The Energon Pub

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Tue Feb 11, 2014 1:43 pm

Thanks again to Comic Book Resources, we get a very brief glimpse at next week's offerings in IDW Publishing's latest franchise crossover mini-series, Conspiracy. So far, the Lone Gunmen have visited the world of the Ghostbusters, but what awaits them with alien transforming robots and sewer martial arts experts? Read on below for an interview with writer of the one-shot Paul Crilley, or click here for more, and check out three pre-lettering pages with artwork by Dheeraj Verma!

CBR News: Paul and Ed, how do your respective "X-Files: Conspiracy" one-shots, "Transformers" and "TMNT," tie into the main event?

Paul Crilley: I have to be careful what I say here. The Transformers are already somehow involved and follow a lead that brings them in contact with the Lone Gunmen. Bumblebee and Langly become best buddies, and this is where we find out some of the backstory to the contagion.

[...]

So for the purposes of "Conspiracy," do all these franchises exist in the same universe?

Crilley: They are happening in the same universe, and there is an element of dimension hopping happening.

Will Mulder and Scully be appearing in either of your stories?

Crilley: Mulder appears in the "Transformers" issue, too. He's helping the Lone Gunmen with their part of the investigation while following his own leads that tie up in the second bookend.

Paul, you're also writing the main "X-Files: Conspiracy" series. Did IDW give you the pick of the litter for which properties to use?

Crilley: No, I was given the list of properties to use, then I had to come up with a story featuring them all that made sense. Each of the characters had to earn their place, so there had to be logical reason for each of the properties to be in the crossover.

[...]

Paul, which Transformers will be in your story? How did you decide who to include?

Crilley: Our story features Optimus, Bumblebee and Ratchet. I couldn't include too many, because it was just the one issue and I didn't want to crowd the story. As to the why, well, Optimus was a lock, for obvious reasons. And, um -- Bumblebee is my son's favorite Transformer, so I had to include him. And Ratchet, because I kinda liked him in the old cartoons.

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Tue Feb 11, 2014 1:56 pm

The TMNT art looks bad, but that's normal for that comic series, mostly good writing but artwork ranging from OK to terrible.

The TF preview looks pretty cool, the art on that is pretty good, leagues above the previews we've seen so far. Even if it's kinda confusing, I mean what's going on in there? And this seems to be set in its own continuity.
But yes, so far the best looking of the crossover.

News Credits: 1 · by **njb902** » Tue Feb 11, 2014 2:06 pm

They should so make up a whole issue of IDW brands related "Weekly Weird News".

News Credits: 226 · by **Burn** » Tue Feb 11, 2014 3:12 pm

njb902 wrote:They should so make up a whole issue of IDW brands related "Weekly Weird News".

There was a four issue mini-series "Weekly World News" back in 2010. One of IDW's better in-house creations.

News Credits: 1 · by **njb902** » Tue Feb 11, 2014 3:45 pm

Burn wrote:
njb902 wrote:They should so make up a whole issue of IDW brands related "Weekly Weird News".

There was a four issue mini-series "Weekly World News" back in 2010. One of IDW's better in-house creations.

I'll have to look into that.

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Tue Feb 11, 2014 3:51 pm

I just noticed something, the transformation scenes for BB and OP, are kinda hilarious. Notice the comically tiny black heads with the spooky eyes and the lights and the fog? It's like the artist tried to make the transformation spooky and mysterious, but ended up making them hilarious.