Transformers: Ongoing #12 Five-Page Preview

I'm lovin the combaticon, and predacon love. There my two favorite combiner groups so I hope this turns out as actiony as i'm hoping.

I picked it up yesterday. Ending is kind of a jaw dropper.

damn I want a toy of thundercracker in this design

Poor Prime is about to be framed by Onslaught, I like that concept. I need to get the TPBs and get caught back up

Infestation is written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Their Marvel cosmic stuff is great, so I'll give that crossover a chance. As for the ongoing... it's been crap so far. A huge letdown. Simplistic dialogue and terribly drawn-out storylines, and only E.J.'s and Guido's issues have been enjoyable art-wise.
They are promising great things for next year (the return of the Decepticons), but I'm all wait and see on that one. Mike Costa has a LOT of improving to do, and the storylines and dialogue are going to have to get a whole lot better. If the great return of the Decepticons (which has taken far too long already) is turning into another letdown, I'll drop the comic.

And seriously, "Razzafrazzen"...? Mike, please just stop writing this stuff and stick to GI Joe.

this is what IDW have spent a YEAR leading up to

this ?

sweet jesus im not even sure if i want to get this in trade.

ive given up on costa at this stage. ive NO interest in anything he's setting up and despite claims from others about what a great writer he is im seeing NO evidence of it. this is the WORST portrayal of prime ive seen in decades !

TBH im this close to not getting any book he's on now out of general principles.

i cant believe how IDW have fucked this up so much.

ive read fanfic better than this !

Indeed. Just check out some of those mosaics out there. Way less decompressed (obviously) and much better dialogue most of the time. Costa could learn from them.

Down_Shift wrote:Ending is kind of a jaw dropper.

Yeah, too bad it's for all the wrong reasons.

And Onslaught's supposed to be a "tactical genius". Probably the biggest dumbass move he's ever done. Unless someone knows of another time he's pulled off stupider stunts?

I havent read it yet but IDW needs to get out of this Transformers/Government team-up stuff fast.

Truthfully, there is no reason for any Transformer to be on Earth right now.

MYoung23 wrote:I havent read it yet but IDW needs to get out of this Transformers/Government team-up stuff fast.

Truthfully, there is no reason for any Transformer to be on Earth right now.

Well, technically, there is. Earth is an energy-rich planet, and one of the Decepticons' main goals is to suck Earth of it's energy. The same concept is the same in Generation 1.

For all of those "Ongoing" readers who despise the fact that the Transformers are still on Earth, just think -- the "Rodimus in Space" saga is due to start with the next issue. As a result, the next few issues should at least be space-centric with very little connection to Earth.


- Bob


P.S.

I do agree with Mindmaster concerning the continued residence of Transformers on Earth. Beyond the fact that Earth is energy-rich, especially with Shockwave's energy-seeding efforts, Earth has been an indelible part of the Transformers dating all the way back to the early '80s. While I would love to see more stories taking place in other solar systems and galaxies, we have to recognize that Transformers and the Earth are irrevocably linked and such a connection cannot be severed without drastically impacting the whole TF franchise.

Bobton03 wrote:For all of those "Ongoing" readers who despise the fact that the Transformers are still on Earth, just think -- the "Rodimus in Space" saga is due to start with the next issue.

Yeah. Too bad it stars Hot Rod, last seen getting assassinated by Mike Costa's "writing".

I'm seriously considering to drop this title now.

angelababy wrote:I'm seriously considering to drop this title now.

Awwwwww, no! If everyone who hates Ongoing stops reading it, who'll be left to make all the amusing snarky comments?

I thought Megatron was getting a redesign? I also thought he was in space?

I'm getting to sucked in to this and I don't have the money for it

I LOVED THE LAST PAGE!!! Costa just redeemed all of his writing with it.

Chaoslock wrote:I LOVED THE LAST PAGE!!! Costa just redeemed all of his writing with it.

Okay, I give in. What happens on the last page?

I haven't got the issue yet. I'm in much less of a hurry these days to get the comics...

Hans wrote:

Chaoslock wrote:I LOVED THE LAST PAGE!!! Costa just redeemed all of his writing with it.

Okay, I give in. What happens on the last page?

I haven't got the issue yet. I'm in much less of a hurry these days to get the comics...

Bumblebee gets assasinated by a human wielding Megatron.
May I point out the page which redeems all Costa's writing has only 'AAIIEE!', 'OH MY GOD...', 'NICE SHOT' and 'NO!' as dialogue.

"Nice shot"? :S

If that is what happens, it is a ballsy move, I'll give him that. But a writer who assassinates a well-loved character for shock value... meh. I'd prefer Simon, James or Nick on writing duty. At least their writing doesn't feel empty, weak and half-arsed...

Sky-Quake wrote:I'm getting to sucked in to this and I don't have the money for it

Trust me. Your money is so not worth it.

Chaoslock wrote:I LOVED THE LAST PAGE!!! Costa just redeemed all of his writing with it.

Funny. Seems to me he pretty much ended any attempt at being loved by the fandom.

Hans wrote:If that is what happens, it is a ballsy move, I'll give him that. But a writer who assassinates a well-loved character for shock value... meh.

It's a stupid move, and even dumber considering he already did it.

In my eyes, G1 BBee is a well-loved character.

overrated Bumblebee + Camarro as alt. mode = Movie BBee -> one of the most hated character by me - so "Nice Shot!"

Stormer wrote:

angelababy wrote:I'm seriously considering to drop this title now.

Awwwwww, no! If everyone who hates Ongoing stops reading it, who'll be left to make all the amusing snarky comments?

ive dropped the book since issue 8.

it doesnt stop me reading it in the comic shop and bitching about it online, particularly considering how decompressed it is.

partholon wrote:

Stormer wrote:

angelababy wrote:I'm seriously considering to drop this title now.

Awwwwww, no! If everyone who hates Ongoing stops reading it, who'll be left to make all the amusing snarky comments?

ive dropped the book since issue 8.

it doesnt stop me reading it in the comic shop and bitching about it online, particularly considering how decompressed it is.

I dropped the title today, overall storyline has been way too boring and stale.
Seeing BB get shot was pretty amusing, the Autobots lost their most underwhelming leader ever.

Props to IDW for recreating the assassination of Malcolm X.

Stormwolf wrote:

partholon wrote:

Stormer wrote:

angelababy wrote:I'm seriously considering to drop this title now.

Awwwwww, no! If everyone who hates Ongoing stops reading it, who'll be left to make all the amusing snarky comments?

ive dropped the book since issue 8.

it doesnt stop me reading it in the comic shop and bitching about it online, particularly considering how decompressed it is.

I dropped the title today, overall storyline has been way too boring and stale.
Seeing BB get shot was pretty amusing, the Autobots lost their most underwhelming leader ever.

you know the sad thing is i WANT to buy this book. TF is the one constant in my comic buying over the years.

but ive rode too many comics to cancellation by marvel in the 90s not to learn that the ONLY way editorial cop on to themselves is when readers walk.

that really is the bottom line to them

so far the ongoings lost over 3k readers since its start, if this keeps up watch what happens then

Well THIS is what I like! If you don't like something - Ongoing in this case - state why you don't like it. Say what's so awful about it and have a healthy discussion. Though, I'm still reading it, I understand that it been hard to follow the slow start to something that should be exciting from the get go. I guess I'm optimistic - usually right to the bitter end. What I don't like is when someone posts on here something that someone has already said with no explanation or point of view given. Nothing changes for the better if no one says why something needs changed.

Maybe I'm being a bit too hopeful that the powers that bring us Ongoing read this (hahahahaha!) and will see that a very large part of the fan base hates what they're putting out on the shelves for us to pay $4 bucks for. They should care about what they put out (simple pride in their work) - and they should care what we think. I hate that the only way to do that is to not buy their product (because I'm still hoping each issue gets a little bit better...) but if that's what they hear, then that's the language we have to speak.

I still really like Guido's art!

ive been doing that very thing on IDWs own boards for the last year or so, along with a fair whack of everyone else that posts there and it doenst seem to matter .

so i voted with my wallet.

if i was to sum up what i posted there its that the book has created an earth that doestn NEED autobots to save it making them redundant.

the portrayal of central characters flies in the face of everything theyve told us about them for the last 5 years or so and outright contradict or lie about what theyre up to

the decompression of the story line is painfull to read in individual issues making the book feel like its only catering to the trade market.

and theres NO intrigue, drama or suspense thanks to a story telling style that insists on linear "Stuff happens" in leiu of the subplot layden multifaceted storytelling weve been getting for over 20yrs.

like i posted on the IDW board would it have killed them to show ONE pannel between issue 9 and 12 where spike gets a file detailing energon producing material being stockpiled or transported by china ? that wouldve made the predacon reveal MATTER, instead of just being a case of "oh hey, look".

its also borderline racist to imply americas enemies deal with cons while america deals with prime.

ill STILL check in on the book to see if it improves but under this team i dont have much faith.

How is the fact that the Autobots are aligned with the United States and the various Decepticon groups with America's geopolitical adversaries considered "borderline racist"? No where do I see in this that IDW is stating and/or conveying the superiority of any race over another. All I see is a delineation of alliance based on common values and national goals. I seriously doubt that the Autobots would align themselves with the North Koreans or Chinese based on the latter's views regarding human rights. Also, since the Decepticons are trying to attain energon in the wake of AHM, and the fact that the Autobots already have a somewhat secure source of energon from the United States, what would preclude the former from taking advantage of a convenient situation proffered by the Chinese and/or North Koreans who desire a Cybertronian alliance to garner geopolitical advantage? Overall the Ongoing story is evidence that IDW is trying to make their plot more complex via the machinations of alliance systems, not convey a racist agenda or ideology.

I am in the minority that seems to like the Ongoing series now. It's definitely different from the pervious G1 comics (in the sense of Transformers having alliances to specific countries, Prime not having to be dead or severely injured for somebody else to be leader, Starscream's prolonged tenure as a leader, Humans not just being cannon fodder, and more), and I think I like that feeling, because I do have trouble seeing what's around the corner, where as the other materials kept on restricting themselves to a subtly different variation of the same status quo. Any deviation from said status quo was more so about journey about getting back to it. Furman's IDW run was the best interpretation of it, with a large number of rich subtle changes, but it was still the same dance.


As for Autobots reading like Joes.... isn't that the point? They're both soldiers! You honestly think American Soldiers are that profoundly different from Canadian, German, or British ones? Granted the Transformers are alien, but the Autobots are all clearly based on human qualities/people. Tracks has the exact same voice of a character from Gilligan's Island. Everybody calls Optimus Prime Abraham Lincoln. Ironhide clearly sounds like he was made in Texas.

You're fighting a prolong war that is affecting most of the planet in some form another, you're the solider on the front lines, trying to stop an empire from spreading to the rest of the world, you are tired and your joints ache, and you miss home, you have seen way more than your friends die than you care to, and it just goes on and on. Did I just describe The Autobots or EZ Company from Band of Brothers?