The Energon Pub

[ricemazter]

I'll admit I'm not that familiar with the IDW transformer lore since I only just started getting the collections, but how exactly did the Predacons feed on anything while stuck on Canis Tor? Don't they run on energon or some other derivative that isn't organic? I know the decepticons can convert organic matter into fuel with pink alchemy, but wouldn't they need a big distillery to pull it off, and even so how'd they manage to wipe out the planet's entire populace that way within a few months?

[BumbleDouche]

On top of that, what's up with the Predacons? We've seen them in pre-Earth modes in stories set much later than this (but still before they arrived on Earth)... But now we're seeing them possibly at the earliest in the IDW timeline so far, at a period millions of years before their arrival on Earth yet they are bearing the alt-modes of Earth animals that may not have even evolved yet?

Hm. You have a point here.

I just checked Stormbringer and Spotlight: Jazz, and they're definitely sporting their pre-Earth modes in both of those. And they're on Earth in the latter, too.

This is the second inconsistency with the established continuity so far - though I wonder if it's more for the sake of the upcoming Combiner Wars than anything: new readers may not go as far back as the early Furman/McCarthy run, and the alt-modes would need explaining to the new audience.

Yeah, that seems likely... As much as I love the Transformers, it has always had some of the most heavily inconsistent storytelling of any franchise. Unfortunately, it's something we've had to get used to and either ignore or interpret each our own way... Which is very sloppy storytelling and a bit of a slap in the face for any of the more long-term readers.

[Va'al]

On top of that, what's up with the Predacons? We've seen them in pre-Earth modes in stories set much later than this (but still before they arrived on Earth)... But now we're seeing them possibly at the earliest in the IDW timeline so far, at a period millions of years before their arrival on Earth yet they are bearing the alt-modes of Earth animals that may not have even evolved yet?

Hm. You have a point here.

I just checked Stormbringer and Spotlight: Jazz, and they're definitely sporting their pre-Earth modes in both of those. And they're on Earth in the latter, too.

This is the second inconsistency with the established continuity so far - though I wonder if it's more for the sake of the upcoming Combiner Wars than anything: new readers may not go as far back as the early Furman/McCarthy run, and the alt-modes would need explaining to the new audience.

Yeah, that seems likely... As much as I love the Transformers, it has always had some of the most heavily inconsistent storytelling of any franchise. Unfortunately, it's something we've had to get used to and either ignore or interpret each our own way... Which is very sloppy storytelling and a bit of a slap in the face for any of the more long-term readers.

That may have been true for a long time, but with the current IDW output (this title excluded, given these points of concern) both Andy Schmidt and John Barber as editors have done an amazing job at keeping it all in one more or less rational line.

To the point of going back to moment in previous stories to 'patch up' the continuity, as some of the Spotlights have done, and a lot of flashbacks also link to.

[1984forever]

Different... but AUTHENTIC!

Predacons converting organic matter into Energon just like the Insecticons in G1 did. Cool! I love these guys now. Their " Earth" modes can be excused. Other planets have had Lions, Rhinos and Birds in Sci-Fi stories. These animals have never been portrayed as exclusive to Earth.

[Va'al]

Roll Call
(Spoiler free-ish)

Synopsis
DECEPTICONS ASSEMBLE! The war for CYBERTRON begins in earnest! MEGATRON brings together the deadliest of his troops for an unbelievable assault on the AUTOBOTS—and the TRANSFORMERS’ world is shaken to the core!

Uh oh

Story

So here we are again, in the time before time on Cybertron (and other worlds in the post-Expansion mess-up), effectively a second before the ignition of the the great war that will shape the history of the Transformers as we have pretty much always known them. As envisioned by Chris Metzen and Flint Dille, with input from artist Livio Ramondelli too - issue #2.

Oh, you're that guy!

The biggest thing to take away from the previous issue, as you might remember, was the slight inconsistencies wit hthe established IDW universe, particularly in the role played by newly rediscovered Omega Supreme. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case once again, as not only is Omega's tale cemented and bolted down to the streets of Iacon, but we also get a look at some peculiar takes on pre-Earth stories, as the Decepticon upper echelon round-up their army, preparing for battle.

Megatron's Eleven

Above all, the presence of the Predacons on Canis Tor, in their pre-Earth, pre-Stormbringer - but apparently not pre-beast modes. As much as this is a fairly serious continuity blip, it does seem to me that the explanation is simply to feed in to the Combiner Wars stories in which Predaking may or may not feature. A 'recent' continuity if you will, for newer readers. But still.

A-HA!

Nonetheless, the comic is not a bad read! The narrative choice of a big set up run across the universe beyond Cybertron is a nice touch, and it's plenty of fun to take a look at a number of eventually gestalt teams in their daily life before the war hit. It's a fun romp, with a definite G1 feel to it - but you do need to suspend a bit more than disbelief.

Art

Even with the Predacon glitch, Livio Ramondelli's work on the different planets and environments in which the Decepticons find themselves is plenty of fun, and well variegated. From the light, warm jungle of Canis Tor to the grungy, sulphuric Magmara Nine, Ramondelli paints an enjoyably diverse universe populated by the Cybertronians.

Yes, even there

And he does so without losing the darkness of tones over at Autobot command (and in the Presidium, for that matter), both in layouts and colouring, with Optimus realising what decisions he must and must not make in order to ensure the survival and defence of what he cares for. And the brooding begins.

Mopimus Prime

Chris Mowry's lettering, is extremely enjoyable, with some very well placed translucency, and colours mimicking or complementing the artwork beneath and around it. And it's fun, even shrouded in the dangerous terrain of the issue's plot. We've seen most of the covers already (Sarah Stone's variants are here and here), so the thumbnail includes a convention exclusive this time!


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

I grinned, almost uncontrollably, throughout the entire first part. Yes, it's silly, yes, it doesn't really do much, and yes, it doesn't fit any more in the IDW continuity, there's plenty of name-dropping and some inconsistencies that don't really hold up to the wider universe, and to the story itself (even within the single issue). But I was grinning so hard it almost didn't jar on the first read.

My face

If you can get past that, the issue is an enjoyable read, preparing us for a very very big conflict about to burst at the seams, and we get some very nice double-page spreads to help us position the scale of all this. A very difficult issue to place, as, by itself, is perfectly fine, and only encounters big issues once it's placed on the bigger picture - but as I said, it's grin-worthy, with no doubt.

. ½ out of

[leokearon]

I grinned, almost uncontrollably, throughout the entire first part. Yes, it's silly, yes, it doesn't really do much, and yes, it doesn't fit any more in the IDW continuity, there's plenty of name-dropping and some inconsistencies that don't really hold up to the wider universe, and to the story itself (even within the single issue). But I was grinning so hard it almost didn't jar on the first read.

How does this no longer fit in with IDW continuity? It seems to me to fit in still.

[Va'al]

I grinned, almost uncontrollably, throughout the entire first part. Yes, it's silly, yes, it doesn't really do much, and yes, it doesn't fit any more in the IDW continuity, there's plenty of name-dropping and some inconsistencies that don't really hold up to the wider universe, and to the story itself (even within the single issue). But I was grinning so hard it almost didn't jar on the first read.

How does this no longer fit in with IDW continuity? It seems to me to fit in still.

Omega's actions/statements, Megatron's development, the Predacons' appearance. It's all a bit everywhere. *gesticulates*

[triKlops]

Trade Release link

Just found link for trade on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/163140234X/ref=wl_mb_recs_2_title

[Va'al]

Fellow Seibertron.com user triKlops has spotted a listing on Amazon.com for the collected trade paperback edition of Transformers Primacy, the current IDW output from Flint Dille, Chris Metzen and Livio Ramondelli. While the cover is not confirmed, the release date should not wildly differ from the one presented on the site - so readers can expect a March 2015 book, currently priced at $14.46.

Optimus Prime versus Megatron! Autobots versus Decepticons! At the dawn of the conflict, battle lines are drawn and sides are set... now legends will be made. The war that would define a planet begins in earnest - and its revelations will shake the Transformers' world to the core!

Series: Transformers
Paperback: 104 pages
Publisher: IDW Publishing (March 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 163140234X
ISBN-13: 978-1631402340

[vectorsigma757]

At an initial glance, I missed Ironhide's head and thought that his chest was half of Prime's chest, making Prime Super-Deformed or those other figures that recently came out.

[Va'al]

And the second piece of comics news is another Mariel Romero upload to iTunes, a sneak preview of the opening of Transformers Primacy #3 - check out the pages mirrored below!

CYBERTRON AT WAR! The giant city-sized Titans, METROPLEX and TRYPTICON, battle on a scale the universe has never seen—and the destruction they leave in their wake leaves CYBERTRON ready for the DECEPTICONS to strike!

[Shuttershock]

SHORYUUUKEN!

[RotorstormNZ]

Ohhhh how I want a Titan Class Trypticon!

[mooncake623]

Bad cell phone pics from the IDW panel

[Va'al]

I think we've seen all of those images.

Any news in terms of stories?

[mooncake623]

I think we've seen all of those images.

Any news in terms of stories?

Lol nope there's going to be a gem comic hahah

[mooncake623]

Defensor will be in combiner wars. Has this already been known?

[Shuttershock]

Combiner Wars has Stone and Ramondelli working together? That'll be an interesting take, given how different those art styles are.

[Va'al]

IDW Publishing is releasing not one, but two new Transformers comics this week, both featuring some Livio Ramondelli art, both dealing with Cybertron's past. Check out below the full preview for the first of the two - Transformers: Primacy #3! Make sure to head back here later this week for the Seibertron.com review, too.

Transformers: Primacy #3 (of 4)
Chris Metzen & Flint Dille (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a & c)
CYBERTRON AT WAR! The giant city-sized Titans, METROPLEX and TRYPTICON, battle on a scale the universe has never seen—and the destruction they leave in their wake leaves CYBERTRON ready for the DECEPTICONS to strike!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The End of the Beginning of the TRANSFORMERS Saga!
The early, brutal days of the war for CYBERTRON
30th Anniversary Variant Cover by Ken Christiansen!

[Darkman20xx]

Since the Generations toys seem to follow the comics so closely, are we that much closer to getting a Titan Class Trypticon?

[jogunwarrior]

A Titan Class Trypticon is at the very top of my wish list.

I've not read any of this line. The art, while moody, is often times difficult for me to make out what is happening when action is involved

[Randomhero]

Yeah, this artwork is a mess. I can usually follow Livio fairly well but I have no idea what is going on in some of these panels.

[BumbleDouche]

A Titan Class Trypticon is at the very top of my wish list.

I've not read any of this line. The art, while moody, is often times difficult for me to make out what is happening when action is involved

Exactly what I've been saying about this guy's art for ages. Sometimes he just makes it needlessly difficult to follow what's going on, and then you have to go back a few pages after you realise you've missed something.

[Va'al]

Ready? FIGHT!
(Spoiler free-ish)

Synopsis
CYBERTRON AT WAR! The giant city-sized Titans, METROPLEX and TRYPTICON, battle on a scale the universe has never seen—and the destruction they leave in their wake leaves CYBERTRON ready for the DECEPTICONS to strike!

It begins

Story

Last time we delved in Cybertron's past in Transformers: Primacy, the battle between Trypticon and the Titan Metroplex had only just begun. Issue three of this four-issue mini-series takes us deep into the conflict raging on, above and around the city of Iacon and the entirety of the planet, in a 22-page long series of action sequences.

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

The book shows off Megatron's attack as the first proper act of full-out war, involving the big beast, the Junkions and Sharkticons he recruited, his Seekers, Combaticons and appearances from the expanded cast of the Decepticon ranks we're all used to, plus Blackwall (very briefly) - and it's a very Megatron centric plot, too, despite the main action taken over by the titans fighting.

Chin up, huh?

While the action is entertaining, Flint Dille and Chris Metzen's plot itself does not really result in much, and can feel a little cramped in some places and too distended in others, yet oddly still have a nice pacing in the single issue. I was, however, pleased to see the Omega/Nova Prime conundrum solved, if a little heavy-handedly.

*GLARE*

The dialogue is still very much a Dille/Metzen product, and there's not a lot to expect from characterisation for the different characters other than what we've seen so far. On the other handm though, the ending has an interesting direction to it, and one that I'll be interested to see played out in the final issue of the series and trilogy.


Art

This is the second helping of Livio Ramondelli this week and month, and it's quite hard not to compare his work here to the one in RID #34. The biggest difference? Primacy is a lot darker, and sometimes the contrast doesn't help with the dynamism of the action scenes. The lighting, given by gunfire, acid rain, optics and explosions, though, does wonders on some otherwise fairly dim pages.

PEW PEW

One of the visual highlights of this issue, to me, is the fun that Chris Mowry clearly had with the sound effects pervading the battle scenes. All the punches, crunches, booms, kicks, shooms, and especially the TWERGs, look amazing, and really stand out on the background of Ramondelli's colours, adding extra action hues to the mix.

TWERG TWERG TWERG

And if you hadn't had enough of big page spreads on battles between Metroplex and Trypticon, the variant cover in the thumbnail, by Sarah Stone, gives you a little more of that. Because why not. The third part of the interlocking Ramondelli covers shows off the beginning of the Decepticon faction, and Ken Christiansen gives us another stunning 30th Anniversary collage from the Autobot side. Make sure to check them all out.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

As I said above, do not expect too much from the plot of this issue of Primacy, despite some interesting developments towards the end. However, if you're into big blown full-on fighting with virtually all the cast of all the old Transformers characters, with curb-stomping, impaling, slicing, limb-ripping and one-liners - this is the book for you.

Bravimus Prime

As the Autobot resistance takes a bit of a paler shade in their lack of preparation against the Decepticon uprising, I'm hoping we'll see more of an escalation next issue, with the conclusion veering the path of Primacy back onto the main IDW track, tying up some of the sub-plots ran so far, and some extra TWERG TWERG TWERG.

. ½ out of

[padfoo]

IDW Publishing is releasing not one, but two new Transformers comics this week, both featuring some Livio Ramondelli art, both dealing with Cybertron's past. Check out below the full preview for the first of the two - Transformers: Primacy #3! Make sure to head back here later this week for the Seibertron.com review, too.

Transformers: Primacy #3 (of 4)
Chris Metzen & Flint Dille (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a & c)
CYBERTRON AT WAR! The giant city-sized Titans, METROPLEX and TRYPTICON, battle on a scale the universe has never seen—and the destruction they leave in their wake leaves CYBERTRON ready for the DECEPTICONS to strike!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The End of the Beginning of the TRANSFORMERS Saga!
The early, brutal days of the war for CYBERTRON
30th Anniversary Variant Cover by Ken Christiansen!

Is it me or does Trypticon's scale vary quite a bit in the different scenes and images
with Metroplex