The Energon Pub

The Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast is back to discuss things we have known about for... some time. Your host ScottyP is joined by Aaarnhide19 and Megatronus to discuss superlatives and lay 40 for 40 to rest with our one-time recurring non-recurring segment: 41 for 40. Listen in to hear how this year shapes up in the Twincast tally, in an agenda and format that definitely is not a copy-paste of prior years.

Episode #367 “2024 Year In Review” is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on Apple Podcasts and many other Podcatcher sites within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

Here's what we discuss in this episode:

• We start with Best Transformers toy - objectively. Well, somewhat.
  
  
  
  
  
• Next, our favorite Transformers toys across 2 categories: main collector lines, and anything else.
  
  
  
  
  
• Best or favorite media. Foreshadowing: the Twincast was split between 2 main choices.
  
  
  
  
• Worst Transformers toy and worst Transformers-that-isn't-a-toy.
  
  
  
  
  
• Biggest collecting achievement of the year (i.e., a cool acquisition or major milestone).
  
  
  
  
  
• 2 Predictions: a 'layup' very-likely-to-happen prediction, and a wishful-thinking-never-gonna-happen conjecture.
  
  
  
  
  
• We wrap up the episode with a round of bragging rights, as we begin the year anew.

Can confirm! My target i was just at had sideburn and shadowstriker as the only legacy deluxes. Then the only ss86 at both walmart and target is an entire peg of bumblebee.

kurthy wrote:Can confirm! My target i was just at had sideburn and shadowstriker as the only legacy deluxes. Then the only ss86 at both walmart and target is an entire peg of bumblebee.

I think the biggest shame of that toy is that it was so close to being good, but it was designed to try and be everything for everyone for both of those characters and that just doesn't work. What's left is a pile of sad compromises.

I agree- the toys could have been good- but suffered from the name slap! I expected with the play pattern to capitalize on Shadow Striker being able to "upgrade" with the izors- and Sideburn is so incredibly non-symmetric that this mold loses that aspect, as well as the lack of accessories to have all weapons just made him fall flat. If it was a new character I may have been much more kind toward it.... but not those two.

kuhlio wrote:I agree- the toys could have been good- but suffered from the name slap! I expected with the play pattern to capitalize on Shadow Striker being able to "upgrade" with the izors- and Sideburn is so incredibly non-symmetric that this mold loses that aspect, as well as the lack of accessories to have all weapons just made him fall flat. If it was a new character I may have been much more kind toward it.... but not those two.

Agreed, mostly. There was something on the transformation itself that also didn't quite work right, the roof maybe? Barely messed with either of them so I've mentally blocked out that precise detail

Dude the hate for Sky Bound Transformers is so unhinged. Ask yourself why is it so popular? It's not because it's terrible.
I want to hear what comic was so good that you continue to lament the Sky Bound. Which one do you hold in such high regard that Sky Bound is so low? Good grief!



Also, you guys for years were lamenting getting the same cast and now we slamming the rock lords, Shard is absolutely stunning and I want more, it's only a shame that they remolded the Magneous mold 2 times and only gave us one of the Shard mold.

Yeah the Sideburn mold is unfortunate, not just the alt, awkward shoulders, but that grimace is just not very Sideburn at all.

I am truly enjoying most of the Energon Universe, however DWJ's artwork and storylines are not working for me. A couple of episodes ago I was super excited by Jason Howard's artwork, however right now the storyline for Transformers isn't doing it for me. Trying to not sound like a broken record, however when IDW got past the Costa run they have an incredible run- it pushed the idea of the Transformers universe, and even with Hasbro messing with their plans, were able to keep the story together. They opened the universe in a way the Legacy toy line tried to do but successfully added Beast Wars, Prime and other universes into the "G1" universe. Once James Roberts and the crew took over the comic became something great- so much so that I have all of the floppies, and look forward to all of the background information that James sells with his notebooks and upcoming scriptbooks.
Skybound is very much an Acton Comic book- I feel like DWJ is trying to "Walking Dead"-ify the Transformers. I love the Walking dead comic and how no one (but Rick) was safe until the end, however I feel like in the Transformers book there is body horror and slaughter of characters for no reason. Also walking dead made you care about a character before they killed them off- which lead to the shock, where DWJ just kills a character for no real reason. I understand it is popular and people love it- I am just not one of those people- however I do still have it on my pull list and pick up floppy copies of all the Transformer and Transformer adjacent books.
Transformer adjacent books are great for me- I don't know how the Joe crowd feels, but I have loved the fleshing out of characters with the multi minis leading to the monthly G.I.Joe. Void Rivals has also completely captured me.

As far as the character choice- there is a bit of time compression going on. I am having the realization that my combiners are now 12 years old- which is shocking. I look at the re-release of Jazz for SS and I feel like this is great. I have my copy, I like that more people have a shot at Jazz. Revisiting of previous releases are frustrating- In the above comments about IDW's comic I love to see the universe grow so re-visiting of Sideswipe for the 19th time does not achieve this for me. I want new characters or someone who hasn't been updated yet (looking at you Omni-bots/Sureshot).

The rock lords were a miss for me. I loved the fossilizers and junkions- I thought they were great and have multiple copies of the fossils for tinkering and junkions for the same reason. If they really wanted to homage the Rock Lords I feel like they didn't do a good job. I agree that Shard is the best of the group- really reminded me of a WFC Vortex and has a great play pattern. I just feel like if they just made them "Armorizors" and got rid of the rock aesthetic- it would have clicked more for me.

SkyFire Prime wrote:Dude the hate for Sky Bound Transformers is so unhinged. Ask yourself why is it so popular? It's not because it's terrible.
I want to hear what comic was so good that you continue to lament the Sky Bound. Which one do you hold in such high regard that Sky Bound is so low? Good grief!

I'm allowed an opinion, and while this one was purposely laced with more venom than usual (which is kind of the point of the segment, it's like an airing of grievances), calling this particular round of complaining "unhinged" doesn't feel fair. Heck, I was borderline complimentary of some of the character work, even if I find it unoriginal. There is no questioning the book's popularity and success. It just doesn't work for me, but if every other TF fan loves it, so be it.

Only since you asked, 2012-2018 IDW and Marvel UK are (very very broadly speaking, Barber's Shockwave twist can get twisted) my gold standard for TF comics. MTMTE 44 is my favorite single issue of any Transformers comic ever.

Everyone loves a good pile on, right? RIGHT!?

SkyFire Prime wrote:unhinged.

From now on, when ScottyP says something I disagree with, I'll just say "that's unhinged."

SkyFire Prime wrote:Ask yourself why is it so popular? It's not because it's terrible.

Counterpoint: Bayverse. Checkmate.

SkyFire Prime wrote:Also, you guys for years were lamenting getting the same cast and now we slamming the rock lords.

There's a huge number of actual Transformers characters and/or concepts they can be doing instead of forgettable pebble paupers homages.

kuhlio wrote:I am truly enjoying most of the Energon Universe, however DWJ's artwork and storylines are not working for me. A couple of episodes ago I was super excited by Jason Howard's artwork, however right now the storyline for Transformers isn't doing it for me. Trying to not sound like a broken record, however when IDW got past the Costa run they have an incredible run- it pushed the idea of the Transformers universe, and even with Hasbro messing with their plans, were able to keep the story together. They opened the universe in a way the Legacy toy line tried to do but successfully added Beast Wars, Prime and other universes into the "G1" universe. Once James Roberts and the crew took over the comic became something great- so much so that I have all of the floppies, and look forward to all of the background information that James sells with his notebooks and upcoming scriptbooks.
Skybound is very much an Acton Comic book- I feel like DWJ is trying to "Walking Dead"-ify the Transformers. I love the Walking dead comic and how no one (but Rick) was safe until the end, however I feel like in the Transformers book there is body horror and slaughter of characters for no reason. Also walking dead made you care about a character before they killed them off- which lead to the shock, where DWJ just kills a character for no real reason. I understand it is popular and people love it- I am just not one of those people- however I do still have it on my pull list and pick up floppy copies of all the Transformer and Transformer adjacent books.
Transformer adjacent books are great for me- I don't know how the Joe crowd feels, but I have loved the fleshing out of characters with the multi minis leading to the monthly G.I.Joe. Void Rivals has also completely captured me.

As far as the character choice- there is a bit of time compression going on. I am having the realization that my combiners are now 12 years old- which is shocking. I look at the re-release of Jazz for SS and I feel like this is great. I have my copy, I like that more people have a shot at Jazz. Revisiting of previous releases are frustrating- In the above comments about IDW's comic I love to see the universe grow so re-visiting of Sideswipe for the 19th time does not achieve this for me. I want new characters or someone who hasn't been updated yet (looking at you Omni-bots/Sureshot).

The rock lords were a miss for me. I loved the fossilizers and junkions- I thought they were great and have multiple copies of the fossils for tinkering and junkions for the same reason. If they really wanted to homage the Rock Lords I feel like they didn't do a good job. I agree that Shard is the best of the group- really reminded me of a WFC Vortex and has a great play pattern. I just feel like if they just made them "Armorizors" and got rid of the rock aesthetic- it would have clicked more for me.

Well...
I too have all the IDW floppies especially for Lost Light.

For me the IDW run was better than Transformers deserved. The writing was incredible. IDW2 was awful, I could understand hating that comic. But yeah I had no expectations that any comic would reach the bar set by Lost Light. So those were my feelings going into Sky Bound. I was expecting something different...and for me
they delivered. One thing I never really got the feels for in IDW was Optimus Prime...but Sky Bound seemed to understand Prime in a way I haven't seen in media in a long time.

Magneous, was pretty bland, I will admit. But Shard is Deluxe of the year for me, just picked it up, a pleasure to transform. It's very polished I highly recommend that one.

SkyFire Prime wrote:Ask yourself why is it so popular? It's not because it's terrible.

Counterpoint: Bayverse. Checkmate.



Oof that one hurt my feelings

ScottyP wrote:

SkyFire Prime wrote:Dude the hate for Sky Bound Transformers is so unhinged. Ask yourself why is it so popular? It's not because it's terrible.
I want to hear what comic was so good that you continue to lament the Sky Bound. Which one do you hold in such high regard that Sky Bound is so low? Good grief!

I'm allowed an opinion, and while this one was purposely laced with more venom than usual (which is kind of the point of the segment, it's like an airing of grievances), calling this particular round of complaining "unhinged" doesn't feel fair. Heck, I was borderline complimentary of some of the character work, even if I find it unoriginal. There is no questioning the book's popularity and success. It just doesn't work for me, but if every other TF fan loves it, so be it.

Only since you asked, 2012-2018 IDW and Marvel UK are (very very broadly speaking, Barber's Shockwave twist can get twisted) my gold standard for TF comics. MTMTE 44 is my favorite single issue of any Transformers comic ever.

Yeah but the very moment Prime stepped on that Deer off panel, it's like you forgot all about the DjD and Overlord. Labeling extreme violence etc.