IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014 5:37PM CDT

Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al Views: 41,147

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Space Balls!
(Spoiler free-ish)

Synopsis
SPACE WAR I! Earth makes contact with an alien race—and G.I. JOE is on the front lines of first contact! But when the TRANSFORMERS arrive—their version of “peace” does not match our own…

Or maybe it does..?

Story

On a completely different note, artistically, thematically, tonally, from the concluding issue of Windblade... This week also marks the beginning of a new Transformers vs G.I. Joe ongoing from the mind and hands of John Barber and Tom Scioli, co-plotting and co-writing the whole run (as far as we know, at least). We've seen issue #0, but come along for a look at the actual start of a new thing right below here.

[Credit: Tigertrack is remotely helping out with this review, though all conclusions are my own.]

The Seibertron Comics staff

It's still completely out there. Nothing has shifted since Free Comic Book Day, as Barber and Scioli plot the arrival of Cybertronians onto Earth, as the Joes set out to meet a Decepticon delegation headed by Soundwave and the cassettes. Where is Cobra? Oh, they're there. Where are the Autobots? Do is it really matter at this point, with Soundwave taking centre stage?

Bay or Liefeld?

Plot-wise, there's a simplicity which might turn some people off the book, almost going back to the original cartoon plots from the two series - but in comics form, revelling in the creative spaces left from a stripped down narrative. There are sight gags, wordplay moments, slapstick, and some quite good action sequences, too.

Er.. action?

The countdown sequence in particular is well thought out, and really shows the decompressed, almost slowed down to the bare minimum approach that the writers are taking. And we end up picking up a plotline started in issue #0, almost to its conclusion, along with what I think is an extremely intriguing ending to the book. Both of them.

Art

Ok. So Tom Scioli is taking care of absolutely everything here, from layouts to lines to inks to colours to lettering, this is his book definitely a lot more than Barber's, and it's his vision of the two franchises that we're seeing, with his artistic tendencies and influences coming into it - and that will work two ways with readers: yes, or no.

A divisive issue

I can't see a middle ground, to be honest, the style does not allow for it. And I have to say, after getting my head round issue #0, I've come to enjoy this one a lot more than jumping into the cold deep end straight away - though I think another one to fully enjoy it. Credit note: even with Scioli on everything, I do want to make a note towards Chris Mowry's production work on this, especially the page design, and Carlos Guzman on editing, which cannot have been easy.

A sight to behold

As SDCC is coinciding with the launch of the new series in this first issue, multiple variant covers were to be expected; here's a list of what you can get: Rob Liefeld with Romulo Fajardo Jr, James Stokoe, several Tom Scioli ones, Jamie Tyndall with Ula Mos, interlocking, single, blank, GI Joe dominant, TF dominant - you name it! It's Liefeld and Fajardo in the thumbnail, in case you were wondering.

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

As we said in the double-team review of issue #0, this series is setting itself up to be completely bonkers, with a method in the madness. I can't stress this enough: it's not for everyone, it does not take itself seriously, but it does it with such a charm and clearly heartfelt research and execution of styles, references and planning that it will at least crack a smile.

MERP

I am still ambivalent about the artwork, as much as I do like the darker hues and overly filled panels, but it does fit the entire concept of the book from what I take from it - and my opinion quite definitely is not that of the entire comics staff! But if you're into your nostalgia pandering, your cosmic sagas, celebrations and parodying in parallel, this is definitely an issue for you - TF or Joe fan alike.

NOTE: There will be no 'rating' for this series, unless I change my mind drastically next month.

Credit(s): IDW Publishing, Va'al, Tigertrack

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Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1592931)
Posted by Convoy on July 23rd, 2014 @ 6:40pm CDT

A rating too high to post, huh?

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1592936)
Posted by Va'al on July 23rd, 2014 @ 6:47pm CDT

Convoy wrote:A rating too high to post, huh?

It's something like twentyfive purples out of D snakes.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1592942)
Posted by Mindmaster on July 23rd, 2014 @ 7:02pm CDT

Every time I see this, I keep coming back to this:

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1592962)
Posted by Darth Jumpy on July 23rd, 2014 @ 9:42pm CDT

Even though I am still not a fan of the artwork, I did have an easier time following what was going on than in issue 0.

Besides that, I did really enjoy this issue and it made me chuckle a few times. Like the review said, it seems closer to the original cartoons than the comics, especially in terms of ridiculousness.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1593015)
Posted by Va'al on July 24th, 2014 @ 4:56am CDT

Merp.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1593034)
Posted by Tigertrack on July 24th, 2014 @ 6:36am CDT

Well at least we have another joe and TF series. And they really seem to be trying to cram in tons of joe vehicles and characters. Sadly, there's still not a lot of TFs. 0 Autobots this issue. Bets on the joes blowing up bumblebee or another Autobot next issue?

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1593035)
Posted by 1984forever on July 24th, 2014 @ 6:45am CDT

This thing is just crazy.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1593039)
Posted by Va'al on July 24th, 2014 @ 6:58am CDT

Someone pointed out elsewhere that this comic is getting a lot of good buzz from comics readers that are not strictly part of either fandom - which is excellent news for the writers, publisher and franchises, to be honest!

It might be one of those gateway series into the Transformers/G.I. Joe published universes, and that can only mean well for future ventures.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1593041)
Posted by Tigertrack on July 24th, 2014 @ 7:02am CDT

Va'al wrote:Someone pointed out elsewhere that this comic is getting a lot of good buzz from comics readers that are not strictly part of either fandom - which is excellent news for the writers, publisher and franchises, to be honest!

It might be one of those gateway series into the Transformers/G.I. Joe published universes, and that can only mean well for future ventures.

That's my hope.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1601575)
Posted by Va'al on August 24th, 2014 @ 6:44am CDT

Next week sees the second issue of the IDW Publishing Transformers vs G.I. Joe ongoing crossover series, but Amazon.com already has a pre-order for the first trade paperback volume! Release expected in December, price currently at $15.77, more information below.

SPACE WAR I! Earth makes contact with an alien race - and G.I. JOE is on the front lines of first contact! But when the Transformers arrive, well, let's just say you've never seen TRANSFORMERS or G.I. JOE like this! Visionary comic book maker Tom Scioli (with Transformers fan-favorite John Barber in tow) combine two of the biggest names in entertainment into the surprise breakout hit of 2014!

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1601581)
Posted by DanaCornZine on August 24th, 2014 @ 7:56am CDT

This is seriously hideous in appearance. I like the idea that we see how some people got their injuries and modifications but I can't get past this artwork that looks like it's done by someone that has no concept of proportions, depth, and straight lines. Sadly, I've been sitting comics out for a few years because the price tag is too steep.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1601669)
Posted by Cyber Bishop on August 24th, 2014 @ 3:56pm CDT

Hideous.. Just hideous. My 10 year old daughter has made better artwork than this..

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1601679)
Posted by jgilkinson on August 24th, 2014 @ 6:02pm CDT

Everything about the art aside it's kind of funny they are putting up a collection of these things for pre-order when we only have issues 0 and 1 out.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1601681)
Posted by Zeedust on August 24th, 2014 @ 6:12pm CDT

Visionary comic book maker Tom Scioli (with Transformers fan-favorite John Barber in tow) combine two of the biggest names in entertainment into the surprise breakout hit of 2014!

This is the big hit? What happened to everyone loving Windblade?!

gothsaurus wrote:I think you have to be an older fan to really appreciate these... having read comics for a good 35 years, I can recognize that this art is homaging a different era of comics... and see it as the tongue-in-cheek, funny project it is.

But for younger or casual fans, it would look really childish and odd. Maybe after reading the trade paperbacks of all the 80s TF comics and the excellent UK series you could warm up to it and see the humor?

Plus you have to have been a fan of both Transformers and G.I. Joe for that long. I came in during Beast Wars and I never got into Joe except for Renegades, so this series is leaving me cold so far.

DanaCornZine wrote:This is seriously hideous in appearance. I like the idea that we see how some people got their injuries and modifications but I can't get past this artwork that looks like it's done by someone that has no concept of proportions, depth, and straight lines. Sadly, I've been sitting comics out for a few years because the price tag is too steep.

It's the writing that bothers me. It feels like plot and characterization take a backseat to trying to string together a bunch of in-jokes and one-liners.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1601740)
Posted by Va'al on August 25th, 2014 @ 2:36am CDT

Nemesis Primal wrote:
Visionary comic book maker Tom Scioli (with Transformers fan-favorite John Barber in tow) combine two of the biggest names in entertainment into the surprise breakout hit of 2014!

This is the big hit? What happened to everyone loving Windblade?!

Outside of established TF readership, this comic is selling like ridiculously hot cakes.
The first issue went to multiple printings almost immediately, as they sold out at distributor level.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1601797)
Posted by gothsaurus on August 25th, 2014 @ 9:21am CDT

Yeah, Windblade and MTMTE are amazing on different levels... plus also love some Ramondelli. BUT I love all those for very different reasons. Same for this crossover. It's light, funny, and hits that nostalgic spot that makes you feel like a kid again... reading the original Transformers comics twenty years ago.

I guess my point is, doing side by side comparisons doesn't make a lot of sense for this one. You either get it, or you don't.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1601963)
Posted by Va'al on August 26th, 2014 @ 12:45am CDT

Coming at you like a python wrapped around an Energon-fuelled torpedo, is this month's issue of the new IDW publishing crossover ongoing from the minds and hands of Tom Scioli and John Barber: Transformers vs G.I. Joe! Check out a full preview below, keep an eye out for the Seibertron.com review.

Transformers VS G.I. JOE #2
Tom Scioli & John Barber (w) • Scioli (a & c)
BOOTS ON THE GROUND! The war has begun—and no bars will be held! SCARLETT’s forces go head-to-head with MEGATRON’s hordes—and the most off-beat adventure in comic book history hits a new level of dangerous alliances, deadly invasions, and devastating betrayals!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The comic book event of the millennium!
One world was never enough for this war!
Cosmic action as you like it!
Connecting Variant Cover by Tom Scioli

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1601968)
Posted by Downbeat on August 26th, 2014 @ 1:03am CDT

Yep. This is incredible.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1602433)
Posted by Va'al on August 28th, 2014 @ 3:40am CDT

Ain't Easy Being Green
(Spoiler free-ish)

Synopsis
BOOTS ON THE GROUND! The war has begun—and no bars will be held! SCARLETT’s forces go head-to-head with MEGATRON’s hordes—and the most off-beat adventure in comic book history hits a new level of dangerous alliances, deadly invasions, and devastating betrayals!

Flagg: F**k yeah

Story

The introduction to Tom Scioli's world of G.I. Joe and Transformers has really been like nothing else so far, in issues #0 and #1, even with John Barber's vigilant watch. And issue #2 continues the streak of whatever-it-is this comic is doing, with its anachronistically retro style and feeling, toy advertising without the products and general action-packed whimsicalness.

I.. wut.. huh

We headed with Scarlett's team to Cybertron at the end of last issue, and this is where we find ourselves straight away, as the Joe team brings the war begun by the Decepticons to their own turf - and it sets up the rest of the universe, as Autobots are subjugated by the Kirby-esque merciless godhead figure of Megatron, and his minions.

Thanos Darkseid Megatron on his throne

Though the big bad gun is a slow build-up, Scioli does not hold back on the even bigger, if not the brighter, guns: Trypticon and Devastator, all still through the (I guess) military eyes of Scarlett and the other humans, searching for targets in true Earthican foreign policy: stamp on, blow up, then investigate the remains.

...eeeeeEEEEEEEE...

There are some amusing references to the nature of all the characters and their plastic counterparts, though as I said, without the toys existing. The dialogue is still completely over the top, and is still not for everyone, along with the thread being very very thin, though a little tighter than last month. But it's also extremely enjoyable if you can buy into the whole premise.

Art

And I suppose, the artwork. Tom Scioli perseveres in his Silver Age style of dotted galaxies, peculiar proportions, referential work (with Flash Gordon also featuring in some scene set-ups, as the commentary expands upon), mirroring what is already present in the dialogue and set-up with the visual style that some readers still consider a hurdle.

How can you not love it..?

Personally, however, I find that not only does the style really work with the aim of the series, it allows Scioli as both writer and artist to place all of his toys across the drawing board, and just go wild with the colours, interactions and the stupidly fun lettering touches, from the titles to the ID cards to explosions and EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

..EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...

I applauded the production of the book last issue as well, but it is nice to see Chris Mowry's work still shaping the final product. I am not a gigantic fan of the exclusive Liefeld and Tyndale covers, but the Ed Piskor Cobra heavy one and the two Scioli versions are perfectly in keep with the tone and content of the book (thumbnail: Retail Incentive cover by Scioli).

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

If you're not on board with Transformers vs G.I. Joe by now, I'd recommend to stop trying. This comic is clearly not for you, and by no fault of the readership. It is doing what it does unapologetically, and received warm-heartedly by many for very good reasons, and it's little to do with the actual lore of the franchises involved in the crossover, if only maybe as reference material and gags. And Scioli and Barber are clearly having barrels of fun with it.

Pictured: Barber and/or Scioli

What is particularly enjoyable, is that after the rollercoaster up a snake with wings in its nose that is the story, the two creators give themselves almost the same amount of space to talk about what went into the creation of the issue, page by page, panel by panel, deconstructing the whole frame and proving just how not seriously this is to be taken - but also how to, if so one wished. I will stop warning readers about this by next issue, but enjoy some green mean killing machines in #2 for now.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1602522)
Posted by hinomars19 on August 28th, 2014 @ 2:39pm CDT

This actually looks like a lot of fun! I've never been a Joe fan, and whilst the vs comics never caught my attention, I'd certainly like the idea of it becoming toys. However this comic looks like just what the doctor ordered-a good dose of fun in a franchise (TF) that seems to be trying too hard and failing everywhere! I'm so exhausted by the toys nowadays, they say they are going back to kid friendly but they look as appealing as cheap knockoffs. IDW's main TF titles sound awesome in themselves, but I feel the fandom get a bit too heavy and that adds negative weight to the stories (Gender, Hard head and Rewind, etc) I try not to dislike Bay's movies, but seriously the whole thing is also so very exhausting now.
This comic looks like a nice dose of marmite-you either love it or hate it! It's not trying to be agnostic or please everyone. If you hate it, you're not gonna discuss it or try to disect or argue it, and if you love it, you'll clearly have a blast. If I could find comics in my area, I'd probably get into this series for a nice bit of Brain down time! :KREMZEEK:

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611478)
Posted by Va'al on October 7th, 2014 @ 5:36am CDT

In other IDW Publishing news this week, we also have a preview for the return of the crackers comics crossover: Transformers vs GI Joe #3! Check out below the first handful of pages from the issue, and check back in with Seibertron.com later this week for a review.

Transformers VS G.I. JOE #3
Tom Scioli & John Barber (w) • Scioli (a & c)
CYBERTRON INFESTED! The Transformers’ homeworld is crawling with tiny green invaders from the planet Earth—the G.I. JOE team! Also this issue—Funeral for a Friend. Many AUTOBOTS and G.I. JOE soldiers have fallen in the line of duty—but you've never seen a send-off like this!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
WAKE THE DEAD!!! In 3-D!!!
Not actually in 3-D—but you will not believe your eyes! Guaranteed!
The biggest thing ever gets bigger!
Interconnected Variant Cover by Tom Scioli!

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611499)
Posted by Optimizzy on October 7th, 2014 @ 8:15am CDT

oh man. I just cant like this art. sorry.

I'm sure there are people who do...for whatever reason, but it is, in a word, ugly.

I guess it has nostalgic value...it reminds me of the pictures I drew in 5th grade.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611512)
Posted by dragons on October 7th, 2014 @ 8:46am CDT

Optimizzy wrote:oh man. I just cant like this art. sorry.

I'm sure there are people who do...for whatever reason, but it is, in a word, ugly.

I guess it has nostalgic value...it reminds me of the pictures I drew in 5th grade.

I was
Thinking I was only one don't like this style

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611523)
Posted by Blozor on October 7th, 2014 @ 9:10am CDT

I think they're going for the early Marvel style of both comics.

However, why is Starscream like Underbase sized?

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611559)
Posted by cruizerdave on October 7th, 2014 @ 10:14am CDT

This book just gets worse. I thought it would grow on me. NO. It's terrible. The art is terrible, the writing is terrible. Yeah, I know, it's intentional, but just because it's intentionally bad doesn't make it good.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611563)
Posted by Flashwave on October 7th, 2014 @ 10:17am CDT

For that matter, why is the purple cyclops calling himself SOUNDwave

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611583)
Posted by Siger on October 7th, 2014 @ 11:13am CDT

What the hell is up with the size? If Starscream transformed, he'd be 20x bigger than those jets falling into the sea. Same goes for Soundwave, they are all Godzilla sized?

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611597)
Posted by Darth Jumpy on October 7th, 2014 @ 11:51am CDT

Flashwave wrote:For that matter, why is the purple cyclops calling himself SOUNDwave

He isn't. Soundwave died in the first issue. Shockwave is avenging his death.

I still do not like the art style, but I do think the comic captures some of the goofiness and bizarreness of the cartoon series.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611652)
Posted by Siger on October 7th, 2014 @ 2:34pm CDT

My bad, typo on Shockwave's name because I read Soundwave off of the panel too lol.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611751)
Posted by TheCrookedMan on October 7th, 2014 @ 6:17pm CDT

This comic is fantastic. What if Steranko and Kirby worked on Transformers and G.I. Joe?

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611767)
Posted by timcourtois on October 7th, 2014 @ 7:30pm CDT

I also hated the art style... until I downloaded issue #1 and read it. Then I feel like I began to "get" it. The art does some really interesting & fantastic things with perspective that's actually really skillful and unique. Once I started to enjoy that, I found myself appreciating the retro style more and more.

That's not to say that there's anything wrong with those who just don't like it. But there may be some of you for whom giving the book a read may actually change how you feel.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1611889)
Posted by morphobots on October 7th, 2014 @ 11:44pm CDT

Siger wrote:What the hell is up with the size? If Starscream transformed, he'd be 20x bigger than those jets falling into the sea. Same goes for Soundwave, they are all Godzilla sized?

Well, it's not like scale has ever mattered in this hobby. That being said . . . :shock:

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1623155)
Posted by Va'al on November 19th, 2014 @ 3:34pm CST

They took a break, but the cosmic crossover of Transformers vs G.I. Joe comics is back soon, thanks to a preview up on iTunes. Expect the full preview and release to appear in the next two weeks, and check out the mirrored images from Mariel Romero's screenshots below!

THE WAR AT HOME! But whose home—and whose war?! Interstellar war has never been so cosmic! The G.I. JOE team faces the TRANSFORMERS—on Earth and Cybertron. Plus—just in time for Halloween… meet the OCTOBER GUARD!

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1624432)
Posted by Va'al on November 25th, 2014 @ 2:52am CST

Plenty of comics news this week from IDW Publishing! Everyone is writing and arting everything, as not only Angry Birds Transformers is out, but so are the new issue of Transformers vs G.I. Joe, MTMTE and the first issue of Drift: Empire of Stone - check out the preview for the cosmic comic by Scioli and Barber below!

Transformers VS G.I. JOE #4
Tom Scioli & John Barber (w) • Scioli (a & c)
THE WAR AT HOME! But whose home—and whose war?! Interstellar war has never been so cosmic! The G.I. JOE team faces the TRANSFORMERS—on Earth and Cybertron. Plus—just in time for Halloween… meet the OCTOBER GUARD!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The biggest crossover the cosmos has ever faced JUST KEEPS GETTING BIGGER!!!
Ask your retailer about the Tom Scioli connecting variant cover! Connects with the variants for #2 & #3 creating one big piece!

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1624931)
Posted by Va'al on November 26th, 2014 @ 4:49pm CST

Review is coming, by the way, for this one and issue #3 (which somehow never made it onto here).
I'm just a bit stuck with connection issues and time.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1632515)
Posted by Va'al on December 23rd, 2014 @ 8:26am CST

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.

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1644987)
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.

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: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1645089)
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: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1645120)
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. :michaelbay:

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1645133)
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: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1645167)
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: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1645188)
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. :lol:

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1649226)
Posted by Va'al on February 10th, 2015 @ 2:19pm CST

In Which Duke Drives Optimus Through a Sea of Quintessons
(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

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (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

Re: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1649286)
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: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1649400)
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: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1649428)
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: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1650204)
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: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1650218)
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: IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #1 Review (1670623)
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!