Interview with John Barber and Kei Zama on IDW Optimus Prime Series

sounds like a good series

Synopsis
REVOLUTION is over—but the danger to Earth is just beginning. As OPTIMUS PRIME pulls Earth into the larger universe, he’s painted a target on Earth… and a new alien incursion begins when a corkscrew shaped craft drills into our world!



Story

What do we have here? A new title from John 'Continuity' Barber? Look at it this way: Revolution is over, Reconstruction is starting, corporate is backing out slightly just for a little bit, and it's time to patch up what's left of crossover events. Enter the same cast, a different title, and a lot of clashing personalities. Welcome back to Earth.



Barber has a penchant, has always had it, to play with story from an entry point. This series is probably the most promisingly enabling of that, with Optimus Prime being narrator and thread, as his personal story bleeds into his formation and current situation, shaping and being shaped by the context and the players around him.



This is true for the flashbacks, in which we see his young idealist law-enforcer self. This is true for when we switch back to the current events, where those ideals are a little shakier, and other people are more likely to call him out on things, from Pyra Magna (more of her please), to Soundwave, and even to his older allies.



For a reader who's followed RID, Transformers, all the crossovers and events, and even before all that, back to earlier stories with red-blue-bot, some of this may feel familiar, sure. But it's an excellent first issue that doesn't compromise its jumping on point in any way. It has enough new stuff to keep regulars in, and enough grounding to bring new audiences along too. That's a win-win for me.

Art

Kei Zama's work on the pages is something to behold. It's not often that an excellent cover artist is also a truly great interior artist, and when it happens, they deserve all the praise they can get. One of the interviews about her cited a number of heavy influences, from Marvel G2 to 2000AD, but I also see some James Raiz in more TF-friendly terms, and it's definitely her own take on sequential narrative, with bold inks and shading to boot.



And if the lines are gritty, and bold, and heavy without crushing the page, Josh Burcham crushes the work with some of the best colours he's produced in his career. If you thought Sins of the Wreckers was good, this goes in a different, even better direction altogether, and the two styles work oh so very well.



With the old style coming back, and a lot of new faces, Tom B. Long has a lot on his lettering plate, but do we really have any doubts that he can make it work, even with new art and busy panels? Not at all. The flow is great, the captions fit, and nothing is sacrificed. Plus, IDW got Paul Pope (with Lovern Kindzierski) to do a variant cover. Sara Pitre Durocher tags the shiz out of graffiti art, regulars Casey Coller, Joana Lafuente, Andrew Griffith are still magnificent, and the Sonny Liew and Tim King are great additions/banes to completists. Nice touch on the UK-variant Zama cover too, with David Garcia Cruz on colours.

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

We know this by now: Roberts and the MTMTE Lost Light team work best with the fandom they created, Barber and his rotating titles and teams are in charge of the core mythology, lore, and backbone storylines for the IDW verse. Optimus Prime, in this first issue is very similar to the early RID books I loved so much - internal narration devices included - and yes, while full of stuff, leads directly from the general reader that bought Revolution.



If this is what Reconstruction is going to bring, I'm quite happy to cautiously join in for the ride, and for one, accept our benevolent diplomatic if ego-inflated robotic overlords. And if they look this good doing it, thanks to Zama and Burcham, it's definitely going to be a swish ride for a little while at least, despite the criss-crossing plotlines that the editorial team will have to keep track of (thanks, synergy - we will achieve Total Brand Awareness).

One little detail I enjoyed about the issue is Jetfire being a Decepticon pre-war. You never really saw that whole part of his character after 1985 and... it actually fits in here. His whole deal of being a scientist yet being a big bulky jet built for combat jibes PERFECTLY with what's been built up about the Functionists and the pre-war Decepticon cause in IDW as of late. It's kind of one of those things that should have been obvious to you, but it wasn't and you're glad you got it.

I also really like that they're exploring Earth outside of the usual territories, with Mexico and the Alps showing up in this issue. Let's hear it for global crises not meaning US-based!

I absolutely just adore this issue. More superlatives later as it's almost dinner time.

That said, anyone else catch a slight nod to TF UK #99-100 with the Prime and Outback stuff, only with some fun contrast in their relationship? Of course, maybe this is nothing at all and just happenstance, but it made me chuckle regardless.

The interviews keep on rolling in for John Barber and the whole of IDW's Optimus Prime ongoing. Comic Book Resources were able to snag an interview with Mr. Continuity himself and ask him even more questions about the new ongoing and where it will be headed. You can check out the full interview HERE and catch a sneak peak below. Let us know what you think of this latest interview in the comments section below!

In Prime, you have this unique lead with literally millions of years of history. Will you be digging into that?

We’ll definitely be digging into Optimus Prime’s past. The first arc has a parallel story set before the war — back when Optimus was Orion Pax, a police officer on Cybertron. It’s another view, on another world, in another time, of a lot of the same issues at play in the present day: the relationship of a protector to the protected, and how Optimus/Orion looks at his enemies. Back then, Cybertron was on a downward curve, historically speaking. Orion’s on the precipice of a four-million-year-long war that he winds up being an essential part of.

.....

Optimus tends to have a crew around him. Will that be the case in here? Who can fans expect to see at his side?

Optimus still has a big crew with him. The real difference here is that Optimus’ actions are so big, the people around him can’t help but be pulled into the orbit of what he’s doing. Soundwave is still at his side, and Pyra Magna and the Torchbearers (who form Victorion) are there, but she’s not exactly standing at his side. Arcee is cautious toward him, but in a different way. And Aileron, who was a Colonist who sees Optimus as a space-messiah, has had her worldview shattered a bit. She sees Optimus is just a guy – a big, metal guy – dealing with things as best he can.

But then Optimus brings in a half-dozen new Colonists, all very eager to follow his every word. This decision doesn’t sit well with all of his crew, but it introduces some very obscure faces into the fold – characters like Oiler, Slide, Gimlet, Bump, Midnight Express, and Roulette. Don’t be worried if you don’t know them — nobody else on Optimus’ team knows them, either. But Aileron and Pyra are both colonists themselves, and seeing these hopeful ‘bots willing to lay down their lives for Optimus, right or wrong…well, they get a little uneasy with the situation.

.....

How does bringing in a new artist like Kei change your approach to Optimus and these other characters?

When I thought about what a comic drawn by her would look like, it was like a whole new approach to the Transformers opened up. I mean, I’ve been writing these characters for a while, and I’m always super-excited to get to do this stuff, but the idea of Kei’s vision of the characters, of the way she’d draw G.I. Joe characters, and how she’d approach all this…it seemed like such an exciting idea.

Carlos Guzman, our editor, didn’t take too much convincing, and he brought in Josh Burcham to color and Josh has brought a very unique, very cool color palette. The book has an amazingly distinct look to it. It doesn’t feel like anything else out there, which is amazing.

Trying to delete this....

Via the usual iTunes screenshot uploads, we have an early look at the next issue of the new IDW Publishing Transformers ongoing series - Optimus Prime #2 - in which we meet the newcomers to Earth in their corkscrew ship. Check the three pages mirrored out below!

NEW CYBERTRON! A massive corkscrew-shaped space ship has drilled into Earth, bringing with it a surprising disruption to OPTIMUS PRIME's plans. Meanwhile—ARCEE fields a dangerous offer that may be too good to resist!

Slag it, I read that entire preview parsing his name as "Rum Mage" and not the blatent "Rummage" Stupid, sneaky, tricky IDW and their tricks. And pulling a Bait and Switch by showing us the years-long teased Quintesson ship and then giving us the Junkions.

Corkscrew ship? isn't that the same kinda ship that was in the original animated movie

Whew, the art is not the best. I can't tell what's happening half the time. Also, did Wreck-Gar just rip his own head off to prove a point?

But truly, I'm hoping that Wreck-Gar eventually could be the Deadpool of this universe: Breaking the fourth wall whenever possible and being rather insane comic relief.

#Sideways# wrote:Whew, the art is not the best. I can't tell what's happening half the time. Also, did Wreck-Gar just rip his own head off to prove a point?

But truly, I'm hoping that Wreck-Gar eventually could be the Deadpool of this universe: Breaking the fourth wall whenever possible and being rather insane comic relief.

I'm not sure, but I think the problem might be the coloring rather than the line work. There's barely any contrast between shades. Everything has the same lighting despite being different colors. This isn't so much a problem with characters who aren't Junkions. The other Autobots are only made up of one or two primary colors anyway.

#Sideways# wrote:I'm hoping that Wreck-Gar eventually could be the Deadpool of this universe: Breaking the fourth wall whenever possible and being rather insane comic relief.

I kinda agree, given the vibe I'm getting from him.

Via another surprising choice for a reveal, we have the IDW Publishing Transformers Optimus Prime #2 full issue preview. The images come courtesy of comics website Comic Crusaders, and can be seen below - head back to Seibertron.com for our review once the book is out next week!

NEW CYBERTRON! A massive corkscrew-shaped space ship has drilled into Earth, bringing with it a surprising disruption to OPTIMUS PRIME’s plans. Meanwhile—ARCEE fields a dangerous offer that may be too good to resist!

Optimus Prime #2
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

It becomes even better if you read it in Eric's voice.

I don't know.....compared from Issue #1 to this......the art style is just cluttered, there's no better word for it. There's too much crammed into every panel, too much going on to follow the narrative without multiple re-readings, etc. If it continues this way, I may just unsubscribe from the book and catch up with it on the wiki.

Desiiiiiiiiiigns!





Via: http://steelandstarlight.com/post/15519 ... dw-optimus

Inked preview pages, too - pre Burchaming.

http://steelandstarlight.com/post/15519 ... -2-preview

Let's start the new year with some contemplation and good art, with two new incentive covers for upcoming issues of IDW Publishing Transformers comics - first up, Optimus Prime #3's retailer incentive cover by Joana Lafuente, with Earth, Optimus and a lot of spaaace. Check it out below via Previews World!

Optimus Prime #3
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a & c)
An uneasy peace between Optimus Prime and the newly arrived Junkions is threatened by Soundwave’s discovery within their massive ship…
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bounti76 wrote:I don't know.....compared from Issue #1 to this......the art style is just cluttered, there's no better word for it. There's too much crammed into every panel, too much going on to follow the narrative without multiple re-readings, etc. If it continues this way, I may just unsubscribe from the book and catch up with it on the wiki.

I'm in a similar situation with the art, it feels cluttered as you said, and not as clear as I'd like to see. it's not bad, but it feels...unrefined

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Bounti76 wrote:I don't know.....compared from Issue #1 to this......the art style is just cluttered, there's no better word for it. There's too much crammed into every panel, too much going on to follow the narrative without multiple re-readings, etc. If it continues this way, I may just unsubscribe from the book and catch up with it on the wiki.

I'm in a similar situation with the art, it feels cluttered as you said, and not as clear as I'd like to see. it's not bad, but it feels...unrefined

Disagree, review coming up soon.

Synopsis
NEW CYBERTRON! A massive corkscrew-shaped space ship has drilled into Earth, bringing with it a surprising disruption to OPTIMUS PRIME’s plans. Meanwhile—ARCEE fields a dangerous offer that may be too good to resist!



Story

A giant corkscrew spaceship lands in the Alps. Robots with apparently, arguably, perhaps not some screws loose pop out of it. Hilarity and hijinks (your mileage may vary) ensue. And we bring back a lot of loose threads from a long, long, long time ago in this new issue of Optimus Prime. Resolutions? No, just dangling. Like bait.



What I really enjoy about the two new characters we encounter - Junkions Rum-Maj and Wreck-Gar - is that while the latter carries across a lot of his canonical characterisation, they both also sport some sinister undertones to their easily dismissed comedy relief. Much like charming cannibalistic psychologists, perhaps, but with Eric Idle's voice stuck in your head.



A point of contention, elsewhere at least, is the inclusion of GI Joe teams in the book. But this is the status of the universe, and the book does some more steps towards acknowledging the wider status of it all. Not just American settings, not just American teams, not just Americans. This feels part of that pseudo-post-colonial shift that started way back when with the colonies being rediscovered.



John Barber is doing pretty much what he wants, now that he no longer has the editorial shackles, and he can delve into older Transformers universe, both within and outside of IDW's. This is some entertaining, and successfully so, storytelling with good characters.

Art

I'll admit, I echoed some sentiments I've seen around about Kei Zama's art in this starting to look a bit more cluttered than the first issue, covers or fan art. My initial worries, however, did not last long. There may be a couple of panels which sport heavier inks (or feel that way) but they never jar with the spot-on designs and backgrounds.



That is also thanks to Josh Burcham's colour wizardry, marrying the dark linework of Zama's layouts with his muted (yet somehow still vibrant - see? wizard) palette; I could not have thought of a better choice of team for any selection of Junkions. Where there might've been the risk of too dark, colours light it up. Done.



The fears I had about the art were also a little in the lettering, as lots of dialogue means lots of ballooning, means a lot of stuff in the same panel - but I should've trusted Tom B. Long, of course. Both dialogue and sound effects work, and Wreck-Gar's speech pattern is well conveyed visually too. As for covers, we've seen the main Zama/Burcham one, and I spotlighted the Casey Coller/Joana Lafuente variant in the preview. We also have another Zoner piece, featuring Arcee, and thumbnailed with this review, the Andrew Griffith/Josh Perez Rum-Maj centrepiece. Admire them all.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

The issue is, overall, thoroughly enjoyable, much more than I initially feared I would feel about the book, from the preview. My biggest misgivings were not about the story as much as the art - as I explain above - but they were easily assuaged once you take in the whole story. There is no clutter. There is no lasting distraction.



What else does it bring, as well as ensuring that the mythos goes forward? Re-evaluation of both Primacy and Monstrosity, old Spotlights and -ations, Budiansky references, G1 references, early days of IDW's Robots in Disguise, i.e. Barber's best output. Until now. This is a series worth keeping at hand and in mind, and it does an excellent job of using those references as complementary, not essential.

Loving the story, but the art is still killing me.

I have trouble telling what's going on one panel to the next.

Not feeling this at all.

Have to say, I did enjoy Issue 2 a lot more than 1. I dunno, something about the first issue felt a bit... off, but this one is right back on track and it's already very entertaining imo.
But yeah, the art is... hm. It's more a personal hurdle for me; not that in terms of quality there's anything wrong with the style, but it's just not to my tastes so it does get in the way a little for me. Just a bit too gritty for my tastes, and maybe a bit too gritty for the story.

Va'al wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Bounti76 wrote:I don't know.....compared from Issue #1 to this......the art style is just cluttered, there's no better word for it. There's too much crammed into every panel, too much going on to follow the narrative without multiple re-readings, etc. If it continues this way, I may just unsubscribe from the book and catch up with it on the wiki.

I'm in a similar situation with the art, it feels cluttered as you said, and not as clear as I'd like to see. it's not bad, but it feels...unrefined

Disagree, review coming up soon.

You are right about it clearing up as is went, just wish that first part wasn't as clutteredish

I'm enjoying the flashback episodes more. Learning about Jetfire, and Prowl, and others. Jetfire seems so different now. I think solicits have somewhat let the cat out of the bag with the Junkions, but I'm sure there is more of a twist than seems present by those previews and covers.

I'm good with the art. It's not my total favorite, but it works. GI Joe in it took me back a step... I'm not sure I'm ready for every issue to be a GI Joe and Transformers X crossover now. Well, at least Lost Light is still safe from that.

No, it's not the art bothering me, it's the horrible colouring. How can anyone call that good? If I hadn't committed to buying #1-6, I'd be out already.

The art in this book is awesome. Must be the G2 fan in me. It's like having a refined Geoff Senior at the helm. Plus I think Barber's stories tend to work better with a unique visual identity about them. He jumps from super serious to super not often, so it helps me with those transitions better than Griffith's (very good, mind you) cleaner style did in that regard. I mean, how can you not love that last page? Soo good.

On another note, does Shockwave being in the flashback Battle of Junkion panel imply to anyone else that there was a regenesis ore there? That might be a known fact already, I just don't remember Primacy and Monstrosity well.

Tigertrack wrote:GI Joe in it took me back a step... I'm not sure I'm ready for every issue to be a GI Joe and Transformers X crossover now. Well, at least Lost Light is still safe from that.

I figured having four of the six be characters that have been around before that just now-ish became Joes (Spike, Bharwaney, Quinlan, and Josh Boyfriend) was a way of easing them in without being unrelenting about it. That said, I didn't think giving Talon the running narrator role worked for me, but I get why it's there. Just preference on that part, objectively it was fine.

I'm finding it entertaining that Jones, TC, and Buster were all on vacation together, and TC was wearing a purple visor to boot!

Nik Hero wrote:No, it's not the art bothering me, it's the horrible colouring. How can anyone call that good? If I hadn't committed to buying #1-6, I'd be out already.

How can you not? Could you expand on your critique, please?

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I'm finding it entertaining that Jones, TC, and Buster were all on vacation together, and TC was wearing a purple visor to boot!

Argh, how could I have forgot about that?! Not to put down the rest of the comic but that was one of my favourite parts; I love Thundercracker - and Jones, honestly - so it's nice seeing them and the dog get what is essentially paid leave.

yeah im in the same camp too.

ive loved most of barbers work over the years and its great to see him seems to bring back ideas like primal apostiaphis (or however you spell that ) , which hasnt been seen since last stand of the wreckers.

its an idea that works so well with the current "prime as space jesus" trope.

but the art is killing me.

its not BAD, in fact in areas it kinda remindes me of a less clear geoff senior (sans his dynamism)

but its WAAAAAY to G2 for my liking. i never like that style and it doesnt help that the whole change feels like a forced "reboot" ala AHM. Albeit without the loss of story quality.

like others it just looks too damn cluttterd and TBH at time i cant figure out WTF im looking at. compared to the sterling work of andrew griffith its just not up to scratch IMO.

WORSE i remember when griffith was getting his feet and ive a horrible feeling were right back to square one with this new lad and he'll be got shot of too just as he's hitting a stride.

basically i blame the dynamics of the comics business for shafting a team that was already doing the business for a cheap No 1 boost.

i'll stick with it for the first arc but TBH "jumping on points " make great jumping OFF points and im in two minds as to keep going.

partholon wrote:basically i blame the dynamics of the comics business for shafting a team that was already doing the business for a cheap No 1 boost.

That's not how it happened. Griffith has said that he was burnt out on Transformers after almost five years straight of doing it and wanted to work on other stuff.

Also thanks to the usual suspects,itunes has provided us with a preview of the IDW's Transformers Optimus Prime issue #3. Below is the description, followed by the preview - more to be expected in the coming weeks!

An uneasy peace between Optimus Prime and the newly arrived Junkions is threatened by Soundwave’s discovery within their massive ship…

Am I the only one who really really likes with how Soundwave's character is being used right now?


It's a more realistic and less drastic turn then what Megatron did with Soundwave being forced to work with Prime but slowly becoming actual friends with him.

Barber's Soundwave is becoming one of the best. Has really stood out as well done since RiD 20-ish and just gets better.

I also really like how he's got a rub sign in the flashback and a full on Decepticon badge in the present day scenes.

Agreed to both. This Soundwave is probably the best one we've ever had. He's brilliant

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Agreed to both. This Soundwave is probably the best one we've ever had. He's brilliant

Well, don't forget Cybertron's Garry Chalk Soundwave who was a mid-00s raver. We'll always have that and the world is better for it.

Newsarama has posted the full preview for Optimus Prime #3 which continues the present story of the Junkions and the past story of police corruption. It also shows off the first meeting of Soundwave and Optimus Prime, at the time Orion Pax. Check out the preview below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

The first meeting of Optimus Prime and Soundwave, revealed in a preview of next week's Optimus Prime #3.

Optimus Prime #3
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a & c)
An uneasy peace between Optimus Prime and the newly arrived Junkions is threatened by Soundwave’s discovery within their massive ship…
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
· Part of IDW’s Artist’s Edition Cover Month!
· Variant cover by Joana Lafuente!

In other June listings for IDW Publishing comics, courtesy of Amazon.com, we also have the first collected trade paperback for the new ongoing series Optimus Prime. Check out the provisional cover art and more information below - and follow the discussion as it happens in the Energon Pub!

REVOLUTION is over—but the danger to Earth is just beginning. As OPTIMUS PRIME pulls Earth into the larger universe, he’s painted a target on it… and a new alien incursion begins when a corkscrew shaped craft drills into our world! Collects issues #1–6.

Product Details

Series: Transformers
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: IDW Publishing (June 13, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1631409697
ISBN-13: 978-1631409691

Something I've really been loving so far about Optimus Prime compared to RiD/Transformers is how much it's focusing on the characters of Jetfire and Pyra Magna.
In RiD/Transformers (post-Dark Cybertron since they're practically different books), we... didn't really learn much of anything about the characters outside the mains. Optimus, Soundwave, Thundercracker, Prowl... that was about it (aside from Arcee which I still have no clue what they're trying to do with her). Which was all fantastic, you can't convince me these aren't the best incarnations of Soundwave and Thundercracker ever; but... their teams were just kind of there. Jetfire, Jazz, Sideswipe, the Combiner teams, basically any Decepticon not called Needlenose... which is what really put the book behind for me (aside from the somewhat shaky plot). I was still enjoying it, but MTMTE and Windblade's comics just had so many more characters that were so interesting and drew me in every time. RiD/Transformers had... Cosmos. Who's great. But when we're shown guys like Kup and Jazz who are supposed to be Optimus' big main team and they get a tad bit of focus at the start, to see them largely ignored and to learn nothing about them was endlessly frustrating.
So already, Optimus Prime is so much better in this regard. It's giving me reasons to care about the larger cast and is doing interesting things with them which I can't love enough. It's fantastic.

Also, Optimus Prime is fixing up one of the few flaws I had with it itself - they brought back Cosmos! They're finally bringing back and showing where the hell all the guys were aside from who's immediately on-hand in Autobot City! Which is nice, because I loved Cosmos. He's great. I never expected a comic to make me care about Cosmos, but... hey, I never expected one to make me care about Rewind or Hosehead's Headmaster either.

This comic is so good.

Kurona wrote:Something I've really been loving so far about Optimus Prime compared to RiD/Transformers is how much it's focusing on the characters of Jetfire and Pyra Magna.
In RiD/Transformers (post-Dark Cybertron since they're practically different books), we... didn't really learn much of anything about the characters outside the mains. Optimus, Soundwave, Thundercracker, Prowl... that was about it (aside from Arcee which I still have no clue what they're trying to do with her). Which was all fantastic, you can't convince me these aren't the best incarnations of Soundwave and Thundercracker ever; but... their teams were just kind of there. Jetfire, Jazz, Sideswipe, the Combiner teams, basically any Decepticon not called Needlenose... which is what really put the book behind for me (aside from the somewhat shaky plot). I was still enjoying it, but MTMTE and Windblade's comics just had so many more characters that were so interesting and drew me in every time. RiD/Transformers had... Cosmos. Who's great. But when we're shown guys like Kup and Jazz who are supposed to be Optimus' big main team and they get a tad bit of focus at the start, to see them largely ignored and to learn nothing about them was endlessly frustrating.
So already, Optimus Prime is so much better in this regard. It's giving me reasons to care about the larger cast and is doing interesting things with them which I can't love enough. It's fantastic.

Also, Optimus Prime is fixing up one of the few flaws I had with it itself - they brought back Cosmos! They're finally bringing back and showing where the hell all the guys were aside from who's immediately on-hand in Autobot City! Which is nice, because I loved Cosmos. He's great. I never expected a comic to make me care about Cosmos, but... hey, I never expected one to make me care about Rewind or Hosehead's Headmaster either.

This comic is so good.

I agree. I like that it's focusing on other characters and actually giving them some personality, such as Pyra Magna (which is one of the better Transformers names in a long while). I could hope for any characterization for the other Torchbearers, but I'll take what I can get for now.

Still not a huge fan of the art.

Also via Previews World we have another variant cover for the upcoming fourth issue of the IDW Publishing Transformers ongoing comics series Optimus Prime, by John Barber, Kei Zama and Josh Burcham! Check it out below, including the blurb with incorrect credits.

OPTIMUS PRIME #4
(W) John Barber (A) Kei Zama (CA) Nelson Daniel
NEW CYBERTRON! Optimus Prime struggles to unite the Junkions, Cybertronians, and humans-but will diplomacy be scuttled when the Junkion's secret comes out?

Thanks to John Barber and Alex Milne himself, we have news that Milne will be filling in for Kei Zama for art duties for Optimus Prime #4, due out next month! Milne has been absent art duties recently as Jack Lawrence has been drawing the first story arc of Lost Light, so the fill in is a nice return for Milne prior to his art duties for a Lost Light arc. You can read the pair of tweets below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Alex Milne wrote:So I guess I can mention I filled in for interiors for Optimus Prime issue 4. Super fun to work on. I hope you will like it

John Barber wrote:Optimus #4 is the first time @markerguru and I worked together as artist/writer since we did 3 Dark of the Moon in-pack comics in 2011.

Milne on interiors?
Well thats just plain .... Awwwww Jyeahhhh

Oh, nice. I'm slowly warming to Zama's art, though it's still not my favorite. I just worry that this issue will spoil me for being a style I already really like instead of one I have to get used to.

Review of issue 3 is coming this week, sorry for the delay.

Synopsis
An uneasy peace between Optimus Prime and the newly arrived Junkions is threatened by Soundwave’s discovery within their massive ship…



Story

First of all, I apologise for the lateness in this review. There is a life outside of this screen, and it is getting messy and busier by the day. Still, duties are duties, and I thank you for not giving me flak for dropping this a week later. And I hope you picked it up, because there is plenty to talk about in this third issue of Optimus Prime.



We reach the third issue, the central one in the first arc of this new book at the hands of John 'Continuity' Barber, and we check-in almost directly with Thundercracker's work-away-from-work as deals start taking place with The Crown Jewel of The IDW Universe - apparently - and some more backstories get filled in, via Marissa Faireborn.



The other major storylines, however, are even more intriguing, with Soundwave's inner monologue proving the caption commentaries this issue, as we dive back into his first encounter with Orion Pax, as they were very much (but maybe not) on the opposite sides of the beginning of history - compared to where they both are now. For however long.



That, while taking the current plot forward as well, as we find out what happened to Cosmos, the cassette-birds, and the whole idea of the Decepticon commune in spaaaace, in Barber's probing of the Junkions' intentions on Earth. Plus. in much better characterisation that previous works by the same author - we re-visit Jazz' character concept of understanding Earth culture, Jetfire's early motives, Prowl's Prowlness - and lots and lots of Thundercracker.

Art

I really do like Kei Zama's work, if that hadn't been clear in the previous posts about this series, and I believe we get to see a different side of her art in this issue: more humans, more organic cast, more humour to work with alongside the political intrigue of both past and present. And I'm satisfied we what we find - though there is always a touch of the sinister in the inks.



You want a darker tone to your stories? You want police/cop drama set in the past? You want political intrigue and chess-playing in the past and the present? Get Josh Burcham to add colours to Zama's linework: it plays with the heavy inks beautifully, it doesn't sacrifice diversity in the palette, and it delivers a great looking book.



Likewise, the lettering is an incredibly nice touch on top of what the art and dialogue already carry, as Tom B. Long's caption are never intrusive but still always there for new and old readers alike (the added snark in them is a bonus). The covers are a full IDW TF roster too, with Zama and Burcham on main, but Andrew Griffith and Josh Perez (thumbnail), Joana Lafuente, and Casey Coller all deliver some truly exquisite variants.

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

The series is working very well, as looking at the reviews so far will have suggested, and what we find in issue #3 is a slower pace than the previous two, maybe not needed, maybe necessary, definitely present. That does not slow down the book's build, at all, but it will give a distended - and humorous at several points - read compared to the other book out this week, and compared to recent TAAO issues - so they work well in parallel at that, nicely scheduled IDW. (Totally not a dig at IDW's scheduling spoiling TAAO.)



There is plenty of humour too, as we see some of Barber's early RID work shine back through, and we get a very good look at Zama's style all round, as more organics, more beastformers, more humans, more facial expressions join the cast and the fray for the issue. As I said, the speed of the plot may have taken a slight slower route, but there is plenty to enjoy nonetheless.

I love johns writing and have always favored RID/TF/OP over MTMTE/LL but I can't help but feel it hasn't gotten to the point that it did with season One of RID. Maybe it's because that was such breath of fresh air in the comics in 2012 or maybe it's just me. Anyone else feel that way?

I really love the Soundwave, the Jetfire, and the Jazz in the current story. Those 3 really stand out to me.

And the art was much better this issue and it grew on me. It really did look good. Jetfire really stood out with looking good with the art as well

Randomhero wrote:I love johns writing and have always favored RID/TF/OP over MTMTE/LL but I can't help but feel it hasn't gotten to the point that it did with season One of RID. Maybe it's because that was such breath of fresh air in the comics in 2012 or maybe it's just me. Anyone else feel that way?

As I kinda touched upon in the review, I feel like we're very much back there, with some more humour and some even better characterisation. He's working with new characters, or ones that haven't had much about them yet, rather than your usual core crew (plus Metalhawk) - and I like it!


What stands out to you as being not as good as RID?

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I really love the Soundwave, the Jetfire, and the Jazz in the current story. Those 3 really stand out to me.

And the art was much better this issue and it grew on me. It really did look good. Jetfire really stood out with looking good with the art as well

The panel before the one I used, with Prowl and the Flyentist, is where I fell for Jetfire. QUESTION HIM, DUDE. QUESTION HIM TO JUNKION AND BACK. (Of course Prowl intervenes.)