The Energon Pub

Our friends at IDW Publishing have sent over their preview for next week's Transformers: Regeneration One #91. This issue will be available for purchase and download next Wednesday, but you can enjoy the preview below right now!

Transformers Regeneration One #91
Simon Furman (w) • Andrew Wildman (a) • Wildman, Guido Guidi (c)
THINGS FALL APART! The very fabric of the TRANSFORMERS’ universe begins to unravel, as huge and ancient cosmic forces take note of CYBERTRON’s (and the CYBERTRONIANS’) descent into chaos and anarchy. As HOT ROD struggles to hold things together, still reeling from his own game-changing wake-up call, competing destructive forces inch closer to a cataclysmic confrontation. The end begins here.
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio

FC • 32 pages • $3.99


Variant Covers:
Geoff Senior variant cover!

Bullet points:
If CYBERTRON falls—can the universe be far behind?
Continuing the story of the original 1980s TRANSFORMERS comic book series!
Non-stop action in the Furman/Wildman manner!

While I thoroughly enjoyed this last story arc, and am looking forward to this final one, I can't help but wonder a few things...

1. Why was Brainstorm so horribly off-model? He didn't look like his toy OR his comic depiction. He may as well have been a different 'bot altogether.

2. If Scorponok revived the Autobot Headmasters, why not Chromedome?

3. What's the deal with Powermasters and Targetmasters (and for that matter the "smaller" Headmasters? Are their weapons and engines no longer Nebulans? Of the issues I've read, there hasn't been any reference to those concepts beyond the revival of Scorponok, Brainstorm, Hardhead and Highbrow. Crosshairs' gun (aka Pinpointer), Hosehead's...head and Slapdash's chest/engine compartment (where Lube would be) have all been shown prominently.

Oops, double post

Bounti76 wrote:While I thoroughly enjoyed this last story arc, and am looking forward to this final one, I can't help but wonder a few things...

1. Why was Brainstorm so horribly off-model? He didn't look like his toy OR his comic depiction. He may as well have been a different 'bot altogether.

2. If Scorponok revived the Autobot Headmasters, why not Chromedome?

3. What's the deal with Powermasters and Targetmasters (and for that matter the "smaller" Headmasters? Are their weapons and engines no longer Nebulans? Of the issues I've read, there hasn't been any reference to those concepts beyond the revival of Scorponok, Brainstorm, Hardhead and Highbrow. Crosshairs' gun (aka Pinpointer), Hosehead's...head and Slapdash's chest/engine compartment (where Lube would be) have all been shown prominently.

Answer to number 2 is Chromedome ran away when he saw all his fellow Headmasters die horribly when fighting Unicron, thus he never needed to be resurrected because he is still bonded with Stylor, go read the comic.

They are probably still bonded, we will see though. It just hasn't been brought up. Most of them combine into one mind anyways so there is no difference between Lube or Slapdash at this point so seeing the Powermaster would be a waste of time.

burning_sirius wrote:

Bounti76 wrote:While I thoroughly enjoyed this last story arc, and am looking forward to this final one, I can't help but wonder a few things...

1. Why was Brainstorm so horribly off-model? He didn't look like his toy OR his comic depiction. He may as well have been a different 'bot altogether.

2. If Scorponok revived the Autobot Headmasters, why not Chromedome?

3. What's the deal with Powermasters and Targetmasters (and for that matter the "smaller" Headmasters? Are their weapons and engines no longer Nebulans? Of the issues I've read, there hasn't been any reference to those concepts beyond the revival of Scorponok, Brainstorm, Hardhead and Highbrow. Crosshairs' gun (aka Pinpointer), Hosehead's...head and Slapdash's chest/engine compartment (where Lube would be) have all been shown prominently.

Answer to number 2 is Chromedome ran away when he saw all his fellow Headmasters die horribly when fighting Unicron, thus he never needed to be resurrected because he is still bonded with Stylor, go read the comic.

They are probably still bonded, we will see though. It just hasn't been brought up. Most of them combine into one mind anyways so there is no difference between Lube or Slapdash at this point so seeing the Powermaster would be a waste of time.

Oh, thanks!! I stopped reading the original Marvel comic around the time of the Underbase Saga, so I never really knew their fates beyond a few recaps I've read elsewhere. I do wonder though why Scorponok didn't just revive all four. Chromedome and Stylor still exist out there somewhere, but so does Chromedome's original head. If Regeneration One was going to exist beyond issue 100, that might have been an interesting story to pursue.

And I hadn't thought about them combining minds. For a minute I thought that was only a Headmaster side effect, but then I remembered HI-Q and Prime combining. I wasn't sure if that happened with Targetmasters though, since they don't physically become part of their Cybertronian partners' bodies.

As someone whose personal view of Transformers mythos were influenced by the Marvel G1 comic even more so than the original cartoon series, I was more excited to see the Regeneration 1 series than any Transformers fiction yet. But I have to sat that I'm not getting the "this is where the story would have gone next" vibe as much as I had hoped. But then again, maybe my hopes were set too high.

NOTE: This issue may or may not be available this week. IDW has it scheduled for this Wednesday, but most distributors list the next as its release date. Here at Seibertron.com we receive our information directly from IDW, and follow their release guidelines, which is why the review is available today.


Synopsis

THINGS FALL APART! The very fabric of the TRANSFORMERS’ universe begins to unravel, as huge and ancient cosmic forces take note of CYBERTRON’s (and the CYBERTRONIANS’) descent into chaos and anarchy. As HOT ROD struggles to hold things together, still reeling from his own game-changing wake-up call, competing destructive forces inch closer to a cataclysmic confrontation. The end begins here.



Story

So, Scorponok's gone, Grimlock with him, Megatron's gone, Galvatron's back, Optimus is on Earth worried. Hot Rod is on Cybertron, worried. A lot of bots are also worried, about Hot Rod and Cybertron, but don't worry, there's still ten issues to go.



As usual, there are several plotlines running through, and Hot Rod's this time is the major one: he has to deal with the revelations from the basement, the new angry Cybertronian population, who may not be Decepticons any longer, but have apparently tapped into other emotions. And that is bad (?).



At the same time, Optimus is concerned about having seen Galvatron flying off towards Cybertron (because, other than Nebulos, there are no other planets in the universe apparently), but can't really do much. And elsewhere Soundwave and Bludgeon are up to no good, preparing the usual ultimate machines of final destruction



You may have noticed my tone so far, and I'm not too impressed. It all feels like a big recap, a lot of exposition and setting up what is going to happen. And admittedly, it looks like it's going to be big. Especially with the final pages, which are a massive kick. More about that below.

Art

Wildman and Baskerville work their usual stuff, and there's nothing too off this time, either. Hot Rod is understandably troubled, and his expressions show it perfectly. There are some nice parallels between Bludgeon and Galvatron, and some of the flashbacks with Cybertron are stunningly detailed.



All is made even more pleasing to the eye by Bove's magic colours, once again helped out by Stayte. There's a lot of conversations happening in space and in open spaces, and the skies are gorgeous. Mowry on letters does a good job as always, but nothing particularly exciting.



Overall, this issue looks amazing. I have no problems with the artistic team at all. Some of the wider, planetary shots are excellent, the colouring is brilliant, Bludgeon's face is still pretty cool and the final pages are --not going to spoil it, but they're good.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

As I've said above, the whole issue doesn't do that much to me. It's not bad, at all, it just really feels like a giant recap of all that has happened so far in both the Marvel run(s) and ReGeneration One. BUT. There are so many references to Furman's previous work, that I could not stop giggling.



And the final reveals are just.. Ok, I'll admit it. I squealed with delight. The visual references, the in-story references, the convoluted plot, it's an all-round Furman-fest. I am very intrigued at where this will end up going, although it looks like there'll be a lot of planetary exploding. But then it'll all be over-- finished.

What? Were you expecting Galvatron to make a pit stop on the burned out planet of Chaar? This is a ridiculous complaint that Galvatron wants to go to Cybertron first because you know, what place would Galvatron go to re-establish his dominance of the Decepticons? Only on Seibertron would anyone think that Galvatron would first go to 'other planets' like Chaar to regain his empire.

I wonder if IDW will crap on their own release date and not make this issue available for download in an effort to bend over backwards for the brick and mortar stores... who for some reason might put this book on the stands next week.

burning_sirius wrote:What? Were you expecting Galvatron to make a pit stop on the burned out planet of Chaar? This is a ridiculous complaint that Galvatron wants to go to Cybertron first because you know, what place would Galvatron go to re-establish his dominance of the Decepticons? Only on Seibertron would anyone think that Galvatron would first go to 'other planets' like Chaar to regain his empire.

My complaint is simply that, in a lot of the franchise, the only three planets that seem to matter in the whole universe are Nebulos, Earth and Cybertron. Some authors have explored the possibility of a wider universe, and the existence of other species and races - I just find it a bit reductive that if a ship leaves Earth it will, by default, only go to Cybertron.

The problem with this comic in particular is that Optimus sees Galvatron leave Earth, so he must be going to Cybertron. That, to me, is not a logical conclusion! (And I never mentioned Chaar...) That's all I was pointing out!


As for 84forever: it's not down to IDW or the retailers to make issues available for sale, but the distributors. IDW might still release the digital issue this week, but the title is not digital first; that is to say, the digital aspect of the series is parallel and coincident with the print issues. No bending, squatting or crouching!

Va'al wrote:

burning_sirius wrote:What? Were you expecting Galvatron to make a pit stop on the burned out planet of Chaar? This is a ridiculous complaint that Galvatron wants to go to Cybertron first because you know, what place would Galvatron go to re-establish his dominance of the Decepticons? Only on Seibertron would anyone think that Galvatron would first go to 'other planets' like Chaar to regain his empire.

My complaint is simply that, in a lot of the franchise, the only three planets that seem to matter in the whole universe are Nebulos, Earth and Cybertron. Some authors have explored the possibility of a wider universe, and the existence of other species and races - I just find it a bit reductive that if a ship leaves Earth it will, by default, only go to Cybertron.

The problem with this comic in particular is that Optimus sees Galvatron leave Earth, so he must be going to Cybertron. That, to me, is not a logical conclusion! (And I never mentioned Chaar...) That's all I was pointing out!


As for 84forever: it's not down to IDW or the retailers to make issues available for sale, but the distributors. IDW might still release the digital issue this week, but the title is not digital first; that is to say, the digital aspect of the series is parallel and coincident with the print issues. No bending, squatting or crouching!

It is cool. I was wondering why narrative wise Galvatron wouldn't go to any planet but Cybertron. I found no other pit stops imo. Nah, it looks like stuff is about to hit the fan with these droids and the demons. The final clash will probably bring out Rodimus which is something hinted at in the scene with the body of Thunderwing vaguely looking like Rodimus/Primus.

There is definitely something big coming up.

Just you wait for the final pages of this issue - shattering.

Shattered is right. I am still thinking this Galvatron is an anomaly in this reality now both Megatron and Unicron are dead (granted he isn't from THIS reality) but as we've seen with Time Wars the fabric of spacetime doesn't like being mugged off.

Megatron and Unicron being dead mean that Galvatron by rights should never be able to exist in our time and yet he does.

I'm still not sure where all these plot threads are converging too and personally I love this not knowing element.

My all time big wish is to finally see J'hiaxus up against Galvatron as these two would seem evenly matched, we've also got a Warworld and Shockwave as the Ark to contend with too, not to mention Matrix infused Thunderwing.

Given both starships have sentient beings wired into them somehow I'm wondering if this could be where the story goes with the ships themselves becoming larger beings.

So many possibilities and so much to be excited for, such a shame only 9 more issues to go

The lovely people behind the official Transformers Facebook page have been able to sit down with Simon Furman, and talked about today's release from IDW: ReGeneration One 91! Read the full commentary below, and make sure to pick up a (digital or print) copy. You can also read our review here!

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #91—the comic book that continues the original 1984 TRANSFORMERS series, courtesy IDW Publishing and Hasbro—launches an all-new story arc! “DESTINY” part one sets the stage, as BLUDGEON and SOUNDWAVE launch their ultimate assault against the universe, thanks to legendary writer Simon Furman—who we sat down with for a brief chat!—and artist Andrew Wildman. TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #91 is out now at comic book stores everywhere, and for download at https://transformers.comixology.com/ or via the Comixology and iBooks apps on your computer or mobile device)!

PAGE 1: We’re on the world of Cresta Superior, with some beetle-like war machines in operation. What was your inspiration on the design of these machines? Did you have a specific look in mind or did you let artist Andrew Wildman design what he thought would work best?

SIMON FURMAN: A lot of the design of Bludgeon’s Blitz Engines comes (naturally enough) from Andrew. But of course I threw a bunch of ideas into the mix in the script too. My main requirement was that they in no way appeared humanoid. We went that route in Generation 2 (in which there’s a parallel story of Bludgeon and Matrix-infused clone troopers, one of a few G2 elements that are finding their way into the REGENERATION ONE mix… another big one of those says hi this very issue!), and I wanted these to be visually distinct and just generally big, threatening and armed to teeth.

They’re siege engines, tanks on legs basically. And Andrew took that and ran with it, creating these almost crab-like mechs that really look like they can just plough through anything (and anyone) in their way. They’re going to get a lot of action in #94-95, and to have even the slightest hope of combating them, the Autobots are going to have to wheel out a really BIG gun of their own.

PAGE 2: The machines are slaughtering the humanoid soldiers and breaking their way through into their base. Cresta Superior is a brand new world in TRANSFORMERS. Why create something new instead of using a previously established world for this scene?

SIMON FURMAN: One criticism I’ve seen leveled at RG1 is that we’re very focused down on just three worlds (Cybertron, Earth and Nebulos… and there’s a reason for that, trust me, which will become apparent in the final arc), so I took the opportunity to just remind readers that there are other worlds (and other mech species) out there (again, something that will form a big plot-point in the final arc), and lay in the idea that there are vast distances and gulfs of outer space that while maybe mapped aren’t well travelled or continually on the Cybertronian radar. Remember, a lot of RG1 (initially) was about Optimus Prime having (disastrously) taken his eye off the ball, allowed his sphere of awareness to focus too much on Cybertron (to the exclusion of all else). The business with Earth (and to an extent Nebulos) is going to turn out to be quite a micro-failing compared to what’s been happening out in the wider (macro-) universe.

PAGE 3: Bludgeon and Soundwave are talking, and we’re seeing that the machines are called Blitz Engines and are Bludgeon’s creations. Tell us about where Bludgeon is coming from in his point of view and how he sees the universe. And what he believes should happen to it.

SIMON FURMAN: Bludgeon’s a complex character. He has this whole martial arts style warrior code he adheres to (more or less) that skews his conventional motivations. Bludgeon is much more concerned with his wider legacy and how he’ll be regarded (by future generations) than the here and now. So while his current goal seems straightforward (return to Cybertron and the conquest of the same), it’s much more layered. Bludgeon believes in predestination, and that if that destiny is not forthcoming he must force the issue. He sees this life as merely stepping-stone to another (greater) destiny, and that makes him incredibly dangerous. Death holds no fear for him. Maybe even attracts him?

PAGE 4: Soundwave and Bludgeon are discussing their future plans, which would appear to involve Thunderwing. Even though Soundwave and Bludgeon are Decepticons and on the same side, are they really fighting for the same common cause or pursuing two very different agendas here?

SIMON FURMAN: There’s a certain amount of crossover in Bludgeon’s and Soundwave’s motivations/goals, but there’s also a whole side to what Bludgeon wants that Soundwave isn’t privy to. Soundwave is all about keeping Megatron’s banner raised over Cybertron, even post-mortem, whereas Bludgeon wants… well, that’d be telling.

PAGE 5: Looking at the aftermath of what Scorponok was doing in the previous issues. Is everything really back to normal on Cybertron? Can these guys just go back to the way things were before events of war took their toll on the population again?

SIMON FURMAN: I think that irrevocable damage has been done by Scorponok’s gene-engineering, but it’s not insurmountable. Part of the reason I wanted to do that particular arc was to show what a tenuous hold the Autobots have on the “heroic” side of their nature, that (actually) every day is a battle to hold onto the values and moral ideals they live by. (Grimlock, for example, walks that line a little more visibly.) They’re supremely powerful beings, appointed guardians/custodians of the entire universe. How could that degree of power, responsibility and status not go to your head? So every day is a struggle to keep on the side of right and virtue, and thanks to Scorponok that struggle is a little tougher, a little more evident.

This issue, man. Holy !@(&% this issue.

Jhiaxus!

And then the universe has a crack! It's all ending! GAME OVER MAN, GAME OVER.

...and to have even the slightest hope of combating them, the Autobots are going to have to wheel out a really BIG gun of their own.

Omega Supreme?