The Energon Pub

News Credits: 10 · Wed Oct 04, 2023 6:22 pm

There was plenty to enjoy, but there were some things I have...opinions on. There's something in there I felt was making a point that didn't really need to be made, but we got the truest version of a character I've ever seen in fiction due to that plot decision.

News Credits: 34 · Wed Oct 04, 2023 11:06 pm

Transformers #1 is one of my most anticipated comics this year and it did not disappoint! It really is the perfect mix of DWJ sensibilities mashed up with the Transformers.

News Credits: 4880 · Thu Oct 05, 2023 12:33 am

Supreme Convoy wrote:Transformers #1 is one of my most anticipated comics this year and it did not disappoint! It really is the perfect mix of DWJ sensibilities mashed up with the Transformers.

Yeah, I know people here aren't really feeling it, but the reaction online has been positive overall. While I'm indifferent on it being a G1 reboot, I think it accomplishes what it sets out to be.
Here are some more words of excitement I found for this issue:

We are so **** back, I knew DWJ wouldn't fail us.

The art's pulpy and fresh, the human and cybertronian characters are both interesting, it's got the signature robot-ultra-violence. 9/10, wish it was longer. Great start, hope we got years ahead of us.

What a fantastic read with some interesting twists to the formula. You can also already tell DWJ gets these characters.

I enjoyed it. How nice it is to see the 'compassionate warrior' take on Optimus Prime again as opposed to angry and vengeful in other media.
Welcome back, Caring Warrior Dad G1 Optimus

Just read the comic. I have to say this is the best TF comic I've read for a very, very long time. Feels good to be excited about Transformers comics again!

Really enjoyable. It is a pretty fresh look at the Sunbow Pilot Episode MtMtE with a ton of hooks for new story.

Listen, you there. That’s right, you reading this. I want you to read this carefully and picture these words in your mind. You understand? Good. Pick. Up. This. Book. It’s everything I wanted in a new Transformers series, going back to the core strengths of the franchise, the mechanical lifeforms learning and changing through their interactions with humanity, with amazing artwork and engaging writing and pacing. Pick it up. ‘Nuff said.

News Credits: 149 · Thu Oct 05, 2023 9:08 am

I rather enjoyed it, though I don't remember Cybertronians ever feeling as fragile as they seem to be here. Maybe I'm just used to how hard to kill they were in the IDW days. It certainly looks like two deaths in this issue alone.

~ Grim

News Credits: 656 · Thu Oct 05, 2023 12:56 pm

Big Grim wrote:I rather enjoyed it, though I don't remember Cybertronians ever feeling as fragile as they seem to be here. Maybe I'm just used to how hard to kill they were in the IDW days. It certainly looks like two deaths in this issue alone.

~ Grim

Gotta get that shock value in or something. Tbh, characters dying in a premiere issue is probably more predictable now than the opposite.

Thu Oct 05, 2023 1:28 pm

And Thundercracker missed being a part of the main Con cast by *that* much.

That aside, I am so stunned and excited by this first issue! I’m loving all the reimaginings of the human characters, I love Carly and her van so much already (hope Ironhide becomes her van, they had a great dynamic in the G1 cartoon.)

One thing that seems new(ish?) that I’m VERY interested in is the duration of the war. It appears to barely have gotten started, so we’re going to see some interesting “early days” of the war that other series (looking at you IDW2019!) didn’t manage to grasp.

It’s going to be hard waiting for #2 is all I have left to say!

News Credits: 6 · Thu Oct 05, 2023 2:22 pm

Post-Furman IDW didn't even grasp the war to begin with. Let alone how to "end" it in a logical and satisfying narrative way.

News Credits: 2 · Thu Oct 05, 2023 2:54 pm

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Post-Furman IDW didn't even grasp the war to begin with. Let alone how to "end" it in a logical and satisfying narrative way.

War rarely ends in a logical and satisfying narrative way. I thought IDW handled it quite realistically, as far as giant space robots go. Both sides losing, trying to move on, even the "bad" guy, kinda getting away with it, for a time, with plenty of the other side backing him. Pretty good grasp on war to me.

As for the new comic; I liked it a lot. Carly should be blonde though.

News Credits: 4880 · Thu Oct 05, 2023 11:00 pm

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Post-Furman IDW didn't even grasp the war to begin with. Let alone how to "end" it in a logical and satisfying narrative way.

The war under IDW post Furman was always nebulous to me. It only ever made sense, time wise, when Roberts made this beautiful 2 page spread explaining how the leaders would over-strategize to the point of taking 100 years to plan one battle.

Fri Oct 06, 2023 5:27 am

The whole idea of Teletraan-1 was SO 1950s, when computers were huge. It's redundant now. I'm glad that Image Optimus blew it up.

It's 'good' (realistic) to see Starscream & co. casually killing humans, who Decepticons would see as offensively inferior and an obstacle to progress. Maybe they will start a programme of human eradication this time. Given the increasing use of drones in real-world war, the Decepticons could unleash self-replicating attack drones against human civilisation. That way, the genocidal process would be automated, leaving the Decepticons free to strengthen their positions and fight the Autobots.

News Credits: 10 · Fri Oct 06, 2023 6:10 am

snavej wrote:The whole idea of Teletraan-1 was SO 1950s, when computers were huge. It's redundant now. I'm glad that Image Optimus blew it up.

It's 'good' (realistic) to see Starscream & co. casually killing humans, who Decepticons would see as offensively inferior and an obstacle to progress. Maybe they will start a programme of human eradication this time. Given the increasing use of drones in real-world war, the Decepticons could unleash self-replicating attack drones against human civilisation. That way, the genocidal process would be automated, leaving the Decepticons free to strengthen their positions and fight the Autobots.

Re: Starscream, - this is the truest take on the stated characterization of Starscream going back to his 1984 file card we've ever gotten. He was probably the best character in the book, and while I don't think his other major action was needed whether or not for overexposure - it made me feel something, so on that level this book is a success in my eyes.

News Credits: 4880 · Fri Oct 06, 2023 1:58 pm

The first issue of Daniel Warren Johnson's new Transformers title is a success both critically and in sales. Many fans who have wanted a modern take on G1 are saying they finally have it. So the anticipation for issue 2 is pretty big. Below you will see preview images for the second issue. Some are in black and white while others are in colour. We see Optimus killing a deer by mistake, realizing how fragile creatures of Earth are and saddened by his action (a direct contrast to the way the first issue ended) and we also see Cliffjumper, who will be a main player in this series. Enjoy!

News Credits: 656 · Fri Oct 06, 2023 2:36 pm

Optimus stepping on a deer is so entirely unnecessary. Someone needs to check this writer's basement, that's some deranged, twistedly cruel stuff to put on a page. Might not be sticking around for much of this series!

News Credits: 10 · Fri Oct 06, 2023 2:47 pm

ScottyP wrote:Optimus stepping on a deer is so entirely unnecessary. Someone needs to check this writer's basement, that's some deranged, twistedly cruel stuff to put on a page. Might not be sticking around for much of this series!

Seems completely on-brand for Kirkman's comics in general, though.

News Credits: 1 · Fri Oct 06, 2023 2:52 pm

Wow, they're referencing the Matrix already. That's got to be some kind of record.

News Credits: 10 · Fri Oct 06, 2023 3:23 pm

bluecatcinema wrote:Wow, they're referencing the Matrix already. That's got to be some kind of record.

They referenced it in issue 1.

News Credits: 4880 · Fri Oct 06, 2023 9:11 pm

bluecatcinema wrote:Wow, they're referencing the Matrix already. That's got to be some kind of record.

So I guess this means this story takes place post 1999

Sat Oct 07, 2023 3:32 am

Could everyone please take their red pills? [Matrix movie reference. 'Toxic male' reference. Right wing reference. Conspiracy theory reference. Red-coloured medicine capsule reference.]

Anyway, Cliffy has the glass gas, which means that some Decepticons are gonna get shattered soon.

By the way, no one show OP the movie 'Bambi', OK?!

Sat Oct 07, 2023 5:40 pm

ScottyP wrote:Optimus stepping on a deer is so entirely unnecessary. Someone needs to check this writer's basement, that's some deranged, twistedly cruel stuff to put on a page. Might not be sticking around for much of this series!

I can’t help but disagree. Look at the following page, Optimus is clearly suddenly overwhelmed by the weight of the war, his inability to save his own men, his home world. He’s only been online on Earth for probably no more than a couple days. The deer stepping, while admittedly gruesome (let’s not forget who’s in control of this series) serves as a really poignant moment of despair and Optimus’ feelings of despair and helplessness at the situation laid before him. So much is out of his control, or worse, so much is his fault.

Also… He hasn’t been a Prime that long, given what we know about the timeframe of the war. He must be so overwhelmed. This to me, serves as some EXCELLENT character building, and without a single spoken word or marvel-movie quip. It’s one of those things you have to take behind face value.

Can’t wait for issue 2!!!

Sat Oct 07, 2023 5:42 pm

snavej wrote:By the way, no one show OP the movie 'Bambi', OK?!

Do you want to shatter the poor guy even more?! :lol:

News Credits: 3 · Sun Oct 08, 2023 12:13 am

ScottyP wrote:Optimus stepping on a deer is so entirely unnecessary. Someone needs to check this writer's basement, that's some deranged, twistedly cruel stuff to put on a page. Might not be sticking around for much of this series!

Lol okay dude. I’m sure you’ll be here every month to find something to complain about

News Credits: 7 · Sun Oct 08, 2023 8:17 pm

Even they didn't want to use Bumblebee, they could just not have him appear in the story, feels to unnecessary for me.

News Credits: 10 · Thu Oct 12, 2023 3:35 am

I read the first issue of the new TF comics today. Overall, it feels like a fresh take on an old story, so I'm willing to give it a few more issues. I understand going back to basics after IDW1 did something radically different and IDW2 flopped. But I really feel like THIS level of reversion to the original story feels like a step back and mere nostalgia-bating.

The most interesting element is the humans, actually. Sparkplug is a Vietnam vet with PTSD and a strained relationship with Spike, who's basically acting like the parental figure in the relationship. And he dreams of becoming an astronaut.

I do have a... TON of nitpicks though. Art is okay. At this point though I'm starting to resent the Sunbow animation model designs. I feel like they're starting to hold the overall brand back at this point. I'd rather have robots that actually look like they can turn into stuff. Apparently Optimus' trailer is now a TARDIS capable of fitting all the other Autobots inside it. And they all come back online speaking English immediately, no accounting for a language barrier, which is a sci fi pet peeve of mine.

Bumblebee is snuffed out unceremoniously before he even comes online. And while I do believe said character is overexposed, it just feels like a mean-spirited way of doing it. Not "edgelord," but pushing the envelop. At least in Prime when Cliffjumper was brought in just to be killed off, he got a moment to be established for audiences to connect to and feel the weight of his death.

I'd rate it a 5/10.

News Credits: 1646 · Fri Oct 13, 2023 8:28 pm

Finally decided to get the first issue, after hearing a lot of good things. Still need to read it, but I ended up with 2 copies of Issue 1 from the Seibertron store. Bossman included one in a package I bought almost 2 weeks ago, and I only just opened it last night AFTER buying a copy. Guess one of these will be framed for the wall!

News Credits: 22 · Sat Oct 14, 2023 10:40 am

TulioDude wrote:Even they didn't want to use Bumblebee, they could just not have him appear in the story, feels to unnecessary for me.

Well the comics aren't aimed at children AFAIK and the character has been way overused in the last 15 years anyway. It was alright for the 1st 5 years, but then it got repetitious and annoying.