and I read it in one go, it'll make more sense to me.....

"The panel" had Arcee and Aileron on it, with Arcee being either flirty or inappropriately forward or romantic or all three. I'll let the rest of the story tell me which later!

And it was hard to follow for many, me included. Maybe some location text or clearer transitions/panel layouts/bubble placements would have helped. I get that it was meant to be chaotic and not-entirely-linear but I don't think it was meant to be confusing, which it was.

[Randomhero]

The arcee and Aileron panel reminded me of the sailor and lady in the famous post war photo.

People arnt complaining about this are they?

[ZeroWolf]

I'm not going to say they're not but at the same time it wouldn't surprise me...however why does it seem that chromedome and rewind caused more outrage?

[Randomhero]

I'm not going to say they're not but at the same time it wouldn't surprise me...however why does it seem that chromedome and rewind caused more outrage?

Probably. It’s not a ridiculous as people demanding and waiting and making slashfic of Cyclonus and tailgate when Cyclonus was being physically and verbally abbysive to him. That wasn’t that relationship in the slightest for a long time and the fanart that people were making of them...it’s why I’m not a fan of Sarah in the slightest.

[ZeroWolf]

Sarah? As in Sarah stone the artist who worked on the first windblade mini?

[Randomhero]

Sarah? As in Sarah stone the artist who worked on the first windblade mini?

No the other one. Till all are one. I followed her twitter until she was posting her fan art of Cyclonus and tailgate and it just turned me away. It was too intimate for what was currently happening in the book. Their story took time. Some good but some pretty bad moments. By the end it’s earned but it took time. But years before people were just gushing and just wanting them to “bang” and I’m like “you don’t understand that relationship. It started off very one sided abuse and people didn’t care. They loved it because it’s big strapping handsome bot and young and cute little boy.

[ZeroWolf]

I see, I started mtmte just at the beginning if "dawn of the autobots" so cyclonus and tailgate were just friends with hints of something greater like when getaway was talking to tailgate in swerves bar and cyclonus just leaves looking moody, I managed to catch up with tpbs. Sometimes I find other fans scarier then most things fiction can throw out, though I sympathise to some extent as they are passionate but everything in moderation

[Randomhero]

So I’ve been reading IDW from the beginning. Comics have always been my thing so I’ve been reading from day one and I’m always baffled by th idea of people picking up the comics at at certain points. You said you started with essentially season two of MTMTE so I gotta ask, was it confusing at all when they made fereferencing to stuff you hadn’t read?! James and John have always been referencing so I’ve wondered did you ever get confused at all?

[ZeroWolf]

At first it was but as I say i caught up with the trades. If I was really stuck in consulted the wiki to get the cliff notes.

[Randomhero]

Moonbase 2 podcast recently released a very lengthy interview with john barber and it’s with th listen.

Key points:

IDW verse was always heading toward an ending. Even before unicron. John says he planned on leaving the book a year ago when the Falling wrapped up pretty much and James Roberts was also planning on ending lost light around the same time.

John went to hasbro about ending the IDW-verse. It wasn’t about poor sales it was about closing a long enjoyed universe.

Magnus in Rom vs Transformers was never intended to be Minimus. While the early issues seemed like the contradicted MTMTE/LL they were red herrings.

Arcee and Galvatron weren’t originally siblings from the start. John saw her age and saw previous interactions with her and decided to do it.

The falling was planned out with Onyx and shockwave for years.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

So I’ve been reading IDW from the beginning. Comics have always been my thing so I’ve been reading from day one and I’m always baffled by th idea of people picking up the comics at at certain points. You said you started with essentially season two of MTMTE so I gotta ask, was it confusing at all when they made fereferencing to stuff you hadn’t read?! James and John have always been referencing so I’ve wondered did you ever get confused at all?

See I read stuff like this a lot, regarding comics in general. People always saying how "hard" is it to get into comics, "where to start?" etc

For someone who has read comics for around three decades, the answer is very simple: just pick a book you like the look of and start reading. I'll give you an example, the first issue of Uncanny X-Men I ever bought was #314. Wherein Emma Frost possesses Iceman and runs amok before discovering her previous students were all dead. I had no context for any of that, But, I liked what I read so I kept reading. Filling in the blanks over time.

Most comics have been going for decades and the trick is, no one expects you to have encyclopedic knowledge of all of it. Batman for example, has been going since longer than most fans of anything from the 80's have been alive. Now they may reference an issue from that time, but they don't expect you to read it.

I'm only reading MTMTE/LL and RiD/OP through the part work, that is skipping over issues to cover big arcs. Yet I don't have trouble following it. If there is a reference I don't get, either it will be explained further down the line or it won't. The latter isn't a deal breaker. As long as you enjoy what you read and it makes sense to you, even out of context, it doesn't matter what issue you buy.

[william-james88]

We now have an image of Cover B from artist Sara Pitre-Durocher, for Transformers: Optimus Prime #22 Cover B. She shared it on Twitter and you can read her tweet below.

This is the big finale to the current Shockwave centered arc which ties directly with the Unicron event which will probably end all IDW continuity as we know it.

Optimus Prime #22—Cover A: Kei Zama

John Barber (w) • Sara Pitre-Durocher (a) • Kei Zama (c)

END OF THE ROAD! Trapped between Shockwave’s attack and Unicron’s onslaught, Optimus and the Autobots struggle to make sense of what’s left of their world. Shockwave reveals ancient truths—as an old friend tries to reconnect with Cybertron.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Optimus Prime #22—Cover B: Sara Pitre-Durocher

John Barber (w) • Sara Pitre-Durocher (a & c)

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

[steve2275]

doing it with style

[D-Maximal_Primal]

What's kinda funny about RiD/TF/OP is that the whole thing is basically the same book but with 3 different names, like MTMTE/LL. And considering both are 1 long narrative, both will end with more issues to them than the original US Marvel run, which is very impressive.

Also, with what Shockwave has done, it still raises a few questions for me:

1) The Matrix. Where, why, how does this fit in with everything being made up?

2) Shockwave didn't know anything about the colonies before he got sent back in time, so how did he know which planets would host colonies?

3) Shockwave, the Maximals, and Unicron. Connection please.

4) How did Galvatron know OnxyWave was coming? How did he know what was going to happen?

5) more Unicron, but still applies here: 13th colony?

6) Poor Scoop. He's super dead Jim.

7) If OP and BB are simply data, does that really mean they still have sparks? it sounds like resurrection is a bit too easy, unless sparks can survive being turned into pure data and somehow reignited. Wholly possible I know, but a bit funky.

[Ironhidensh]

For someone who has read comics for around three decades, the answer is very simple: just pick a book you like the look of and start reading. I'll give you an example, the first issue of Uncanny X-Men I ever bought was #314. Wherein Emma Frost possesses Iceman and runs amok before discovering her previous students were all dead. I had no context for any of that, But, I liked what I read so I kept reading. Filling in the blanks over time.

Heh. Mine was #307, where they play some football, and Scott and Jean make an announcement.

[Ms. Trebuchette]

Just popping in to say, after having re-read exRID #44 (Aileron's first appearance) straight through to OP #21, both of Arcee and Aileron's character arcs have been building to that moment and their friendship (and feelings for each) really starts to kick off in OP#8. <3 <3 <3

It's also really easy to see a whole new subtext as to why Aileron was such a basket case during First Strike (OP#11&12) which doesn't payoff entirely until OP#15.

As a re-read, Arcee and Aileron and the REAL B plot of whole "The Falling" arc.

The A Plot is obviously the "falling" of the entire belief of Cybertronians.

The B Plot is Arcee and Aileron falling for each other, literally and figuratively and it happens throughout the whole arc leading up to OP#21.

Re-reading Aileron's narration in OP#17 is almost like reading a love poem now.

I'm dying to see the fallout from both the kiss and everyone's least favorite time-traveling furry's plan to kill belief in OP#22.

From the 5-page preview from Unicron #2, it doesn't really seem like Aileron minded too much.