Review of IDW Transformers Optimus Prime Annual 2018

Where in continuity does this issue for?

Targetmaster Kup wrote:Where in continuity does this issue for?

It appears to take place between Optimus Prime #14 and #15, before the TAAO Annual.

Daniel Adkins wrote:

Targetmaster Kup wrote:Where in continuity does this issue for?

It appears to take place between Optimus Prime #14 and #15, before the TAAO Annual.

I think it's also after, as we have Starscream in his rise to power commissioning the movie, and after his confession in the TAAO annual (he has the hologram of his 'good' self) towards the end of the movie's production.

Va'al wrote:

Daniel Adkins wrote:

Targetmaster Kup wrote:Where in continuity does this issue for?

It appears to take place between Optimus Prime #14 and #15, before the TAAO Annual.

I think it's also after, as we have Starscream in his rise to power commissioning the movie, and after his confession in the TAAO annual (he has the hologram of his 'good' self) towards the end of the movie's production.

Sooo... do you think I'll like it?

Sunstar wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Daniel Adkins wrote:

Targetmaster Kup wrote:Where in continuity does this issue for?

It appears to take place between Optimus Prime #14 and #15, before the TAAO Annual.

I think it's also after, as we have Starscream in his rise to power commissioning the movie, and after his confession in the TAAO annual (he has the hologram of his 'good' self) towards the end of the movie's production.

Sooo... do you think I'll like it?

It's a Thundercracker story that revolves around Starscream. It's not a Starscream story, though he is the catalyst, if you will.

Briefly: I have no idea. But it's a good book.

Sounds great. I gotta have it. My Seeker fangirl self yearns to read it.

It was nice to see a reminder that Thundercracker was once a bad badass warrior.

Synopsis
The Falling, Part 2: The arrival of Onyx Prime throws Cybertron into chaos—because he hasn’t come alone. Onyx’s treacherous companion forces Soundwave to finally make a choice: is Optimus Prime a friend... or foe?



Story

John Barber is extremely busy this week, with his handiwork appearing in two major stories for the Optimus Prime series, and one of his greatest strengths appears loud and clear in both: his knowledge of the franchise and how to weave together multiple pasts into something that makes complete and utter sense in a new story thread, be it through one line comments to Aligned, cameos from Beast Wars, or anything in the Annual (see review here!).



To add to all that, Barber's Soundwave is one of the better developed, multi-faceted, and narratively functional for experimentation in script and page layout characters that has emerged out of the IDW universe of Transformers - and this issue cements it. You almost miss the point of view just before the climax of the issue, until you realise you hadn't, you just skipped a beat.



That said, I'll also reiterate what I had mentioned previously to ScottyP about Onyx Prime, with an added caveat that comes out of this issue specifically: he is terrifying, imposing, well-crafted and grounded in enough lore and versions of reality to make him come across as the threat that he is, and what his presence means to the different characters who face him.



With those two major points in mind, though, there is one dangling issue I want to address with regards to the pacing and the narration: the story will most definitely feel chaotic, fragmented even, at times - but hold on to those fragments, as they serve a purpose, and they're never entirely unintentional.


Art

Kei Zama on lineart truly does wonders with her darker inks and shadows, even for an issue that deals a lot more with nuance than it might initially look like. The art, then, perfectly fits the script, the fear and threat that both Onyx Prime and Liege Maximo have brought to Cybertron are physically palpable. Additionally, the page and panel layouts are gorgeous and gorgeously functional, especially with Soundwave at the centre.



And if Zama's art is well suited to the script, Josh Burcham's colouring work on the lineart just makes sure that is most definitely indeed the case. It helps us work through the fragments and the parallels alike, where the art might at times throw a little more shade over comprehension than is perhaps necessary.



What is left of the visuals, then, is what holds the narrative together - which would otherwise be a headache-inducing task, were it not for the balancing act of Tom B Long and his careful lettering of dialogue, captions, and placing on the page and in the panels. There is no unintended misdirection.

As for the covers, the one thumbnailed spotlights Casey Coller and John-Paul Bove's variant for this arc, with the silhouette suggesting the point of view taken in the issue. The other two, the main Zama/Burcham early Cybertron take on a happy family (*my heart*) and the Marcelo Matere (no colour credit given) Prime on Prime action can both be seen in our database entry here.

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

Any story that features John Barber's Soundwave is already looking good to me (there are some exceptions in the recent past, but let me have this), and linking current day situations with the character's parallels from his own personal and ideological past is a great way to frame a story that already did something similar, yet entirely different, with the Mistress of Flame last month.



There is politics, there is personality, there is a strand of dark humour that just works when spoken deadpan (again, Soundwave) and with the artistic team working so hard to make this story come across for the weighty matter that it is, you might even miss a twist that may or may not be there - but if it is, and once it kicks in, you'll grin worse that Onyx Prime's apparently permanent grimace.

I had a hard time following the last couple pages. It kinda looked like Soundwave was overwhelmed and unleashed some kind of sonic explosion but it wasn’t. I waited for the wiki summary to explain it was an unknown explosion.

That said I loved the issue all around. Really great!

I read both, but I need to re-read #16 when I don't have a migraine. I adore Thunderbuns <3

That is a thing I do not have a hard time imagining. As I said in the review, it works for having Soundwave as the narrator/POV - but it doesn't make it easier on the brain power.

Va'al wrote:That is a thing I do not have a hard time imagining. As I said in the review, it works for having Soundwave as the narrator/POV - but it doesn't make it easier on the brain power.

Yeah it tooks me a few days and a couple reads to really work it out. I got it in one read, but appreciated it after the second.

OP 16...

I think, it all comes down to, "Onyx Prime...have you come to draw us together or pull us apart?" -- "Sometimes, Mistress...a leader must do one to accomplish the other."

So, all the players are eventually brought into one place, literally drawn together.

The explosion happens. I don't know how or why.

Doubt is cast among them all. A unified Cybertron is in disorder.

Liege Maximo is left smiling.



What I don't know...

Is Onyx Prime a part of Maximo's plan? I don't think so because he seems genuinely pissed off about Alpha Trion.

What happened to Soundwave? I think somehow Maximo influenced him and broke down the control Soundwave showed at the start of the book.

Is there an unreliable narrator here? Was some part of what we saw and read not truthful?

So this is Power of the Primes right? this is everything John has been building up in the background since issue 30 of RID 4 years ago ever since we saw the flashback of Galvatron fighting headmasters and meeting Alpha Trion.

There has still been no talk of doing a POTP event like Combiner Wars and Titans Return for IDW and we know POTP line is only going till december.

In regards to the Annual:

Where Starscream wants to send a message to the outside, is he the reason the guys attack thunder?

So I talked to John Barber on Twitter. No power of the Primes event for IDW

I'm going to be really annoying and point out a single-letter mistake in the OP Annual: Marissa's speech bubble, 1st panel, page 18, '... who's only it it for himself.' - should be 'in it'.

Anyway, I liked the Annual overall: nicely irreverent. Thundercracker is a MACHINE (literally) for writing ultra-clunky dialogue. '... go back to writing fan fiction.' Ha! Burn!

Hackensack is a George Lucas-type director. He's going to be very cheesed off trying to work with Thundercracker, who should really stick to fighting, transport and booming.

Trypticon 'classy'? That's serious sarcasm!

How in hell does Thundercracker (or most other Transformers) use a human-built smartphone with his giant fingers?!

snavej wrote:I'm going to be really annoying and point out a single-letter mistake in the OP Annual: Marissa's speech bubble, 1st panel, page 18, '... who's only it it for himself.' - should be 'in it'.

Anyway, I liked the Annual overall: nicely irreverent. Thundercracker is a MACHINE (literally) for writing ultra-clunky dialogue. '... go back to writing fan fiction.' Ha! Burn!

Hackensack is a George Lucas-type director. He's going to be very cheesed off trying to work with Thundercracker, who should really stick to fighting, transport and booming.

Trypticon 'classy'? That's serious sarcasm!

How in hell does Thundercracker (or most other Transformers) use a human-built smartphone with his giant fingers?!

very carefully. I can barely use one with my tiny fingers.

Is it wrong i wish the cassette bros' movie was titled 'Rumble and Frenzy Do America"? Also flamewar is way to cute. I hope because she has a similar body type to rodimus, Hasbro or somebody makes her mainline.

Randomhero wrote:So I talked to John Barber on Twitter. No power of the Primes event for IDW

This pleases me. The narrative wasn't/isn't leading to anything resembling the toy line!

Thanks to a new listing from Amazon.com, we have word that Volume 4 of the IDW Optimus Prime ongoing will be released on November 20 of this year. The listing shows that the trade paperback will collect issues 15-21, and is collectively focusing on Onyx Prime and what he has brought to the table, as recently seen in issues 15 and 16 of the series.

You can check out the cover below, as well as the description of the book, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Darkness falls over Cybertron as the legendary Onyx Prime returns, throwing the planet into chaos! What does this mean for Optimus Prime--and the Earth?

As Onyx and his comrades sow panic and dissension on Cybertron, Windblade defends an already tense planet against a secret that could shatter it forever, Soundwave questions a fragile alliance, and Optimus confronts a mystery that goes back millions of years.

Collects Transformers: Optimus Prime issues #15-21.

Not sure why, possibly extreme delays, but OP #17 & #18 we taken off the shipping calendar as reported to ComicList at http://www.comiclist.com/index.php/list ... 03-21-2018

Targetmaster Kup wrote:Not sure why, possibly extreme delays, but OP #17 & #18 we taken off the shipping calendar as reported to ComicList at http://www.comiclist.com/index.php/list ... 03-21-2018

Screenshot_2018-03-23-10-10-19.png

As far as I know, OP 17 was moved to April 18, meaning OP 18 will also have to move along

Directly from artist Kei Zama herself on her Tumblr blog, currently main and cover artist on IDW Publishing's ongoing Transformers comics series Optimus Prime, we have the covers for upcoming issues #17 and #18 of the title, with lineart provided and coloured final version of both (handiwork of Josh Burcham, of course).

You can check them out below, as Devastator takes centre stage on the first one, and Solus Prime hammering away in her forge on the latter - and then join the conversation in the Energon Pub!

Optimus Prime #17 cover

Written by: John Barber
Art by: me
Colors by: Josh Burcham @dcjosh​
Letters by: Tom B. Long
Editor: David Mariotte

Optimus Prime #18 cover

Written by John Barber
Interior art by Livio Ramondelli and Pitre-Durocher @spewpew
Colors by Josh Burcham @dcjosh​
Letters by: Tom B. Long
Editor: David Mariotte

Solus prime is looking very good in that art, would be nice if we eventually got full sized figures for all the primes. So far by my count we got four (five if you got nexus prime from he club)

ZeroWolf wrote:Solus prime is looking very good in that art, would be nice if we eventually got full sized figures for all the primes. So far by my count we got four (five if you got nexus prime from he club)

Alpha Trion, Optimus, Megatronus........who's the fourth?

We got vector prime in the cybertron line

ZeroWolf wrote:We got vector prime in the cybertron line

D'oh! I forgot.

Doesn't Fix-it keeping refering to her as "Sweet Solus Prime". She doesn't look so sweet there.

Starscream's face is precious

I haven't kept up with this title, but I was in my local book store today and saw a copy of volume 2 on the shelf. I picked it up and perused it, and I was totally lost. There seemed to be no coherent story whatsoever, just a bunch of individual stories thrown together. Is that how OP is? No consistent story arc throughout, just a bunch of stuff?

I haven't read about Megatronia being in IDW, it would be awesome if she showed up to fight Victorion. Assuming Vicky survives the fight against big Devy.

So far megatronia isn't featured and now if she makes the jump, she'll be in the new continuity. At least some of the components will survive devy as we see magna in the Unicron free issue 0, quite alive and well.

Rodimus Prime wrote:I haven't kept up with this title, but I was in my local book store today and saw a copy of volume 2 on the shelf. I picked it up and perused it, and I was totally lost. There seemed to be no coherent story whatsoever, just a bunch of individual stories thrown together. Is that how OP is? No consistent story arc throughout, just a bunch of stuff?

I haven't read about Megatronia being in IDW, it would be awesome if she showed up to fight Victorion. Assuming Vicky survives the fight against big Devy.

Not everything needs to be six-part story arcs. Personally, I prefer shorter stories and when comics can give me a complete story in a single issue. And of course, they do make a coherent, serialized narrative if you actually read the issues.

Rodimus Prime wrote:I haven't kept up with this title, but I was in my local book store today and saw a copy of volume 2 on the shelf. I picked it up and perused it, and I was totally lost. There seemed to be no coherent story whatsoever, just a bunch of individual stories thrown together. Is that how OP is? No consistent story arc throughout, just a bunch of stuff?

Volume 1 is a coherent six part story arc (unless you ask Seibertron who finds it to be a sloppy mess but it's ok to be wrong), Volume 2 is not. It picks up on several dangling plot threads and has some of my favorite stuff from the whole series by a mile - but these are mostly stand-alone things almost like Spotlights.

What order did they print the issues in? If they did publication order I can see it being a mess.

Important note though, at the time OP 7 and LL 8 hit (which was a little ways apart) we'd had: Conquerors > All Hail Optimus > Titans Return > New Cybertron in RiD/TF and Dying of the Light > Titans Return > Dissolution in MTMTE/LL. The 1-2 issue beats were extremely welcome as a reader of the monthlies by that point!

My final point: larger narrative is important but I don't mind it stepping aside to leave room for issues like "What It's Really Like" and "The Life of Sideswipe" which are absolutely great comics to me. I'm so happy they got made since there'd be no room to fit them in here not even a year later!

iTunes has updated with a new listing in the form of a 3 page preview for IDW's Optimus Prime #17! Issue 17, set to come out next week on April 18, along with Optimus Prime #18 oddly enough thanks to a bad scheduling error as confirmed by John Barber himself, gives a look at Aileron as she recounts her story of going from a lowly citizen of Caminus to a follower of Optimus Prime, as well as what she thinks of her life going from boring to exciting while getting her best friend killed.

You can check out issue 17's 3 page preview below, BUT BE WARNED, you should not read issue 18's inevitable preview before you have actually read issue 17. So really, don't even read the preview for issue 18. Just buy it and 17 next Wednesday.

Let us know what you think of both the issue 17 preview and the scheduling conflict that has 2 issues of the same series coming out on the same day below!

John Barber wrote:I never say anything like this, but if you're reading Optimus Prime, don't look at any previews of issue 18 before you read 17... and both issues will be out next Wednesday

Hehe my sentiments exactly. I should probably get up to date on this comic. Have not been in a reading mood as of late.

In one sense having 17 and 18 out on the same is a good thing, it's just bad having the preview out that potentially spoils the end of 17. Still will be nice to read a larger chuck of the story then we'd able to otherwise. Though the name sterling just makes me think of cars 3 which my oldest insists on watching a lot recently.

I only saw the original cars movie. I was 16 when it came out and my Grandpa wanted to take me and I was trying to make excuses not to go because I was "too old" to go to kid movies. He kept asking so I finally caved in. It was actually a pretty good movie and now that I am older I am glad I did even if I felt goofy at the time. Grandparents are limited edition. Spend time with em while you have them because you will miss them.

I might watch the sequels for old times sake at some point though.

There are many, MANY examples where the sequel surpasses the original in terms of quality.

Cars 2 is not an example.

:Reads review samples that a few of us get:

Do not read even one page of 18 before 17. Don't do it. Don't do it. You'll want to but wow, indeed, don't you dare do it.

Page 1 of 18 gives you the super high level cliff's notes of 17 and you'll be pissed at yourself for checking it. Consider yourself warned, again!

Noted ScottyP. Bout time these issues came out. Though occupied, the time gap felt like an eternity. 2 issues really does make up for it. lol

Thanks to regular source for this type of comics news Multiversity Comics, we now have the full preview for next week's issue of the IDW Publishing ongoing Transformers series Optimus Prime! Issue 17 is the one shown below, though both 17 and 18 will be released on Wednesday - and as we have told you in our previous story, avoid ALL previews for issue 18 until you've read the one below.

Check it out, and share your thoughts on where this series is leading in its penultimate arc in the Energon Pub!

Written by John Barber
Art and cover by Kei Zama
Colored by Josh Burcham
Lettered by Tom B. Long

“The Falling,” Part 3: Onyx Prime sows the seeds of chaos and panic on Cybertron as he reveals dark secrets… but nothing will prepare Optimus Prime and his allies for Onyx’s darkest revelation!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Variant cover by Thomas Deer!

Synopsis
“The Falling,” Part 3: Onyx Prime sows the seeds of chaos and panic on Cybertron as he reveals dark secrets… but nothing will prepare Optimus Prime and his allies for Onyx’s darkest revelation!

“The Falling,” Interlude. All hope seems lost as Onyx Prime confronts Optimus—but why has Onyx returned? What’s his ultimate goal? Millions of years worth of mysteries are solved as the secret history of Onyx Prime is finally revealed!



Story
If you read the synopsis section just above, you will notice that there are two of them rather than the single issue - that is because this week, and this review, has two issue of the Optimus Prime ongoing series being released by IDW Publishing. To avoid spoilers as much as possible, we decided to talk about both in the same text, and I am taking extra care to talk more about narrative and execution than plot specifically. Nothing different than usual, just a little more vagueness, if you'll bear with me.



With that all said and out of the way, then: John Barber has decided to take a very different turn for The Falling. Weird, even. His writing hasn't shied away from time displacement and travel, black hole paradoxes, and the consequences of all of the above notions at play (just look at Syndromica and Dark Cybertron, or even Revolutionaries). But here, we reach a whole new level of temporal and narrative freedom - to varying degrees of success.



In #17, the story continues, as the aftermath of Soundwave's actions in #16 is addressed and Onyx Primal gets more terrifying by the frame in his actions, words, and clear direction forward (which looks a lot like backwards). And it's a build-up that reverberates with a lot of the themes address in the series so far, with Aileron taking the narration spot and looking at the category of Primes and heroes from a vantage point, really.



Then we have a reveal. A big one. A narrative, time-shattering one, on the very last page. And issue #18 (aptly named Interlude) deals with this instead, charging the story being told in a way that is yes, entirely exposition, but exposition that is surprisingly well woven and doesn't feel like a pause too long or any kind of slog.

So where is the variation in the success I mention? General agreement on staff was that not everything landed immediately but, at the same time, risks were taken and the pay-off is yet fully to come with more of the arc to follow in the coming months. And the aspects played upon in these issues are not entirely out of nowhere, in Barber's repertoire and I'm very pleased with the editing assist of David Mariotte, keeping all things in check as Barber lets himself loose.

Art

In #17, Kei Zama and Josh Burcham are - I think - showing off their skills. We have a ridiculous range of emotive and dynamic in frame layouts, with interactions being silent as the overwhelming and overpowering presence of Onyx takes up most of the space. Things get out of hand, and space and colour are used to the best of their effects, with some truly incredible compositions and transformation sequences, too.



In #18, Sara Pitre Durocher offers the general framework of the current events (opening and closing), along with colours by master of technicolour continuity Burcham - both of whom, together, maintain the stage in the same light and tone as the final act of the previous issue, and chillingly set up the Interlude story.

Livio Ramondelli has the main duties for the latter, and his style, once more, proves perfectly suited to the past, mythology infused Weird!Barber script. The Aligned continuity that once was part of another narrative universe definitely takes shape and form in his lines and colours, and the Primes of old can easily be identified in their rise and expansion - awingly so.



There is little more that can be said about Tom B. Long's work on lettering for these books, but as Barber (and Mariotte) stick to their captioning and name tagging techniques, his fonts and placing don't skip a beat, and allow for the story - with a lot of exposition, as I said - to flow as organically as a twisted story as this one can.

The covers are multiple, and glorious, with the main ones taken care of by Zama and Burcham, including some clear lineart of Solus Prime from the former, and Casey Coller / JP Bove for issue #17's B cover (in the style of its predecessors, as seen in our database, plus the #18 Megatronus variant from Livio Ramondelli (others also in database!). But the one featured in the thumbnail is Thomas Teyowisonte Deer's gorgeous take on the Autobot leader, the Arisen, and seemingly the pivot of the entire storyline.

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

As I said above, Barber has taken the weird, paradox route, and by doing so taking some really big risks that may not please a section of the readership (and unfortunately proving some clichés about comics narratives in general in the doing, too) - but, some of those risks are still not fully revealed, and where they may not work in these issues for now, two more chapters of The Falling are still due before the final arc. In the words of Onyx, this is indeed just the prelude to the finale, and we are bound to return to its topics and characters very very soon.



The multiple art teams, with Burcham working as continuity lynchpin, do some wonders with what could've been an extremely, frustratingly confusing story, and the aftermath of Onyx's arrival is dealt with in perhaps the most personal and brutal way that this series has seen this far - also partly due to Aileron's perspective, and Soundwave's involvement. I do not believe we are seeing the entire truth, yet, but next month will confirm suspicions - and let me tell you, I am buzzing.

An excellent review va'al, and it must have been hard reviewing both 17 and 18 together and fighting the urge to talk more about the bombshells of 18. I will ask this though, was there anything presented that you make will be important for unicron?

Just read them both, and all I can think is. ...damn. I never thought I'd say this, but this is even more convoluted than the average issue of Lost Light. And I don't know if I mean that in a bad way or a good way.

ZeroWolf wrote:An excellent review va'al, and it must have been hard reviewing both 17 and 18 together and fighting the urge to talk more about the bombshells of 18. I will ask this though, was there anything presented that you make will be important for unicron?

Thank you! It was less hard than I thought, given how the story is presented in #18.

As for the latter point: I actually don't. I think The Falling will lead to the Unicron event, but not in a direct manner. It'll use points that are being shown and developed here, perhaps, but nothing directly tied in, if that makes sense.

I may be entirely wrong, but that's what I think so far!

Bounti76 wrote:Just read them both, and all I can think is. ...damn. I never thought I'd say this, but this is even more convoluted than the average issue of Lost Light. And I don't know if I mean that in a bad way or a good way.

It took me a few days to process it, but I think I like it. It's somewhat based on assumption that everything is still not what it seems.

I do most definitely like it when Barber gets experimental, and this arc has been stuffed full of it so far.

If anyone hasn’t go to TFWIKI and read the article for number 18. It will make your head spin.

Barber told me on Twitter this is a story he’s been planting seeds in for over 4 years now and it insane.

At least he's been given the opportunity to reap that harvest.