Mairghread Scott & Sarah Stone Talk IDW’s Transformers: Windblade

Not reaching for the sledgehammer. That's encouraging.

I've promoted my feelings from "indifference" to "cautious optimism."

We have fight sequences that are not even possible in other stories.

Not sure it she means non-Transformer stories or non-comic stories, but I want to assume the latter because it implies this mini will be more violent than even TFs are allowed to get in cartoons, which is why I always preferred Marvel over Sunbow once I read the later U.S. issues. My biggest regret about Prime is that it came and went without Predaking caving in someone's head with a kick, making them convulse and spasm as the spewed their final life-fuel until until he wrenched it clean off their neck and squashed it flat in close up. Not that that sort of thing happens every issue, but there's always the outside possibility, whereas Prime was the most graphically violent cartoon the franchise will see for at least a decade, and it still wasn't quite there.

So, looking forward to this. It'll be years before I catch up from where I'm still stuck in the old TF ongoing, but I am looking forward to it.

MS Yes. IDW’s continuity has never had an “originally female” Transformer in it (the only female transformer in the line, Arcee, was made female against her will) so it was important to us that Windblade’s comic present a positive view of Lady Bots without having the characters beat everyone over the head with their gender.

Except that's kind of the whole point of this comic.

Transformers do not just lack females, they lack gender altogether. Although as purely no-gender race they naturally take on a masculine tone that could be defined as 'male' by other species. This should not be about females struggling in a man's world, but that is the clear vibe this stupid thing is giving off.

If anything, the simple way around this is if they were never addressed as if they were 'different' in any way. They'd just have smaller builds. But then of course, there'd be no point, seeing as there are plenty of small built bots that do not take on 'feminine' features because such societal norms which define females in human society do not exist for Cybertronians. I'll note that IDW Arcee doesn't even have 'breasts' (outside of those times when she is drawn by morons) and she's actually not that different from a number of other 'males' in the series. There's just something hard-coded in her CNA that makes everyone feel awkward or uncomfortable around her.

But anyways. I hope everyone who defends this mess realizes that they are inadvertently defending the existence of Drift and AHM, because I'd bet the same people actually hate those things. Perhaps this opens the way for some terrible 'white knight' jokes to be used on these two terrible fan creations. I'd actually love it if that were true.

Vicalliose wrote: Except that's kind of the whole point of this comic.

Transformers do not just lack females, they lack gender altogether. Although as purely no-gender race they naturally take on a masculine tone that could be defined as 'male' by other species. This should not be about females struggling in a man's world, but that is the clear vibe this stupid thing is giving off.

If anything, the simple way around this is if they were never addressed as if they were 'different' in any way. They'd just have smaller builds. But then of course, there'd be no point, seeing as there are plenty of small built bots that do not take on 'feminine' features because such societal norms which define females in human society do not exist for Cybertronians. I'll note that IDW Arcee doesn't even have 'breasts' (outside of those times when she is drawn by morons) and she's actually not that different from a number of other 'males' in the series. There's just something hard-coded in her CNA that makes everyone feel awkward or uncomfortable around her.

But anyways. I hope everyone who defends this mess realizes that they are inadvertently defending the existence of Drift and AHM, because I'd bet the same people actually hate those things. Perhaps this opens the way for some terrible 'white knight' jokes to be used on these two terrible fan creations. I'd actually love it if that were true.

As Prime Shockwave would say: Your argument is, logical.

I think people over think things, Or they are in a moronic crusade to get attention.
People want "equality" in transformers gender? Call everyone "it" or by its name. Problem cking solved.

Mairghread Scott wants to introduce readers to a Transformers where Autobots and Decepticons are not at war. The war concept was arguably one third of the appeal of Transformers. The other parts being their different personalities and their ability to Transform. Unbeknownst to many readers, IDW has already removed the personality portion from Transformers when they decided not to use certain character's speech patterns from the cartoon. Almost all of them now say "ummm", "actually" and "literally" and sound the same. I suppose the next two things IDW will do to ruin Transformers is turn them all into Actionmasters and make them all Autobots!

84forever wrote:Mairghread Scott wants to introduce readers to a Transformers where Autobots and Decepticons are not at war. The war concept was arguably one third of the appeal of Transformers. The other parts being their different personalities and their ability to Transform. Unbeknownst to many readers, IDW has already removed the personality portion from Transformers when they decided not to use certain character's speech patterns from the cartoon. Almost all of them now say "ummm", "actually" and "literally" and sound the same. I suppose the next two things IDW will do to ruin Transformers is turn them all into Actionmasters and make them all Autobots!

"In any war, there are calms between storms."

Don't worry, once we get through a volume or two of character building, interesting interactions, new and fascinating threats, and hilarious dialogues, we'll be back to boring old lasers and explosions!

84forever wrote:Mairghread Scott wants to introduce readers to a Transformers where Autobots and Decepticons are not at war. The war concept was arguably one third of the appeal of Transformers. The other parts being their different personalities and their ability to Transform. Unbeknownst to many readers, IDW has already removed the personality portion from Transformers when they decided not to use certain character's speech patterns from the cartoon. Almost all of them now say "ummm", "actually" and "literally" and sound the same. I suppose the next two things IDW will do to ruin Transformers is turn them all into Actionmasters and make them all Autobots!

I think what's pissing you off here is that IDW has let Mairghread and Sarah develop a "thinking persons" comic, something for older readers to actually enjoy. I don't see how you could possibly miss that these characters have personality and Maighread wanting to present Transformers in a non-wartime situation is brilliant. It'll be nice to have another comic that doesn't openly and immediately appeal to knuckle dragging, ass scratching neanderthals who get off on watching sh** blow up or think the pinnacle of entertainment is watching mechs tear each other new a**holes with medieval weapons or BFG's. The original cartoon actually had some pretty decent episodes, or at least almost decent until the story was interrupted with gratuitous and absolutely unnecessary violence.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a pacifist by any stretch. I have a weapon collection most folks find frightening (especially because I'm trained in the use of ALL of what I own) and I can induce a heart attack in a human being with using just 2 fingers. I also happen to be highly intelligent and find violence simply for it's own sake to be abhorrent and utterly asinine. So for me, the prospect of an actual STORY for once is quite refreshing.

I've try to look around and found it, but I couldn't; Do we have a date for Windblade?

To be honest, I didn't even know there was female bots before I started reading the comics and seeing Arcee. So, yeah, it didn't really bother me that there "was" not any female, but it made me really happy when I saw her, and what they made of her. And know I wanna get to know Chromia and Elita One. Yeah, it might be because I'm female too that I'm attracted to those characters. So what? And now I'm really curious about Windblade.

The way I see it (maybe I'm wrong but oh well), it's not black or white, or in this case male or female. There's a large range of "genre" in-between, so yeah, there'is more manly bots and more feminine bots but also many more kind-off looking bots between thos two. Like that design of Blurr. Yeah, he looks pretty feminine, you like it or you don't (I personnally like it a lot), but that won't really change the character's personality right?

And, yeah, it is sad, but when I was a little girl (and even a bit now), having a female character in a fandom mostly aimed at boys, made me feel more okay with liking it too, and with playing with toys "for boys" (aaaah how much I loved my Blackarachnia figure, even thought I was very jealous of my friend's big Cheetor).

But I think I'm getting a bit off topic now...

Windblade #1 hits next week!

Preview will go up on Tuesday, there's a teaser here.

And I've read my review copy today. It's definitely worth picking up. *nods head vigorously*

Next week!? B-but... I'm not ready! Hahahaha!
I really hope it's coming out next week in Canada too, and that my local store will have it. I just looked at the teaser and I love how it's drawn!
Can't wait now.

Va'al wrote:Windblade #1 hits next week!

Preview will go up on Tuesday, there's a teaser here.

And I've read my review copy today. It's definitely worth picking up. *nods head vigorously*

Seconded. It's really good. Y'all aren't ready for this one page, too much cool. I'll be buying a couple physical copies next week for sure.

Maerviska wrote:Next week!? B-but... I'm not ready! Hahahaha!
I really hope it's coming out next week in Canada too, and that my local store will have it. I just looked at the teaser and I love how it's drawn!
Can't wait now.

It's definitely out in Canada, but I can't say your local store will have it for sure. Check with them in advance, ask them to put one aside for you!

I really, really, really need to get into the comics. Not including the ones that come with Generations figures.

Va'al wrote:

Maerviska wrote:Next week!? B-but... I'm not ready! Hahahaha!
I really hope it's coming out next week in Canada too, and that my local store will have it. I just looked at the teaser and I love how it's drawn!
Can't wait now.

It's definitely out in Canada, but I can't say your local store will have it for sure. Check with them in advance, ask them to put one aside for you!

Will do!

And done.
Now I'm really excited. Wednesday cannot come too fast.

Courtesy of the amazing people over at IDW Publishing, we have a one-image teaser for this week's release in Transformers comics - the much talked about Windblade #1! Check out the image, featuring a shot of bartending Blurr by Sarah Stone, below, and head back here tomorrow for a full preview of the comic, and Wednesday for the Seibertron.com review.

And another, from the IDW Publishing Facebook page:



And one from TFW2005.



And TFormers!



The Underbase got Ironhide.



And last one, from the Transmission podcast:

Seems like everybody got one individual teaser interesting >:oP

The TFormers pic is broken since that site forbids hotlinking.

Also, here's a new preview - http://www.newsarama.com/20829-idw-debut-previews-star-mage-1-windblade-1-extended-look.html

Sabrblade wrote:The TFormers pic is broken since that site forbids hotlinking.

Also, here's a new preview - http://www.newsarama.com/20829-idw-debut-previews-star-mage-1-windblade-1-extended-look.html

Yeah already fixed that, thanks.

And we have our own preview (ready since Friday, embargoed until tonight at midnight).

Sabrblade wrote:
Also, here's a new preview - http://www.newsarama.com/20829-idw-debut-previews-star-mage-1-windblade-1-extended-look.html

Well I read the preview, I like how much of a bastard Starscream is

Hehe, we got Blurr :D

SW's SilverHammer wrote:Seems like everybody got one individual teaser interesting >:oP

They did that for MTMTE and RID as well.

still waiting for the "METROPLEX - Armless" one.

Aw, where's the one for Screamer? Something like...
Starscream...
Shameless

Marvel has been doing the one page teasers spread out over various websites for a few years. Gotta keep all the different factions of fans happy.

Ya' know her chest looks a hell of a lot like PRID Arcee's

Maybe she'll be a straight up remold.






Okay, yeah, I noticed her chest first. The molding, nothing else.

After the events of Dark Cybertron, IDW Publishing has split the action into three series, under the umbrella monicker Dawn of the Autobots: the two main ongoings and the new, 4 issue mini-series featuring the aftermath on Cybertron itself beginning this week - check out below the full preview for Transformers: Windblade, and head back tomorrow for the Seibertron.com review!

Transformers: Windblade #1 (of 4): Dawn of the Autobots—SPOTLIGHT
Mairghread Scott (w) • Sarah Stone (a) • Casey W. Coller (c)
WHO IS WINDBLADE? In the aftermath of DARK CYBERTRON, WINDBLADE takes the planet by storm! But where did she come from—and what does her secret mean to the future of the TRANSFORMERS? A powerful new chapter in the TRANSFORMERS saga begins here!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
- WINDBLADE takes CYBERTRON by storm!
- Winner of the FAN BUILD BOT POLL—in which fans voted to create an all-new TRANSFORMERS CHARACTER!
- Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the TRANSFORMERS!
- Learn the secret history of WINDBLADE, CHROMIA, and NAUTICA!
- Variant interlocking cover by Livio Ramondelli!

It's funny how unfamiliar with Starscream she is, because I'm sitting here with my face in my palm wanting to strangle her stupid as hell. But it's not her fault, she just doesn't know any better. So far I'm not really liking this character though.

It's Rattrap! He's sabotaged power supplies before, y'know!

That said, I like the core idea here so far... but remain ambivalent about Windblade herself. Maybe if she expresses a personality trait aside from naivete...

Fires_Of_Inferno wrote:It's funny how unfamiliar with Starscream she is, because I'm sitting here with my face in my palm wanting to strangle her stupid as hell. But it's not her fault, she just doesn't know any better. So far I'm not really liking this character though.

She hasn't been on Cybertron in who knows how long. How would she know about a guy she's never met or known about until recently?

Henry921 wrote:It's Rattrap! He's sabotaged power supplies before, y'know!

That said, I like the core idea here so far... but remain ambivalent about Windblade herself. Maybe if she expresses a personality trait aside from naivete...

I'm sure that eventually she will but it's going to take time and it'll take patience on the part of the readers. She hasn't been subjected to the millions of years of constant war that most of the populace has so she is very much a stranger in a strange land.
What should prove interesting will be seeing just what happens in the course of a short mini-series to bring her other personality traits more to the surface. A seemingly meek, subservient character with finely honed martial skills... that could prove to be a dangerous combination if she is placed in a position where she is pushed too far. Some with that combination display great confidence and rise to a leadership role quickly while others just as easily snap and turn into an irrational, unstoppable force of nature. Will she be another Hot Rod/Rodimus (or 'Bee)or will she turn out like Arcee when placed under pressure? She may go the route of Thundercracker, pulling a Cartman and saying "Screw You guys, I'm going home!" We just don't know and that's the fun of it.

When I first read this, I thought they were talking about FLIRTATION systems. I was like, "oh Starscream, you smug snake, making Wingblade feel all uncomfortable around you.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:When I first read this, I thought they were talking about FLIRTATION systems. I was like, "oh Starscream, you smug snake, making Wingblade feel all uncomfortable around you.

Would you put it past Starscream to do that just to make someone uncomfortable?

Sarah Stone has posted pure clean versions of some of the preview pages with no word bubbles - http://monsterboysandrobots.com/post/82750579010/some-clean-versions-of-the-pages-that-just-went-up

Sabrblade wrote:

Fires_Of_Inferno wrote:It's funny how unfamiliar with Starscream she is, because I'm sitting here with my face in my palm wanting to strangle her stupid as hell. But it's not her fault, she just doesn't know any better. So far I'm not really liking this character though.

She hasn't been on Cybertron in who knows how long. How would she know about a guy she's never met or known about until recently?

Sounds like that's the conclusion he came to already on his own. It still can be frustrating to watch someone do something even if it is out of naivety.

Kinda wish I had the capacity to go and get me a copy right away. I'd love to write a lengthy and whiny review about everything that's wrong with this.

Well if this... 'thing' is here to stay they'd better bring Drift back.

Vicalliose wrote:they'd better bring Drift back.

Yeah, no. No more Drift please.

I must be going nuts, because the art style is growing on me... I think I've been spending too much time on DA and playing Megaman Zero. In terms of what little I see in this preview there's little to nothing gripping me about it, as can be said of pretty much anything this writer has done that I've looked into.

Fires_Of_Inferno wrote:

Vicalliose wrote:they'd better bring Drift back.

Yeah, no. No more Drift please.

Why not If we have to put up with this amalgamation of "fan made" nonsense? >:oP

Vicalliose wrote:Kinda wish I had the capacity to go and get me a copy right away. I'd love to write a lengthy and whiny review about everything that's wrong with this.

Pray do tell.

Va'al wrote:

Vicalliose wrote:Kinda wish I had the capacity to go and get me a copy right away. I'd love to write a lengthy and whiny review about everything that's wrong with this.

Pray do tell.

Yes, please, enlighten us feeble-minded simpletons as to what felonies this comic has committed by giving life to a character that the general public decided upon.

I'm writing the Seibertron.com review right now, so any further negative comments will make me look at it more objectively - seeing as how I adored the issue.

Elita one, wingblade, starscream faces look to human not enough rough edges to make them look robotic prime, megatron and reattrap look like bots in faces but not others

The artwork has character, but it doesn't suit any male characters. It's really unappealing. I will pick up the first issue to see how it's going, but I don't have high hopes for it.

It reminds me of someones fanfic... like on the next page Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are making out or some shit like that. I just can't get behind this art style for Transformers. Sure, it does the female robots for the most part but even then it feels like it's too much.

Naaah, I love Stone's aesthetics.

This looks stellar, buying it tomorrow/preordering #2.

I agree Down_Shift. I'm not a fan of the art style either.

SW's SilverHammer wrote:

Nemesis Maximo wrote:When I first read this, I thought they were talking about FLIRTATION systems. I was like, "oh Starscream, you smug snake, making Wingblade feel all uncomfortable around you.

Would you put it past Starscream to do that just to make someone uncomfortable?

Exactly why I thought it was intended. Now I kinda wish it was!

Synopsis
WHO IS WINDBLADE? In the aftermath of DARK CYBERTRON, WINDBLADE takes the planet by storm! But where did she come from—and what does her secret mean to the future of the TRANSFORMERS? A powerful new chapter in the TRANSFORMERS saga begins here!



Story

So, that was it for Dark Cybertron. Things happened, characters died (for now), and other, new names showed up across the Transformers board. Make sure to check out the latest Twincast Podcast for some further thoughts on all of that too! Somewhere along the line, we encountered three apparently gendered, and of female gender, characters, introduced by John Barber and James Roberts during the crossover: Nautica, Chromia and Windblade. And here begins the story of the latter two, and their coming to terms with the new Cybertron, eons after their departure.



Mairghread Scott is at the writing helm for the first issue in the (as yet) mini-series of four, and she shows the same flare for dialogue that early issues of the Prime: Beast Hunters comics run had. The main cast, Starscream, Windblade, Chromia, Ironhide, Rattrap, even Metroplex and Blurr to an extent, all have their own voices, and interact actually quite well - good humour, nice set-ups and overall decent action, too.



I've seen complaints about Windblade's naivete towards Starscream in particular, but I believe that is what makes the comic work so well. The readers, mostly, *know* what everyone on Cybertron is already like. We know them, all of them. Chromia and Windblade have yet to learn, and believe you me, by the end of the issue they have an idea of what awaits them.



As a first issue with entirely new characters dealing with an unknown scenario, it definitely hit all of the buttons I wanted it to. It does world-building with Caminus and the home and roles of Windblade and her companions, links it all in to the current continuity, and it doesn't feel stretched or shoe-horned in. Add to that the good dialogue and actually good monologue too, and you've got me very interested. And oh the bar scenes.

Art

Now, the artwork. We knew it was going to be quite different from what we've seen so far in the franchise, and we saw how good it could be from the covers - but newcomer Sarah Stone hits it so far out of the park that it comes all the way back and slams you in the head. Artfully. There's character expression, and excellent panelwork, good personality to the designs and the art really fits Scott's storytelling.



The colours, you might ask? It's still Stone, working her magic through lighting, shading, gloss and darkness. The blackouts running through, the different environments, the switches between settings and moods - Stone gets them all perfectly in her colours, with some amazing stuff happening while inside Metroplex and during the random power cuts. And that one page. Wait for that page.



Really exceptional lettering work by Chris Mowry too, with some particularly creative and poignant effects in the 'after' sequences (you'll see when you read it). Other than Stone's subscription cover, we get some excellent stuff from Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente on A, and Livio Ramondelli on the interlocking incentive one too!

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

So, is it a buy? Yes. Gods yes. You will not regret picking this one up, especially after the strange feelings that came with Megatron's return all the way back in Robots in Disguise #12. Transformers: Windblade in this one issue has done what RID wanted to when it started: political intrigue, games of exhaust fumes and chromed steel, one of the sexiest, most devious Starscreams to this day, and all with *two* entirely new characters added to the mix.



And then, just to top Scott's writing off, we get the icing of Stone's artwork and colours, with some nice little decorations from Mowry. The story is frustrating, anger-inducing, enticing, funny, intriguing and full of excellent moments of backstory without hamfisting it out or sledging in hammers. You'd do yourself a disservice by not picking it up, it's a beautiful piece of work.

If you don't buy this in some form or another today (paper or digital) I will call the fan jail for you myself to see if they have any openings.

Seriously, this book felt like a mid-late G1 Season 2 episode where there's all kinds of cool world building and new stuff going on. It's rad as hell, and really moves things in a cool direction.

No really, GO READ THIS (legally, or else it'll end in four months).

So glad that today is pay-day. First stop after cashing my check will be to head to the mall and snag this and the final issues of Dark Cybertron that I need. Sucks having a job affected by the seasons and by bureaucracy. Makes it hard to support a comic book habit in the winter/early spring months.

Not too surprised that this reviewed so well but I'm willing to bet there will be a lot of people not liking it much. There is just too much in the way of "black & white" in the attitudes of many Transformers fans so something new is usually a hard sell with them. I'm all on board with this new mini-series though. I can't wait to get my hands on it.