Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2014 8:27AM CST
Categories: Comic Book News, People News, InterviewsPosted by: Va'al Views: 80,101
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There is no preview as such for this week's IDW Publishing release - the first collected trade volume of Transformers vs G.I. Joe - but you can still get to find out more about it by reading an interview with creators John Barber and Tom Scioli, courtesy of ComicsAlliance. Find some snippets below, and click on the link to read the full story - and maybe come back to Seibertron.com, so we may finish reviewing the two issues we've left behind!
ComicsAlliance: The amazing thing about Transformers vs. G.I. Joe for me as a reader is that it doesn’t feel like it should exist, and I mean that in the best way possible. It has this feeling that there’s no way this book should’ve been approved, because it’s so wild, raw and energetic. How did you get that feeling to come across in this comic?
Tom Scioli: I don’t know how you would get to that point with any kind of comic. Just from my perspective, I’ve been doing comics for such a long time and in such a way that’s very different from the normal career path for comics, so I don’t know how you replicate that. I don’t know how many other people are out there that would be able to have that mix of discipline and self-destructive chaotic impulse to get that. I don’t know, John? Do you have any perspective?
John Barber: To one degree or another, when you’re working on something that’s company-owned, you have to forget about that when you’re working on it, and I think that degree varies. The whole idea was to make something kind of weird, that went out the window at some point. There was probably a minute early on where Michael Kelly, the guy we work with at Hasbro as their Director of Global Publishing, called and he was like, “This isn’t exactly what we talked about.” He loves the book, but at some point, the idea was going to be safer. It’s not like there’s anything unsafe about this, either, but you want to be able to point at it and say “here are these two things that we put together to make one thing,” and I don’t think you can do that with our book. I think that’s what makes it interesting.
TS: I didn’t really know how it was going to turn out either. It’s a project where it’s like “yeah, what would this thing be?” I know that when we first talked about in the beginning, we had that very basic idea of a Jack Kirby take on this sort of thing, but when you sit down to actually make it, all these other opportunities open up. All these other creative things take over, and it outgrows that initial idea. But then it sort of comes back to it. Early on, I thought I wanted to do something more serious than just a straight Jack Kirby rip-roaring adventure, but then it turned into that kind of rip-roaring adventure.
[...]
CA: Along those same lines, I’m a much bigger fan of Joe than Transformers, so most of the Transformers comics that I’ve read have been crossovers with G.I. Joe, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that was structured like this, with the Joes going to Cybertron. Was that just an obvious thing that you’d never seen?
JB: That was there from the beginning. 100% of this comic is Tom at this point, and I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I expect that one day, Tom will just stop emailing me.
TS: [Laughs] I’ll just send you the finish comic.
JB: Right. But every other Transformers/G.I. Joe comic, at least every one that I read, tried to drag Transformers to a realistic level and throw that into the G.I. Joe world. I thought the idea of blowing up G.I. Joe and making them science-fiction, having them live in the Transformers’ world, was there. If anything, Cybertron was the one thing I really wanted to do. But it obviously came out much cooler in the comic than I would’ve thought of.
Credit(s): ComicsAlliance
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Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1644987)
Posted by william-james88 on January 30th, 2015 @ 11:11pm CST
Posted by william-james88 on January 30th, 2015 @ 11:11pm CST
Here is the official solicit for the long awaited Transformers vs G.I. JOE #5, followed by a full preview found on Comic Alliance.
It should be shipping on February 11th.
Transformers vs G.I. JOE #5
Tom Scioli & John Barber (w) • Scioli (a & c)
IT GETS CRAZIER! The biggest space battle ever grows to universal proportions! Will the G.I. JOE team and the AUTOBOTS make peace—before COBRA and the DECEPTICONS end the war… the bad way?!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
It should be shipping on February 11th.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1645089)
Posted by Rated X on January 31st, 2015 @ 9:40am CST
Posted by Rated X on January 31st, 2015 @ 9:40am CST
I just don't understand why people like this stuff. You don't see any "He-Man vs. Thundercats" or "Powerpuff Girls vs. My Little Pony" comics ?
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1645120)
Posted by Lord Manhammer '74 on January 31st, 2015 @ 11:38am CST
And the fact you don't see any is a crime in and of itself.
Posted by Lord Manhammer '74 on January 31st, 2015 @ 11:38am CST
Rated X wrote:I just don't understand why people like this stuff. You don't see any "He-Man vs. Thundercats" or "Powerpuff Girls vs. My Little Pony" comics ?
And the fact you don't see any is a crime in and of itself.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1645133)
Posted by dragons on January 31st, 2015 @ 12:16pm CST
[img][IMG]http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj615/Silverager1969/436.jpg[/img]
Posted by dragons on January 31st, 2015 @ 12:16pm CST
Lord Manhammer '74 wrote:Rated X wrote:I just don't understand why people like this stuff. You don't see any "He-Man vs. Thundercats" or "Powerpuff Girls vs. My Little Pony" comics ?
And the fact you don't see any is a crime in and of itself.
[img][IMG]http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj615/Silverager1969/436.jpg[/img]
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1645167)
Posted by Rated X on January 31st, 2015 @ 2:19pm CST
Well Ill be damned....
Let me step outside and see if I can spot any pigs flying....
Posted by Rated X on January 31st, 2015 @ 2:19pm CST
dragons wrote:Lord Manhammer '74 wrote:Rated X wrote:I just don't understand why people like this stuff. You don't see any "He-Man vs. Thundercats" or "Powerpuff Girls vs. My Little Pony" comics ?
And the fact you don't see any is a crime in and of itself.
[img][IMG]http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj615/Silverager1969/436.jpg[/img]
Well Ill be damned....
Let me step outside and see if I can spot any pigs flying....
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1645188)
Posted by morphobots on January 31st, 2015 @ 4:00pm CST
Posted by morphobots on January 31st, 2015 @ 4:00pm CST
The comeback by dragons and the response by Rated X is the best thing I've read all week. 
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1649226)
Posted by Va'al on February 10th, 2015 @ 2:19pm CST
Synopsis
IT GETS CRAZIER! The biggest space battle ever grows to universal proportions! Will the G.I. JOE team and the AUTOBOTS make peace—before COBRA and the DECEPTICONS end the war… the bad way?!
One Woman Army
Story
I realise we have fallen behind on reviewing this series, and we will come back to fill in on the missing issues of the first volume of Transformers vs G.I. Joe. However, after a decent hiatus, the cosmic series by Tom Scioli and John Barber is back with its fifth issue, and we're here to remind you how amazing it is!
Maximize!
We're on Earth and Cybertron, as the latter moves closer to the former at the hands of Megatron, and G.I. Joe and Cybertronians alike are attempting to deal with the impending catastrophe - although each in their own way, with suspicion, and not all plans are working together, at all.
Who nose what might happen
One of the main storylines we follow is that of Rodimus, as the attempts to regain control of Metroplex and the Autobot troops, his clash with one of the G1-est Grimlocks in a while, and the consequences of giant robot egos meeting each other's match, Megatron included, for the first time seen as potentially fallible.
Clash of Kings
The writing is fantastically scattered across the pages and cosmic stage that Scioli and Barber have set up, and even then, there is a lot more coherence than in the first couple of issues. The interactions and uncomfortable alliances between humans and Cybertronians lead to both amusing and fairly tense scenes, and definitely worth following around.
Art
Tom Scioli's double act as writer and artist still delivers in a fantastic correspondence between, arguably, intention and execution. He is not trying to do anything, he is not attempting to capture elements of *something* - this is his style, heavily influenced by early comics art, and it is something to amaze at, every time.
Have a Metropolygon
Every corner of every panel, even the round ones, has something going on, from the little tags identifying new characters to the Quintesson vinetacles, to the sheer amount on miniature scenes taking place across a single page, plus all the colour work, you can spend hours on an issue alone.
Three Are One
The addition of Chris Mowry's stellar lettering and design work make sure that all is in its place and with its own voice, too, and that the package matches the contents, with echoes of those comics art influences showing up in the book as book. Plus, to catch eyes from everywhere, we get an impressive array of covers by Scioli, Nick Pitarra/Megan Wilson on Soundwave and Slither and the thumbnailed Derek Charm [plus a slightly more questionable one by Jamie Tyndall/Ula Mos].
Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead
The marvellous incoherent cohesion of the multiple overlapping scripts and plots is what makes this series so appealing to many readers who are not generally into Transformers or G.I. Joe fictional universes. It's fine to get lost, we're actually invited to do so, and there's more to gain from it, if you want to.
Laughing one's head off
We get references to Transformers lore, battles of wit, humour and ridiculous amounts of action, and it still feels as though we're being pulled through a story that doesn't care whether we're paying attention or not - much like the rest of the universe. This is a series that does exactly what it wants, and what it wants is to have fun with the medium and the casts. We're along for the ride, so buckle up.
Posted by Va'al on February 10th, 2015 @ 2:19pm CST
In Which Duke Drives Optimus Through a Sea of Quintessons
(Spoiler free-ish)
(Spoiler free-ish)
Synopsis
IT GETS CRAZIER! The biggest space battle ever grows to universal proportions! Will the G.I. JOE team and the AUTOBOTS make peace—before COBRA and the DECEPTICONS end the war… the bad way?!
One Woman Army
Story
I realise we have fallen behind on reviewing this series, and we will come back to fill in on the missing issues of the first volume of Transformers vs G.I. Joe. However, after a decent hiatus, the cosmic series by Tom Scioli and John Barber is back with its fifth issue, and we're here to remind you how amazing it is!
Maximize!
We're on Earth and Cybertron, as the latter moves closer to the former at the hands of Megatron, and G.I. Joe and Cybertronians alike are attempting to deal with the impending catastrophe - although each in their own way, with suspicion, and not all plans are working together, at all.
Who nose what might happen
One of the main storylines we follow is that of Rodimus, as the attempts to regain control of Metroplex and the Autobot troops, his clash with one of the G1-est Grimlocks in a while, and the consequences of giant robot egos meeting each other's match, Megatron included, for the first time seen as potentially fallible.
Clash of Kings
The writing is fantastically scattered across the pages and cosmic stage that Scioli and Barber have set up, and even then, there is a lot more coherence than in the first couple of issues. The interactions and uncomfortable alliances between humans and Cybertronians lead to both amusing and fairly tense scenes, and definitely worth following around.
Art
Tom Scioli's double act as writer and artist still delivers in a fantastic correspondence between, arguably, intention and execution. He is not trying to do anything, he is not attempting to capture elements of *something* - this is his style, heavily influenced by early comics art, and it is something to amaze at, every time.
Have a Metropolygon
Every corner of every panel, even the round ones, has something going on, from the little tags identifying new characters to the Quintesson vinetacles, to the sheer amount on miniature scenes taking place across a single page, plus all the colour work, you can spend hours on an issue alone.
Three Are One
The addition of Chris Mowry's stellar lettering and design work make sure that all is in its place and with its own voice, too, and that the package matches the contents, with echoes of those comics art influences showing up in the book as book. Plus, to catch eyes from everywhere, we get an impressive array of covers by Scioli, Nick Pitarra/Megan Wilson on Soundwave and Slither and the thumbnailed Derek Charm [plus a slightly more questionable one by Jamie Tyndall/Ula Mos].
Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead
The marvellous incoherent cohesion of the multiple overlapping scripts and plots is what makes this series so appealing to many readers who are not generally into Transformers or G.I. Joe fictional universes. It's fine to get lost, we're actually invited to do so, and there's more to gain from it, if you want to.
Laughing one's head off
We get references to Transformers lore, battles of wit, humour and ridiculous amounts of action, and it still feels as though we're being pulled through a story that doesn't care whether we're paying attention or not - much like the rest of the universe. This is a series that does exactly what it wants, and what it wants is to have fun with the medium and the casts. We're along for the ride, so buckle up.
. 
out of
out of
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1649283)
Posted by dragons on February 10th, 2015 @ 4:51pm CST
if art in comic diditn make feel i was something from newspaper comic i buy it but art turns me off i know saying can me differnt for transfromer toy but comics differnt entirly, and most of alien transfromers that are bigger than humans are same size, few feet taller in animte series there bigger twice there size of humans
Posted by dragons on February 10th, 2015 @ 4:51pm CST
if art in comic diditn make feel i was something from newspaper comic i buy it but art turns me off i know saying can me differnt for transfromer toy but comics differnt entirly, and most of alien transfromers that are bigger than humans are same size, few feet taller in animte series there bigger twice there size of humans
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1649286)
Posted by Va'al on February 10th, 2015 @ 4:55pm CST
Posted by Va'al on February 10th, 2015 @ 4:55pm CST
I'm not sure what you're saying, could you rephrase that please?
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1649400)
Posted by morphobots on February 10th, 2015 @ 11:17pm CST
Posted by morphobots on February 10th, 2015 @ 11:17pm CST
I believe he's saying one thing that really bugs him is the human/robot scale in the art.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1649428)
Posted by Va'al on February 11th, 2015 @ 2:26am CST
Ah, in true Transformers fashion.
Posted by Va'al on February 11th, 2015 @ 2:26am CST
morphobots wrote:I believe he's saying one thing that really bugs him is the human/robot scale in the art.
Ah, in true Transformers fashion.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1650204)
Posted by Darth Jumpy on February 12th, 2015 @ 4:19pm CST
Posted by Darth Jumpy on February 12th, 2015 @ 4:19pm CST
I thought this issue could have used some more focus. I get that it is this series' style to have an entire story encapsulated on one or two pages, but it seems like they kept on skipping the climaxes to the stories. Like the stories that were presented in this issue shows the set up, and then skips right to the aftermath. The Joes fight Blackarachnia, and then it skips to Fort Max being fine. The Joes have to fight their mind controlled pets, but then it is later said in the issue that everyone is fine. Grimlock and Hot Rod fight, and the next scene Grimlock is somewhere else entirely. There are a ton of moments like that in this chapter. I usually enjoy this series, but this was by far the weakest issue. There are even some events that I did not get even after reading the commentary.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1650218)
Posted by Va'al on February 12th, 2015 @ 4:41pm CST
Yes, re-reading for the fifth (fourth) time makes me realise how scattered the focus actually is, compared to #3 and #4, for example.
I still really enjoyed it though.
Posted by Va'al on February 12th, 2015 @ 4:41pm CST
Darth Jumpy wrote:I thought this issue could have used some more focus. I get that it is this series' style to have an entire story encapsulated on one or two pages, but it seems like they kept on skipping the climaxes to the stories. Like the stories that were presented in this issue shows the set up, and then skips right to the aftermath. The Joes fight Blackarachnia, and then it skips to Fort Max being fine. The Joes have to fight their mind controlled pets, but then it is later said in the issue that everyone is fine. Grimlock and Hot Rod fight, and the next scene Grimlock is somewhere else entirely. There are a ton of moments like that in this chapter. I usually enjoy this series, but this was by far the weakest issue. There are even some events that I did not get even after reading the commentary.
Yes, re-reading for the fifth (fourth) time makes me realise how scattered the focus actually is, compared to #3 and #4, for example.
I still really enjoyed it though.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1670623)
Posted by Va'al on April 3rd, 2015 @ 3:25am CDT
Posted by Va'al on April 3rd, 2015 @ 3:25am CDT
It's been a while since we marvelled, jaw agape, at Tom Scioli and John Barber's cosmic effort in IDW Publishing Transformers vs G.I. Joe - but the wait is over, and thanks to comics website ComicsAlliance, we have a full preview for next week's issue #6. Check it out below! We'll have a Seibertron.com review up by the date of release, Wednesday, too, so head back here then.
Transformers vs G.I. JOE #6
Tom Scioli & John Barber (w) • Scioli (a & c)
THE SMASH HIT OF 2014 BECOMES THE GREATEST COMIC OF 2015! If you thought the war between G.I. JOE and the TRANSFORMERS was out of control before… well, brothers and sisters—wait’ll you get a load of issue 6!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
Heroes fall, but heroism triumphs!
One small step for the G.I. JOE team—one giant fall for the TRANSFORMERS!
Variant Cover by Antonio Fusso!
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1670632)
Posted by Windsweeper on April 3rd, 2015 @ 4:25am CDT
Posted by Windsweeper on April 3rd, 2015 @ 4:25am CDT
How the hell is this thing an ongoing? I like the robot designs but it's utter crap.
Thank you IDW. Once again you've failed me. Waited 20 years for Regeneration and it was a disappointing limited series.
Then they give us this and that angry birds crap.
Marvel and Dreamwave never disappointed like this.
Thank you IDW. Once again you've failed me. Waited 20 years for Regeneration and it was a disappointing limited series.
Then they give us this and that angry birds crap.
Marvel and Dreamwave never disappointed like this.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1670659)
Posted by dragons on April 3rd, 2015 @ 8:26am CDT
Posted by dragons on April 3rd, 2015 @ 8:26am CDT
This art style I use to draw as kid it's bad feel I'm in Napoleon dynamite movie art sucks make comic stop art is turn off
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1670669)
Posted by jogunwarrior on April 3rd, 2015 @ 8:43am CDT
Posted by jogunwarrior on April 3rd, 2015 @ 8:43am CDT
Every time I consider how terrible my own art is, I look at this book and am shown a glimmer of hope that there is still a chance to make in the comic book industry.
Thanks, IDW!
Thanks, IDW!
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1673163)
Posted by MrBlack on April 9th, 2015 @ 10:32am CDT
Posted by MrBlack on April 9th, 2015 @ 10:32am CDT
Every issue of this book is more insane than the next. Scioli is really building something unique (and blasphemous), and I can't stop reading.
The last page of #6 was fantastic.
The last page of #6 was fantastic.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1687634)
Posted by Va'al on May 19th, 2015 @ 6:18pm CDT
Posted by Va'al on May 19th, 2015 @ 6:18pm CDT
In other IDW Transformers comics news, the extravagant architect of the Transformers vs G.I. Joe ongoing series - Tom Scioli - was interviewed by comics website Comics Alliance, about the world he is building for the series, the approach to the universes, layouts and the general madness of it all. Take a look below for some selected quotes, and read the whole piece here.
ComicsAlliance: The first thing I want to talk about is pacing. Jumping into Transformers vs. GI Joe #5, which is the start of the second paperback if people are reading it that way, they’re getting a comic that moves so fast that it is often hard for me to keep up.
Tom Scioli: Well, issue #5 would be the one, because issue #5 is where it really accelerates. I just find that so many comics have a lot of redundancy, a lot of over-explaining, a lot of images of basically the same thing, so part of the approach is to just eliminate redundancy and just give you the things you need to move the narrative forward. I sort of crossed a point of no return with it, I think, and where that came from is that I wrote a script for a Transformers vs. GI Joe movie adaptation.
You know, the movie doesn’t exist yet, but I made a comic as though I was adapting a movie, and how movie adaptations are. There are chunks missing, and jumps because of the time it takes to take an hour and a half movie and put it into a comic, you’re going to have to cut some things out. I wrote something with that sort of style in mind, and after I did that, I realized that’s a tool I could use any time. It doesn’t have to be restricted to this particular conceit, it’s just a tool in my arsenal now. It was really effective in that script, which hasn’t come out yet, but it was just a really intense reading experience.
[...]
CA: The interesting thing about that to me is that, like you said, there have been Transformers and GI Joe team-up books before, and now you’re doing it as an ongoing series and using the entire cast of both books, as they have existed for thirty years. There’s not a whole lot left on the table.
TS: That’s one thing I noticed. I was sort of going through all these characters and throwing them in, and now I’ve sort of reached the point where it’s like, “Oh, what Decepticon villain can show up?” and most of them are there already, pretty much. There’s an endless number of jets that I can go to, but most of the really resonant ones have shown up, so now it’s just getting weird, which is actually interesting. Now we’re getting into the Pretenders and the Predacons, all the weirder corners of the mythology.
CA: That’s something I wanted to bring up, because you’re at the point now where you’re creating new stuff.
TS: I want to go more in that direction. I thought doing a comic like this, that’s an established thing, would be easier — having a universe that’s already established that I’m just building up. But I’m seeing the limitations of it. I really do want to just create more and add more to it. It’s not so complete a cosmology that there’s a character for every season. I thought there would be a character for every occasion, and in a lot of cases there are. I needed a character who was a chef, and, okay, Roadblock is a chef, I can use him. But there are a lot of holes in the mythology that I’m trying to fill in.
That last Transformers movie… they went nuts. It almost wasn’t even Transformers anymore, it was this infinite universe of every kind of creature you can imagine, and that freed me up too, realizing that I could make this universe whatever I wanted it to be. It doesn’t have to just be giant robots that turn into cars or dinosaurs, it can be a universe.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1688117)
Posted by shajaki on May 20th, 2015 @ 7:35pm CDT
Posted by shajaki on May 20th, 2015 @ 7:35pm CDT
If you've read Part 1 of Tom Scioli's interview with Comics Alliance, you're not going to want to miss the second half! Tom Scioli and John Barber‘s are of course the masterminds behind IDW's Transformers vs. GI Joe, and have brought quite a nutty flavor to the book. See the mayhem behind the scenes in the interview right here, some snippets below, and stay tuned to Seibertron.com for all your Transformers News!
To say that Tom Scioli and John Barber‘s Transformers vs. GI Joe is an unusual comic is underselling things quite a bit. On paper, it’s a natural fit, an ongoing series that follows in the footsteps of earlier books that have combined the two toy lines into one massive interplanetary battle. In practice, though, it’s something a lot bigger, a comic that almost assaults the reader by cramming in as much big, wild stuff as it possibly can — a toy comic so weird, and so great, that it almost feels like it shouldn’t exist.
With the book’s second storyline well under way, throwing in everything from Vikings to old gods to Dinobots (and a new printing of his amazing American Barbarian on the way this summer), I talked to cowriter, artist and occasional ComicsAlliance guest contributor Tom Scioli about the series. Today, he talks about building a history for a universe that’s even more important than our own, the two-page Free Comic Book Day story, and why his book isn’t a paean to Snake Eyes. You can read the first part of this interview here.
[...]
CA: The next specific scene that I wanted to talk about was the first page of #6. Every time I think this comic can’t get any wilder, it gets bigger and weirder in a way that I find really enjoyable. This comic opens with Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden by floating Transformers with laser swords.
TS: Yeah.
TS: It’s a universe. It’s a whole universe. My thought is that the Transformers vs. GI Joe universe is the most important universe there is, and while you’re reading it, it’s even more important than our universe. There’s an Alpha to that universe and there’s an Omega to that universe, and what you were witnessing was Roadblock’s reading of the Cobra Bible, the Decepticobranomicon, so what you’re reading may well be an actual accounting of what happened. It might be mythology. It might be disinformation. It could be any number of things. There’s a deep history to this world.
CA: I’ve said this before, and I mean it in the best way possible, but I’m always surprised this book exists.
TS: Right. [Laughs]
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1693380)
Posted by Va'al on June 2nd, 2015 @ 3:38am CDT
Posted by Va'al on June 2nd, 2015 @ 3:38am CDT
In other IDW Publishing news, this week also sees the release of the next issue in the Tom Scioli (with some Barber) Transformers vs G.I. Joe ongoing series - what space-wide madness awaits in issue 7? Find out in the full preview below, and check backin later this week for the Seibertron.com review!
Transformers vs G.I. JOE #7
Tom Scioli & John Barber (w) • Scioli (a & c)
THE WORLD AS THEY MAKE IT! Alliance are forged! Enemies are enraged! The war burns on Earth and Cybertron! And now… now the real battle begins.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
If you’ve ever liked anything, you’ll love this!
If you’ve never liked anything—this will be the first thing you love!
Variant Cover by Kody Chamerlain!
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1693406)
Posted by BumbleDouche on June 2nd, 2015 @ 5:24am CDT
Posted by BumbleDouche on June 2nd, 2015 @ 5:24am CDT
Good God, these are hideous. Honestly, the worst thing about old comics, in my opinion at least, was the crummy artwork and the cheap paper they were printed on. Trying to emulate that look in this day and age makes no sense to me, other than appealing to a sense of nostalgia in older fans. I can't imagine any kids flipping through this on a comic book store shelf and being impressed. It's like using a broom to clean your floor when you have a vacuum cleaner handy... The vacuum does the job faster, more efficiently and you get a better result, so why stick to "old technology?" But hey, whatever floats your boat, I guess.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1693408)
Posted by MrBlack on June 2nd, 2015 @ 5:35am CDT
Posted by MrBlack on June 2nd, 2015 @ 5:35am CDT
Well, this has taken an interesting turn. One of the things I love about this comic is that I legitimately never know what is going to happen from page to page or issue to issue.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1693421)
Posted by RhA on June 2nd, 2015 @ 6:25am CDT
Posted by RhA on June 2nd, 2015 @ 6:25am CDT
The comic still looks horrid. I do like the colors. And that cover looks nice.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1693454)
Posted by Downbeat on June 2nd, 2015 @ 8:27am CDT
Posted by Downbeat on June 2nd, 2015 @ 8:27am CDT
Whoof, this is getting dark.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1693507)
Posted by President-prime on June 2nd, 2015 @ 11:43am CDT
Posted by President-prime on June 2nd, 2015 @ 11:43am CDT
You know, this art was weird at first, but it's rather entertaining. In fact, I went back to my comic store and bought all of the earlier issues. I also collect covers so I bought all the different versions of it. For those criticizing the art work, just read a couple of issues without reservations or bias and you might find that it's more thoughtful and more creative than the newer ones. The art is actually more complicated than what's on the surface. Each panel is layered with other elements of art. Frat job Tom Scioli and John Barber!
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1693558)
Posted by Amelie on June 2nd, 2015 @ 1:31pm CDT
Two points
- You clearly don't do much housework or have pets. A broom gets things out of wool rugs that a vacuum cleaner simply can't. Different tools. Different jobs. In the case of art - pencils and pens for sketches and inks can be a much more efficient tool. Depends on the style and the artist.
- Its not just nostalgia notes the art hits - it has quirky details and is dynamic in a way that the current pseudo-anime style used in the mainline can't accommodate. It is art and its quality is purely subjective. Whats in vogue now could suddenly look very tired and 'bad' in a few short years and Tom Scioli might look like a progressive genius. Besides which I'd hardly dare call old comic artists like Ditko or Kirby 'crummy' simply because of age or an art-fashion change.
Still gutted I can't easily get my hands on these. I'll have to trawl eBay next month and catch up, if money allows.
Posted by Amelie on June 2nd, 2015 @ 1:31pm CDT
MegaDump wrote:Good God, these are hideous. Honestly, the worst thing about old comics, in my opinion at least, was the crummy artwork and the cheap paper they were printed on. Trying to emulate that look in this day and age makes no sense to me, other than appealing to a sense of nostalgia in older fans. I can't imagine any kids flipping through this on a comic book store shelf and being impressed. It's like using a broom to clean your floor when you have a vacuum cleaner handy... The vacuum does the job faster, more efficiently and you get a better result, so why stick to "old technology?" But hey, whatever floats your boat, I guess.
Two points
- You clearly don't do much housework or have pets. A broom gets things out of wool rugs that a vacuum cleaner simply can't. Different tools. Different jobs. In the case of art - pencils and pens for sketches and inks can be a much more efficient tool. Depends on the style and the artist.
- Its not just nostalgia notes the art hits - it has quirky details and is dynamic in a way that the current pseudo-anime style used in the mainline can't accommodate. It is art and its quality is purely subjective. Whats in vogue now could suddenly look very tired and 'bad' in a few short years and Tom Scioli might look like a progressive genius. Besides which I'd hardly dare call old comic artists like Ditko or Kirby 'crummy' simply because of age or an art-fashion change.
Still gutted I can't easily get my hands on these. I'll have to trawl eBay next month and catch up, if money allows.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1693698)
Posted by President-prime on June 2nd, 2015 @ 9:19pm CDT
Posted by President-prime on June 2nd, 2015 @ 9:19pm CDT
Good point. The details are what got me. I find myself looking for "other" things in the background. I feel like playing treasure and it that 3D puzzle book thing where you don't look through the surrogate but stare deeper into what the panels really mean. Old but cool!
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1712224)
Posted by Va'al on July 22nd, 2015 @ 7:28pm CDT
Posted by Va'al on July 22nd, 2015 @ 7:28pm CDT
In other iTunes-cum-IDW Publishing news, we also have a very latecomer to the roster for next week, namely the eighth issue of Tom Scioli's cosmic masterpiece Transformers vs G.I. Joe! You can check out the three-page preview below, mirrored from the iTunes page here.
In the interplanetary war between the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, anything can happen... and does.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1712516)
Posted by o.supreme on July 23rd, 2015 @ 4:19pm CDT
Posted by o.supreme on July 23rd, 2015 @ 4:19pm CDT
I made a mistake, when this first came out. I was thinking it was going to be a mini-series (4 or 5 issues at the most), but when it kept going I was getting worried. I really have no interest in it, and hopefully the constant delays in publication are a sign it is going to end soon. If it doesn't end by issue 10 or 12, I may just sell them as a lot on eBay.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1714495)
Posted by MrBlack on July 30th, 2015 @ 5:40am CDT
Posted by MrBlack on July 30th, 2015 @ 5:40am CDT
Did anyone manage to pick up #8? It was solicited for this week, but it's not on Comixology.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1714513)
Posted by o.supreme on July 30th, 2015 @ 9:01am CDT
Posted by o.supreme on July 30th, 2015 @ 9:01am CDT
Yes I got it at my local shop yesterday.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1714517)
Posted by MrBlack on July 30th, 2015 @ 9:14am CDT
Odd. I contacted IDW, who said it isn't scheduled for release until next week. It seems, however, that more than a few shops got copies and put them out, and the TFWiki has a synopsis.
Posted by MrBlack on July 30th, 2015 @ 9:14am CDT
o.supreme wrote:Yes I got it at my local shop yesterday.
Odd. I contacted IDW, who said it isn't scheduled for release until next week. It seems, however, that more than a few shops got copies and put them out, and the TFWiki has a synopsis.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1714711)
Posted by Va'al on July 31st, 2015 @ 1:00am CDT
Posted by Va'al on July 31st, 2015 @ 1:00am CDT
I can confirm that all material from IDW indicates this is out first Wednesday of August.
How very odd.
How very odd.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1714752)
Posted by MrBlack on July 31st, 2015 @ 8:28am CDT
Maybe they didn't get all their stock out on time and just bumped the official release to next week. Or maybe they decided at the last minute that having four Transformers titles on the shelves at the same time wasn't a good idea.
In any case, they certainly didn't get the message out to local comic shops, because I know a lot of folks across the country who managed to pick this up on Wednesday. The issue summary is even up on TFWiki.
Posted by MrBlack on July 31st, 2015 @ 8:28am CDT
Va'al wrote:I can confirm that all material from IDW indicates this is out first Wednesday of August.
How very odd.
Maybe they didn't get all their stock out on time and just bumped the official release to next week. Or maybe they decided at the last minute that having four Transformers titles on the shelves at the same time wasn't a good idea.
In any case, they certainly didn't get the message out to local comic shops, because I know a lot of folks across the country who managed to pick this up on Wednesday. The issue summary is even up on TFWiki.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1715661)
Posted by Va'al on August 4th, 2015 @ 2:27am CDT
Posted by Va'al on August 4th, 2015 @ 2:27am CDT
With a peculiar blip in distribution, IDW Publishing confirms the release of Transformers vs G.I. Joe #8 for this Wednesday, though some shops and stores may already have received it last week - in either case, check out the full preview for the issue below, and head back to Seibertron.com for a review later this week!
Transformers vs G.I. JOE #8
Tom Scioli & John Barber (w) • Scioli (a & c)
In the interplanetary war between the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, anything can happen… and does.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
Action and excitement as only Tom Scioli can deliver!
You won’t believe your eyes!
Variant Cover by Artyon Trakhanov!
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1715676)
Posted by Optimizzy on August 4th, 2015 @ 8:40am CDT
Posted by Optimizzy on August 4th, 2015 @ 8:40am CDT
this is like looking at a Salvador Dali painting that makes less sense.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1715689)
Posted by jogunwarrior on August 4th, 2015 @ 9:46am CDT
Posted by jogunwarrior on August 4th, 2015 @ 9:46am CDT
This is the most nonsensical preview I've ever seen, and I still cannot stand that artwork for the purpose of sequential storytelling.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1715690)
Posted by o.supreme on August 4th, 2015 @ 9:48am CDT
Posted by o.supreme on August 4th, 2015 @ 9:48am CDT
To be honest, like I said above, I have all 8 issues, there is no "sequential storytelling" as far as I can see, just a bunch of random stuff happening for no apparent reason. I'm pretty sure I'll be selling these all very soon.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1715753)
Posted by jgilkinson on August 4th, 2015 @ 3:17pm CDT
Posted by jgilkinson on August 4th, 2015 @ 3:17pm CDT
Is it just me or does it look they are about to eat Snake-Eyes?
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1715914)
Posted by Tigertrack on August 5th, 2015 @ 10:03am CDT
Posted by Tigertrack on August 5th, 2015 @ 10:03am CDT
Transformers Versus GI JOE #8
Filling in for Va'al this week because he's a super-busy, super-desired, and super-successful dude, it's me, reservist-and former news admin, and comic reviewer Tigertrack. (I hope you check this out any way).
“I feel not unlike a small boy, waking from a bad dream to find reality not much of an improvement.” -John Byrne
Story so far:
Okay—Despite what we told you last time, it turns out GI JOE is real…and they’re the last line of defense against the Decepticobra alliance. With battlefronts on Earth and Cybertron, hope seems a a losing proposition—until Optimus Prime returns!.
Recap:
In our last episode, Scarlett in paradise...lost and then found, and Bumblebee's head is returned!
Spoiler free review:
This issue continues to tell the story of the seemingly mad reality that Earth and Cybertron are in as Koh-Buru-Lah has started to cause havoc on Earth with the Decepticobras battling the Joes, and Cybertron has started to look more and more like a certain planet-eater that is feared from Transformers religion—that is also bearing down on the Earth with conflicts on it, and in it, as well.
Using creative layouts and lettering, and exaggerated characterization often inspired from sources both familiar and those you will have to do a bit of research on, Tom Scioli continues to drum out a very wide mix of feelings for us; from fun and silly, to horrific and mind-boggling, unreal to all too real.
We are now 8 issues in, and if you’re still with this critically-acclaimed series, you’re probably past your personal feelings about art and layout, and just trying to enjoy the ride and appreciate all the work and creativity that has actually gone into this series. And of course...Transformers. You’ll continue to be surprised in this issue in several ways… I won’t spoil them all, but a couple of my favorite moments involve Omega Supreme’s unexpected entrance into the fray, heralding the return of the Astro-train (I love this silly, but cool design
), and the commentary about a love-it or hate-it classic generation one gimmick(most of 'us' dislike it anyway)! Some perfect examples of fun/creative ways to rethink what has been thought before.
Ramifications from Issue #6 are continued as we see GI JOE take full responsibility for the protection of the Earth, violently wrenched from government control in issue #6 by FLAGG! Optimus Prime returns to Cybertron after retrieving Bumblebee's body from GI JOE--Cobra Commander celebrates on Earth with his disciples over a feast of...Snake Eyes? In this issue, we also seemingly learn the fates of favorite sons Billy and Bumblebee...and of course, one shall stand and one shall fall...
There’s plenty of human and robot action in this page turner, although as in previous issues, some of the leaps between chapter breaks are a bit too profound! The changing from Cybertron to Earth in separate sections/chapters can be a little jolting and confusing, unless you have followed along from previous issues and know who is where and use some powers of inference.
There are also a few rad splash pages that just leave you a bit awe-struck…in a good way mostly…and a surprise ending that no one ever saw coming.
Rating:
Ultimately, if you’re still reading this series, you’ll continue to enjoy it, as I am, probably despite your personal feelings toward what should be done here or there, or how characters are or are not being treated with respect to your understanding of them from other media. The art and layouts are interesting and fun, and the fact that Barber and Scioli take time at the end of each issue to discuss the creative process and inspirations make this an enjoyable series for those who have a real taste for comic book history and wanting to know the inner workings on creating and publishing a book. And of course, there are Transformers too, some re-imagined and re-mixed in ways that were not thought possible before. I’m to the point where I can enjoy this for what it is…and I was very much against this after the very first issues. It’s gotten much less childish and random, and grown much more complex and a bit more dark--and still a bit random though.
Filling in for Va'al this week because he's a super-busy, super-desired, and super-successful dude, it's me, reservist-and former news admin, and comic reviewer Tigertrack. (I hope you check this out any way).
“I feel not unlike a small boy, waking from a bad dream to find reality not much of an improvement.” -John Byrne
Story so far:
Okay—Despite what we told you last time, it turns out GI JOE is real…and they’re the last line of defense against the Decepticobra alliance. With battlefronts on Earth and Cybertron, hope seems a a losing proposition—until Optimus Prime returns!.
Recap:
In our last episode, Scarlett in paradise...lost and then found, and Bumblebee's head is returned!
Spoiler free review:
This issue continues to tell the story of the seemingly mad reality that Earth and Cybertron are in as Koh-Buru-Lah has started to cause havoc on Earth with the Decepticobras battling the Joes, and Cybertron has started to look more and more like a certain planet-eater that is feared from Transformers religion—that is also bearing down on the Earth with conflicts on it, and in it, as well.
Using creative layouts and lettering, and exaggerated characterization often inspired from sources both familiar and those you will have to do a bit of research on, Tom Scioli continues to drum out a very wide mix of feelings for us; from fun and silly, to horrific and mind-boggling, unreal to all too real.
We are now 8 issues in, and if you’re still with this critically-acclaimed series, you’re probably past your personal feelings about art and layout, and just trying to enjoy the ride and appreciate all the work and creativity that has actually gone into this series. And of course...Transformers. You’ll continue to be surprised in this issue in several ways… I won’t spoil them all, but a couple of my favorite moments involve Omega Supreme’s unexpected entrance into the fray, heralding the return of the Astro-train (I love this silly, but cool design
), and the commentary about a love-it or hate-it classic generation one gimmick(most of 'us' dislike it anyway)! Some perfect examples of fun/creative ways to rethink what has been thought before.Ramifications from Issue #6 are continued as we see GI JOE take full responsibility for the protection of the Earth, violently wrenched from government control in issue #6 by FLAGG! Optimus Prime returns to Cybertron after retrieving Bumblebee's body from GI JOE--Cobra Commander celebrates on Earth with his disciples over a feast of...Snake Eyes? In this issue, we also seemingly learn the fates of favorite sons Billy and Bumblebee...and of course, one shall stand and one shall fall...
There’s plenty of human and robot action in this page turner, although as in previous issues, some of the leaps between chapter breaks are a bit too profound! The changing from Cybertron to Earth in separate sections/chapters can be a little jolting and confusing, unless you have followed along from previous issues and know who is where and use some powers of inference.
There are also a few rad splash pages that just leave you a bit awe-struck…in a good way mostly…and a surprise ending that no one ever saw coming.
Rating:
Ultimately, if you’re still reading this series, you’ll continue to enjoy it, as I am, probably despite your personal feelings toward what should be done here or there, or how characters are or are not being treated with respect to your understanding of them from other media. The art and layouts are interesting and fun, and the fact that Barber and Scioli take time at the end of each issue to discuss the creative process and inspirations make this an enjoyable series for those who have a real taste for comic book history and wanting to know the inner workings on creating and publishing a book. And of course, there are Transformers too, some re-imagined and re-mixed in ways that were not thought possible before. I’m to the point where I can enjoy this for what it is…and I was very much against this after the very first issues. It’s gotten much less childish and random, and grown much more complex and a bit more dark--and still a bit random though.
.
out of
out of
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1747176)
Posted by Va'al on December 11th, 2015 @ 2:23am CST
Posted by Va'al on December 11th, 2015 @ 2:23am CST
While still not entirely sure what happened to issue #9, iTunes shows us a preview for issue #10 of the IDW ongoing series Transformers vs G.I. Joe, featuring yet another dead Optimus on the cover, and a triumphant Cobra - check it out mirrored below!
REMEMBER US?! The most titanic tale of the twenty-first century takes an unexpected twist—BUT WHEN HAS TRANSFORMERS VS. G.I. JOE DONE ANY LESS?! Expect the unexpected—then throw your expectations out the window!
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1747231)
Posted by RiddlerJ on December 11th, 2015 @ 9:25am CST
Posted by RiddlerJ on December 11th, 2015 @ 9:25am CST
Prime's chest looks a little like Shockwave's face
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1747422)
Posted by Windsweeper on December 12th, 2015 @ 2:58am CST
Posted by Windsweeper on December 12th, 2015 @ 2:58am CST
Is that Dragstrip in almost G2 colours?
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1749009)
Posted by Va'al on December 19th, 2015 @ 5:20am CST
Posted by Va'al on December 19th, 2015 @ 5:20am CST
The full preview for next week's Transformers vs G.I. Joe did make it online, but via ComicsAlliance this time! You can check the opening pages of this viscerally weird issue mirrored below, and head back here once it's released for a full review from the Seibertron.com team. Go Jo-bots!
Transformers vs G.I. JOE #10
Tom Scioli, John Barber (w) • Scioli (a & c)
REMEMBER US?! The most titanic tale of the twenty-first century takes an unexpected twist—BUT WHEN HAS TRANSFORMERS VS. G.I. JOE DONE ANY LESS?! Expect the unexpected—then throw your expectations out the window!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
Boom!
BOOM!
BOOOOOOOM!
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1749134)
Posted by Optimizzy on December 20th, 2015 @ 8:40am CST
Posted by Optimizzy on December 20th, 2015 @ 8:40am CST
dafuq.
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1749911)
Posted by Tigertrack on December 23rd, 2015 @ 7:52am CST
Posted by Tigertrack on December 23rd, 2015 @ 7:52am CST
“I'd argue there isn't actually a lot of nostalgia here. I'd argue that every page, every moment is built on innovation. And Tom's looking to the past for some of the cues, but what he's actually building is what comics will be like in the future, not the past.”
“I think every page, every panel of this comic is Tom on a tightrope without a net, and he's trying a complicated jump that he's never really done before.”
-John Barber in a COMIC BOOK RESOURCES interview
I don’t think truer words have been spoken about this title…
Or there's that.
THE SYNOPSIS (what’s the, so far)-
OPTIMUS PRIME returns—-in time to fall to Megatron. Now the undisputed ruler of Cybertron, the Decepticon leader has impaled the planet Earth. The surviving G.I. Joe team remains on the alien planet, confronting a harsh new reality: there is no hope.
THE STORY-
Subtle reminder: each issue of TF VS GIJOE is meant to be read as a stand alone adventure, but there is a string and overall story running through. Last issue was an issue about Destro’s past, nay his entire family history, and how it was effected and changed by the ark even with the Transformers lying dormant.
This issue picks up a bit after #8… when that very big thing happened to Earth with those very long spikes coming from Cybertron. Oh and that other big event where you-know-who bad guy seemed to destroy the just-returned-savior good guy. Believe it or not it's all about change though. Adapting.
We are BORG...
In this installment, the Joes are learning how to survive on their new home. Cobras and Deceptions are celebrating their victory and alliance. There’s some history explained and a cool prose only story included at the end.
ART-
Tom Scioli provides it all—lines, inks, colors— with unique perspectives, and daring visuals to push the story boundaries. Often criticized, and rarely understood, Scioli continues to work his vision channeling so much from resources obscure and not obscure.
Of note, though, is the fantastically detailed, gorgeous subscription variant cover of a gargantuan Metroplex done by Ulises Farinas. Just pick-your-jaw-up-off-the-floor awesome!
I serve the will of the Primes...
MY THINKS-
Contains spoilers
SPOILERS...sad face
I’ve been critical. I understand the criticisms. But something about this being an otherworldly ‘What If’, ‘Elseworlds’-type, ‘Deviations’ if you will story… makes it all okay, and (mostly) acceptable. I read comics for enjoyment, and this series, never seems to fail in surprising me--although, I'm not sure I would characterize how I interact with this series so much as 'enjoyment'. I love to read the mainstream stories much more than this. But this has its place for me, and maybe it has found its place for you. I read on to see what Tom and John can come up with—what they 'cook' up—. And after I have my own thoughts, I like to read their banter on what inspired their choices when it's done.
I seem to remember it differently. I got a V.A.M.P., Starscream, and Prowl that year. It was the best though.
Speaking of cooking up, this issue doesn’t disappoint, it's a gourmet feast for the eyes and mind. With a few, ‘oh-no-you-didn’t’ moments that may just have you shaking your head, one we already saw in the preview—Megatron becoming a connoisseur of human flesh now…and the poisoned feast…W..O..W! There's also clever dialogue dropping some excellent one-linersn for easing those hard to take moments.
We all knew that there were Autobot and Decepticon chefs and bakers, right? CONFEKTOR...bake!
Hit and Run is one of my all-time favorite Joes, stating the obvious.
For me, the most interesting parts of this issue came near the end. I’ll try not to spoil it for those reading the series, but there are some really thought-provoking Transformers history moments presented with verbal and visual references that any fan of the brand, and pre-brand will embrace with a sense of interest and a little awe… at least I did.
I'm a chef too...I cook up life!
AND THE BONUS-
At the very end of the issue we get a nice bonus, instead of the normal Barber and Scioli back and forth breaking down pages and giving us the behind-the-scenes, we get a short-story called ‘Black Cybertron’ (along the lines of the now infamous Wreckers story,‘Bullets’) involving Ravage, Snake-Eyes, Shockwave, and the cassettes. A journey into Hades or is it the workshop of Daedalus? Either way, it shows the length that some will take for a loved one...loved one...really? Expect the unexpected.
FINAL THOUGHT-
If you’re still with TF VS GIJOE, you know what to expect, and that’s to not know what to expect! This issue doesn’t disappoint, but adds a great morsel for consumption at the end.
B.I.O - Believe in Optimus!
A teaser for an image you just have to see!
out of
“I think every page, every panel of this comic is Tom on a tightrope without a net, and he's trying a complicated jump that he's never really done before.”
-John Barber in a COMIC BOOK RESOURCES interview
I don’t think truer words have been spoken about this title…
Or there's that.
THE SYNOPSIS (what’s the, so far)-
OPTIMUS PRIME returns—-in time to fall to Megatron. Now the undisputed ruler of Cybertron, the Decepticon leader has impaled the planet Earth. The surviving G.I. Joe team remains on the alien planet, confronting a harsh new reality: there is no hope.
THE STORY-
Subtle reminder: each issue of TF VS GIJOE is meant to be read as a stand alone adventure, but there is a string and overall story running through. Last issue was an issue about Destro’s past, nay his entire family history, and how it was effected and changed by the ark even with the Transformers lying dormant.
This issue picks up a bit after #8… when that very big thing happened to Earth with those very long spikes coming from Cybertron. Oh and that other big event where you-know-who bad guy seemed to destroy the just-returned-savior good guy. Believe it or not it's all about change though. Adapting.
We are BORG...
In this installment, the Joes are learning how to survive on their new home. Cobras and Deceptions are celebrating their victory and alliance. There’s some history explained and a cool prose only story included at the end.
ART-
Tom Scioli provides it all—lines, inks, colors— with unique perspectives, and daring visuals to push the story boundaries. Often criticized, and rarely understood, Scioli continues to work his vision channeling so much from resources obscure and not obscure.
Of note, though, is the fantastically detailed, gorgeous subscription variant cover of a gargantuan Metroplex done by Ulises Farinas. Just pick-your-jaw-up-off-the-floor awesome!
I serve the will of the Primes...
MY THINKS-
Contains spoilers
SPOILERS...sad faceI’ve been critical. I understand the criticisms. But something about this being an otherworldly ‘What If’, ‘Elseworlds’-type, ‘Deviations’ if you will story… makes it all okay, and (mostly) acceptable. I read comics for enjoyment, and this series, never seems to fail in surprising me--although, I'm not sure I would characterize how I interact with this series so much as 'enjoyment'. I love to read the mainstream stories much more than this. But this has its place for me, and maybe it has found its place for you. I read on to see what Tom and John can come up with—what they 'cook' up—. And after I have my own thoughts, I like to read their banter on what inspired their choices when it's done.
I seem to remember it differently. I got a V.A.M.P., Starscream, and Prowl that year. It was the best though.
Speaking of cooking up, this issue doesn’t disappoint, it's a gourmet feast for the eyes and mind. With a few, ‘oh-no-you-didn’t’ moments that may just have you shaking your head, one we already saw in the preview—Megatron becoming a connoisseur of human flesh now…and the poisoned feast…W..O..W! There's also clever dialogue dropping some excellent one-linersn for easing those hard to take moments.
We all knew that there were Autobot and Decepticon chefs and bakers, right? CONFEKTOR...bake!
Hit and Run is one of my all-time favorite Joes, stating the obvious.
For me, the most interesting parts of this issue came near the end. I’ll try not to spoil it for those reading the series, but there are some really thought-provoking Transformers history moments presented with verbal and visual references that any fan of the brand, and pre-brand will embrace with a sense of interest and a little awe… at least I did.
I'm a chef too...I cook up life!
AND THE BONUS-
At the very end of the issue we get a nice bonus, instead of the normal Barber and Scioli back and forth breaking down pages and giving us the behind-the-scenes, we get a short-story called ‘Black Cybertron’ (along the lines of the now infamous Wreckers story,‘Bullets’) involving Ravage, Snake-Eyes, Shockwave, and the cassettes. A journey into Hades or is it the workshop of Daedalus? Either way, it shows the length that some will take for a loved one...loved one...really? Expect the unexpected.
FINAL THOUGHT-
If you’re still with TF VS GIJOE, you know what to expect, and that’s to not know what to expect! This issue doesn’t disappoint, but adds a great morsel for consumption at the end.
B.I.O - Believe in Optimus!
A teaser for an image you just have to see!
out of
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1766338)
Posted by Va'al on February 14th, 2016 @ 11:57am CST
Posted by Va'al on February 14th, 2016 @ 11:57am CST
Some non-Toy Fair 2016 news for Transformers fans, in the form of the iTunes preview for the upcoming IDW Transformers vs G.I. Joe #11 comic book, by Tom Scioli and John Barber! You can check out the three pages mirrored below, and head back in a couple of weeks for a full preview.
ESCAPE FROM PRIMUS! With Earth no more, the G.I. JOE team battles to make CYBERTRON their new home—but MEGATRON has something to say about that. Hint: it’s “no, I’m not going to let you do that.” Plus: the secret history of DUKE!
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1767879)
Posted by Va'al on February 19th, 2016 @ 6:03am CST
Posted by Va'al on February 19th, 2016 @ 6:03am CST
Via Comics Alliance, and much earlier than usual, we have a full preview of next week's IDW Transformers vs G.I. Joe issue #11, by John Barber and - mostly - Tom Scioli. You can check it out mirrored below, as the madness of the ongoing series continues, and come back next week for the Seibertron.com review!
Transformers vs G.I. JOE #11
Tom Scioli, John Barber (w) • Scioli (a & c)
ESCAPE FROM PRIMUS! With Earth no more, the G.I. JOE team battles to make CYBERTRON their new home—but MEGATRON has something to say about that. Hint: it’s “no, I’m not going to let you do that.” Plus: the secret history of DUKE!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
·The most intense crossover in comics history races toward the destruction of another planet!
·Nothing is sacred, and nothing is safe!
Re: Escalation: Tom Scioli And John Barber On ‘Transformers vs. G.I. Joe’ Volume 1 (1768461)
Posted by Windsweeper on February 21st, 2016 @ 5:48am CST
Posted by Windsweeper on February 21st, 2016 @ 5:48am CST
How is this crap still going? Seriously they make this ongoing while Regeneration which fans actually wanted was a limited series?
I actually like the design of the Transformers but the writing is as bad as a Baymovie or an Armada episode
I actually like the design of the Transformers but the writing is as bad as a Baymovie or an Armada episode
