The Energon Pub

[ScottyP]

Absolutely gutted. This was a great Transformers story that I wanted to see evolve even further and it's a shame that it appears it won't get the chance.

At the same time, this isn't super shocking given the sales. I think the TF comics faithful had bought into this one a while ago, but new readers and the folks that jumped ship last fall (you know who you are) never came around to it. Good job, nerds.

[Kurona]

So, couple thoughts.

I was of course upset about this when I saw the name of the article and worried that something terrible had happened like the higher-ups deciding it wasn't making as much money or such. But upon actually reading the post, it made me extraordinarily happy - in a world where comics can come and go at the drop of a proverbial editorial hat, this cancellation is not happening because of some money-related business or some petty ass in charge; Scott is in complete control of this decision. She is deciding to end this story because she truly feels that this is in full the story she wanted to write and has written, and does not want to burden anyone and indeed herself and her creative team with another story she wouldn't feel as much passion for just because 'might as well continue the comic'. This is the writer saying that this is the perfect place for the story to end and the perfect direction in which to take things.

So while it's of course very sad to see the cancellation of an excellent ongoing - arguably the best ongoing of the three IDW comics this year - it's fantastic to know that that ending is coming about for legitimate reasons that come from a place of passion and reason rather than mandates and profit. This has been an incredible story to follow for the past almost-year, and I will adore seeing how it all culminates in the end

[Kurona]

So please don't take this out of context.

Why is it that every single relationship shown in IDW has been same sex? Don't get me wrong, I understand that there wasn't gender on cybertron, but ever since fembots became a thing there still hasn't been a straight couple. We've had 8 total couples shown on page, 3 fembot on fembot and 5 robot on robot. The closest we've gotten was Skids and Nautica and that never got past the high school crush phase. And with Chromia leaving I doubt Ironhide will have a shot.
Am I the only person who has issues with this? Or am I wrong?

Sparkstalker and Lightbright, Tigatron and Airazor. Heavy hinting with Arcee and Sideswipe as well as Nautica with Brainstorm.
Regardless, considering I've seen so much fiction which purely had straight relationships, I'm very happy to have fiction which almost purely has non-straight relationships. And it makes sense considering the worldbuilding has stated Cybertron is not a hetero-normative society unlike the culture most of us are used to and live in.

Did they ever make sparkstalker and lightbright a couple? I don't remember them getting more than a few lines in one of the windblade comics.

Wonderfully, I had the exact comic this happened in opened and just a page away from the panel:



The 2015 Holiday Special is a thing of beauty.

Also, depends on the people around you and your environment (and, naturally, how accepting it may or may not be). I'm a queer lady myself, and the majority of my friend groups both in real life and online are of LGBT+ identities as well.

[ScottyP]

I took it as "you have to shake it up to get some sales", then she made the call to just close the curtains here rather than do a stunt launch for something less genuine. This is very close to what you said, yes, but I think $ was the genesis.

[LE0KING]

Wow, that's really disappointing. I really like this comic and would rather have lost the optimus ongoing than taao. This team did an amazing job and really won the hearts of alot of people. They made this comic my favorite in just a few issues. I wish them the best.
Here's hoping this isn't the end of the cybertron stories.

I think you're right Scotty. Sounds like They wanted a change and she didn't. So to keep from potentially ruining a project she loved, she chose to end it. I can respect that. I hate that it happened, but I can respect it.

[Ironhidensh]

While this is sad news for those who liked the series, I'm not surprised. This series never felt right to me. That is in large part to what I see as misuse of the Stars cream character. Also, I've never been a huge fan of the Cybertron storylines, and this series never picked up with me. I really liked the Windblade character at first, but she has felt stale as of late.


Honestly, since the revelation debacle, I've simply had a hard time caring about any of the books, even my beloved MTMTE/Lost Light.

I listen to the podcasts, and I try to see the points that ScottyP makes, but they just aren't there for me. The books have become boring, I just hope this isn't a beginning trend.




On a side note, I'll admit some of my negative feelings could be due to my bitterness at IDW for their extreme failure and mishandling of M.A.S.K. it's been a very bad year for comics.

[SG Roadbuster]

so let me get this right
the book was consistently good, and good BECAUSE of it's consistency.
some dips@#$ in upper management wanted a status quo shakeup, after this year's stupid f*&%ing crossover event
Scott didnt want to shake up her status quo because she had an actual f%&*ing story planned.
book gets cancelled

[dragons]

So please don't take this out of context.

Why is it that every single relationship shown in IDW has been same sex? Don't get me wrong, I understand that there wasn't gender on cybertron, but ever since fembots became a thing there still hasn't been a straight couple. We've had 8 total couples shown on page, 3 fembot on fembot and 5 robot on robot. The closest we've gotten was Skids and Nautica and that never got past the high school crush phase. And with Chromia leaving I doubt Ironhide will have a shot.
Am I the only person who has issues with this? Or am I wrong?

Sparkstalker and Lightbright, Tigatron and Airazor. Heavy hinting with Arcee and Sideswipe as well as Nautica with Brainstorm.
Regardless, considering I've seen so much fiction which purely had straight relationships, I'm very happy to have fiction which almost purely has non-straight relationships. And it makes sense considering the worldbuilding has stated Cybertron is not a hetero-normative society unlike the culture most of us are used to and live in.

Did they ever make sparkstalker and lightbright a couple? I don't remember them getting more than a few lines in one of the windblade comics.

Wonderfully, I had the exact comic this happened in opened and just a page away from the panel:



The 2015 Holiday Special is a thing of beauty.

Also, depends on the people around you and your environment (and, naturally, how accepting it may or may not be). I'm a queer lady myself, and the majority of my friend groups both in real life and online are of LGBT+ identities as well.

I prefer see real transformers devastator balls than see this I can't tell if this was meant to be funny actually happening transformers getting married it's joke right

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Review will come tomorrow. Promise you that.

[RNSrobot]

I don't think you have to read very far between the lines to understand this is not a sweet and rosy exit.


"this is apparently not an editorial decision but Scott's own for reasons relating to writing, finding the best way to get across her story, and out of not wanting to write another story she feels she would not be able to put as much passion into simply for the sake of continuing the comic. "

It's not editorial's "decision" in a purely legalistic sense. But they weren't going to allow Scott to continue writing the TAAO book she wanted to. She's leaving instead of writing a story she doesn't want to write about characters she doesn't care about. Her decision is forced, as her options are basically a. write **** she doesn't want to b. quit c. likely be fired.

Others have pointed out some of the other problems with this. But this is not a sweet decision, it's frustrating, particularly as TAAO has quietly become the best TF book. Lost Light has completely failed me, OP is just Barber Barbering, and I've dropped both (hard decision on LL because of what MTMTE meant/means to me, but...). I literally just this morning said to a friend "damn, this is the best issue Scott's ever written. This is **** amazing. She's entirely found her groove." I LOVE her Combaticons. I was in to read this for a long time because it's simply become fantastic.

And ffffffft.

I'm done with IDW and their Transformers comics. I have no issue with the shared universe, but I have zero interest in continuing with a company that has, in less than one calendar year, seen a new editorial staff completely ruin what was a stunning golden age of Transformers comics.

Peace.

[SW's SilverHammer]

I took it as "you have to shake it up to get some sales", then she made the call to just close the curtains here rather than do a stunt launch for something less genuine. This is very close to what you said, yes, but I think $ was the genesis.

I think another factor is she could seriously be burned out with how many "Start/Stop/Start/Stop/Start/Stop" moments there were between the beginning of Windblade to TAAO. Delays, Crossovers, More delays, Creative team changes, not to mention what ever editorial mandates were beginning to creep their way into her production.

[Black Bumblebee]

Damn it. Stop with the @%@%@ event crossover events and let the writers freaking write the stories that they want to write. We were enjoying them. @%@%@%@%!5&(*&ew@#%@.

The world sucks. :-/

[X3ROhour]

wha...?
what are we supposed to do now?
how arrewedff
how r we going to experience life on Cybertron?
there is just so much left untold!
why?
can't we stop micronauts
or revolutionaries
or or oror
or
everything else?!

or start some new talent take over continuation?
with a writer that want to
or willing to do the whole
multitude of introducing a big new angle
that she didn't want to do?

do we kill an entire universe because the writer wouldn't be excited or motivated?
helllll noooooo!
get a new writer
or writers
that will bring in aspects of story that grab us?

we r gonna have to have just Lost Light and Optimus to sustain us?

oh gods...

[X3ROhour]

Damn it. Stop with the @%@%@ event crossover events and let the writers freaking write the stories that they want to write. We were enjoying them. @%@%@%@%!5&(*&ew@#%@.

The world sucks. :-/

in the vernacular of my time
WORD!

[Coptur]

Wow just wow

Like others in the forum I thought TAAO was now the best TF comic.

To me i'm fed up with LL and OP is ok but not keeping me engaged enough.

I agree with another poster about MASK from the announcement i was unhappy with it.

[Va'al]

In comics news from IDW Publishing and their site, and trying to alleviate the news of Transformers: Till All Are One reaching its end with issue #12, we have subscription cover art for next month's book, featuring a lot of Starscream, by Priscilla Tramontano and James Raiz (plus colourists please and thank you)! Check them out below.

With Elita One’s influence closing in around Starscream, he’s desperate to make any alliances he can. Turns out, a powerful ally might already be within his grasp. But is he willing to risk his own sanity to reach them?

[LE0KING]

I feel like this book was picking up steam and if they'd left it alone it would have gotten the numbers on its own.

[Rodimus Prime]

Well, now I'm kinda glad I held off on all 3 of the ongoings. I was going to get the LL TPBs, but now I have my doubts. I never cared for the OP comic, so that's an easy pass. But TAAO really had me curious. It seemed to go in a different direction, giving some characters their long overdue attention. After the initial interest, though, I kinda mellowed on it, and was gonna get the TPBs. But now? Not sure. Depends on how the entire story plays out.

As for the comic itself being cancelled, and the reasons for it? The writer might have her side of it, but in the end, it all comes down to money. If it has been profitable, IDW would have found someone else to write it and they would have continued with the title. Unless Scott herself legally owns the title of "Till All Are One" and they would have to call it something else. Bottom line is, the comic wasn't selling well enough to justify continuation, and that usually has to do with the quality of what's on the page. (I'm not saying in every case, but most cases.) So maybe Scott should look in the mirror before blaming anyone else. Again, I'm not saying this is a certainty, but it's a possibility. Just because some of us on these boards think the story is amazing, the majority of comic readers might not think so, thus skip buying the issues, leading to it being a financial failure.

[BATTLEMASTER IIC]

Regarding Metroplex's avatar: I always thought that Scamper acted as his avatar, in the IDW continuity anyway. Maybe he's just a drone?

[Va'al]

Well, now I'm kinda glad I held off on all 3 of the ongoings. I was going to get the LL TPBs, but now I have my doubts. I never cared for the OP comic, so that's an easy pass. But TAAO really had me curious. It seemed to go in a different direction, giving some characters their long overdue attention. After the initial interest, though, I kinda mellowed on it, and was gonna get the TPBs. But now? Not sure. Depends on how the entire story plays out.

As for the comic itself being cancelled, and the reasons for it? The writer might have her side of it, but in the end, it all comes down to money. If it has been profitable, IDW would have found someone else to write it and they would have continued with the title. Unless Scott herself legally owns the title of "Till All Are One" and they would have to call it something else. Bottom line is, the comic wasn't selling well enough to justify continuation, and that usually has to do with the quality of what's on the page. (I'm not saying in every case, but most cases.) So maybe Scott should look in the mirror before blaming anyone else. Again, I'm not saying this is a certainty, but it's a possibility. Just because some of us on these boards think the story is amazing, the majority of comic readers might not think so, thus skip buying the issues, leading to it being a financial failure.

Sure. But also, EVENTS.

[Big Grim]

Absolutely gutted. This was a great Transformers story that I wanted to see evolve even further and it's a shame that it appears it won't get the chance.

Agreed. This has overtaken MTMTE/Lost Light for best TF ongoing.

So while it's of course very sad to see the cancellation of an excellent ongoing - arguably the best ongoing of the three IDW comics this year - it's fantastic to know that that ending is coming about for legitimate reasons that come from a place of passion and reason rather than mandates and profit. This has been an incredible story to follow for the past almost-year, and I will adore seeing how it all culminates in the end

Oh definately! Her post about it was really rather lovely concerning her team, her achievements and that sign off to the fans. I wish her well!

[Coptur]

Just finished #10 now i really hope Onslaught find out about this deception of his thoughts.

Yes Arachnid is clever but this is/has been a close knit unit for millions of years with their combined/merged minds something will have to slip and Swindle and Vortex might be Onslaught's saving grace...can't say Blast-Off will fair well upon ultimate revelation.
Other means of finding out..another mind surgeon (i'm not spelling nmennonononm!?!?)!?!?
A scramble city style type combination!?!?
Soundwave mind scan?!?

Three ongoing titles for transformers was always too many imo

LL for me now is not what i want from a Transformers comics 'Friends in space' isn't my cup of tea, i'm happy for those that do like it though. i'm not here to bash anyone else's tastes just voicing(venting) my view on it.
OP i now find quite boring.
Revolutionaries i actually don't mind tbh i find myself switching/caring more about gijoe/action force than TF.

It's high time we had another TF only event love it or hate it like AHM to really relight a dimming fire.

[Targetmaster Kup]

TAAO was the best comic.
OP is dull and the coloring makes it ugly.
LL is horrible.
REVOLUTIONARIES was great but is done.
This upcoming annual seems like a good time to jump off Transformers comics.

[Kurona]

I feel you guys are really sleeping on the other books. TAAO has been the best this year no contest, but OP's managed to pull off early RiD's political stuff far more successfully while granting us strong characterisation and backstory; while Lost Light hasn't been quite as good as MTMTE but this arc hasn't been awful and there's some good stuff around the corner. Most if not all continuing stories have some period where they're not as good as they could be - especially if it's coming right off the heels of re-branding, a huge crossover event and toy promotions - but that's not an indication of waning quality unless it continues.

[snavej]

Onslaught / Blast Off romance?! [Cringe, shudder] Awkward! It seems to go against their natures.

Windblade might be still alive due to her mind link with the Liege Maximo: her mind could be lodged in his brain.