Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

[AllNewSuperRobot]

It’s like, if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it.

Beast Wars is already pretty frikkin perfect, I don’t understand why we need a reboot series. Why not a sequel series that isn’t Beast Machines? That’d be rad.

^ 100% this.

I did speculate earlier that this all sounded ominously like reruns. The fact that a cover for one of the later solicitations looks like 'The Web', but with Bat-Girl in place of Cheetor. That doesn't bode well.

I'd already pre-ordered issue one. I think I'll go to issue two before deciding to drop it, or not.

As most here have been saying for a while, this artstyle really doesn't fit with Beast Wars. That Gorilla Mode image, really hammers that home.

[Immortal Starscream]

I think it is a neat reboot, all things considered. my only criticisms here were already covered in the review, but I will echo them anyway. Primal feels off. Kind of how Netflix's Prime feels off, but not near as bad. The art style really bugs me. its not bad, not by a long shot. (this can be seen as facetious, given how... not great the original beast wars animation has aged) The art here is clearly brining the A-game, but it feels like the wrong choice for our beastie-bots. I get very "Transformers Animated" vibes from it. (I loved animated btw, so it's not a dig on that style)

[TulioDude]

Not feeling the art.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Just coming in to say that, as a long time fan of Burcham's art, I really do like it. clearly I am in disagreement with most here, but I do like the art. And honestly, gorilla mode Primal to me looks good and I like it, especially the fur in the fingers when he's rubbing his arm.

[ZeroWolf]

Just coming in to say that, as a long time fan of Burcham's art, I really do like it. clearly I am in disagreement with most here, but I do like the art. And honestly, gorilla mode Primal to me looks good and I like it, especially the fur in the fingers when he's rubbing his arm.

I agree with you D-Max, I was just coming to say the same thing. I enjoy this art, the resemblance to Animated, one of the best entries in the franchise, makes it all the better.

[william-james88]

As most here have been saying for a while, this artstyle really doesn't fit with Beast Wars. That Gorilla Mode image, really hammers that home.

And you didn't see the worst one yet

[AllNewSuperRobot]

As most here have been saying for a while, this artstyle really doesn't fit with Beast Wars. That Gorilla Mode image, really hammers that home.

And you didn't see the worst one yet

[ScottyP]

I thought it was really darn good. Haven't had this much fun reading a Transformers comic in a long time now. The writing is expressive, the art elevates both the story and characters and the creative team's love really shines through. The beast forms are jarring at first, yeah. They're supposed to be. Cybertronians just got faux-realistic-animal alt modes, it's weird, yep, but also part of the charm.

Even if you're not crazy about the designs themselves, the art is more expressive and has better sequential work than anything in the Ruckley books. Not being tied down by toy designs really helps.

Just wanted to throw in my two cents as another staff member while leaving things a bit vague to avoid spoilers. I think anyone that enjoyed Beast Wars will really like this take on it, so far it's the same general story but with a lot more detail and some (so far) minor differences.

[o.supreme]

I often see older fans ask for a straight up G1 reboot that is as close to possible to the original and I always think it would serve of no use. We already have lots of G1 reboots (like Cyberverse and Netflix's WFC) and if that's not G1 enough for you, then the original show is still there. With this first issue of Beast Wars, all that is reinforced for me.

There is a huge difference however in that The original Series was left unfinished. There are so many characters not introduced, and so many time periods to explore (War on Cybertron, 20 year gap between S2 and TFTM, post Rebirth etc...). Fans don't WANT a reboot, as that has been done, and each one is a splinter, still NOT the Original Series. What fans want is a continuation.

BW was a completed story. Beginning, Middle, End and was quite satisfactory , it even got a 2 year addendum in Beast Machines while not as well liked, still extended the lives of those characters longer. Yes we still have those original 98 episodes, and TFTM. Nothing will ever take that away. But in 37 years, no matter how many split universe "takes" have been made on The Original Transformers, we still have yet to return to that original universe, and we are still waiting.

For what it's worth I actually enjoyed The Gathering/Ascending series (IDW first attempt at BW), as it was different, and wasn't a retelling of the completed show. I can understand peoples resistance to this new series.

[william-james88]

Fans don't WANT a reboot, as that has been done, and each one is a splinter, still NOT the Original Series. What fans want is a continuation.

I can definitely get behind that. What I wrote does reflect what I have been reading online for years now with some G1 fans really wanting a modern G1 reboot, telling the same stories again but with modern animation, pacing ect.

Don't the G1 comics offer some type of continuation? You get a lot more stories taking place within the G1 lore with characters the show never had.

[Randomhero]

Scotty Young? Seriously. How is anyone comparing this to Scotty Young and not Geoff Senior? That’s exactly what Josh is doing. His art is very Geoff Senior.

[o.supreme]

Don't the G1 comics offer some type of continuation? You get a lot more stories taking place within the G1 lore with characters the show never had.

IDW does offer more stories yes, however the personalities of those characters diverge greatly from the original animated series. So much so that again I call it a splinter, I can't even call it the thing you are calling it. It's not always a bad thing, however most of the time, the changes, for me, were in the negative. I actually read/owned every issue of IDW from November of 2006, until it's conclusion in November of 2018. By the end, I was just so sick of it, I sold my entire collection on eBay just about this time last year, and haven't even bothered to look at the new IDW continuity. The highlight for me will always be All Hail Megatron. But 12 Great issues in 400+ of everything ranging from dull-as-dishwater boring (furmans early stuff) to things I found to be outright offensive in later years I just cannot support. For all it's flaws businesswise DW offered a much more palatable version of the original characters in terms of the printed page for me. I was actually looking forward to their take on BW as well (Anyone remember the online vote BW vs RiD, which would get a new series?), alas, it never happened.

As I've not read (and wont) read this new BW series, I can't objectively give an opinion. Also, even when I vehemently dislike something, I do have to concede that if someone else is gaining enjoyment form it, then it is probably worth it for them. If they spend the money, and support it, more power to them.

If Transformers is always to be the 3 pronged self-promoting machine of Toys, Animation, and Print Media, things seem to be going in cycles. Unfortunately for me, all 3 cylinders haven't been firing at once in a long time. It's usually just one, or two, but never three. But as long as one still fires, I can still show interest. If ever a time comes that the machine completely fails for me, that will be a sad day.

[william-james88]

IDW does offer more stories yes, however the personalities of those characters diverge greatly from the original animated series. So much so that again I call it a splinter, I can't even call it the thing you are calling it.

I meant the actual g1 comics, from Marvel. They give you a lot more stories within the G1 lore.

[o.supreme]

IDW does offer more stories yes, however the personalities of those characters diverge greatly from the original animated series. So much so that again I call it a splinter, I can't even call it the thing you are calling it.

I meant the actual g1 comics, from Marvel. They give you a lot more stories within the G1 lore.

I do enjoy those to a degree yes. As mentioned previously, I did sell all my comics last year. IDW I was happy to get rid of but Marvel and DW I just sold to make extra money. I wouldn't mind reacquiring all the Marvel and DW issues in digital format if they were readily available. I know IDW offers most of their stuff digitally now, just not sure about Marvel & DW.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

The thing is G1 can be made into anything, as Sunbow was the most bare bones of all TF series. Plus when it comes to G1, most association is made with the cartoon, over the comics. So long as Prime is a truck, Starscream is a Jet etc the rest is extremely malleable.

Beast Wars was complete, it didn't need a "new take" of the exact same thing. A derivate rehash. It doesn't need to be turned into The Hobbit Trilogy or the Star Wars Special Editions. There is at least two thirds of the Beast Era cast that could be elevated and/or focused on. Beyond the show rosters. There is also the post-Beast Machines future I mentioned a few pages back.


For the record, Furman's run, upto and including The Last Stand of The Wreckers, was the only worthwhile bit of IDWverse. The rest, post-DoOP... You won't miss out on any great TF prose by skipping it.

[ZeroWolf]

Greetings Seibertronians! Following on from our review of Issue #1 of IDWs newest Transformers comic, Beast Wars, we now bring you the full preview!

Check it out below!

Celebrating 25 years of Beast Wars! In the future, the planet Cybertron belongs to the scientific-minded Maximals and the action-oriented Predacons! When a crew of Predacons, led by the successor to the Megatron name, steal a golden disk and a ship capable of traveling through time, it’s up to Optimus Primal and his Maximal crew—Rattrap, Rhinox, Cheetor, and new character Nyx—to catch them! A brand-new Beast era begins in an oversized first issue by Erik Burnham (Ghostbusters, Transformers/Ghostbusters) and Josh Burcham (Transformers, Transformers Galaxies), yesssss!

This issue is scheduled for release tomorrow.

Will you be picking up/ downloading this issue tomorrow? Let us know in the Energon Pub and stay tuned to Seibertron for all the latest news and reviews!

[Nexus Knight]

No matter how many times I see it, the "No Incidents" joke is still going to be funny for me.

[Sabrblade]

I do like the look of the Cybertronian environments. Very Beast Machines.

Even got the scarred moon in there. Nice.

[ScottyP]

Scotty Young? Seriously. How is anyone comparing this to Scotty Young and not Geoff Senior? That’s exactly what Josh is doing. His art is very Geoff Senior.

QFT. Other than the faces and some of the ink work they're very similar styles, so it's weird how the reactions are so different.

[Spider5800]

Who's the seventh Predacon? The one with Waspinator and Tarantulus complaining about how loud it is? It's not Megatron, and Terrorsaur, Dinobot and Skorponok were getting the golden disk. New character, like Nyx?

I'm actually really digging the art, so kinda sad so many seem to dislike it. Will try to pick this up this weekend.

[TheAmazingBrave]

I had to look up who Scottie Young was, and comparing him to Burcham is a disservice to that man. His art style is far more expressive, far more dynamic, and far more organic looking. I know Burcham has gotten a lot of flak and hate for his art style, but I can only be so delicate with my critique. It's stiff, flat, and I just can't empathize with a character when the only range of emotions they can express is sideways sonic the hedgehog mouth.
The only thing I can credit the guy with is his coloring. Holy cow, the coloring. When I think of MTMTE and Lost Light, I think of that muted, faded pastel palette he used during the first few issues of that series and the various Wreckers comics. It makes the colors pop without being too vibrant and cheerful, while also giving that worn and aged look without succumbing to the intoxicating levels of GRUNGE overlays that Livio Ramondelli likes to slap on their art. It kind of reminds me of sun damaged box art, and I suspect that was the inspiration behind those colors, which is honestly brilliant. He's probably on par with Sara Stone as my favorite colorist when it comes to comics.

[Randomhero]

I had to look up who Scottie Young was, and comparing him to Burcham is a disservice to that man. His art style is far more expressive, far more dynamic, and far more organic looking. I know Burcham has gotten a lot of flak and hate for his art style, but I can only be so delicate with my critique. It's stiff, flat, and I just can't empathize with a character when the only range of emotions they can express is sideways sonic the hedgehog mouth.
The only thing I can credit the guy with is his coloring. Holy cow, the coloring. When I think of MTMTE and Lost Light, I think of that muted, faded pastel palette he used during the first few issues of that series and the various Wreckers comics. It makes the colors pop without being too vibrant and cheerful, while also giving that worn and aged look without succumbing to the intoxicating levels of GRUNGE overlays that Livio Ramondelli likes to slap on their art. It kind of reminds me of sun damaged box art, and I suspect that was the inspiration behind those colors, which is honestly brilliant. He's probably on par with Sara Stone as my favorite colorist when it comes to comics.

That’s why I will disagree with anyone who compares Burcham and young. They’re apples and oranges. As I said if you want a solid comparison with Josh’s it’s Geoff Senior. They’re art styles are very similar and you can tell just by looking at Josh’s art he’s an avid fan of old school transformers comics by Senior and he’s an inspiration. Both are very flat(not a bad thing to me) and a sharp edges(also not a bad thing) and while being very VERY expressive but it also Josh’s art. You can tell it’s him. I’ll take that over several veteran artists. I’ll take this art over the terrible storytelling of Don Figueroa in the first couple beast wars comics of 13+ Years ago where Don couldn’t convey anything except standing around or posing in panels that just didn’t feel fluid.


If there’s any transformers artist to compare to Young it’s Roche. Especially his early work like Spotlight Kup.

[Sabrblade]

A brief fan review of the first issue:

First issue was a solid read. You get a real feel for many of the characters, and how they're going to differ from their original BW counterparts. This is a new take on Primal, which works very well. He's itching for adventure, and he's about to get it. The relationship between Rhinox and Primal gets more development in a couple panels than all the episodes of the first season combined. Rattrap is his old self.

Megatron is written flawlessly, and exactly as you remember him in his scene-chewing glory. The other Preds at least have some characterization in the brief panels they appear, but it's clear: Megatron is pushing this narrative forward. The seeds for Dinobots eventual face turn are in the preview pages, so I don't feel I'm spoiling anything there. And Waspinator is a pilot!

The Comixology version features sketches of the characters in their Cybertronian forms, both robot and vehicle. This was a neat feature that I assume the paper version will also have?

Similarities to the show: The planet the crew lands on has two moons, and floating mountains are implied in the background. There's a golden disc. They need to stay in beast mode largely for plot device reasons. And when the Axalon got pulled into the transwarp field, the '90s metal guitar riff from the show went through my mind.

If you liked the show, give this book a chance. If you like a fun narrative with well-defined characters, give this book a chance. The first issue shows promise.

[Rodimus Prime]

Scotty Young? Seriously. How is anyone comparing this to Scotty Young and not Geoff Senior? That’s exactly what Josh is doing. His art is very Geoff Senior.

Which is why it's a turn off for me. I never liked senior's style either. It's so lifeless. Always preferred Guido Guidi and Andrew Wildman.

[william-james88]

A brief fan review of the first issue:

Found another one that's even more brief:

It was okay. Basically a retelling of the Theft of the Golden Disk and the first 6 minutes of the first episode. I don't like Primal's characterization so far. Getting a cocksure or reckless vibe from him and it's not sitting well with me. Not much to comment on story wise because it's just setting up the premise. We'll see where it ends up.

Also I forgot how much I hate the release schedule of comics. Once a month you get the equivalent of 10 minutes of TV for $3-5. I prefer trade paperbacks, but I don't want to wait.

That's basically what my review was too: it was ok.

But I didn't mind the changes to Primal. I didn't mind anything aside from the art, but nothing wowed me either. In the end, there's not much to go on in one issue that retells things we already know inside out for the most part.