IDW Transformers Vs G.I. Joe #12 Review

I think the series is still coasting on the WHAT THE HELL AM I READING THIS IS AMAZING momentum of the first few issues. It especially resonated with non-TF fans, which is excellent. It's something totally different while also being completely self-contained.

As a comic, I think it succeeded in those first few issues at just doing wild, retro, Kirby-influenced fun things with the two concepts. It absolutely brought a crackling energy.

For me, however, it lost steam very quickly. I have zero issue with the *style* of the artwork (a common complaint), but the execution of the art style is at times poor. Pages and spreads that look more like characters are pasted into the scene with no thought to perspective (ie the smaller plane doesn't look off in the "distance" from the other plane, it looks like a TINY PLANE on the same, er, plane). It seemed like crazy new ideas just for the sake of being crazy. I don't know that the book needed to devolve into a more "routine" book but so many plot points seemed introduced and then dropped. The pacing absolutely sucked. And some very questionable storytelling choices were made, the most glaring being doing Grimlock vs Megatron (resulting in Grimmy's death) OFF-PANEL. The issues themselves started jumping around with a different story on every page.

So I think the critical acclaim is leftover from the first half-year the book was being published, and it hasn't had that shine since. Obviously it can still claim to hold onto the previous praise, and some, like Chris Sims of comicsalliance (a sight I read daily and enjoy their writing) still give it coverage. It is very worth noting that mention and coverage of TF/JOE has dwindled.

The fact that mainstream comics sites are showering praise on MtMtE instead is far more pleasing to me as a comics fan, a literary student, and a TF fan. It's a much better book with far more going for it than "bonkers." Even with what a vocal group of fans consider a "dip" in quality for season 2, MtMtE is literally head and shoulders over so many books it's almost unfair.

That's my take, at any rate.

"critically-acclaimed by smart people who read lots of fiction literature for a living"

I must be too dumb and ignorant to appreciate any of Scioli's "work". Boy, I wish they would stop trying to write comic books for intellectuals.

Don't know about you guys, But I'm still chuckling just reading the reviews. Stop trying to analyzing too much and just have fun reading the comic. I really appreciate what the writers are trying to do. The Voltron call-back was funny as hell. Haven't smiled and getting random chuckles from comics in a long time

I appreciate that, but my analysis comes after I stopped enjoying it. I really did enjoy the first few issues and then it started leaving me cold. Dig me?

I was having fun and then inexplicably I wasn't. Wanted to know why.

For me, I labored seven days a week. When I get a chance, sitting down with this title took those stress and seriousness away. I know what I was expecting when I open one of these. Panel by panel, I skim through the artwork, and panel by panel, I'll find some good childhood Easter eggs. I don't have to think too much trying to get a few smiles. However, when I do need something to analyze, i can still go back and find call-backs I might be missing. For me, this title is like the Batman v. Superman, just backwards. In the DC movie, after the first viewing, I was like, "what the hell?!" But looking at it again, I find that almost every scene was loaded with attempts at setting up future movies and establishing the add cine-universe. Scioli's Transformers and Gi Joe does the same. Instead of setting the future titles, calls back to our childhood memory of funny scenes and phrases, poking fun if everything we know, defensive combining like voltron, King hiss with cobra commander/baroness, relationship between Optimus and gridlock, bazooka sitting on hot rod (a bazooka should be on shoulders), etc. the way I would read it, don't analyze the story, analyze the panes and see what you can and cannot remember. I bought the entire title, I'll prob go get the trade when it's out

From the Facebook page for UK Transformers and G.I. Joe event Roll Out Roll Call, we have news of a shared variant cover for the last issue in the IDW Transformers vs G.I. Joe series, coming to an end this month with number #13. Check out the full piece by Robert Atkins and Joana Lafuente and more info below!

Roll Out Roll Call, The UK Transformers, G.I. Joe & Action Force Show in partnership with Discount Comic Book Service are proud to announce a shared cover variant for IDW Publishing Transformers Vs G.I. Joe #13. This amazing wraparound crossover cover by Robert Atkins Art and colours by Joana Lafuente features a tribute to the many characters played by our guests Neil Ross and Morgan Lofting. This issue will be a double sized. This wraparound variant cover edition has a print run of only 500, of which 250 will be available at Discount Comic Book Service and 250 from Roll Out Roll Call on July 8th-10th at London Heathrow. Book your ticket now: http://www.allthecoolstuff.co.uk/#!roll ... ll-1/yurd5

Thanks to Apple iTunes we get the preview for the final issue in the Transformers vs GI Joe comic book series. This issue will settle it all: the fate of Cybertron, the fate of the remaining humans, the face of the Autobots and Decepticons as we know it. Check it out, and sound off in the discussion forum on what you think of this big finale!

THE END IS NIGH! Final battle erupts—the forces of G.I. JOE and the AUTOBOTS head-to-head (or head-to-toe, depending on the size difference) with the DECEPTICOBRA alliance! The fate of the universe hangs on every decision!

In a week of endings, we get another chapter conclusions from IDW Publishing's Transformers output, via Newsarama. Below, you will find the last issue in the Tom Scioli/John Barber creation that was Transformers vs G.I. Joe, issue #13, as everything comes to a close. Make sure to head back to Seibertron.com later this week for a review, too!

Transformers vs. G.I. JOE #13: Armageddon
Tom Scioli & John Barber (w) • Tom Scioli (a & c)
THE END IS NIGH! Final battle erupts—the forces of G.I. JOE and the AUTOBOTS head-to-head (or head-to-toe, depending on the size difference) with the DECEPTICOBRA alliance! The fate of the universe hangs on every decision!
FC • 48 pages • $7.99

Bullet points:
One of the most talked-about comics of the 21st century—see what everybody’s been yelling about!
Visionary writer-artist Tom Scioli’s canvas has never been so big!
Far-flung cosmic action in the scintillating Scioli style!
The epic conclusion!

13 huh? That's fitting, given historical significance of the number in American History... and the Transformers, come to think of it.

Flashwave wrote:13 huh? That's fitting, given historical significance of the number in American History... and the Transformers, come to think of it.

US History yes, but TFs? How so?

Tigertrack wrote:

Flashwave wrote:13 huh? That's fitting, given historical significance of the number in American History... and the Transformers, come to think of it.

US History yes, but TFs? How so?

The 13 Primes, among other things

D-Maximus_Primal wrote:

Tigertrack wrote:

Flashwave wrote:13 huh? That's fitting, given historical significance of the number in American History... and the Transformers, come to think of it.

US History yes, but TFs? How so?

The 13 Primes, among other things

As soon as I saw a reply, I was like duh, the other things, I'd have to dig into, but that should have been obvious, yes.

EULOGY FOR A CROSSOVER

Official Synopsis:

THE END IS NIGH! Final battle erupts—the forces of G.I. JOE and the AUTOBOTS head-to-head (or head-to-toe, depending on the size difference) with the DECEPTICOBRA alliance! The fate of the universe hangs on every decision!

Lots of contributors listed for this issue:



Welcome friends and board mates, readers and lurkers. Today we celebrate the series that was Transformers Versus G.I. Joe. With issue number 13, this out-of-the-box, discussion causing series, has come to its final Earthly conclusion.



My name is Tigertack, I’ve read Transformers and G.I. Joe fiction (and a lot of other comic book and narrative book fiction as well) since I was but a young lad, borrowing comic books from my cousin Dan’s vast collections when 4-H had ended, and from the libraries that my mother worked at for one of her many jobs. Many of you know me from Seibertron as a former newsie, news admin, and Botcon attendee, sometime podcaster and reviewer.


After TF #54, this is not what I expected under the mask to look like.

Transformers Versus G.I. Joe was a series assigned to me review, mainly I think because Va’al thought that I needed to be tortured, maybe because no one else would do it…but more likely he wanted to challenge me, and as ‘the-resident-active-staff-member-who-is-also-involved-with-comics-and-enjoys-G.I.Joe-too’ it fell to me to try to relate to anyone reading these reviews about the latest iteration of a series that historically has never been what was really desired, but could be relied upon to be very different from the last version.


White haired and short-buzz cut...Race Bannon?

And so we have this interation, written, drawn, lettered, and colored by Tom Scioli all by himself, with John Barber editing and offering advice here and there. A dream come true for a creator who loves both franchises and their toys and comics… and it shows!


The next Billy figure to need an FSS version. Or maybe they could make a whole Scioli inspired set.




The series though, immediately caused a lot of water cooler talk, tweets and posts, as it looked and read like no previous TFvsGIJOE story ever really had. It was Tom’s universe and he was making it what he wanted, all the while paying homage to the people who came before him like Larry Hama, Simon Furman, and Bob Budiansky, and using other media influences that ranged from comics like Watchmen, Kirby drawn and written materials like New Gods and other works, to movies like Rocky and Firestarter.



And what a world it was: Decepticobra alliances, GI JOE and Autobots fighting then working together, Earth getting eaten by Seibertron (har!), Scarlett and Snake Eyes becoming headmasters, Megatron getting a taste for human flesh, drug addicted Autobots, greenery added to Cybertron, robot invasions and government reactions, a general who never wears his cap straight, Cobra La, the Death of Optimus Prime, and Megatron wishing to dissolve the sun for its energy. ENERGY is a fantastic way to describe the series, as there was always something new thing different, something alive about the series, and it always brought a nervous, excited energy to the reader.



I always found it hard to write about this series because most of the time, I felt as many did…there was this imaginary line drawn and you were usually either on one side or the other of it as far as this series was concerned: you liked the creativity, newness and energy involved with the series, or it had the polar opposite effect on you, and you simply hated it. The side I started on was the side that hated it, the art being the biggest turn off to me as a former artist in training, I knew I could do better and it irked me. But as the series progressed it was not enough to just complain about the art and the ‘weirdness’ that was happening. I had to look for something to appreciate, a way to enjoy it. And I did. I liked it for its differences, its surprises, its always making its own way, and telling its own story while paying homage to so many great influences.


"Always in the eye of the beholder, this series has been."


And so, in conclusion, we celebrate the life of this series, and its final issue…which even though it is the final issue, still manages to pack in surprises and homages as it is ending. It’s a double issue and its packed until the very last page. I know many of you either read it and enjoyed its Lord of the Rings ending, its creative use of G.I. Joe Retaliation and Transformers movie references, the use of previous classic Joe and TF comic panels, and its downright original Atlas (it ain’t Unicron!), the always perfect hair of Billy, the use of Ultra Magnus and his white cab, and the marriage that you just could not have predicted. In all its wild ENERGY laden pages it never-stopped, until it had to stop.


This was one of my favorite pages...ever!


Movie Megs ultimate combiner

With these last words, I say that we celebrate the passing of this iteration of Transformers Versus G.I. Joe, and laud its creator and collaborators, its inspirations and its ENERGY. We can truly say that there never was a series like this, and there most likely will never be a series like this again (except in 2025 when we see ‘Shipwreck Space Pirate’). Kudos Mr. Scioli and Mr. Barber.

For the next installment of Transformers and G.I.Joe action we'll see what the new 'Revolution' has for us. Thanks for reading.

’Til All Are One! Yo Joe!


Revolution?

Some random images I had wanted to use until the review went a different way.

I loved this series. Sometimes it's made me laugh, like with the Joe Pets, sometimes it's made me sad, like in Scarlet's solo issue where she was brainwashed into feeling she had a normal suburban life, sometimes it's made me puzzled, like in Destro's ancestory issue or Lt Falcon's solo issue, and sometimes it's made me cheer with the fan service.

One thing the book has never been was boring. It's been gripping and interesting from the word go. I cannot ever remember a comic like this. It's been it's own beast, it's own creation, it's own look, feel, and status quo, from issue 0. There is no book that could get away with the sheer insanity this book has, and still get another issue. So yes, I salute this book, I salute it's ambition, its grandeur, it's vision, it's style. It didn't cater or pander or change itself to appease the critics. To paraphrase Sinatra "It did what it had to do, and saw it through without exemption."

And yeah, that wedding invite that so shamelessly aped from the 80's wolverine mini. Yeah, if ever there was a book that could get away with so many types of crazy in one panel, it was this one.

Here's to the Jotobot alliance. Yo Joe and roll out.

I've gotta say...this series was a ride. An absolutely slaggin' insane ride, but a ride nonetheless. To be honest...I'm sad to see it end.

Submitted this as news, but probably best to also post it since it's time sensitive; Transformers vs. GI Joe's got a 50%(ish) discount on Comixology until the 5th! Just enter JOE at checkout. You can get the entire series for a bit less than $15, great opportunity to jump in if you've been on the fence.

(They advertise 50% off, but when I applied it I got 55% off. Neato.)

Fellow Seibertronian RevTibe brings us some more IDW Publishing Transformers comics news, in the shape of a hefty discount on the whole Tom Scioli run of Transformers vs G.I. Joe - just after the series ends! Check out more details below and here, and head to ComiXology to read one of the wildest takes on the shared universe of the 80s.

RevTibe wrote:Submitted this as news, but probably best to also post it since it's time sensitive; Transformers vs. GI Joe's got a 50%(ish) discount on Comixology until the 5th! Just enter JOE at checkout. You can get the entire series for a bit less than $15, great opportunity to jump in if you've been on the fence.

(They advertise 50% off, but when I applied it I got 55% off. Neato.)

Forgot to mention; the discount also applies to other GI Joe comics!

(If you're picking up the series, you'll also want to grab the Free Comic Book Day issue of Robots in Disguise - don't worry, it's still free. It includes a one-page strip that slots between Transformers vs. GI Joe issues 6 and 7. Introduces a minor character in an entertainingly quirky manner.)

It's absolutely criminal they aren't calling this the "Fourth of Joe-ly" sale.

In other IDW comics news, we have a new listing on online retailer Amazon.com for the Tom Scioli and John Barber series Transformers vs G.I. Joe, collected in a new, oversized The Quintessential Collection! The new edition probably adds some extras too, bulking it up to 420 pages and $49.99, and might explain all the recent Scioli Twitter activity featuring Cybertronian art. Due for release in March 2017, check out more info below on this oversized hardcover book!

Earth makes contact with an alien race–and G.I. JOE is on the front lines! But, when the Transformers arrive–well, let’s just say you’ve never seen Transformers vs G.I. JOE like this! This oversized deluxe hardcover collects all 13 issues, including commentary and extras by creators Tom Scioli and John Barber!

More like the QuintessSONessetial amiright!?

Yooooo that is awesome! The series was designed for an Absolute Edition!

If someone were to pay me $49.99, I would probably read this.

It's baaaaaaaack...

http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/ ... joe/36502/

IDW Publishing have started promoting some of their upcoming books, and caught in said promotion is the new project by visionary comics creator Tom Scioli, of the Transformers vs G.I. Joe limited series: the comic book adaptation of a movie that never was - Transformers vs G.I. Joe The Movie! The Comic Book Adaptation of a Movie Version of a Comic Book (Seriously) You Never Knew You Needed will be out in March 2017.

Please, I await all the fanrage. It nourishes me.

No fanrage, it did remind me though that I have to unload the comics of this series I previously collected. If anyone wants the complete series (Issues #0-13), plus 2 SDCC exclusive covers of #1, plus a couple of duplicates of other issues, PM me $70.00 USD -That is retail price, just looking to make back what the comics cost me, at no profit to myself. In fact I probably stand to lose a little because I'm willing to pay for shipping.

o.supreme wrote:No fanrage

Aw.

I'm in, sounds insane enough to be awesome.


I could possible simulate some fan rage if you wanted?

Ironhidensh wrote:I'm in, sounds insane enough to be awesome.


I could possible simulate some fan rage if you wanted?

Faking sucks all the fun out of it.



I have chosen all my words intentionally.

Va'al wrote:

Ironhidensh wrote:I'm in, sounds insane enough to be awesome.


I could possible simulate some fan rage if you wanted?

Faking sucks all the fun out of it.



I have chosen all my words intentionally.

My stimulation is indistinguishable from reality.

Ironhidensh wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Ironhidensh wrote:I'm in, sounds insane enough to be awesome.


I could possible simulate some fan rage if you wanted?

Faking sucks all the fun out of it.



I have chosen all my words intentionally.

My stimulation is indistinguishable from reality.

Good placing of that T.

I've never been more excited for more of something I thought there wouldn't be any more of.
The greatest comic book experience I've had in years! And now it's a MOVIE!

But not really a movie, but a comic book adaptation of a movie about a comic that really is about a movie that never was.

Didja get all that?

Va'al wrote:IDW Publishing have started promoting some of their upcoming books, and caught in said promotion is the new project by visionary comics creator Tom Scioli, of the Transformers vs G.I. Joe limited series: the comic book adaptation of a movie that never was - Transformers vs G.I. Joe The Movie! The Comic Book Adaptation of a Movie Version of a Comic Book (Seriously) You Never Knew You Needed will be out in March 2017.

Ok so it's a comic book?

a comic book where every human has a skin condition judging by the cover :O

I'm still not sure how I felt about reading that series. It was... unique... interesting... but I don't know if I enjoyed it. I respect that it exists and that's that I suppose.

We've covered this upcoming book previously, and its bizarre slogans, but we now also have the variant cover by Robb Waters for Tom Scioli's Transformers vs G.I. Joe The Movie Adaptation One Shot! Courtesy of Previews world, mirrored below, featuring Cobra, Joes, and assorted Cybertronians.

TRANSFORMERS VS GI JOE MOVIE ADAPTATION
(W) Tom Scioli (A) Tom Scioli (CA) Robb Waters
Imagine a world where the greatest comic book crossover of all time inspires a movie adaptation... and that movie adaptation inspires its own comic book! Visionary writer-artist Tom Scioli returns to the weird world of Transformers vs. G.I. Joe and brings an even weirder twist to this new story: what would the comic book adaptation of the movie version of the comic book look like? It's time to find out in the most epic, scintillating, off-the-wall, exciting comic of 2017!

I was gonna pick this up anyway so the variant would be a nice addition; cover came out fresh!

Just started and finished the whole series.

I am really not sure how I feel about it. It's very obviously tongue-and-cheek and just a load of fun and ridiculousness for the heck of it; and I love that, but... I do wonder if it goes a bit far? Like, to the point I'm just so extremely confused I can't quite get into it. There were moments I was in love, moments I was confused, but most of the time I was stuck in a limbo where I didn't know which one I should be. It was an experience, I can say that much.


Also, for some reason these two panels are absolutely hilarious to me. I'm not even gonna try explaining how, I just can't help laughing whenever I look at them.

Continuing our coverage of NC Comicon 2017 (you can read our summary of the Transformers comics panel hosted by John Barber here), we bring you news that the Transformers vs. G.I. Joe The Movie Adaptation one-shot has been released at the convention, with an exclusive convention cover! This is a few days early, with the book expected to be available at your local comic shop and online this upcoming Wednesday, March 22nd.

We've mirrored an image of the exclusive cover below for your viewing pleasure.



Let your fellow Seibertronians know how excited you are for this book (of course you are, right?) by replying to this post, and keep it here on Seibertron.com for continuing coverage of anything you need to know from the 2017 NC Comicon.

Of course I is excited for this book.
And the MOVIE!

Love this comic. Excited about The Movie Adaptation this upcoming week!

Read the print copy that I picked up at the show yesterday. This thing is hilarious! The extra space is used for, well, I won't spoil it but they use the additional pages of the "annual" format in a very fun way

This month was supposed to see the release of the hardcover collection of the Tom Scioli series Transformers vs G.I. Joe, dubbed 'the quintessential collection' and covered by us here. After yesterday's news of the Movie Adaption release, however, we've also learned that the whole book will be delayed to include the one-shot issue too! We have yet to find out how long the delay will actually be, but stay tuned for more information as we receive it here at Seibertron.com, and whet your appetite on our database entry here.

Va'al wrote:This month was supposed to see the release of the hardcover collection of the Tom Scioli series Transformers vs G.I. Joe, dubbed 'the quintessential collection' and covered by us here. After yesterday's news of the Movie Adaption release, however, we've also learned that the whole book will be delayed to include the one-shot issue too! We have yet to find out how long the delay will actually be, but stay tuned for more information as we receive it here at Seibertron.com, and whet your appetite on our database entry here.

I'm totally okay with this because having the Movie Adaptation in the Quintessential Collection makes total sense.

It would drive me crazy to have it separate.

I like look of snake eyes in picture everything else not to much glad it's going under way

Okay, so this is the first time I've even heard of a Transformers VS GI Movie. IS there actually one, or is this just a script of a movie that was never made?

It's really just a joke. It's just the title of the comic.
How that plays into the story in this one-off is yet to be determined.
Until Wednesday at least.

Read The Movie Adaptation yesterday and LOVED it.

If you thought Transformers Vs. GI Joe was bananas, Tom Scioli dials it up to 11. Not a literal literal adaptation of the comic series, but it touches upon the highlights of the run and gives them a cool twist.

You can almost imagine music from the GI Joe and Transformers animated movies while reading it. And for anyone that grew up reading comic movie adaptations, this is a loving tribute to those as well. Those comics tend to also touch upon the highlights of a movie within a short amount of pages.

Also, I'm a big fan of this homage to The Right Stuff.



Highly recommended for anyone that loved the Transformers Vs. GI Joe comic.

Critics are raving about Tom Scioli's hit new (non)motion picture(book) Transformers vs. G.I. Joe The Movie Adaptation.














Hopefully by now we all know that there is no actual movie, but what there is is a fantastic one-off romp through Scioli's mad-capped mash-up of some of our favorite Hasbroites. This book is certainly meant to be a one time adventure, and redelivers on all the weird and crazy story telling wrapped in the warped artistic package fans of the series have come to expect. It does not disappoint.

The story line is almost new, touching on and rehashing some of the more prevalent themes from the original series, but condensing them down into a more cohesive "screen play", if you will.

-Story

The story opens with the age old notion that Cybertronian's and Earthling's fates have been intertwined through out the annals of time.



The tale is told more through the narrative of the Joes. Scioli covers a lot of ground quickly through "A Letter to Sis" as written by Snake eyes.



And primarily through that of Scarlet. Like other live action Transformers movies, it relies heavily on the "human element".



The story delves deeply into the minds and emotions of our favorite sentient heroes. Unbreakable bonds of love. The comradery of war hardened allies. The essence of the evils that threaten the very fabric of our cosmos. The trials and tribulations of family.

But it leaves plenty of room for some hard hitting, Cobra stomping, Con slagging action!









The book reads fast and furious which adds to the fun. It does feel a tad rushed, and perhaps merely an avenue to get some of the better ideas left on the cutting room floor from the original series, back into the pages of a comic.

But it still manages to make for an action-packed smash hit blockbuster thrill-ride of the summer!


-Art

A point of contention for many who have tried Scioli's works. But it's important to note that he knows exactly what he's doing. A great teacher once told me, "You can't break the rules, unless you know what the rules are. Otherwise you are just making a mess".

While Scioli's art appears at first glance to be juvenile, and an amateur mess, he knows exactly what he's doing. He knows the rules well, and he is breaking them with grace and style. Each panel is laid out in a composition that keeps the eye moving all around the frame. He does so even in his line work. At times I found myself re-reading the text several times because my brain was to busy keeping up with my roving eye. His use of color also adds to the musical mayhem of each panel using almost annoyingly florescent hues to garner focus on the subject, again leading the eye back and forth around the composition. Even his placement of the word bubbles and the text within them adds to this element of composition. Concreting him as a true wizard in the art of comic books.



Of course one of the best parts of Scioli's art are the sight gags!



One thing I did feel was missing, and probably my favorite thing about the original series, were the two-page Where's Waldo-esque spreads that one could spend hours poring over always finding some new hidden surprise tucked into the the intricacies of the drawing.

-Low Down
Over all the book is a good fun read, packed with all the silliness and splendor we got from the series. It was just nice to have one more jaunt through Scioli's childhood world of imaginary fantasies. If you enjoyed the series, there's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy this film/not a film.



Oh! And don't forget, the DVD comes packed with bonus features. Including cast interviews and making of featurettes!

Them autobots will have to be walking super slow not to step on the slow walking Joes.

I read it. Well.. I dunno if that's the right word. I...experienced it? I dunno why as I wasn't a big fan of the miniseries but the curiosity of 'movie' got me. It's different and it probably appeals to some folk.