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Behind the Scenes of Transformers ’84 Comic Book Miniseries

To celebrate the debut issue of Transformers '84 Comic Book Miniseries SECRETS & LIES, we sat down with David Mariotte; editor on this project.

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW SERIES. WHEN DOES IT HIT SHELVES?

Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies is a prequel to the original run of Transformers comics from 1984. The first issue of this 4-part miniseries will be available April 1st 2020. A little background; in the first five pages of the classic 1984 first issue, Bill Mantlo, Ralph Macchio, and the artists established the Cybertronian Civil War, the Autobots and Decepticons, why Cybertron the planet is out of its orbit hurtling through space. Then, almost immediately, the main cast leaves Cybertron and crashes into Earth. All that happens in about nine pages and on page 10, they wake up in 1984. This new Secrets and Lies series covers what else was happening on Cybertron before the Ark launched, after the Ark launched, and before the Autobots and Decepticons woke up on earth.

HOW DID THIS MINISERIES COME ABOUT?

Simon Furman has written Transformers comics for decades and when we at IDW were discussing doing a book for the franchise's 35th anniversary in 2019, Simon was the obvious choice to write it. What that book ended up being, Transformers '84 #0, was a phenomenal issue tying the events of the first U.S. comic original story to the first U.K. comic original story and fleshing out this "lost period" of the past. That book did very well and it was so great to work with Simon, Guido Guidi, and John-Paul Bove (who had previously worked together on Transformers: Regeneration One, a continuation of the original series) that we asked them if they wanted to play in the past some more and flesh out some of the threads that Simon had planted in the #0 issue.


Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover B by Casey W. Coller - B&W


Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover B by Casey W. Coller - Color


Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover RI-A by Nick Roche - B&W

WHERE DOES THE STORY PICK UP AND HOW DOES IT CONNECT TO TRANSFORMERS LORE

This story really happens around the events of Transformers #1. Parts of it take place before the Ark launched. Parts of it take place after, but before the Autobots and Decepticons woke up. There are a number of other classic issues that contribute to the overall story (Transformers #7, #8, #11 and the Transformers '84 #0 all come to mind), so if you've read those, you'll be really excited to see all the little references and ways they helped build the story. However, if you never have gotten into that first comic continuity, you'll pick up everything because it's a smart story with plenty of explanation. And, for readers who might just think "that's familiar, but I couldn't place it", Simon's going to provide a Reader's Guide of annotations every issue.

WHAT IS THE BASIC STORY ARC FOR THIS MINISERIES?

The basic story arc is that Optimus Prime has a plan to lead Megatron and other high-ranking Decepticons off of Cybertron to try to end the war. And, as it turns out, that works out just fine for Shockwave, who's new theory is that the reason the Decepticons can't win is Megatron's too caught up in fighting so he's ignoring the way to win. There's some intrigue around that as the Autobots and Decepticons head off of Cybertron to crash on Earth and those who are left behind start making new plans for Cybertron's future. Plus, the Dinobots show up!


Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #2 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color


Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #2 - Cover RI by Nick Roche - B&W


Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #3 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color


Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #3 - Cover RI by Nick Roche - B&W


Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #4 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color

Transformers ‘84: Secrets and Lies #1 (of 4))

Simon Furman returns! The beloved writer, accompanied by the equally accomplished Guido Guidi and John-Paul Bove, return to tell a new tale in the original Transformers comic universe, hot off the heels of the successful Transformers ’84 #0 one-shot! As the Cybertronian Civil War rages, Decepticon scientist Shockwave has encountered a new obstacle to the Decepticon’s victory and subjugation of the planet: an obstacle called... Megatron!

Cover A: Guido Guidi

Cover B: Casey W. Coller

Cover RI-A: Nick Roche (10-copy Retailer Incentive)

Cover RI-B: Geoff Senior (25-copy Retailer Incentive)

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Expected in-store date: April 2020

Behind the Scenes of Transformers ’84 Comic Book Miniseries

To celebrate the debut issue of Transformers '84 Comic Book Miniseries SECRETS & LIES, we sat down with David Mariotte; editor on this project.



TELL US ABOUT THE NEW SERIES. WHEN DOES IT HIT SHELVES?

Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies is a prequel to the original run of Transformers comics from 1984. The first issue of this 4-part miniseries will be available April 1st 2020. A little background; in the first five pages of the classic 1984 first issue, Bill Mantlo, Ralph Macchio, and the artists established the Cybertronian Civil War, the Autobots and Decepticons, why Cybertron the planet is out of its orbit hurtling through space. Then, almost immediately, the main cast leaves Cybertron and crashes into Earth. All that happens in about nine pages and on page 10, they wake up in 1984. This new Secrets and Lies series covers what else was happening on Cybertron before the Ark launched, after the Ark launched, and before the Autobots and Decepticons woke up on earth.

HOW DID THIS MINISERIES COME ABOUT?

Simon Furman has written Transformers comics for decades and when we at IDW were discussing doing a book for the franchise's 35th anniversary in 2019, Simon was the obvious choice to write it. What that book ended up being, Transformers '84 #0, was a phenomenal issue tying the events of the first U.S. comic original story to the first U.K. comic original story and fleshing out this "lost period" of the past. That book did very well and it was so great to work with Simon, Guido Guidi, and John-Paul Bove (who had previously worked together on Transformers: Regeneration One, a continuation of the original series) that we asked them if they wanted to play in the past some more and flesh out some of the threads that Simon had planted in the #0 issue.



Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover B by Casey W. Coller - B&W



Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover B by Casey W. Coller - Color



Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover RI-A by Nick Roche - B&W

WHERE DOES THE STORY PICK UP AND HOW DOES IT CONNECT TO TRANSFORMERS LORE

This story really happens around the events of Transformers #1. Parts of it take place before the Ark launched. Parts of it take place after, but before the Autobots and Decepticons woke up. There are a number of other classic issues that contribute to the overall story (Transformers #7, #8, #11 and the Transformers '84 #0 all come to mind), so if you've read those, you'll be really excited to see all the little references and ways they helped build the story. However, if you never have gotten into that first comic continuity, you'll pick up everything because it's a smart story with plenty of explanation. And, for readers who might just think "that's familiar, but I couldn't place it", Simon's going to provide a Reader's Guide of annotations every issue.

WHAT IS THE BASIC STORY ARC FOR THIS MINISERIES?

The basic story arc is that Optimus Prime has a plan to lead Megatron and other high-ranking Decepticons off of Cybertron to try to end the war. And, as it turns out, that works out just fine for Shockwave, who's new theory is that the reason the Decepticons can't win is Megatron's too caught up in fighting so he's ignoring the way to win. There's some intrigue around that as the Autobots and Decepticons head off of Cybertron to crash on Earth and those who are left behind start making new plans for Cybertron's future. Plus, the Dinobots show up!



Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #2 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color



Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #2 - Cover RI by Nick Roche - B&W



Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #3 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color



Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #3 - Cover RI by Nick Roche - B&W



Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #4 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color

Transformers ‘84: Secrets and Lies #1 (of 4))

Simon Furman returns! The beloved writer, accompanied by the equally accomplished Guido Guidi and John-Paul Bove, return to tell a new tale in the original Transformers comic universe, hot off the heels of the successful Transformers ’84 #0 one-shot! As the Cybertronian Civil War rages, Decepticon scientist Shockwave has encountered a new obstacle to the Decepticon’s victory and subjugation of the planet: an obstacle called... Megatron!

Cover A: Guido Guidi

Cover B: Casey W. Coller

Cover RI-A: Nick Roche (10-copy Retailer Incentive)

Cover RI-B: Geoff Senior (25-copy Retailer Incentive)

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Expected in-store date: April 2020]

Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

Seibertron wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

I don't think Blaster's letter page mention in the UK comics makes it so that Jetfire lives. He was pretty clearly destroyed by Starscream, along with all of the other Transformers. Basically everyone that wasn't tied to an organic died (Targetmasters, Headmasters, Pretenders, and Powermasters).

Sabrblade wrote:

Seibertron wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

I don't think Blaster's letter page mention in the UK comics makes it so that Jetfire lives. He was pretty clearly destroyed by Starscream, along with all of the other Transformers. Basically everyone that wasn't tied to an organic died (Targetmasters, Headmasters, Pretenders, and Powermasters).

Ah, see, that's my bad. I didn't read Marvel Jetfire's TFWiki entry closely enough and completely missed its mentioning Jetfire's death, having forgotten all about Starscream blasting Jetfire after he blasted the Seacons.

leokearon wrote:Missed out on #0 and nowhere seels it to Irealnd cheap. Hopefully when this collections #0 will be included

ScottyP wrote:

leokearon wrote:Missed out on #0 and nowhere seels it to Irealnd cheap. Hopefully when this collections #0 will be included

Probably worth checking if Big Bang can help you out https://bigbangcomics.ie/

Bumblevivisector wrote:... and wouldn't be too far off in spirit from how Shockwave appeared to be building the Coneheads as part of his new generation of Seekers in the Blackrock plant

Seibertron wrote:

Bumblevivisector wrote:... and wouldn't be too far off in spirit from how Shockwave appeared to be building the Coneheads as part of his new generation of Seekers in the Blackrock plant

What issue did that happen in? I don't remember that. Would like to go look it up for a refresher!

Seibertron wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

I don't think Blaster's letter page mention in the UK comics makes it so that Jetfire lives. He was pretty clearly destroyed by Starscream, along with all of the other Transformers. Basically everyone that wasn't tied to an organic died (Targetmasters, Headmasters, Pretenders, and Powermasters).

sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:

Seibertron wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

I don't think Blaster's letter page mention in the UK comics makes it so that Jetfire lives. He was pretty clearly destroyed by Starscream, along with all of the other Transformers. Basically everyone that wasn't tied to an organic died (Targetmasters, Headmasters, Pretenders, and Powermasters).

You forget that Blaster was also “killed” by Underbase Starscream and he returned

Not Jazz ,Goldbug and Grimlock were also “killed”... in the Marvel Continuity death meant next nothing

Also, according to Tfwiki, Blasters letter page listed Jetfire among the survivors
https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Jetfire_(G1)

Archforce wrote:Jetfire was in Regeneration One in a non-zombie capacity, wasn't he?

Sabrblade wrote:

sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:

Seibertron wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

I don't think Blaster's letter page mention in the UK comics makes it so that Jetfire lives. He was pretty clearly destroyed by Starscream, along with all of the other Transformers. Basically everyone that wasn't tied to an organic died (Targetmasters, Headmasters, Pretenders, and Powermasters).

You forget that Blaster was also “killed” by Underbase Starscream and he returned

Not Jazz ,Goldbug and Grimlock were also “killed”... in the Marvel Continuity death meant next nothing

Also, according to Tfwiki, Blasters letter page listed Jetfire among the survivors
https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Jetfire_(G1)

That's what he was talking about. He said Blaster's letter page shouldn't be regarded the same as the actual comic itself, which did unambiguously show Starscream blasting Jetfire. The only reason Ryan mentioned this is because I made a mistake in overlooking the mention of Jetfire's on-panel demise.

Jazz, Goldbug, and Grimlock all got dedicated on-panel restorations from their deaths in the Underbase Saga, so they're a special case. Jetfire never got any such treatment.

sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:Jazz and the others got “ dedicated restorations”....and your point being?

sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:TD Death just wasn’t Permanent in the Marvel Continuity, Resurrections were pretty much an issue of resources and technology, or the Occasional special energy/device and Time,

sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:And you were proposing a “flash forward“ weren’t you?Its very likely Jetfire was/could be restored in the years after the underbase event

Do you recall or did you read RegenOne?Jetfire was featured there and in very good health

Sabrblade wrote:And none of which were applied to Jetfire following his being taken offline in the Underbase Saga in the main Marvel G1 comic (again, sequel series notwithstanding because me and Ryan were never talking about any sequel series, only the main Marvel G1 series).

My proposal was for a flash forward to a time set during the Underbase Saga, not after it, since the present time of this new Secrets & Lies series will be set before the Ark's occupants wake up on Earth in 1984.

Besides, as I stated, my proposal was based on misremembered and misread information anyway, so my proposal doesn't work.


But here's a new proposal. Seeing as the "Starscream blasting Jetfire" artwork is from a cover and those don't always accurately reflect the contents of the issue's story, suppose that the art isn't actually depicting anything that will be seen in Secrets & Lies at all, but is instead merely one of those fanwanky "Here's some Transformers art that might remind you of something from back in 1984, guys!" covers, which is entirely possible.