Sneak Peek - IDW Transformers: Primacy #2

A quick question, how long is this set before Thunderwing gets his idea on how to save Cybertron? IDW continuity can be a bit confusing with the very early stuff.

Via the IDW Publishing Facebook page, we get a look at the Sarah Stone variant cover for the third issue of Transformers: Primacy - featuring a black and white, with red highlights, Starscream in all his glory. Check it out below!

Amazing art; however while looking at it gave me a Starscream in a nightclub fight vibe.

Va'al wrote:

Stone's an artist after my own heart.

Ready to get ready for something BIG about to happen in the past of the Transformers? Check out this week's comic release from IDW Publishing: Primacy #2! From the Dille, Metzen, Ramondelli team, who are definitely brewing something up for the series - and we'll talk about it in our review on Wednesday, so head back to Seibertron.com then.

Transformers: Primacy #2 (of 4)
Chris Metzen & Flint Dille (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a & c)
DECEPTICONS ASSEMBLE! The war for CYBERTRON begins in earnest! MEGATRON brings together the deadliest of his troops for an unbelievable assault on the AUTOBOTS—and the TRANSFORMERS’ world is shaken to the core!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The End of the Beginning of the TRANSFORMERS Saga!
30th Anniversary Variant Cover by Sarah Stone!

It's like I'm reading the Marvel run with that obnoxious name-dropping. Then again it is that hack Metzen writing.

Aaannnddd Ramondelli is back at it again: Poorly sequenced art leaving you to wonder what exactly is supposed to be going on. On top of that, what's up with the Predacons? We've seen them in pre-Earth modes in stories set much later than this (but still before they arrived on Earth)... But now we're seeing them possibly at the earliest in the IDW timeline so far, at a period millions of years before their arrival on Earth yet they are bearing the alt-modes of Earth animals that may not have even evolved yet?

"Canis Tor"? Really?

MegaDump wrote:On top of that, what's up with the Predacons? We've seen them in pre-Earth modes in stories set much later than this (but still before they arrived on Earth)... But now we're seeing them possibly at the earliest in the IDW timeline so far, at a period millions of years before their arrival on Earth yet they are bearing the alt-modes of Earth animals that may not have even evolved yet?

Hm. You have a point here.

I just checked Stormbringer and Spotlight: Jazz, and they're definitely sporting their pre-Earth modes in both of those. And they're on Earth in the latter, too.

This is the second inconsistency with the established continuity so far - though I wonder if it's more for the sake of the upcoming Combiner Wars than anything: new readers may not go as far back as the early Furman/McCarthy run, and the alt-modes would need explaining to the new audience.

I'll admit I'm not that familiar with the IDW transformer lore since I only just started getting the collections, but how exactly did the Predacons feed on anything while stuck on Canis Tor? Don't they run on energon or some other derivative that isn't organic? I know the decepticons can convert organic matter into fuel with pink alchemy, but wouldn't they need a big distillery to pull it off, and even so how'd they manage to wipe out the planet's entire populace that way within a few months?

Va'al wrote:

MegaDump wrote:On top of that, what's up with the Predacons? We've seen them in pre-Earth modes in stories set much later than this (but still before they arrived on Earth)... But now we're seeing them possibly at the earliest in the IDW timeline so far, at a period millions of years before their arrival on Earth yet they are bearing the alt-modes of Earth animals that may not have even evolved yet?

Hm. You have a point here.

I just checked Stormbringer and Spotlight: Jazz, and they're definitely sporting their pre-Earth modes in both of those. And they're on Earth in the latter, too.

This is the second inconsistency with the established continuity so far - though I wonder if it's more for the sake of the upcoming Combiner Wars than anything: new readers may not go as far back as the early Furman/McCarthy run, and the alt-modes would need explaining to the new audience.

Yeah, that seems likely... As much as I love the Transformers, it has always had some of the most heavily inconsistent storytelling of any franchise. Unfortunately, it's something we've had to get used to and either ignore or interpret each our own way... Which is very sloppy storytelling and a bit of a slap in the face for any of the more long-term readers.

MegaDump wrote:

Va'al wrote:

MegaDump wrote:On top of that, what's up with the Predacons? We've seen them in pre-Earth modes in stories set much later than this (but still before they arrived on Earth)... But now we're seeing them possibly at the earliest in the IDW timeline so far, at a period millions of years before their arrival on Earth yet they are bearing the alt-modes of Earth animals that may not have even evolved yet?

Hm. You have a point here.

I just checked Stormbringer and Spotlight: Jazz, and they're definitely sporting their pre-Earth modes in both of those. And they're on Earth in the latter, too.

This is the second inconsistency with the established continuity so far - though I wonder if it's more for the sake of the upcoming Combiner Wars than anything: new readers may not go as far back as the early Furman/McCarthy run, and the alt-modes would need explaining to the new audience.

Yeah, that seems likely... As much as I love the Transformers, it has always had some of the most heavily inconsistent storytelling of any franchise. Unfortunately, it's something we've had to get used to and either ignore or interpret each our own way... Which is very sloppy storytelling and a bit of a slap in the face for any of the more long-term readers.

That may have been true for a long time, but with the current IDW output (this title excluded, given these points of concern) both Andy Schmidt and John Barber as editors have done an amazing job at keeping it all in one more or less rational line.

To the point of going back to moment in previous stories to 'patch up' the continuity, as some of the Spotlights have done, and a lot of flashbacks also link to.

Different... but AUTHENTIC!

Predacons converting organic matter into Energon just like the Insecticons in G1 did. Cool! I love these guys now. Their " Earth" modes can be excused. Other planets have had Lions, Rhinos and Birds in Sci-Fi stories. These animals have never been portrayed as exclusive to Earth.

Synopsis
DECEPTICONS ASSEMBLE! The war for CYBERTRON begins in earnest! MEGATRON brings together the deadliest of his troops for an unbelievable assault on the AUTOBOTS—and the TRANSFORMERS’ world is shaken to the core!



Story

So here we are again, in the time before time on Cybertron (and other worlds in the post-Expansion mess-up), effectively a second before the ignition of the the great war that will shape the history of the Transformers as we have pretty much always known them. As envisioned by Chris Metzen and Flint Dille, with input from artist Livio Ramondelli too - issue #2.



The biggest thing to take away from the previous issue, as you might remember, was the slight inconsistencies wit hthe established IDW universe, particularly in the role played by newly rediscovered Omega Supreme. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case once again, as not only is Omega's tale cemented and bolted down to the streets of Iacon, but we also get a look at some peculiar takes on pre-Earth stories, as the Decepticon upper echelon round-up their army, preparing for battle.



Above all, the presence of the Predacons on Canis Tor, in their pre-Earth, pre-Stormbringer - but apparently not pre-beast modes. As much as this is a fairly serious continuity blip, it does seem to me that the explanation is simply to feed in to the Combiner Wars stories in which Predaking may or may not feature. A 'recent' continuity if you will, for newer readers. But still.



Nonetheless, the comic is not a bad read! The narrative choice of a big set up run across the universe beyond Cybertron is a nice touch, and it's plenty of fun to take a look at a number of eventually gestalt teams in their daily life before the war hit. It's a fun romp, with a definite G1 feel to it - but you do need to suspend a bit more than disbelief.

Art

Even with the Predacon glitch, Livio Ramondelli's work on the different planets and environments in which the Decepticons find themselves is plenty of fun, and well variegated. From the light, warm jungle of Canis Tor to the grungy, sulphuric Magmara Nine, Ramondelli paints an enjoyably diverse universe populated by the Cybertronians.



And he does so without losing the darkness of tones over at Autobot command (and in the Presidium, for that matter), both in layouts and colouring, with Optimus realising what decisions he must and must not make in order to ensure the survival and defence of what he cares for. And the brooding begins.



Chris Mowry's lettering, is extremely enjoyable, with some very well placed translucency, and colours mimicking or complementing the artwork beneath and around it. And it's fun, even shrouded in the dangerous terrain of the issue's plot. We've seen most of the covers already (Sarah Stone's variants are here and here), so the thumbnail includes a convention exclusive this time!


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

I grinned, almost uncontrollably, throughout the entire first part. Yes, it's silly, yes, it doesn't really do much, and yes, it doesn't fit any more in the IDW continuity, there's plenty of name-dropping and some inconsistencies that don't really hold up to the wider universe, and to the story itself (even within the single issue). But I was grinning so hard it almost didn't jar on the first read.



If you can get past that, the issue is an enjoyable read, preparing us for a very very big conflict about to burst at the seams, and we get some very nice double-page spreads to help us position the scale of all this. A very difficult issue to place, as, by itself, is perfectly fine, and only encounters big issues once it's placed on the bigger picture - but as I said, it's grin-worthy, with no doubt.

Va'al wrote:
I grinned, almost uncontrollably, throughout the entire first part. Yes, it's silly, yes, it doesn't really do much, and yes, it doesn't fit any more in the IDW continuity, there's plenty of name-dropping and some inconsistencies that don't really hold up to the wider universe, and to the story itself (even within the single issue). But I was grinning so hard it almost didn't jar on the first read.

How does this no longer fit in with IDW continuity? It seems to me to fit in still.

leokearon wrote:

Va'al wrote:
I grinned, almost uncontrollably, throughout the entire first part. Yes, it's silly, yes, it doesn't really do much, and yes, it doesn't fit any more in the IDW continuity, there's plenty of name-dropping and some inconsistencies that don't really hold up to the wider universe, and to the story itself (even within the single issue). But I was grinning so hard it almost didn't jar on the first read.

How does this no longer fit in with IDW continuity? It seems to me to fit in still.

Omega's actions/statements, Megatron's development, the Predacons' appearance. It's all a bit everywhere. *gesticulates*

Trade Release link

Just found link for trade on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/163140234X/ref=wl_mb_recs_2_title?tag=seibertron07-20&

Fellow Seibertron.com user triKlops has spotted a listing on Amazon.com for the collected trade paperback edition of Transformers Primacy, the current IDW output from Flint Dille, Chris Metzen and Livio Ramondelli. While the cover is not confirmed, the release date should not wildly differ from the one presented on the site - so readers can expect a March 2015 book, currently priced at $14.46.

Optimus Prime versus Megatron! Autobots versus Decepticons! At the dawn of the conflict, battle lines are drawn and sides are set... now legends will be made. The war that would define a planet begins in earnest - and its revelations will shake the Transformers' world to the core!

Series: Transformers
Paperback: 104 pages
Publisher: IDW Publishing (March 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 163140234X
ISBN-13: 978-1631402340

At an initial glance, I missed Ironhide's head and thought that his chest was half of Prime's chest, making Prime Super-Deformed or those other figures that recently came out.

And the second piece of comics news is another Mariel Romero upload to iTunes, a sneak preview of the opening of Transformers Primacy #3 - check out the pages mirrored below!

CYBERTRON AT WAR! The giant city-sized Titans, METROPLEX and TRYPTICON, battle on a scale the universe has never seen—and the destruction they leave in their wake leaves CYBERTRON ready for the DECEPTICONS to strike!

SHORYUUUKEN!

Ohhhh how I want a Titan Class Trypticon!

Bad cell phone pics from the IDW panel

I think we've seen all of those images.

Any news in terms of stories?

Va'al wrote:I think we've seen all of those images.

Any news in terms of stories?

Lol nope there's going to be a gem comic hahah

Defensor will be in combiner wars. Has this already been known?

Combiner Wars has Stone and Ramondelli working together? That'll be an interesting take, given how different those art styles are.

IDW Publishing is releasing not one, but two new Transformers comics this week, both featuring some Livio Ramondelli art, both dealing with Cybertron's past. Check out below the full preview for the first of the two - Transformers: Primacy #3! Make sure to head back here later this week for the Seibertron.com review, too.

Transformers: Primacy #3 (of 4)
Chris Metzen & Flint Dille (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a & c)
CYBERTRON AT WAR! The giant city-sized Titans, METROPLEX and TRYPTICON, battle on a scale the universe has never seen—and the destruction they leave in their wake leaves CYBERTRON ready for the DECEPTICONS to strike!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The End of the Beginning of the TRANSFORMERS Saga!
The early, brutal days of the war for CYBERTRON
30th Anniversary Variant Cover by Ken Christiansen!

Since the Generations toys seem to follow the comics so closely, are we that much closer to getting a Titan Class Trypticon?

A Titan Class Trypticon is at the very top of my wish list.

I've not read any of this line. The art, while moody, is often times difficult for me to make out what is happening when action is involved

Yeah, this artwork is a mess. I can usually follow Livio fairly well but I have no idea what is going on in some of these panels.

jogunwarrior wrote:A Titan Class Trypticon is at the very top of my wish list.

I've not read any of this line. The art, while moody, is often times difficult for me to make out what is happening when action is involved

Exactly what I've been saying about this guy's art for ages. Sometimes he just makes it needlessly difficult to follow what's going on, and then you have to go back a few pages after you realise you've missed something.

Synopsis
CYBERTRON AT WAR! The giant city-sized Titans, METROPLEX and TRYPTICON, battle on a scale the universe has never seen—and the destruction they leave in their wake leaves CYBERTRON ready for the DECEPTICONS to strike!



Story

Last time we delved in Cybertron's past in Transformers: Primacy, the battle between Trypticon and the Titan Metroplex had only just begun. Issue three of this four-issue mini-series takes us deep into the conflict raging on, above and around the city of Iacon and the entirety of the planet, in a 22-page long series of action sequences.



The book shows off Megatron's attack as the first proper act of full-out war, involving the big beast, the Junkions and Sharkticons he recruited, his Seekers, Combaticons and appearances from the expanded cast of the Decepticon ranks we're all used to, plus Blackwall (very briefly) - and it's a very Megatron centric plot, too, despite the main action taken over by the titans fighting.



While the action is entertaining, Flint Dille and Chris Metzen's plot itself does not really result in much, and can feel a little cramped in some places and too distended in others, yet oddly still have a nice pacing in the single issue. I was, however, pleased to see the Omega/Nova Prime conundrum solved, if a little heavy-handedly.



The dialogue is still very much a Dille/Metzen product, and there's not a lot to expect from characterisation for the different characters other than what we've seen so far. On the other handm though, the ending has an interesting direction to it, and one that I'll be interested to see played out in the final issue of the series and trilogy.


Art

This is the second helping of Livio Ramondelli this week and month, and it's quite hard not to compare his work here to the one in RID #34. The biggest difference? Primacy is a lot darker, and sometimes the contrast doesn't help with the dynamism of the action scenes. The lighting, given by gunfire, acid rain, optics and explosions, though, does wonders on some otherwise fairly dim pages.



One of the visual highlights of this issue, to me, is the fun that Chris Mowry clearly had with the sound effects pervading the battle scenes. All the punches, crunches, booms, kicks, shooms, and especially the TWERGs, look amazing, and really stand out on the background of Ramondelli's colours, adding extra action hues to the mix.



And if you hadn't had enough of big page spreads on battles between Metroplex and Trypticon, the variant cover in the thumbnail, by Sarah Stone, gives you a little more of that. Because why not. The third part of the interlocking Ramondelli covers shows off the beginning of the Decepticon faction, and Ken Christiansen gives us another stunning 30th Anniversary collage from the Autobot side. Make sure to check them all out.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

As I said above, do not expect too much from the plot of this issue of Primacy, despite some interesting developments towards the end. However, if you're into big blown full-on fighting with virtually all the cast of all the old Transformers characters, with curb-stomping, impaling, slicing, limb-ripping and one-liners - this is the book for you.



As the Autobot resistance takes a bit of a paler shade in their lack of preparation against the Decepticon uprising, I'm hoping we'll see more of an escalation next issue, with the conclusion veering the path of Primacy back onto the main IDW track, tying up some of the sub-plots ran so far, and some extra TWERG TWERG TWERG.

Va'al wrote:IDW Publishing is releasing not one, but two new Transformers comics this week, both featuring some Livio Ramondelli art, both dealing with Cybertron's past. Check out below the full preview for the first of the two - Transformers: Primacy #3! Make sure to head back here later this week for the Seibertron.com review, too.

Transformers: Primacy #3 (of 4)
Chris Metzen & Flint Dille (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a & c)
CYBERTRON AT WAR! The giant city-sized Titans, METROPLEX and TRYPTICON, battle on a scale the universe has never seen—and the destruction they leave in their wake leaves CYBERTRON ready for the DECEPTICONS to strike!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The End of the Beginning of the TRANSFORMERS Saga!
The early, brutal days of the war for CYBERTRON
30th Anniversary Variant Cover by Ken Christiansen!

Is it me or does Trypticon's scale vary quite a bit in the different scenes and images
with Metroplex

We showed the Sarah Stone variant cover in this week's review of Transformers: Primacy #3, but thanks to the IDW Tumblr we get both another good look atTrypticon and Metroplex, and clean art of the next cover, for issue 4, featuring Optimus Prime and Megatron! Check them out mirrored below.

Va'al wrote:We showed the Sarah Stone variant cover in this week's review of Transformers: Primacy #3, but thanks to the IDW Tumblr we get both another good look atTrypticon and Metroplex, and clean art of the next cover, for issue 4, featuring Optimus Prime and Megatron! Check them out mirrored below.

The clean Ramondelli covers looks better blown up here. The Stone cover is interesting but I might be missing some meaning in all the symbolism ( the chains and the breaking background).

Once again, SHORYUKEN!

padfoo wrote: The clean Ramondelli covers looks better blown up here. The Stone cover is interesting but I might be missing some meaning in all the symbolism ( the chains and the breaking background).

They're both Sarah Stone's.

Those two covers are probably the best thing about Primacy. I wouldn't mind posters with those.

So Apple's Ibook store uploaded preview pages for the final issue of Primacy

Thanks to a notification from fellow Seibertronian SW's SilverHammer, we get a look at the final issue of Transformers: Primacy from IDW Publishing! Check out below the first couple of pages, courtesy of IDW digital assistant Mariel Romero and iTunes, and head back to Seibertron.com in two weeks for the full preview.

END OF THE ROAD! The final secrets of war for CYBERTRON are revealed! Everything has been leading to this—war has engulfed OPTIMUS PRIME’S world, and MEGATRON stands on the verge of triumph! But can any survive the battle of the titans?!

Va'al wrote:Thanks to a notification from fellow Seibertronian SW's SilverHammer, we get a look at the final issue of Transformers: Primacy from IDW Publishing! Check out below the first couple of pages, courtesy of IDW digital assistant Mariel Romero and iTunes, and head back to Seibertron.com in two weeks for the full preview.

END OF THE ROAD! The final secrets of war for CYBERTRON are revealed! Everything has been leading to this—war has engulfed OPTIMUS PRIME’S world, and MEGATRON stands on the verge of triumph! But can any survive the battle of the titans?!

I love these comics, but all the seekers all lending air support yet we still only see the three main seekers. I know its hard to put a lot of characters in these panels but it just make these battles seem so so small.Its more epic when they show these battles on a grand scale with dozens of characters at least in the background.

Never been too fond of the IDW comics, but as long as I don't have to put up with Autobot Megatron, I'm good with 'em.

The last issue of Transformers: Primacy hits the (digital and physical) stands this week, and we have a full preview courtesy of IDW Publishing! Check out the beginning of the end of the end of the beginning for everyone's favourite transforming robots, and head back to Seibertron.com for a review later this week.

Transformers: Primacy #4 (of 4)
Chris Metzen & Flint Dille (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a & c)
END OF THE ROAD! The final secrets of war for CYBERTRON are revealed! Everything has been leading to this—war has engulfed OPTIMUS PRIME’S world, and MEGATRON stands on the verge of triumph! But can any survive the battle of the titans?!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The explosive conclusion!
30th Anniversary Variant cover by Andrew Griffith!

I am a fan of this art style, but I gota say, its really lame to see the texture used for the art actually showing the mirrored patterns within it (on the cover). That's just garbage work, I mean come on. It is so easy to use photoshop to remove mirrored parts of any added texture. If I created this art start - finish, I would be ashamed to submit this as final work with such obvious repeated patterns. FAIL.

We had seen a previously unused cover by Livio Ramondelli for the Autocracy, Monstrosity and Primacy books back here - but it looks like it will be used after all, as a June 2017 listing on Amazon.com shows the Metzen, Dille, Ramondelli Prime Wars (now Autocracy Trilogy) three books collected into one volume! Check out more info below.

Before Optimus became a Prime he fought for order. Before Megatron became a conqueror he fought for freedom. In the early days of the war on Cybertron, two leaders–one Autobot, the other Decepticon–start down their own paths towards destiny. Collects the Autocracy, Monstrosity, and Primacy series into one volume.

Product Details

Series: Transformers
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: IDW Publishing (June 13, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 168405074X
ISBN-13: 978-1684050741

Out this week from IDW Publishing is the first collected trade of the entire Transformers: Autocracy - which includes the early days pre-war with Autocracy, Monstrosity and Primacy - all in one single volume! We'll be revisiting the series soon on Seibertron.com too, so stay tuned, and check out the preview below.

Transformers: Autocracy Trilogy
Chris Metzen, Flint Dille (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a & c)
Before Optimus became a Prime he fought for order. Before Megatron became a conqueror he fought for freedom. In the early days of the war on Cybertron, two leaders–one Autobot, the other Decepticon–start down their own paths towards destiny. Collects the Autocracy, Monstrosity, and Primacy series into an oversized hardcover collection.
HC • FC • $49.99 • 328 pages • 7” x 11” • ISBN: 978-1-63140-807-6

Bullet points:
All three series collected together for the first time!

I skipped these stories, but I may pick up the trade. What are people's views on these stories? Any good?

Insurgent wrote:I skipped these stories, but I may pick up the trade. What are people's views on these stories? Any good?

In my opinion... just alright. If you're invested in this universe (which I am) and want to see some more backstory to it (which I did), then these really aren't bad. Could be a lot worse, but they don't really affect anything in the wider universe other than some recent goings-on in OP and a little more possible insight into Hot/Rodimus' character.
Pick 'em up if you really like the universe and you can, but you're not missing much if you don't.

With this week's release of the trade collected version (the hardcover already came to fruition) of the three Cybertron Wars Prime Wars Autocracy stories into one volume, here at Seibertron.com we considered doing a brief revisitation of the Flint Dille, Chris Metzen, and Livio Ramondelli effort to bring some more backstory to the pre-war moments.

First, another look at the previously unused cover that became the collected trade one!



Transformers: Autocracy - Database entry

The Great War has begun and the Decepticons have taken the city-state of Kaon. They now work to sow dissent across Cybertron via terrorist cells. Orion Pax leads a team in an effort to stop them, while confronting the true nature of what it means to be an Autobot.

My predecessor, Tigertrack, was the one to first encounter the book as it was a digital only release, which then became digital first - his review of the opening issue is here. Other staff member Psychout worked on the other reviews, up to issue #5 (here, here, here, and here).

The major points to be taken from the first of the stories, Autocracy itself, revolves around the senate and Zeta Prime's actions around them and through them (which we're also still seeing in the Optimus Prime ongoing series by Barber and Zama), the not-very-goodness of the Autobot faction - who are essentially violent state militia - the rise of the Decepticon faction as revolutionaries, and the doubts seeded in Optimus Prime/Orion Pax as he follows Zeta's warmongering directives. And a violent Pax it is, with a little help from his friends (Bumblebee in particular) to keep him from thuggishly pounding his way to order. And from his enemies, Megatron above all, who are the ones to plant those seeds in the second place.



The read is quick, the action is action-y and a little chaotic at times, with Ramondelli not yet hitting his stride with the refined trait he uses in more recent comics, and the lettering by Robbie Robbins doesn't always necessarily help with that. While it was nice to see a War Within/Megatron Origins set of designs, some jar a bit with the characters they're representing, and did not keep well up to now.

Outcome: Megatron and Optimus fight, the war begins.

Peak Dille moment: the revisiting of the 1986 battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron, with a very, very heavy hand in the retelling (for the good part of several issues), and some JJ Abrams levels of fanwinking (with an I, but almost an A).

MVP: A young 'terrorist' that is the fulcrum of the second half of the plotline: Hot Rod of Nyon. In the words of fellow staffer Kurona, this is probably the best explanation/foundation to his MTMTE/Lost Light characterisation, actually believing in a revolutionary ideal to the point that he blows up an entire city

Transformers: Monstrosity - Database entry

In the early days of the war on CYBERTRON, OPTIMUS PRIME puts everything on the line to unify the planet—but not everyone agrees that this new Prime should be in charge! Meanwhile, the fallen DECEPTICON leader, MEGATRON, begins a journey that will change everything.

I was part of the comics staff by now, and covered all four print issues of the digital-first sequel series to Autocracy (here, here, here, here) - and admittedly, I actually quite enjoyed it for what it was. And what it was was an exploration of Megatron's commitment to his ideal (after being thrown onto Junkion by new Decepticon leader Scorponok), his formation as a full tyrant, and a peek into the collective mind of the Dynobots and the full power of their alt-modes.



All that while incorporating more elements of the 1986 movie stuff, plus some live-action movie facets of some of the characters - and by that I mean Megatron, his patchwork of injuries, and propensity for cloaks. The artwork, while still working on earlier Ramondelli style, really blended well with the tone rather than the matter, and the weird hybrids used in the story, the monstrosities, came out looking excellent.

Outcome: The war keeps beginning.

Peak Dille moment: Hey Quintesson judge. Nice to see you there, being a teacher/trophy to Megatron and all.

MVP: Despite a tie between Grimlock, though used at not his very best, but rather in a very old characterisation, and Megatron himself, even with the disproportionate amounts of cheese in the series overall - Tom B. Long's lettering wins this spot.

Transformers: Primacy - Database entry

THE WAR FOR CYBERTRON! Optimus Prime versus Megatron. Autobots versus Decepticons. At the dawn of the conflict, battle lines are drawn and sides are set… now legends will be made. The war that would define a planet begins in earnest—and its revelations will shake the TRANSFORMERS' world to the core!

I was reviewing these as they came out, but by the third one I got so bored of the story and the writing, that I never actually finished a review for the ending. First three are here, here, and here. Whoops. The issues I had with this final section were mostly to do with contradicting and confusing statements made by characters in the story (Omega Supreme above all still grates me), though the first half was way more enjoyable than the latter part. The plot, on the other hand, is very very very very thin.



Ramondelli and Chris Mowry have all of the fun with this series, playing around with large-scale devastation and all the noises that come with it, because all the series wanted to do was have a giant battle with all of the possible characters in one place, and pit Trypticon against Metroplex. Done and done.

Outcome: The war KEEPS BEGINNING TO START. Jeez.

Peak Dille moment: All of it.

MVP: Sarah Stone and her covers.


Concluding thoughts

The series doesn't really add that much to the IDW universe, even in its attempt to uncomfortably sit between Megatron: Origin, Chaos Theory, early flashbacks across the ongoings, and most importantly, the current happenings in Optimus Prime. With the latter especially, what information is being fed to us by Barber's writing is actually more than enough to get the rest of the context - at the same time, the highlights of the series might appeal to a reader who wants some extra cheese on a sprinkle of background motivations, and with the Junkions and Quintessons appearing or bound to reappear soon, it's worth giving a look at if you're so inclined. It can fit with an IDW or Transformers completionist, but it is by no means essential reading, and for a more traditional fan, the IDW editorial veil may not sit well. It has fights, but also politics; it has references, but also new characterisations; it has an audience, but we're not sure who that is, essentially.

Do not expect Barber, Roberts, or Scott levels of writing: the exploration of the grey shades between the factions is done much better in later series, including the very current Lost Light and Till All Are One, but most of all, the flashbacks in Optimus Prime. Do expect cheese: it's what Dille does best, and Metzen is mostly there for the assist in world building of a world that already existed. Don't @ me if you like it more or less than I did: I'm just noting down thoughts on a series that happened over three years ago, as I had some time over the weekend and there are no new comics for me to review.

*insert 1986 movie reference here to come full circle*