The Energon Pub

[primalxconvoy]

I've no problem with more female characters in this, but my beef is for the McGuffin of TFs being vulnerable to"magic". I don't buy that. In the TF universe, "magic" is really just old, unexplained science, such as the "matrix" or "sparks", etc.

Also, why not include some sort of connection between transforming? Biological beings using energy to transform into energon animals? Connections to Beast Wars/Machines? Battle Beasts?

Mind you, if IDW handled Battle Beasts, White Lio would be a female Jaguar in a pink wheelchair with the power to eat Transformers, or something.

Someone needs to do a scale, showing depictions of one character, or idea, drawn from "IDW" at the "far left" and "Kiss Players/Sikomofo" at the far right, with Marvel G1 and Dreamwave, etc somewhere in there, too". Then we can see where the balance is!

[budmaloney]

Damn that is one violent cover, Ironhide always dies the most gruesome deaths.

Any way I guess getting a trade would be a better read than buying them individually. I was a bit lost reading First Strike, until I followed a reading order online to get the full story.

Basically the IDW Hasbrouniverse is season 3 of G1 cartoon. Humanity has caught up to the Cybertronians, there are many factions and the civil war as we knew it was over.

[primalxconvoy]

Part of that convoluted plot and almost cryptic reading order is what keeps me away from comics like this. I just want the whole story, in order, in I've go. Imagine if TV shows were like that, with lots of different spinoff shows all on at the save time!

[partholon]

I'm not up on what other media formats have been doing with the Visionaries, but wasn't "Darkstorm" the leader of the Darkling lords? Virulina never even had an action figure, they just kind of tossed her into the cartoon show so there could be a woman character on each team, right?

its because IDW have been chasing Marvel down the SJW rabbit hole.

im all for changes to update a property , but NOT for political motivated reasons and this has that stank all over it now.

i mean FFS did they learn nothing from the whole gi joe fiasco? i honestly havent felt this opposed to what their putting out since costa was writing the ongoing.

im out.

[primalxconvoy]

Politics, social justice or social issues are fine and welcome, as far as I'm concerned. It's the degree of inclusion or exclusion of the readership that's of issue. How can we include sexuality, politics, social issues and other commentary that is appropriate, relevant, respectful of the source material and doesn't impede on the story?

[partholon]

thats pretty much the definition of an editors job.

with ryall back in the big seat ive got hope, but'll be months yet before the punters can tell as the previous regiemes output is still to be released.

a bit of diversity in thought couldnt go astray in the field though. its kinda scary how homogynised the authors are in terms of their world view.

they gotta do somthing though, they cant take another year like this. it was financially crushing.

[Va'al]

It sure does sound a lot like concerns that are currently not really entirely legitimate, given that we haven't seen any of the stories that will feature in the book itself, just a marketing blurb and unlettered pages.

But carry on, I guess.

[Daniel Adkins]

I'm not up on what other media formats have been doing with the Visionaries, but wasn't "Darkstorm" the leader of the Darkling lords? Virulina never even had an action figure, they just kind of tossed her into the cartoon show so there could be a woman character on each team, right?

Well, if you go to the top of the previous page and look at the page IDW posted on their Instagram, you’ll see Leoric mention Darkstorm as the original leader of the Darkling Lords, implying that something happened to him, and that Virulina took over later.

[Bumblevivisector]

I'm not up on what other media formats have been doing with the Visionaries, but wasn't "Darkstorm" the leader of the Darkling lords? Virulina never even had an action figure, they just kind of tossed her into the cartoon show so there could be a woman character on each team, right?

Well, if you go to the top of the previous page and look at the page IDW posted on their Instagram, you’ll see Leoric mention Darkstorm as the original leader of the Darkling Lords, implying that something happened to him, and that Virulina took over later.

Yeah, I never saw the cartoon, but I did read all of the Marvel Visionaries book, where Virulina was contemplating a coup and had a plague-inducing power that seemed impressive enough to pull it off, so her having command isn't much different from Starscream being in charge.

But as someone who's fallen behind on IDW, I sure am grateful for you tireless watchdogs constantly repeating the exact same anti-SJW rhetoric for little to no reason, otherwise I'd be totally ignorant that these horrible "problems" even exist!

[primalxconvoy]

I'm not sure if it's anti-SJW for most, is it? Popping an established character in charge instead of another one is exactly the type of change I am happy with. Changing the gender or ethnicity of a character for no rhyme or reason is where I draw the line. I'm all for this female character being in charge, though.

[Coptur]

I don't mind Virulina being the leader as they've written out Darkstorm (for now ) like they did with the 1995 Dr.X from Action Man.

Like with Primalxconvoy & partholon i'm not ok with changing the gender or ethnicity of a character for no rhyme or reason.

[Va'al]

In yet more news about the new crossover mini-series from IDW Publishing set in the Hasbroverse, we have a small three-page preview for the upcoming Transformers vs The Visionaries #1 - due out in both digital and print release early January 2018 - featuring Merklynn and his vision for New Prysmos, plus the introduction of some of the major players on both sides: Ironhide, Wheeljack, Kup and Breakdown (with typo) on the Cybertronians, and Virulina, Leoric, Cindarr and Witterquick on the Visionaries side.

Check it all out below, mirrored from the iTunes page, and let us know if you'll be picking this new series up come the new year!

Cybertron has been invaded. The Transformers encounter unwelcome guests at the heart of Cybertron—and they may not have their hosts’ best interests at heart. Refugees from another world, the Visionaries' startling magical abilities could make them powerful allies... or dangerous enemies.

[primalxconvoy]

Zzz...

[Va'al]

Zzz...

Dude, we get it; you're just commenting unnecessarily now.

[Randomhero]

I have no attachment to visionaries but I color me intrigued!

[primalxconvoy]

This is true. However, I wasn't lamenting the usual. The preview above just seems a bit... boring? This isn't my usual "social commentary" spiel, I'm just speaking stylistically.

Anyone else?

[Va'al]

It's literally one page.

[primalxconvoy]

There are 4 pages, with 2 of them showing story? If I haven't seen it, it's new to me!

[ebo716]

It’s cool that velocitron breakdown actually has his name now. Every other time he has appeared he hasn’t ever said his name, so it’s cool that they are finally confirming that his name is breakdown.

[primalxconvoy]

Is this Breakdown the IDW version of Prime Breakdown?

[Daniel Adkins]

Is this Breakdown the IDW version of Prime Breakdown?

Yep. He's been appearing in TAAO for the last year or so.

[primalxconvoy]

Well, that's something nice in all of this mess, at least. Time to visit TFWiki...

[partholon]

ooh that art does not look good.

seems like a case of ye old Transformes curse where when the humans look good the bots look awfull and vice versa.

havent seen anything this off since Windblade vol 2/TAAO.

IMO its a bad idea to have prysmos be a part of cybertron too. it justs seems too limiting or something. the notion of an entire solar system where TF cant go is alot more intriguing than somewhere outside new iacon where nobody bloody goes anyway.

as ripley would say "just nuke the site from orbit".



but hey im sure some love this style so each to their own. but i dont see this one lasting beyond the mini if they dont expand it greatly.

[Coptur]

Well, that's something nice in all of this mess, at least. Time to visit TFWiki...

Yeah I like the concept of multiple Breakdowns, Prowls etc..

but i want to see Armada Red Alert like yesterday not ruined Visionaries.

G1 Visionaries forever...(or at east 13 episodes and a cancelled comic series... )

[primalxconvoy]

Primal Convoy likes this.