iTunes Preview for IDW Optimus Prime #12 #Transformers
Thursday, October 19th, 2017 7:09PM CDT
Category: Comic Book NewsPosted by: WreckerJack Views: 17,028
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Description
With Optimus Prime trapped on Cybertron, the Autobots track down their missing friend, Jazz—and find themselves under fire from humans armed with Cybertronian weapons!
If you are a fan of TF comics and live in the UK, James Roberts and Jack Lawrence will be doing an autograph signing!
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Posted by Randomhero on October 19th, 2017 @ 7:59pm CDT
It's funny to see slugslingers little titan master arms on the side of his head. He's not a Titan master obviously but it's funny to see
Posted by SG Roadbuster on October 19th, 2017 @ 8:15pm CDT
d'awwwwwwww Buzzsaw.
Posted by President-prime on October 19th, 2017 @ 8:34pm CDT
Posted by President-prime on October 19th, 2017 @ 8:35pm CDT
Posted by Twitchythe3rd on October 19th, 2017 @ 8:47pm CDT
Posted by Kurona on October 20th, 2017 @ 5:07am CDT
I honestly think this is my favourite TF book now. Though I might be biased since we're back to the Decepticon Colony; one of my favourite parts of the OP side of things -- and especially that we're there with Thundercracker and Cosmos, who I love with all my heart
Posted by Randomhero on October 20th, 2017 @ 7:02am CDT
Kurona wrote:"Master of Targets". Hah! Cute.
I honestly think this is my favourite TF book now. Though I might be biased since we're back to the Decepticon Colony; one of my favourite parts of the OP side of things -- and especially that we're there with Thundercracker and Cosmos, who I love with all my heart
I very much agree. I enjoy the situations in OP but even I'm starting to feel it's getting stale and while I don't want the war to return I want to see more Decepticons than Soundwave especially if we're not gonna get a scene of Optimus apologizing for full blown blackmailing him. THAT NEEDS YO HAPPEN! They're friends now and Soundwave is without announcing it his second in command.
Plus I'm still waiting for Galvatrons return. His head is still somewhere and I still don't believe he was ever alive. He came out of the Dead Universe and could always survive out of it and theres never been any indications that he came back fully alive so I think he'll be back.
Posted by Va'al on October 29th, 2017 @ 3:28am CDT
New threats emerge, both on Cybertron and Earth, as the saga of Optimus Prime and the Autobots continues. What new future will the Transformers face?
With Optimus Prime trapped on Cybertron, embroiled in the First Strike event, the Autobots on Earth set off on a mission to find their missing friend, Jazz. But anti-Cybertronian humans are after him as well, and they're armed with Cybertronian weapons!
Then, in the wake of First Strike, Optimus ventures into the wilderness of Cybertron to search for the first new Cybertronian life to emerge in four million years! And, as if that's not enough to deal with, he soon finds himself facing off with the Dinobots, whose newest member is two miles tall and eats cities!
Collects Transformers: Optimus Prime issues #11-14 and the Optimus Prime: First Strike and Transformers: First Strike one-shots.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on October 30th, 2017 @ 10:07am CDT
Posted by Va'al on October 30th, 2017 @ 10:51am CDT
D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I'm wondering why they used that cover for the TPB. It doesn't really look connected to the IDW-verse
Looks good on a shelf though!
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on October 30th, 2017 @ 10:57am CDT
Va'al wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I'm wondering why they used that cover for the TPB. It doesn't really look connected to the IDW-verse
Looks good on a shelf though!
Eh, true. But a cover with the throttlebots or dino/trypticons would have looked good too!
Posted by Va'al on October 31st, 2017 @ 3:35am CDT
Written by John Barber
Illustrated by Andrew Griffith
Colored by Josh Burcham
Lettered by Tom B. Long
With Optimus Prime trapped on Cybertron, the Autobots track down their missing friend, Jazz-and find themselves under fire from humans armed with Cybertronian weapons.
Bullet points:
* While First Strike blows up Cybertron, the Autobots must keep the peace on Earth!
Posted by Kurona on October 31st, 2017 @ 9:01am CDT
Posted by Va'al on November 1st, 2017 @ 9:32am CDT
(Spoiler free-ish)
Synopsis
With Optimus Prime trapped on Cybertron, the Autobots track down their missing friend, Jazz—and find themselves under fire from humans armed with Cybertronian weapons!
Story
This 12th issue brings us to the second part of a shorter arc dealing with everyone but Optimus Prime himself, too busy being patronised by Windblade and Scarlett over in First Strike (rather than Aileron and Pyra Magna on Earth, so same difference really. He deserves it). And so we return to the Prime fanclub that might be, and the search for Jazz.
I'll say it: Jazz is one of the better written characters in John Barber's arsenal. He's determined if conflicted, has been present in this universe since the very beginning, and has a long history with pretty much all sides of the war. Even in Aileron's narration, a newcomer to it all, Jazz truly takes the spotlight in the issue.
The colonists part of the central story are extremely fun to follow, but there is some criticism that I'd move against their still fairly by the numbers characterisation, with only spikes of added layers to their individuality. Still, Aileron's control over them and their clashing/collaboration work, and lead to a bigger question about the whole set-up..
..did Optimus really need to include Earth in the Council after all? This is still the bigger question floating above the rest, even when trying to avoid it. But if Jazz, Aileron, and a random assortment can manage the 'defense', there was no real need for the theatrical political move of war general Optimus - something Barber asks subtly, and appropriately.
Art
Seeing Andrew Griffith back at work with John Barber is a nice feeling indeed, and brings a sense of familiarity even in this post-Cybertronian war, post-AHO Earthern setting. The designs and work that he brings back to the scenes, including some nifty action sequences, reminds us of how much he set the tone for exRID and Transformers, and it's good to have some of it drop back in here.
The highlight of the visual side of this issue, and confirming it as the series overall, is Josh Burcham's colourwork - his ability to maintain a visual consistency and coherence even across several artists (four and counting so far) is impressive and inspiring, and does wonders with keeping the book in line with its own newly found aesthetic.
Tom B. Long is easily another element of continuity for the series, and I'm so very glad that lettering is recognised as being an integral part of the book production - the reason for, e.g. the Buzzsaw and Laserbeak moments is making the jokes land by actual, accurate dialogue placement, among everything else. The cover used for the thumbnail is also by Andrew Griffith, with Josh Perez on colours, after all the others have been spotlighted across news stories - you can find them all Database entry for the issue of course, right here.
Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead
On staff, one of the comments was that Barber's script for the issue has been able to veer enough away from the current events to bring us back to an Earth we might all recognise from pre-AHM times, and it is perhaps a needed anchor for the cast and readership alike, even with all the recent additions. Plus, it adds the whole wave of human reactions to the fray, which may help readers see what the legacy of Transformers actually is on the planet.
If some of the beats might appear heavy handed for real-life parallels, the script still allows for subtlety in its dealing with Prime's absence - metaphorically and literally - and how the various characters orbiting his system (Aileron above all, but Jazz and the rest of the crew too) relate to each other and the issues at hand. The story may appear 'uneventful' even in its busyness, but it keeps saying a lot about the new, universal status quo.
Posted by Va'al on November 1st, 2017 @ 9:34am CDT
Posted by ScottyP on November 1st, 2017 @ 1:06pm CDT
My real thoughts got assimilated into the review already so I don't have much else to say here.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on November 2nd, 2017 @ 10:06am CDT
And it basically dates back to Combiner Wars and the immediate aftermath. I really wish they would revisit the whole "what does combining do to the individuals" considering there were a few notable instances and some that showed no effect of the experience, and Prime is the big one to show it. He's more ruthless and much more of a prick. Hell, he told Cosmos he wanted Soundwave to bow to him. He punched Prowl down, killed Galvatron brutally and when he was defeated, the whole line in issue 4 or 5 where he said he is using the people who believe him to be divine, the fact that Cosmos is only listed as an ally of the Autobots instead of being an Autobot, Jazz and Windblade among others no longer want to know him, it all feels a bit much. And I don't really like it too much.
Mopey Prime from RG1 was better in that regard because he wasn't really a prick and there was understanding and he sort of redeemed all that (I've been reading the series lately again, really enjoyed it and still do), but this one... He's a Prime/Prowl thing now that I don't like. And it's not like Sunstreaker, Mirage, or Ironhide show symptoms of having combined, it's only Prime from that experience and Prowl, but only because he did it for longer with different teams. Hell, the only thing that happened to the OP Max guys, Sky Reigns, or Galvas were Sunstreaker and TC are now friends.
Long story short: I don't like the direction Optimus as a character is going at the moment, and things like the titan raising keep him looking like a good guy.
On a different note, when do we think we'll get to Springer, Impactor, and Mayhem again. Springer is loose on Earth with Verity, happily at peace, and Impactor and Mayhem were planning to do some stuff. Considering throttlebots, Trypticon, and Unicron are all on the horizon, do we think Wreckers and Mayhem may get involved again?
And has everyone in this book forgotten about Prowl? I want to hear from him again at some point
Posted by snavej on November 2nd, 2017 @ 12:59pm CDT
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/201 ... full-data/
This issue is all about gun control, after all.
Posted by Burn on November 2nd, 2017 @ 3:39pm CDT
snavej wrote:Just think how much more serious the mass shootings would be with 'space guns' all over the US and beyond!
Dude, seriously ... wtf?
Posted by ScottyP on November 3rd, 2017 @ 11:24am CDT
Optimus was a micromanaging war commander, one of his similarities to Megatron as we learn in Chaos Theory. He's also been shown to be more on the side of a conformed, though just, society where enforcement is critical. After "Chaos" and DoOP, dude was tired. Done. Ready to move on. Through one event or mishap or another, he's been put right back in this position of command again, and trying to apply tactics that worked before. The rules have changed now, and he's behind the curve. There's not only too much new for him to process at once, there are voices like the colonists and A3 telling him how great he still is. OP is, to me, completely blind to the growing disdain around him. Phase 2 started with him realizing he was representative of another time, so he left. Now we're finding out the hell that happens when he sticks around, despite his best intentions.D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Long story short: I don't like the direction Optimus as a character is going at the moment, and things like the titan raising keep him looking like a good guy.
On a different note, when do we think we'll get to Springer, Impactor, and Mayhem again. Springer is loose on Earth with Verity, happily at peace, and Impactor and Mayhem were planning to do some stuff. Considering throttlebots, Trypticon, and Unicron are all on the horizon, do we think Wreckers and Mayhem may get involved again?
And has everyone in this book forgotten about Prowl? I want to hear from him again at some point
Also, yes, please, the Wreckers/Springer/Prowlspiracy plot is in desparate need of some attention.
Posted by Kurona on November 3rd, 2017 @ 1:21pm CDT
ScottyP wrote:Optimus was a micromanaging war commander, one of his similarities to Megatron as we learn in Chaos Theory. He's also been shown to be more on the side of a conformed, though just, society where enforcement is critical. After "Chaos" and DoOP, dude was tired. Done. Ready to move on. Through one event or mishap or another, he's been put right back in this position of command again, and trying to apply tactics that worked before. The rules have changed now, and he's behind the curve. There's not only too much new for him to process at once, there are voices like the colonists and A3 telling him how great he still is. OP is, to me, completely blind to the growing disdain around him. Phase 2 started with him realizing he was representative of another time, so he left. Now we're finding out the hell that happens when he sticks around, despite his best intentions.D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Long story short: I don't like the direction Optimus as a character is going at the moment, and things like the titan raising keep him looking like a good guy.
On a different note, when do we think we'll get to Springer, Impactor, and Mayhem again. Springer is loose on Earth with Verity, happily at peace, and Impactor and Mayhem were planning to do some stuff. Considering throttlebots, Trypticon, and Unicron are all on the horizon, do we think Wreckers and Mayhem may get involved again?
And has everyone in this book forgotten about Prowl? I want to hear from him again at some point
And by god, do I also love that from a meta perspective. How a refusal to move on and completely rely on the old will land you in a bit of a mess. But also that that's what this franchise keeps doing; it keeps bringing back and relying on Optimus and Bumblebee and yadda yadda. IDW has to keep Optimus Prime in the spotlight because, well, he's Optimus friggin' Prime; so part of me can't help but think this is Barber being a bit cheeky
Posted by Tyrannacon on November 9th, 2017 @ 8:42am CST
Description
As the consequences of the First Strike event reverberate, Optimus Prime ventures into the wilderness of Cybertron to search for the first new Cybertronian life to emerge in four million years!
Category: Graphic Novels
Expected Release: 22 November 2017
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Seller: Idea and Design Works, LLC
Print Length: 31 Pages
Language: English
Here is the screen shot preview for it:
Posted by MrBlack on November 9th, 2017 @ 10:18am CST
Posted by Optimutt on November 9th, 2017 @ 10:19am CST
Posted by ScottyP on November 9th, 2017 @ 10:55am CST
Additionally, let the speculation commence on whether the Botanica mention is a joke or something more. I'll go with "Regen One Retcon" in a scale from "Joke" to "Botanica becomes the main character".
Posted by Randomhero on November 9th, 2017 @ 1:02pm CST
ScottyP wrote:Really caught off guard by how engaging these three pages are. Very excited for upcoming issues, now I'm impatient to read just the rest of this one.
Additionally, let the speculation commence on whether the Botanica mention is a joke or something more. I'll go with "Regen One Retcon" in a scale from "Joke" to "Botanica becomes the main character".
Or it’s neither and just a reference
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on November 9th, 2017 @ 2:51pm CST
Speaking of which, where is the 6th throttlebot?
Posted by ScottyP on November 9th, 2017 @ 4:54pm CST
I'm giving you a "no fun" on a scale from "literal charisma parasite" to "parties so hard it's guaranteed to be worth the jail time"Randomhero wrote:ScottyP wrote:Really caught off guard by how engaging these three pages are. Very excited for upcoming issues, now I'm impatient to read just the rest of this one.
Additionally, let the speculation commence on whether the Botanica mention is a joke or something more. I'll go with "Regen One Retcon" in a scale from "Joke" to "Botanica becomes the main character".
Or it’s neither and just a reference
Yes though, it probably is just using it for the sake of it. Was hoping that came across but I suppose not.
Posted by ricemazter on November 9th, 2017 @ 5:24pm CST
Posted by Shockwave 8 on November 9th, 2017 @ 8:40pm CST
D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I'm sad they are saying 2 of the Throttlebots bit it. I thought they would live.
Speaking of which, where is the 6th throttlebot?
Goldbug mentions that "Searchlight keeps watching the skies," and a panel shows him briefly. It was hard for me to pick him out at first too. He is supposed to be the reclusive one, so it makes sense that he would be keeping lookout alone while the others are talking.
Posted by Flashwave on November 10th, 2017 @ 12:46am CST
HOLY HANDLEBARS I wanna read a story about THROTTLEBOTS. Way to go, IDW for making a throwaway gimmick team into (potentially) interesting story.
I am excited about where this could go. Especially whwm the Tjrottlebots find outbthe Autobots won amd just didnt come for them.
Even though I am tiring of Disillusionment Prime.
Posted by Va'al on November 21st, 2017 @ 4:42am CST
Check out the full works on Optimus Prime #13 below, and join us again after the book is released on Wednesday for a Seibertron.com review, an inevitable discussion, and more, all in the Energon Pub discussion boards.
Optimus Prime #13
John Barber (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a) • Kei Zama (c)
As the consequences of the First Strike event reverberate, Optimus Prime ventures into the wilderness of Cybertron to search for the first new Cybertronian life to emerge in four million years!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
Optimus Prime deals with the fallout of the First Strike event!
Variant cover by Livio Ramondelli!
Posted by Randomhero on November 21st, 2017 @ 6:17am CST
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Posted by ScottyP on November 21st, 2017 @ 8:19am CST
Posted by Big Grim on November 21st, 2017 @ 9:00am CST
Posted by Daniel Adkins on November 21st, 2017 @ 9:18am CST
Oh, and just a heads up, John Barber revealed two other characters who will finally be making their return in this issue on the newest episode of Action and Adventure: The Hasbro Universe Podcast. http://hasbrouniverse.libsyn.com/episod ... -never-die
Posted by ScottyP on November 21st, 2017 @ 10:07am CST
Update: yep, it's Drancron: https://twitter.com/LivioRamondelli/sta ... 5655490562ScottyP wrote:Up and to the right behind Hydra - is that Drancron?
Jumping waaaaay ahead here, but if they manage to use beasts as Unicronian heralds like in BW II and Armada that will be awesome
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on November 21st, 2017 @ 10:16am CST
ScottyP wrote:Update: yep, it's Drancron: https://twitter.com/LivioRamondelli/sta ... 5655490562ScottyP wrote:Up and to the right behind Hydra - is that Drancron?
Jumping waaaaay ahead here, but if they manage to use beasts as Unicronian heralds like in BW II and Armada that will be awesome
But what if they are the coming of Onyx instead? We know he's coming next year!
Posted by Randomhero on November 21st, 2017 @ 10:26am CST
D-Maximus_Prime wrote:ScottyP wrote:Update: yep, it's Drancron: https://twitter.com/LivioRamondelli/sta ... 5655490562ScottyP wrote:Up and to the right behind Hydra - is that Drancron?
Jumping waaaaay ahead here, but if they manage to use beasts as Unicronian heralds like in BW II and Armada that will be awesome
But what if they are the coming of Onyx instead? We know he's coming next year!
My assumption is those are from the sparks front the hotspot the Dinobots and Trypticon took. Dinobots are building their own Dinobots/army/people
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on November 21st, 2017 @ 10:29am CST
Randomhero wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:ScottyP wrote:Update: yep, it's Drancron: https://twitter.com/LivioRamondelli/sta ... 5655490562ScottyP wrote:Up and to the right behind Hydra - is that Drancron?
Jumping waaaaay ahead here, but if they manage to use beasts as Unicronian heralds like in BW II and Armada that will be awesome
But what if they are the coming of Onyx instead? We know he's coming next year!
My assumption is those are from the sparks front the hotspot the Dinobots and Trypticon took. Dinobots are building their own Dinobots/army/people
But that hot spot is inside Trypticon, on Cybertron, and the Throttlebots never made it back to Cybertron.
Also, really hoping they touch more on Sixshot soon
Posted by Randomhero on November 21st, 2017 @ 10:47am CST
D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Randomhero wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:ScottyP wrote:Update: yep, it's Drancron: https://twitter.com/LivioRamondelli/sta ... 5655490562ScottyP wrote:Up and to the right behind Hydra - is that Drancron?
Jumping waaaaay ahead here, but if they manage to use beasts as Unicronian heralds like in BW II and Armada that will be awesome
But what if they are the coming of Onyx instead? We know he's coming next year!
My assumption is those are from the sparks front the hotspot the Dinobots and Trypticon took. Dinobots are building their own Dinobots/army/people
But that hot spot is inside Trypticon, on Cybertron, and the Throttlebots never made it back to Cybertron.
Also, really hoping they touch more on Sixshot soon
See my assumption was trypticon and the Dino’s left. They space bridged away and maybe they ended up on the planet where the throttlebots are. But maybe it is onyx’s forced but I figured maybe it’s not becuase those guys are all dinosaurs
I wish I could share everyone’s sympathy for sixshot but I don’t. He hasn’t shown up for 8 years and he’s not that important in IDW. Not saying I don’t miss him but he wasnt very pivotal before and he really isn’t now.
Posted by Windsweeper on November 22nd, 2017 @ 8:01pm CST
Bring back EJ Su, James Raiz, Guido Guidi or Don Figuerara.
Livio and Andy Wildman are the two worst Transformers artists.
Posted by Va'al on November 23rd, 2017 @ 7:06pm CST
(Spoiler free-ish)
Synopsis
As the consequences of the First Strike event reverberate, Optimus Prime ventures into the wilderness of Cybertron to search for the first new Cybertronian life to emerge in four million years!
Story
We leave First Strike almost entirely behind with this issue of the ongoing Optimus Prime series from IDW Publishing, though there are clear echoes at the start of the comic for sure - some louder than others - but the real accomplishment of the comic overall is just how much story it packs in one single issue.
You will remember the Throttlebots in the IDW universe only if you were with the publisher's output since the Spotlight days, and specifically Spotlight: Metroplex, and we really had heard nothing from them since - the way in which Barber catches everyone up is admirable, and doesn't fall into the expodump traps it could've, still leaving a lot to be inferred or imagined being left out.
On the other side, we also have a continuation of the Dynobot trilogy, or Redemption of the Dinobots, with some additional information as to what went down after that story 'ended' and what may or may not have happened to the new sparks being discovered and activated, yet again leading to more questions answered and other not at all.
And finally, we have some references to both Rom vs Transformers: Shining Armor - which will see its final issue next week - and the First Strike event, which this comic serves as one of the consequences of in terms of the general frame. And it's a frame that makes perfect sense, once you take into account how the stories have crossed paths, and who shows up in the multiple scenes that you will enjoy spending time identifying - or just using our database for (warning, spoilers obviously).
Art
The art by Livio Ramondelli adds a nice touch of continuity with the Redemption of the Dinobots story, as the writing does for First Strike and the others - and it's one of his best efforts yet, with some true standouts when another returning character appears in his machinations, and some seriously eery scenes looming over pretty much the entire book.
Ramondelli obviously also provides his own colours, and much like for the Dinobot one-shots, the choice of palette and tones used in different scenes fit perfectly to the surprisingly very dark issue that Barber's script has laid out. The flames on one side, the cold metal on the other, it does feel like the heart of something is weighing heavy, all the way through.
The lettering is once more in the hands of capable Tom B. Long, and his combinations with Ramondelli's style always stands out a little more than usual - usually thanks to the hues of the backgrounds - but that's never a bad thing. The cover used for the thumbnail is the exercise in empathic emotion, with Casey Coller and John-Paul Bove taking on the surviving Throttlebots at their most vulnerable yet resilient; all others can be found in the Database entry for the issue here.
Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead
If you've read through me trying to highlight a couple of strands present in the issue, you make have one of two takeaways: there is a lot going on - perhaps too much, and it can get overloading or overbearing after a certain point, especially as a newer reader; there is a lot going on, and that's the best thing we could've had from a story like this, merging together threads that had been almost liminal so far. I veer on the latter, but entirely understand the former.
The visual side of the book fits the tone and hits the spot exactly for the issue, and it helps deliver an intricate set-up and build of that merging I just mentioned - what I am concerned about, if anything, at this stage, is the landing. We'll see next issue how Barber and the others conclude this incursion into contemporary Hasbroverse, after such a strong take-off. But if you liked the Spotlight era, the Dinobots, the science experiments, and certain unlikeables - and a lot more about Arcee, which is never turned down as an offer - this book is for you.
Posted by Targetmaster Kup on November 23rd, 2017 @ 10:29pm CST
Posted by Va'al on November 23rd, 2017 @ 11:11pm CST
Nik Hero wrote:So it seems this book happens after Transformers vs. Visionaries, right?
At the same time as the first issue, in fact - directly after First Strike, both stories start to unravel.
Posted by Randomhero on November 24th, 2017 @ 1:23pm CST
Posted by william-james88 on November 27th, 2017 @ 10:00pm CST
The actual tweet from IDW reads as follows:
IDW wrote:@boxofficeartist presents The Most Detailed Drawing Ever of Transformers Trypticon! Get a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible skill that went into creating this astounding cover for Optimus Prime #14.
The tweet had a link to the video below which shows his process for drawing the Trypticon cover. We also included an other example of what his youtube channel can offer, which includes courses on drawing Transformers like Grimlock.
As for the claim that this is the most detailed Trypticon drawing out there, Studio Ox may want a word in (if this below is considered a drawing).
Posted by Randomhero on November 27th, 2017 @ 10:06pm CST
Detail is great until you start looking at something and get confused because there’s too much detail and have a hard time deciphering stuff
Posted by steve2275 on November 27th, 2017 @ 10:08pm CST
Posted by Targetmaster Kup on November 28th, 2017 @ 5:27am CST