The Energon Pub

Alright, so we have waited well over 6 weeks for this to be released, and we were told it would not feature as many errors or inconsistencies in it, as the editing would be far more stricter than the previous two books.

So what is your verdict?

Personally I think the first mistake IDW made was with the thinner cover, different textured and thinner pages. It's a step backwards, the pages can be hard to grip, and makes turning only a single page quite bothersome.

At least they got the 2 page spreads right this time, I prefer to get 2 pages devoted to Rattrap, Rhinox and Primal rather than some obscure minor character.

There are errors in this book, but what I like less than spelling errors is the way that many bio's seem to be dot points that were never filled out, and others seem like they came straight from the writers in draft form and were published that way.

Not a fan of some of the "newer" artist that submitted work for this book, the colours are good, but the overall character drawings are fairly ordinary.

Most of the Bio's are vague and not at all what I would call useful, so at least in that aspect Issue #3 remains in the same style as the first 2.
Add to that the most common weakness in this book seems to be depression, over and over again, and it still reeks of half baked writing.

If I did not already have the first three, I would not consider the last one.

Did it really come out this week? My comic shop told me it did not, or that they didn't get any... They've been leaving TFs out of my pulls which I get very frustrated with, thus, you can see that if it did come out this week, and they did get some, I am MUY furious!

EDIT: I need a word to describe the opposite of 'AWESOMESAUCE'. So what is your opposite for that TRUNKS? That's how I feel about this whole TF thing.

tigertracks 24 wrote:EDIT: I need a word to describe the opposite of 'AWESOMESAUCE'. So what is your opposite for that TRUNKS? That's how I feel about this whole TF thing.

Hrmmm... Crudtacular would fit, wouldn't it?
Maybe even some cream of Craptitude?

It's out, but I have heard form a number of people now (even in Australia) whose comic stores had no idea this was released this week. All I know is my comic store had 5 issues left as of 5pm Friday, but then again the same comic store has 2 issues of books #1 and #2 on the shelves as well...

i_amtrunks wrote:

tigertracks 24 wrote:EDIT: I need a word to describe the opposite of 'AWESOMESAUCE'. So what is your opposite for that TRUNKS? That's how I feel about this whole TF thing.

Hrmmm... Crudtacular would fit, wouldn't it?
Maybe even some cream of Craptitude?

It's out, but I have heard form a number of people now (even in Australia) whose comic stores had no idea this was released this week. All I know is my comic store had 5 issues left as of 5pm Friday, but then again the same comic store has 2 issues of books #1 and #2 on the shelves as well...

Something to do with IDW not shipping properly just after Christmas. It wont be coming to the UK 'til Wednesday... I don't know if it affects American stores but thats the deal over here.

You know, the fact that it's not going to come out till Wednesday (if even then) is more than enough to piss me off. Hearing that, once again, and despite supposedly having actual editors and competent creative people behind it, errors have once again managed to creep into the whole thing is more than enough to drive any lingering anger about having missed it on Friday from my mind.

Of course, instead, now I'm angry that Ryall and co. @ IDW have managed to disappoint me once again when it comes to the Beast Wars books. And before you go off on me for saying so, let me remind you that Ryall himself stated that the third issue would be coming out under tighter editorial watchdogs, presumably why it took two months to get released in the first place.

Trunks didn't even mention what I might very well consider the most annoying error of the whole thing: the fact that Ravage's cassette form isn't actually called a "cassette". Instead it's just "name."

Ah, well. I'll have to wait till Wednesday to find out if there's anything in it that makes it salvageable.

I only read it on the train on the way home on Friday, and my spelling ain't the greatest, so I am sure there are plenty of things I missed, just like issues #1 and #2. But things like waxy thin paper and covers is an obvious flaw for someone like me to pick up on.

I think we may have to put an Adults only tag on this thread for foul language once DB gets his copy...

i_amtrunks wrote:I think we may have to put an Adults only tag on this thread for foul language once DB gets his copy...

I think the autocensor covers that already.

Darth Bombshell wrote:You know, the fact that it's not going to come out till Wednesday (if even then) is more than enough to piss me off.

Don't worry about it DB, I'm equally pissed off. I completely agree, if they knew it was gunna get a late UK release then they should have made damn sure it got released BEFORE Christmas. What I want to know is how he's/they're not realising that we fans would like to have all 4/6 books in the same format (for consistency), with correct spelling & grammar, in the same time frame (no swapping between past & future tenses), and on time!
Surely that should be easy enough.
If they'd just not released it until ALL the books were done, edited, proof read, proof read again, and ready to be printed in the same format... Hell I would have been willing to put the extra work in for free! If it's too expensive to get a proof reader GIVE IT TO THE FANS! Find a fan with good Grammar, ask for a favor... I'd do it... and anyone who would expect money for it (without good reason) could really do with an attitude adjustment.
I read both source books in a few hours each, add in time for proof reading and editing and you're looking at maybe a day? Spread that so you do a few pages ever day then it'll only take a week. And if you only give ten pages to one proof reader and ten to another and ten to another, etc, then it'll be done faster.
Hell, get 25 proof readers (2 pages each) on one issue and it'll be done within the hour.

Justicity wrote:If they'd just not released it until ALL the books were done, edited, proof read, proof read again, and ready to be printed in the same format... Hell I would have been willing to put the extra work in for free! If it's too expensive to get a proof reader GIVE IT TO THE FANS! Find a fan with good Grammar, ask for a favor... I'd do it... and anyone who would expect money for it (without good reason) could really do with an attitude adjustment.
I read both source books in a few hours each, add in time for proof reading and editing and you're looking at maybe a day? Spread that so you do a few pages ever day then it'll only take a week. And if you only give ten pages to one proof reader and ten to another and ten to another, etc, then it'll be done faster.
Hell, get 25 proof readers (2 pages each) on one issue and it'll be done within the hour.

You know.. It's the rational, logical and well meaning fans like you that make deranged fans like me wish I wasn't still going to get the TPB when it comes with Ravage's alt mode still being labeled as "name"...

That and I've started to look forward to DB's , reasonable dislike of how IDW is handling the BW brand and her consistently well formated comments

Seriously though, I could see how your suggestion could be effectively implemented. They could even make a contest of it. "10 selected fans will win the honor of editing the BW Source TPB and a signed personal copy!"

I'ld do it for free, but this could give IDW some increased PR.

AxiomScion wrote:That and I've started to look forward to DB's , reasonable dislike of how IDW is handling the BW brand and her consistently well formated comments

Um...last time I checked, I was a dude.

Aside from that, yeah. Believe you me that the moment I'm able, I'll be pulling a Comic Book Guy and registering my disgust throughout the net.

Darth Bombshell wrote:.

Aside from that, yeah. Believe you me that the moment I'm able, I'll be pulling a Comic Book Guy and registering my disgust throughout the net.

"WORST Sourcebook ever..."[/sarcasm] and then slurps from 64 oz. cola...

eep!

Sorry bout that DB, I was mutli-tasking and two out of three posts were directed at someone i knew was of the fem perspiration...

I'll crawl back into my hole until the TPB comes out...

but first... would you think there is some credence to Justicity's suggested fan based editing team? I mean we're already being used for our money, so why not our job earning talents? Especially if they can make it sound like a good thing for everyone... fans having a small hand in the quality product they know and hold dear... and all for the love of the mythos...

Mosaic is a primary example of what a fan base community can accomplish on there own, Imagine if they were even marginally backed by IDW or vise versa...

AxiomScion wrote:but first... would you think there is some credence to Justicity's suggested fan based editing team? I mean we're already being used for our money, so why not our job earning talents? Especially if they can make it sound like a good thing for everyone... fans having a small hand in the quality product they know and hold dear... and all for the love of the mythos...

Mosaic is a primary example of what a fan base community can accomplish on there own, Imagine if they were even marginally backed by IDW or vise versa...

Wow, thanks for listening to my point!
I seriously suggest we email a link to this thread to someone at IDW or PM it to an IDW member on these boards. If sections of scripts, not even artwork, was sent out to fans in such a manner that it didn't spoil the end product for them, then we could change small errors, spelling, grammar, "name", etc.

Justicity wrote:Wow, thanks for listening to my point!
I seriously suggest we email a link to this thread to someone at IDW or PM it to an IDW member on these boards. If sections of scripts, not even artwork, was sent out to fans in such a manner that it didn't spoil the end product for them, then we could change small errors, spelling, grammar, "name", etc.

That's one of the things wrong with your great idea from their point of view, and probably why they would not approve any such thing...the 'secrets' would get out!

No matter how many non-disclosure agreements are signed, you know it would happen, and that would ruin it super-fast, and then we may not even have TFs at IDW, and we'll be left with no TF comics/fiction to read and enjoy.

It seems like something they need to take care of in house. I don't read any of their other titles, but errors do happen in all companies, but because some are smaller companies, I suppose they do not have as much money to commit to some things, and need to do more pick and choose on where the money is spent.

I'd prefer errors, and the current quality of writing and art we have, when the alternative may be less titles, or no titles...

Well, speaking as someone who has done a lot of proofreading in the past, both at work and on personal projects, I find it disappointing when I see errors in professional written work because there's really no excuse for it.

I know, for instance, it takes me around 4 hours to process 9 to 10 pages of writing from my roleplaying group, so about a half-hour a page. And that is including the fact that my group is not the best at spelling, grammar, and punctuation; I have to copyedit/format it from IRC log to prose format, etc. Presumably a professional writer would be taking care to try not to make mistakes, so proofing there would mainly be cleanup of the little things you sometimes miss.

tigertracks 24 wrote:

Justicity wrote:Wow, thanks for listening to my point!
I seriously suggest we email a link to this thread to someone at IDW or PM it to an IDW member on these boards. If sections of scripts, not even artwork, was sent out to fans in such a manner that it didn't spoil the end product for them, then we could change small errors, spelling, grammar, "name", etc.

That's one of the things wrong with your great idea from their point of view, and probably why they would not approve any such thing...the 'secrets' would get out!

No matter how many non-disclosure agreements are signed, you know it would happen, and that would ruin it super-fast, and then we may not even have TFs at IDW, and we'll be left with no TF comics/fiction to read and enjoy.

It seems like something they need to take care of in house. I don't read any of their other titles, but errors do happen in all companies, but because some are smaller companies, I suppose they do not have as much money to commit to some things, and need to do more pick and choose on where the money is spent.

I'd prefer errors, and the current quality of writing and art we have, when the alternative may be less titles, or no titles...

Good point, however how does that feature in this situation: the sourcebooks? The secrets are already out, we know what happens to the characters. I'm not saying they need it for the series's, they're doing ok for spelling/grammar. However things like this where the community could get involved and where the quality control seems so loose...
How do the heads of IDW not pick up a copy after print, look at it & go "Slag.... let's make sure we don't repeat that next time!"

Justicity wrote:How do the heads of IDW not pick up a copy after print, look at it & go "Slag.... let's make sure we don't repeat that next time!"

Concerning the Sourcebooks it seems to not happen on a regular basis...

tigertracks 24 wrote:It seems like something they need to take care of in house. I don't read any of their other titles, but errors do happen in all companies, but because some are smaller companies, I suppose they do not have as much money to commit to some things, and need to do more pick and choose on where the money is spent.

I'd prefer errors, and the current quality of writing and art we have, when the alternative may be less titles, or no titles...

I think there's something you've forgotten. This series was announced in May 2006 and, due to various circumstances I won't get into here, didn't start to come out until October 2007. That means they had nearly a year and a half in which to notice these errors and do something about it.

The fact that they didn't is a very damning statement indeed.

I don't have any issues, my comic shop eather did not get any, ore forgot to save them for me.

Damn this source book sounds as bad as the Marvel Encyclopedia!
But that cost me 90 euros, so I think I should be more disappointed than you.

THey also omitted a character. I have/had his action figure, but what happened to TM-2 Scourge? He wasn't at all mentioned in Sourcebook 3, since they are going alphbetically. Hopefully they'll fix the problems when the TPB comes out.