The Energon Pub

[AllNewSuperRobot]

As rumours continue to fly around the Fandom concerning the current post-Unicron fate of IDWverse, Let us both give it a name and a thread of it's own. One whose name can be readjusted as appropriate.

I'd go for calling it IDWverse-GII, although some may not be happy with a new appropriation of that title.

So let's do it, begin to bounce some ideas off each other about what you would hope for, wish for and want to see within a rebooted Transformers IDWverse.

I for one, do think it overly pessimistic to think that should all the current world building of Roberts and Barber be undone that means Transformers as a whole will immediately regress back to G1. We've come a long way since then and so has both the aspirations of future TF Writers and expectations of the Fanbase.

[ZeroWolf]

I don't think it'll get a new name but instead maybe be approached like the big two do like post-rebirth etc...so here we'd be looking at a post-unicron universe/timeline. As for what I would like to see? New leaders for the factions, you could bring in bw megatron or how about introducing a clone brother of megatron who pretends to be the real thing but his identity is uncovered as megaplex who then on is ruthless and has a chip in his shoulder from being a clone. Play on other series nostalgia, bring in the elite guard unit from animated, predaking from prime (renamed of course like ceasar predacus or something like that)

Transformers always needs to be looking forward and always looking more than meets the eye

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Now we know it's definitely happening and it's going to be a full reboot. It's time to start pitching ideas. Chiefly, just like how each iteration of TF comics has been different from the last, so too should 'G2' of IDWverse. One thing IDWverse did was champion lesser known and used characters such as those from the Takara Series EG Dai Atlas, who appeared very early on in IDW. I'd like to see that continue. As well as new, original characters.

One main way this New IDW can distinguish itself from the last 12 years, is to prominently feature such characters. Scale back on the Old: Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron etc Encourage HasTak to invest more in it's extensive library of characters. The Transformers is the name of the series, including all of them, not just revolving around a handful of Easy staples.

Include more of the Universe of the Transformers too. If they are to integrate all the Hasbro characters into a shared universe, then remove the Transformers from Earth and place them among the stars. More Nebulos, Chaar etc and a lot less generic, tired and boring Earth stories. IDWverse started out well in this respect and subsequent writers fell back into the old G1 tropes.

Just a couple ideas off the top of my head. I won't go into writers, artists etc as I don't give that too much thought... Providing 'G2' is significantly different!

[ZeroWolf]

Problem is that hasbro has the final say and authority to step in and say "more ____ please" so stepping away from certain characters will be almost impossible. Also hasbro has seen what happens with new characters and the extreme reactions that can happen. Look at the alpha bravo debate. The planets thing will just come down to what stories the writers want to tell I think but even then, I don't want those locales I want more exotic places, places never seen before

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Just NOT Earth! It's been done to death and it's the least interesting place in all Transformers. Because it's a real one.

[Rodimus Prime]

As long as Roberts is not involved, it'll be an improvement.

I am in favor of a post-Unicron universe, not a total reboot where the story regresses back to the 'beginning' whatever that may be. I am also in favor of new leaders, but ones we already know of. I would love to see Overlord become the supreme leader of the Decepticons, though I don't know if the Autobots would have a single leader or rule by committee.

No matter what, I want to see new worlds and characters be introduced. Earth and even Cybertron are getting old.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

As long as Roberts is not involved, it'll be an improvement.

I am in favor of a post-Unicron universe, not a total reboot where the story regresses back to the 'beginning' whatever that may be. I am also in favor of new leaders, but ones we already know of. I would love to see Overlord become the supreme leader of the Decepticons, though I don't know if the Autobots would have a single leader or rule by committee.

No matter what, I want to see new worlds and characters be introduced. Earth and even Cybertron are getting old.

Although, let's be honest. There hasn't been A Cybertron since DoOP. It's been a hodge-podge of random and unconnected scenery. But again, when IDW first started, Cybertron was a dead and uninhabitable world. This was new and interesting! Then we went back on that, like Earth, due to Lazy Writers.

[ZeroWolf]

I don't know, i liked the idea of a wild and uncontrollable cybetron.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

I don't know, i liked the idea of a wild and uncontrollable cybetron.

I liked the idea of a world wherein a few million years of war had left it irredeemably barren.

[ZeroWolf]

How about a compromise? A world where millions of years of warfare have made the planet hostile to its inhabitants and tries to crush them at every opportunity. They inhabitants then flee to a new world while the old one tries to hunt them down in revenge...and calls it self Unicron...now that would be a twist

[ScottyP]

What Scotty P wants: something that really takes the colony world aspect to its full potential. Think a thematic crossroads of Cybertron/Galaxy Force and just-post-Dark Cybertron IDW. If Earth is included, that's fine, but show me one where the Transformers either truly take over or never fell asleep for a million years. Mix it up.

What Scotty P wants, tempered with expectations for Total Brand Awareness: Seeing how this will likely be "Geewunner Fan Wank: The Comics", show the lead up to the war and then the war in actual detail. Every story in the past just kinda skips to the part where they leave Cybertron. We don't need to do that again. Show us the why and who and the fallen heroes we never met and the terrible adversaries they gave their lives to protect others from. Make it smart and treat me like an adult. If we have to have a "war" story, go big or gtfo with it.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Show the "Great War" as a real war? Absolutely! Harsh, grueling and entrenched warfare. Every gain by either side a bitter struggle. I think we've danced around the concept of war long enough in Transformers. Imagine World War I, The Somme etc with giant robots. An undertone of Transformers has always been a parable about the escalation of war. It starts with scouts and light infantry. The War soon expanding to Mechanised weapons, Cities, entire planets. Sell us that.

Sunbow level G1 Transformers isn't good enough in 2018, It's been 34 years, time to move on and give Transformers some maturity.

[ZeroWolf]

That's always been one thing that bugged me, we're always told about this war that lasted millions of years yet the casualties that would arise from that. I guess what I'm saying is everything we've seen (at least till idw shown us that each side contains it's shades of grey) that war is squeaky clean. There's disconnect with what we are told to what is shown.

[Rodimus Prime]

Isn't that what DreamWave tried to do with War Within? Give us the very beginning of the conflict and then the subsequent stories were supposed to gradually take us into the war itself? I mean, it was a good story and I would like it re-told, in even greater detail. I loved the designs and aesthetics of the characters and the settings. And of course, no Earth and no humans!

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Isn't that what DreamWave tried to do with War Within? Give us the very beginning of the conflict and then the subsequent stories were supposed to gradually take us into the war itself? I mean, it was a good story and I would like it re-told, in even greater detail. I loved the designs and aesthetics of the characters and the settings. And of course, no Earth and no humans!

I haven't read enough of Dreamwave to comment on that yet. Now The -Ations showed us the wider war. The war of the "Robots in Disguise". How they infiltrate and assimilate into other cultures. But that is Later.
We were shown the Fuse that ignited the War (Megatron: Origin) and the last battle before the exodus (Stormbringer, flashbacks). Yet as ZeroWolf says, the rest of it in between has always been far too clean. It's supposed to be a global civil war that has spanned millions of years. A Civil war with that timescale wouldn't be pretty or clean.

What we've been shown up until now is skirmishes, sorties etc IE Simplified warfare. But nothing shown in any medium I've seen so far would be considered "A Great War". To actually show that, would be a very different Transformers. People would know this isn't what came before and that is how it could really shine on it's own.

[ZeroWolf]

Isn't that what DreamWave tried to do with War Within? Give us the very beginning of the conflict and then the subsequent stories were supposed to gradually take us into the war itself? I mean, it was a good story and I would like it re-told, in even greater detail. I loved the designs and aesthetics of the characters and the settings. And of course, no Earth and no humans!

I haven't read enough of Dreamwave to comment on that yet. Now The -Ations showed us the wider war. The war of the "Robots in Disguise". How they infiltrate and assimilate into other cultures. But that is Later.
We were shown the Fuse that ignited the War (Megatron: Origin) and the last battle before the exodus (Stormbringer, flashbacks). Yet as ZeroWolf says, the rest of it in between has always been far too clean. It's supposed to be a global civil war that has spanned millions of years. A Civil war with that timescale wouldn't be pretty or clean.

What we've been shown up until now is skirmishes, sorties etc IE Simplified warfare. But nothing shown in any medium I've seen so far would be considered "A Great War". To actually show that, would be a very different Transformers. People would know this isn't what came before and that is how it could really shine on it's own.

Exactly! If we're doing the war again, let's make it one worth doing

[ScottyP]

So a thought I had earlier: what if there are no TF comics for six months to a year before any new series launch? Would that make you more interested or more disconnected? That's hard to answer generally, I know, but had been thinking about how that would make me feel and wondered what others might think about it.

[Daniel Adkins]

Depends. I think I'll still be going with the Bumblebee Prequel since its a John Barber movieverse comic that also seems to be a spiritual follow-up to Action Man. As far as the new continuity goes, it will depend on the when we get the first few promo images and solicits and what they involve.

[ZeroWolf]

Good question, it's hard for me to say at this point in time It would all depend on how idw acted during the gap, feeding us new info about creative teams and some story primers what have you. If they tried the creative blackout, I'd probably forget and move on completely (this might not be too likely though as I'll always come across the comic news here! )

I do want them to take the time they need to fully map out everything (for all properties in the hasbroverse) for at least two years. If they want a proper combined universe like the big boys then they need to go all in. If it doesn't work after thus approach best to just cut the losses and deconnenct them (or at least the one's that don't fit organically, rom works with tf quite well)

[Rodimus Prime]

So a thought I had earlier: what if there are no TF comics for six months to a year before any new series launch? Would that make you more interested or more disconnected? That's hard to answer generally, I know, but had been thinking about how that would make me feel and wondered what others might think about it.

I think I would be more interested. As much as I'm ready to get past the garbage Roberts has been churning out, the break would let me completely get the current continuity out of my system and it wouldn't feel like I'm being saturated with too much, nor will it cause any confusion regarding what's new and what's still from the old story. So I'm all for a break between the current story and the reboot. Maybe 3 months, not 6.

[ScottyP]

I do want them to take the time they need to fully map out everything (for all properties in the hasbroverse) for at least two years. If they want a proper combined universe like the big boys then they need to go all in. If it doesn't work after thus approach best to just cut the losses and deconnenct them (or at least the one's that don't fit organically, rom works with tf quite well)

This is what just happened, with the part where they cut the losses happening right now.

I get what you're saying and I think it's probably closer to the original idea of "build gradually instead of for 4 months" but from the point of view of IDW management/Hasbro, what you described is what they tried.

[snavej]

Why don't they make a comic about the alternate universe, where Megatron has organised everyone into a peaceful, egalitarian utopia by now?

[ZeroWolf]

Why don't they make a comic about the alternate universe, where Megatron has organised everyone into a peaceful, egalitarian utopia by now?

Because they are saving that for a crossover with the new continuity

ScottyP@ I can sort of see that, I mean, I guess we don't know how far ahead they plan these events for. I still think there is potential there but it needs to be better managed

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Why don't they make a comic about the alternate universe, where Megatron has organised everyone into a peaceful, egalitarian utopia by now?

Because it's Transformers and not Super Friends



This is Peace (literally) in Transformers. No doubt Auto-Megatron, when back in a position of power, has found new ways to resume his old tricks when left unchallenged to his own devices.

[ZeroWolf]

I doubt he would have got close to taking over anyway, it would have just been the start of another great war but maybe with different fractions as I doubt megs would have used the decepticon name.