Mini-Review of IDW Transformers vs Visionaries #4
Saturday, March 31st, 2018 4:16AM CDT
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site ArticlesPosted by: Burn Views: 24,104
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So this morning I sat down to have some pork sausages for breakfast, and to read Transformers vs Visionaries issue #4. I knew what I was getting into, I even told myself "don't do this, you won't enjoy your breakfast". But I didn't listen and continued forward on my path of self-torture.
Which hey, turns out, Witterquick and Mortdred are getting tortured too! So at least I'm not alone in my suffering.
Anyhoo ... really, just another bland issue, which I thought was actually the last issue in this series, imagine my disappointment when I discovered there's actually another issue. HUZZAH! Another chance for self-torture!
The plot, as we all know, magical talisman thingy heading to core of Cybertron to trigger magic stuff to turn Cybertron into new human for squishy magical beings. And then there's the magic countering thingy. That's where we left off last issue?
Yeah ... not much happens there. It's mostly about the Visionaries standing around being evil or emo.
What I don't get though is why they need to secure the anti-magic bomb to the outside of Quickswitch when Wheeljack and Ironhide ride inside him. Why not just carry it? That's just ... ugh. It makes no sense!
But hey, at least we get to see Quickswitch! You know, that OTHER six-changer? Yeah, he's dead.
This issue didn't send me into fanboy rage like the first issue did. Maybe I'm over it? Maybe the writers are over it and are just going through the motions? Maybe the thought of the whole universe ending makes me think they can do whatever they want, it's all going away soon?
Overall, meh. It's an issue that moves the story line along at a snails pace.
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Posted by Deadput on March 31st, 2018 @ 5:31am CDT
Posted by Randomhero on March 31st, 2018 @ 6:43am CDT
Posted by Va'al on March 31st, 2018 @ 7:39am CDT
I was about to write my review when we spotted Burn's comments and decided to use that instead: he hit all the things I wanted to say about this issue. I have no ill feelings towards the book, but it's a great pile of mediocre nothing at this point.
Posted by Randomhero on March 31st, 2018 @ 7:49am CDT
Va'al wrote:I think there's a big difference between being upset and being annoyed at a character being used for fodder - especially when that has been the case for 3 out of 4 issues so far.
I was about to write my review when we spotted Burn's comments and decided to use that instead: he hit all the things I wanted to say about this issue. I have no ill feelings towards the book, but it's a great pile of mediocre nothing at this point.
Yeah but in that same way wasn’t Ratbat, Sunstorm, Pipes, blot, Triggerhappy and Hardhead all used as fodder. Let’s not kid ourselves Pipes was given one story in MTMTE and proceeded to be in the background and used as a punching bag until he was stomped on and proceeded to continue being used as a punching bag even after with no one even acknowledging his death until 5 years later with the latest issue of LL.
People were sad but no one was accusing Roberts or Barber in his books of introducing characters as fodder because that’s all some of them were. They were present to die.
Look at Simon furmans career where he gets off killing EVERYONE but grimlock and Shockwave no one complains about that at all. If anything it’s become a joke anymore with “well who’s Simon killing in this story?”
Posted by ZeroWolf on March 31st, 2018 @ 9:19am CDT
Posted by Randomhero on March 31st, 2018 @ 12:18pm CDT
I’m just playing devils advocate but let’s not kid ourselves, were not reaching the end because of the story. The warren, something getaway decides to bring up years after joining the crew that can get them there is conveniently able to reach cyberutopia in moments and Rodimus crew also conveniently discovered it because that’s what they were flying into are all now where it’s going. And scorponok is also using this thing because he is part of this plot.
I mean come on now.
Posted by Va'al on March 31st, 2018 @ 1:24pm CDT
Randomhero wrote:Va'al wrote:I think there's a big difference between being upset and being annoyed at a character being used for fodder - especially when that has been the case for 3 out of 4 issues so far.
I was about to write my review when we spotted Burn's comments and decided to use that instead: he hit all the things I wanted to say about this issue. I have no ill feelings towards the book, but it's a great pile of mediocre nothing at this point.
Yeah but in that same way wasn’t Ratbat, Sunstorm, Pipes, blot, Triggerhappy and Hardhead all used as fodder. Let’s not kid ourselves Pipes was given one story in MTMTE and proceeded to be in the background and used as a punching bag until he was stomped on and proceeded to continue being used as a punching bag even after with no one even acknowledging his death until 5 years later with the latest issue of LL.
People were sad but no one was accusing Roberts or Barber in his books of introducing characters as fodder because that’s all some of them were. They were present to die.
Look at Simon furmans career where he gets off killing EVERYONE but grimlock and Shockwave no one complains about that at all. If anything it’s become a joke anymore with “well who’s Simon killing in this story?”
I take your points, but still see a lot of this as unnecessary in a series that is supposed to be a crossover. Taking characters from the 'other franchise' in your series just to use them as redshirts is just a bit.. lazy? I dunno. As I said, I'm not angry, just pftfptft about it all.
Posted by Randomhero on March 31st, 2018 @ 1:44pm CDT
Va'al wrote:Randomhero wrote:Va'al wrote:I think there's a big difference between being upset and being annoyed at a character being used for fodder - especially when that has been the case for 3 out of 4 issues so far.
I was about to write my review when we spotted Burn's comments and decided to use that instead: he hit all the things I wanted to say about this issue. I have no ill feelings towards the book, but it's a great pile of mediocre nothing at this point.
Yeah but in that same way wasn’t Ratbat, Sunstorm, Pipes, blot, Triggerhappy and Hardhead all used as fodder. Let’s not kid ourselves Pipes was given one story in MTMTE and proceeded to be in the background and used as a punching bag until he was stomped on and proceeded to continue being used as a punching bag even after with no one even acknowledging his death until 5 years later with the latest issue of LL.
People were sad but no one was accusing Roberts or Barber in his books of introducing characters as fodder because that’s all some of them were. They were present to die.
Look at Simon furmans career where he gets off killing EVERYONE but grimlock and Shockwave no one complains about that at all. If anything it’s become a joke anymore with “well who’s Simon killing in this story?”
I take your points, but still see a lot of this as unnecessary in a series that is supposed to be a crossover. Taking characters from the 'other franchise' in your series just to use them as redshirts is just a bit.. lazy? I dunno. As I said, I'm not angry, just pftfptft about it all.
They needed a big name. Talking about Kup. I got it. Do I like it? Not really but it was necessary.
It wasn’t gonna be a visionary because and I’m sorry NOBODY CARES ABOUT VISIONARIES. Nobody! They needed a big name to get a hook and they did it.
That’s what this series is so notorious for. Starting off with killing kup. And “terrible designs that ruined people’s love for visionaries.” Don’t give me that. It was a failed cartoon and failed toyline.
Posted by Burn on March 31st, 2018 @ 4:29pm CDT
Randomhero wrote:People were sad but no one was accusing Roberts or Barber in his books of introducing characters as fodder because that’s all some of them were. They were present to die.
The main TF books are on-goings. The pace of it is going to fluctuate. And if characters die in it, it's done to advance the story.
This is a 5 issue series. You would expect something to happen with each book. But very little happened with this issue. Hell, we didn't even get Waspinator and look at how the previous book ended! So far we've now lost 2.5 Transformers to characters and a franchise that no one cares about. That's why I'm pissed and it's why others are pissed as well. Pointless deaths to further a pointless story.
Posted by ZeroWolf on March 31st, 2018 @ 4:34pm CDT
Posted by Burn on March 31st, 2018 @ 4:36pm CDT
ZeroWolf wrote:Especially a pointless story that was meant to introduce the visionaries to the hasbroverse yet is about to be rebooted.
Which means I suppose I should get over the death of Kup and drop my fanboy raging.
But fuck it ... this is a shit series. It's down there with Transformers/Avengers.
Posted by ZeroWolf on March 31st, 2018 @ 4:41pm CDT
Thanks burn -_- I thought I'd managed to erase it from my memory
Posted by Burn on March 31st, 2018 @ 4:45pm CDT
Posted by ZeroWolf on March 31st, 2018 @ 4:59pm CDT
Burn wrote:I made you remember suffering? Excellent ...
Suffering? If only, Avengers/transformers is banned under the Geneva convention as a form of torture
Posted by Randomhero on March 31st, 2018 @ 10:18pm CDT
Burn wrote:Randomhero wrote:People were sad but no one was accusing Roberts or Barber in his books of introducing characters as fodder because that’s all some of them were. They were present to die.
The main TF books are on-goings. The pace of it is going to fluctuate. And if characters die in it, it's done to advance the story.
This is a 5 issue series. You would expect something to happen with each book. But very little happened with this issue. Hell, we didn't even get Waspinator and look at how the previous book ended! So far we've now lost 2.5 Transformers to characters and a franchise that no one cares about. That's why I'm pissed and it's why others are pissed as well. Pointless deaths to further a pointless story.
Wreckers was a 5 issue story and Ironfist, rotorstorm, pyro, topspin, twin twist died and all their deaths were pointless and not story advancing. The creators even said all those deaths were 100% avoidable and pointless.
Also in wreckers, things didn’t really start kicking off till 3rd to fourth issue, first couple are set ups. Likes this.
Stuff did happen in this book. Wheeljack finalized his plan to stop the talisman and they headed down to stop in. The good visionaries and autobots are together to save the planet. A lot happens.
Again shitting on a book that set to fail by people saying they didn’t want it from the get go.
Posted by Burn on March 31st, 2018 @ 10:25pm CDT
Randomhero wrote:Wreckers was a 5 issue story and Ironfist, rotorstorm, pyro, topspin, twin twist died and all their deaths were pointless and not story advancing. The creators even said all those deaths were 100% avoidable and pointless.
But AGAIN, that was a Transformers centric book.
This is meant to be a crossover, but so far the story has basically revolved around a Visionaries civil war, with guest appearances from Transformers, two of which have been killed and another twisted.
Again shitting on a book that set to fail by people saying they didn’t want it from the get go.
I NEVER said I didn't want it from the get go. I was willing, and gave the book a chance.
Posted by Randomhero on March 31st, 2018 @ 10:53pm CDT
Burn wrote:Randomhero wrote:Wreckers was a 5 issue story and Ironfist, rotorstorm, pyro, topspin, twin twist died and all their deaths were pointless and not story advancing. The creators even said all those deaths were 100% avoidable and pointless.
But AGAIN, that was a Transformers centric book.
This is meant to be a crossover, but so far the story has basically revolved around a Visionaries civil war, with guest appearances from Transformers, two of which have been killed and another twisted.Again shitting on a book that set to fail by people saying they didn’t want it from the get go.
I NEVER said I didn't want it from the get go. I was willing, and gave the book a chance.
Rom vs Transformers killed a Magnus and killed a bunch of space knights. Theres a cross over event. Revolutionaries killed razorclaw and in a way Predaking and Bugley. Again, cross over.
Posted by Randomhero on March 31st, 2018 @ 10:55pm CDT
Posted by ZeroWolf on April 1st, 2018 @ 1:58am CDT
Posted by Burn on April 1st, 2018 @ 2:30am CDT
There is literally NOTHING you can say that will change my mind on this book, so why are you so hell bent on proving my OPINION is wrong?
Posted by Randomhero on April 1st, 2018 @ 3:00am CDT
ZeroWolf wrote:That's surely the point though that burns trying to make. Transformers are just fodder in this story designed to push visionaries. It's like this if it were a slogan "come for the transformers, stay for the visionaries" but it hasn't worked out like that. At least not in my opinion anyway.
And the 1986 movie used the entire 84 cast as canon fodder to push the new 1987 toys. Do you hate that too?
Posted by Randomhero on April 1st, 2018 @ 3:07am CDT
Burn wrote:What the heck man? I don't like this series, why do I have to justify that to you?
There is literally NOTHING you can say that will change my mind on this book, so why are you so hell bent on proving my OPINION is wrong?
Becuase your review sucked and was half assed as your claim the comic is.
‘Nothing happens in this, this book isn’t good’
Wheeljack creates something to stop the talisman, the good visionaries are preparing to battle to save their species and the planet, the alliance heads down to stop Armageddon, an Autobot sacrifices himself for the greater good of his species, and villains seem to stop them on a cliffhanger for the next issue.
Can’t wait for the next review, I’m gonna make the assumption it’s gonna go like this
‘I didn’t like this issue and I didn’t like this series with the same complaints copied and pasted from the previous reviews about how. I have I didn’t like’
Good review!
Posted by Burn on April 1st, 2018 @ 3:16am CDT
Randomhero wrote:Becuase your review sucked and was half assed as your claim the comic is.
Let me explain something to you.
I fucking know it sucked. It was NEVER meant to be a review. Va'al and ScottyP approached me and asked me if they could use it. I explained to them it wasn't a review, it was not meant to be a review, but they felt it conveyed what they wanted to say and didn't want to have to type up a review of their own.
So after great reluctance on my part (because I knew stupid crap like this would happen) I agreed to let them news it.
Thanks for making me regret that decision. I forgot how wrong it is to have an opinion that differs from others around here.
By all means, if you think you can do better, then feel free to do a series review once issue 5 comes out. If you're interested, contact Va'al about it.
Posted by ZeroWolf on April 1st, 2018 @ 3:56am CDT
Randomhero wrote:ZeroWolf wrote:That's surely the point though that burns trying to make. Transformers are just fodder in this story designed to push visionaries. It's like this if it were a slogan "come for the transformers, stay for the visionaries" but it hasn't worked out like that. At least not in my opinion anyway.
And the 1986 movie used the entire 84 cast as canon fodder to push the new 1987 toys. Do you hate that too?
Problem is that example is of Transformers being fodder for other transformers (and that decision is controversial in some circles still). The revolutions example was closer I felt. There's not a lot to like here (my opinion) but if you do like then that's completely fine don't feel like you have to overwhelming defend it as this is just different opinions going off each other. If you're arguing for equal treatment across all the books that's going to be a struggle as our tastes are all going to be different
Posted by Va'al on April 1st, 2018 @ 4:19am CDT
Burn wrote:Randomhero wrote:Becuase your review sucked and was half assed as your claim the comic is.
Let me explain something to you.
I **** know it sucked. It was NEVER meant to be a review. Va'al and ScottyP approached me and asked me if they could use it. I explained to them it wasn't a review, it was not meant to be a review, but they felt it conveyed what they wanted to say and didn't want to have to type up a review of their own.
So after great reluctance on my part (because I knew stupid crap like this would happen) I agreed to let them news it.
Thanks for making me regret that decision. I forgot how wrong it is to have an opinion that differs from others around here.
By all means, if you think you can do better, then feel free to do a series review once issue 5 comes out. If you're interested, contact Va'al about it.
By all means, Randomhero, come be an ass towards me too, as I specifically asked Burn for this, edited it to include images, and newsed it up.
I say this again: I WOULD'VE SAID THE EXACT SAME THINGS, JUST WORDIER. And I could not be bothered, by that point.
Posted by 1984forever on April 1st, 2018 @ 1:34pm CDT
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on April 1st, 2018 @ 2:12pm CDT
But I digress. The main problem with this crossover seems to stem from it's central premise: It shouldn't have been set on present day Cybertron. Visionaries was a post-apocalyptic series. A former technological civilisation rebuilt within a medieval framework. None of that includes Mad Max visuals or a haphazard conceit about magical macguffins on Cybertron. Send a handful of Transformers to Their world, as they used the Arthurian template in Sunbow. That would have worked.
So out of this and the Avengers crossover, which is worse? I'd say both are equally appalling and reflect marketing driven cash -ins without substance or merit.
Posted by Va'al on April 1st, 2018 @ 2:39pm CDT
In all honesty, I have no idea in how the series will end, as we have nothing about anything given to us in the penultimate issue about any sort of climax. Sure, Merklynn is evil and manipulative. There's magic which is bad in Cybertron. Thrustinator is somehow there, Kup and Quickswitch are not. Probably everyone is doublecrossing everyone else.
Posted by AlphaBass on April 1st, 2018 @ 3:54pm CDT
AllNewSuperRobot wrote:But I digress. The main problem with this crossover seems to stem from it's central premise: It shouldn't have been set on present day Cybertron. Visionaries was a post-apocalyptic series. A former technological civilisation rebuilt within a medieval framework. None of that includes Mad Max visuals or a haphazard conceit about magical macguffins on Cybertron. Send a handful of Transformers to Their world, as they used the Arthurian template in Sunbow. That would have worked.
A post-apocalyptic Cybertron with scattered Transformers fighting with what they have left against a new group that wants to populate the planet with their race? That's a story that could ask why the TF deserve their planet, why this new group wants to live there, and how the TF war affected their position. Even hints of the post war event (Unicron singularity or whatever) can be scattered as a way of hinting what may have happened.
There's ways to do it.
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on April 1st, 2018 @ 4:10pm CDT
AlphaBass wrote:There's ways to do it.
Agreed. They don't seem to have been thought through in this book however.
Posted by ZeroWolf on April 1st, 2018 @ 4:23pm CDT
AllNewSuperRobot wrote:AlphaBass wrote:There's ways to do it.
Agreed. They don't seem to have been thought through in this book however.
True, it almost like it could have been visionaries vs anything, all you would do is swap out your preferred alien race and you would have gotten almost the same story. Though a future setting may have been more problematic as it was supposed to set visionaries up in the hasbroverse for the here and now so they could have been used in the other comics. Of course I'm waiting for the revelation that Unicron destroyed their original home...
Posted by AlphaBass on April 1st, 2018 @ 6:18pm CDT
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on April 2nd, 2018 @ 6:37am CDT
Posted by ZeroWolf on April 2nd, 2018 @ 7:28am CDT
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on April 2nd, 2018 @ 7:30am CDT
ZeroWolf wrote:I think the fact they were redesigned is evidence that they gauged there to be little interest in a old fashioned visionaries series so an attempt to appeal to new fans were made, hence the visionaries got their g2..which has also flopped by the looks, I expect another new series of designs in the new continuity
If they aren't shelved altogether, as a result of the reaction to this series.
Posted by ZeroWolf on April 2nd, 2018 @ 8:30am CDT
AllNewSuperRobot wrote:ZeroWolf wrote:I think the fact they were redesigned is evidence that they gauged there to be little interest in a old fashioned visionaries series so an attempt to appeal to new fans were made, hence the visionaries got their g2..which has also flopped by the looks, I expect another new series of designs in the new continuity
If they aren't shelved altogether, as a result of the reaction to this series.
While certainly possible I don't think it's too likely as they have the license,;might as well use it, even if now it's just guest appearances like in an Rom issue he visits the visionaries home world where direwraiths are teaming up with the badguys
Posted by Daniel Adkins on April 2nd, 2018 @ 11:20am CDT
Posted by ScottyP on April 3rd, 2018 @ 2:57pm CDT
These are all poor examples to support your point and I can explain why I feel so.Randomhero wrote:Rom vs Transformers killed a Magnus and killed a bunch of space knights. Theres a cross over event. Revolutionaries killed razorclaw and in a way Predaking and Bugley. Again, cross over.
Magnus had been established to be a suit of armor in IDW, with several owners over the years due to "Ultra Magnus" dying. A lot. When Rom vs TFs killed Convoy, it fit with established precedent while allowing the creative team some narrative freedom and felxibility.
Bugly was John Barber fixing a perceived plot hole from 2008 (Or maybe a real one, it has been a long time) while also effectively advancing the plot of Revolutionaries.
Finally, Razorclaw is not confirmed as dead. At this point it doesn't look like this will really matter anyhow. Wherever they were going with the Predacons following Von Rani is clearly not getting got to.
Quickswitch didn't bother me personally because he was an obvious redshirt with no prior appearances in this continuity, and really Quickswitch is a d-level uncharacter anyhow. Kup bothered me because outside of shock value, there was little point in offing a well-developed, very loved character at that point of the story. Put Quickswitch there and have them use some regular old non sentient drill tank and what really changes?
Posted by Sunstar on April 3rd, 2018 @ 10:13pm CDT
Randomhero wrote:Burn wrote:Randomhero wrote:Wreckers was a 5 issue story and Ironfist, rotorstorm, pyro, topspin, twin twist died and all their deaths were pointless and not story advancing. The creators even said all those deaths were 100% avoidable and pointless.
But AGAIN, that was a Transformers centric book.
This is meant to be a crossover, but so far the story has basically revolved around a Visionaries civil war, with guest appearances from Transformers, two of which have been killed and another twisted.Again shitting on a book that set to fail by people saying they didn’t want it from the get go.
I NEVER said I didn't want it from the get go. I was willing, and gave the book a chance.
Rom vs Transformers killed a Magnus and killed a bunch of space knights. Theres a cross over event. Revolutionaries killed razorclaw and in a way Predaking and Bugley. Again, cross over.
Yeah, but the story was decent.
Edit: I could quite merrily live with a continuation of the rom transformers universe.
Posted by Big Grim on April 4th, 2018 @ 8:04am CDT
Sunstar wrote:Edit: I could quite merrily live with a continuation of the rom transformers universe.
As could I. I really enjoyed Rom Vs Transformers. I felt it fit well.
Posted by Va'al on April 28th, 2018 @ 3:05am CDT
You can take a look at the opening pages of issue #5 below, and join us back next week at Seibertron.com for a review and discussion of the series as a whole.
The final fate of Cybertron! Leoric and the drill team, on a mission to stop the destruction of the planet, reach the core—only to be met by Virulina and her Darkling Lords! Now, the two sides are locked in a final battle to determine whether Cybertron sees tomorrow. Everything comes to a head in this thrilling conclusion!
Posted by Burn on April 28th, 2018 @ 6:05pm CDT
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on April 28th, 2018 @ 6:08pm CDT
Posted by ZeroWolf on April 28th, 2018 @ 6:55pm CDT
Burn I look forward to your non-review, I think it captured my thoughts beautifully last time.
Posted by primalxconvoy on April 28th, 2018 @ 8:04pm CDT
Posted by ZeroWolf on April 29th, 2018 @ 1:42am CDT
Posted by primalxconvoy on April 29th, 2018 @ 3:35am CDT
ZeroWolf wrote:...I prefer the new designs...sorry primalxconvoy! also think you squeezed too much text in those first two balloons, couldn't work out what they were saying.
Sorry about that. The original image is fine, and it uploaded fine to TFW2005. Maybe Seibertron changes the resolution to a maximum one?
Just to check; did you click on the image? It will then open in a larger resolution.
Posted by AllNewSuperRobot on April 29th, 2018 @ 5:13am CDT
ZeroWolf wrote:...I prefer the new designs...
It's Mad Max though, not Visionairies.
Posted by ZeroWolf on April 29th, 2018 @ 5:24am CDT
AllNewSuperRobot wrote:ZeroWolf wrote:...I prefer the new designs...
It's Mad Max though, not Visionairies.
They have the holograms and armour they are visionaries to me, and also the best part of this series by a country mile. It's a shame that they'll go down with this series as unless it's going well elsewhere, I don't think idw will rush visionaries to be part of the reboot. So I think they'll return to gather dust.
I understand that some people will prefer the old style but is it that hard to believe that some would prefer the new style?
Posted by primalxconvoy on April 29th, 2018 @ 5:24am CDT
AllNewSuperRobot wrote:ZeroWolf wrote:...I prefer the new designs...
It's Mad Max though, not Visionairies.
Yes, because all of their books are Chrome books, not magic books...