The Energon Pub

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Thanks to iTunes, we have a 3 page preview for the upcoming Transformers #3 comic! The 3 pages that we get to view for the new issue, which is scheduled to be out next Wednesday, feature Megatron putting together a new security team for his Ascenticon meetings, which includes Elita-1, Skytread (yep, poor Flywheels), Refraktor (poor Reflector!) and Quake. We also get some talk amongst our main Autobot/police officer cast, as they deliberate what to do with the whole situation regarding the deceased character (whose name is mentioned, so avoid reading if you haven't read #1 yet!) and the bombings.

Check it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

[crazyfist]

Ascenticons sounds like the Offendicons to me... he he...

[Decepticon Stryker]

Hope this means a new Elita-1 figure. Also, has she ever been a Decepticon as Elita? I know in Animated she was one while being Blackarachnia.

[steve2275]

the art its pretty

[The_Cryptid_Person]

Looks like the next issue of IDW’s series continues to be a siege bonanza, this time with “Skytread”, “Refraktor”, and... Elita One? Going off her “collar”, she seems to be a virtual retool of siege Chromia. Disappointing for scaling with Optimus - and her head looks pretty off - but sure beats the PotP jet-hulk.

Threw this up on the siege thread already, but figured it should go here too. Maybe IDW revealed another toy early?

[sol magnus]

Still trying to figure out Pax's relationship to the "cops" being that he's an Autobot and Senator.

Prowl's got the receipts (as usual).

Nice "scaling" in the sub-panel on page one.

Will be getting this.

[ScottyP]

Looks like the next issue of IDW’s series continues to be a siege bonanza, this time with “Skytread”, “Refraktor”, and... Elita One? Going off her “collar”, she seems to be a virtual retool of siege Chromia. Disappointing for scaling with Optimus - and her head looks pretty off - but sure beats the PotP jet-hulk.

5ACB83EE-BB40-4351-8A02-BB77548AC4B4.jpeg

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Threw this up on the siege thread already, but figured it should go here too. Maybe IDW revealed another toy early?

I just assumed it was the artist's interpretation of PotP Elita.

Seriously though by the time you see the fourth page you'll stop assuming everyone in here is getting a toy

[william-james88]

Thanks to IDW, we have a 5 page preview for the upcoming Transformers #3 comic! The 5 pages that we get to view for the new issue, which is scheduled to be out tomorrow (Wednesday), feature Megatron putting together a new security team for his Ascenticon meetings, which includes Elita-1, Skytread, Refraktor and Quake. We also see a James Roberts' Froid. This shows that there are definitely elements from the previous IDW universe bleeing into this one.

Check it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

[sol magnus]

Thanks to IDW, we have a 5 page preview for the upcoming Transformers #3 comic! The 5 pages that we get to view for the new issue, which is scheduled to be out tomorrow (Wednesday), feature Megatron putting together a new security team for his Ascenticon meetings, which includes Elita-1, Skytread, Refraktor and Quake. We also see a James Roberts' Froid. This shows that there are definitely elements from the previous IDW universe bleeing into this one.

Check it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Don't see it.

[Bounti76]

Hope we'll find out why Elita One is a proto-Decepticon....

[LE0KING]

Wow, in the midst of all the blocks and right angles that make up the siege designs, Froid's Idw curves stand out like a sore thumb.

Sigh, I miss Alex Milne's designs.

[Wireless_Phantom]

Here's hoping we get a toy of that Elita 1 design because it looks great

[Lore Keeper]

Here's hoping we get a toy of that Elita 1 design because it looks great

Pfft! Here's hoping we get a Froid toy!

[william-james88]

Here's hoping we get a toy of that Elita 1 design because it looks great

looking at her gauntlets and colour scheme, pretty sure this is based on the toy we already have.

[Nemesis Maximo]

Man, this right here makes it even harder to believe that this isn’t somehow tied up with the past IDW stories.

[Ironhidensh]

Am I the only who is having trouble adapting do the new Siege inspired designs? I'm used to Comic characters having a rather unique look, and seeing them based 9n the current hotline is jarring to me. It actually takes me out of the story.

[Coptur]

I actually quite like the art and it's nice to see Reflector

But this looks like its more of the same from IDW so i won't be investing in it. I would've like another company take the reigns on Tranformers.

Happy for others to enjoy it though.

[ricemazter]

Am I the only who is having trouble adapting do the new Siege inspired designs? I'm used to Comic characters having a rather unique look, and seeing them based 9n the current hotline is jarring to me. It actually takes me out of the story.

It really is weird and distracting. Using the toy designs this way creates this uncanny effect that makes each character look the same and indistinct. The problem, I think, is the shoulders and torso mostly. A lot of transformers toys have to have square shoulders and torsos because they're, well, toys. For the art, it makes a lot of the characters have really similar silhouettes. When the art further needs to be less developed in general to compensate for the abridged schedule (lots of shots where characters are colored silhouettes with lines through them), the effect is compounded.

The flashback shots with Quake were the worst offenders because there wasn't any color, removing another way to tell characters apart.

I want to add a caveat to my criticism that this isn't the artist's fault. There are a lot of vistas in this series I quite like. This was a boneheaded decision that happened in the planning process for the book that no one though about enough.

[Randomhero]

Am I the only who is having trouble adapting do the new Siege inspired designs? I'm used to Comic characters having a rather unique look, and seeing them based 9n the current hotline is jarring to me. It actually takes me out of the story.

It really is weird and distracting. Using the toy designs this way creates this uncanny effect that makes each character look the same and indistinct. The problem, I think, is the shoulders and torso mostly. A lot of transformers toys have to have square shoulders and torsos because they're, well, toys. For the art, it makes a lot of the characters have really similar silhouettes. When the art further needs to be less developed in general to compensate for the abridged schedule (lots of shots where characters are colored silhouettes with lines through them), the effect is compounded.

The flashback shots with Quake were the worst offenders because there wasn't any color, removing another way to tell characters apart.

I want to add a caveat to my criticism that this isn't the artist's fault. There are a lot of vistas in this series I quite like. This was a boneheaded decision that happened in the planning process for the book that no one though about enough.

It’s a style and nothing new. A lot of colorists do it. Josh Burcham did it through his entire run of MTMTE and Optimus Prime with big group shots and crowds. It dates back to the 60s and before.

Also what backing do you have to your claim that it was a “bonehead decision that happening in the planning process for the book that no one thought through” as you say? It’s the colorist’s style

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Yeah, I've dropped the book. As others have said, there is nothing new here and throwing in IDW characters like Froid just adds to that issue. Worse than that, it is simply boring in it's predictability.

Moving on...

[william-james88]

I will admit, I am very close to dropping the book. It's just not doing it for me. It's very dull and just as with Barber's Optimus Prime the pacing is super slow and drains all the fun. Plus, not a fan of the art and ultra heavy outlines against the background.

[ScottyP]

Did not have time for a full review yet (later today/tonight, probably) but I'm of two minds on it. The first handful of pages were engaging and the last few with Optimus were the right level of atmospheric/mysterious. Everything in between those wasn't objectively bad, sure, but it was just kinda boring. Boredom ain't good.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Boredom ain't good.

Indeed. When you are trying to sell a new series, that isn't a feeling you should be giving your audience. Three issues in, G1 had Spider-Man, Infiltration was ramping up to an imminent confrontation, RiD had explosions and intrigue, and even MTMTE had a protracted chase issue with a Sparkeater. This book has an unremarkable off-panel death with zero stakes, largely off-panel protests/riots and far too much exposition dumping.

[Stormshot_Prime]

Is it me or is OP in this continuity really abrasive and short-tempered? I’m sure that can be chalked up to his pre-prime status but let’s hope they don’t make him too much of an unlikeable hardass.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Is it me or is OP in this continuity really abrasive and short-tempered? I’m sure that can be chalked up to his pre-prime status but let’s hope they don’t make him too much of an unlikeable hardass.

I thought there were only three characterisations for Prime: Maudlin, God-Bot and hypocritical prick/jerk