Transformers vs G.I. Joe issue 7 full preview

Good God, these are hideous. Honestly, the worst thing about old comics, in my opinion at least, was the crummy artwork and the cheap paper they were printed on. Trying to emulate that look in this day and age makes no sense to me, other than appealing to a sense of nostalgia in older fans. I can't imagine any kids flipping through this on a comic book store shelf and being impressed. It's like using a broom to clean your floor when you have a vacuum cleaner handy... The vacuum does the job faster, more efficiently and you get a better result, so why stick to "old technology?" But hey, whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Well, this has taken an interesting turn. One of the things I love about this comic is that I legitimately never know what is going to happen from page to page or issue to issue.

The comic still looks horrid. I do like the colors. And that cover looks nice.

Whoof, this is getting dark.

You know, this art was weird at first, but it's rather entertaining. In fact, I went back to my comic store and bought all of the earlier issues. I also collect covers so I bought all the different versions of it. For those criticizing the art work, just read a couple of issues without reservations or bias and you might find that it's more thoughtful and more creative than the newer ones. The art is actually more complicated than what's on the surface. Each panel is layered with other elements of art. Frat job Tom Scioli and John Barber!

MegaDump wrote:Good God, these are hideous. Honestly, the worst thing about old comics, in my opinion at least, was the crummy artwork and the cheap paper they were printed on. Trying to emulate that look in this day and age makes no sense to me, other than appealing to a sense of nostalgia in older fans. I can't imagine any kids flipping through this on a comic book store shelf and being impressed. It's like using a broom to clean your floor when you have a vacuum cleaner handy... The vacuum does the job faster, more efficiently and you get a better result, so why stick to "old technology?" But hey, whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Two points

- You clearly don't do much housework or have pets. A broom gets things out of wool rugs that a vacuum cleaner simply can't. Different tools. Different jobs. In the case of art - pencils and pens for sketches and inks can be a much more efficient tool. Depends on the style and the artist.

- Its not just nostalgia notes the art hits - it has quirky details and is dynamic in a way that the current pseudo-anime style used in the mainline can't accommodate. It is art and its quality is purely subjective. Whats in vogue now could suddenly look very tired and 'bad' in a few short years and Tom Scioli might look like a progressive genius. Besides which I'd hardly dare call old comic artists like Ditko or Kirby 'crummy' simply because of age or an art-fashion change.

Still gutted I can't easily get my hands on these. I'll have to trawl eBay next month and catch up, if money allows.

Good point. The details are what got me. I find myself looking for "other" things in the background. I feel like playing treasure and it that 3D puzzle book thing where you don't look through the surrogate but stare deeper into what the panels really mean. Old but cool!

In other iTunes-cum-IDW Publishing news, we also have a very latecomer to the roster for next week, namely the eighth issue of Tom Scioli's cosmic masterpiece Transformers vs G.I. Joe! You can check out the three-page preview below, mirrored from the iTunes page here.

In the interplanetary war between the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, anything can happen... and does.

I made a mistake, when this first came out. I was thinking it was going to be a mini-series (4 or 5 issues at the most), but when it kept going I was getting worried. I really have no interest in it, and hopefully the constant delays in publication are a sign it is going to end soon. If it doesn't end by issue 10 or 12, I may just sell them as a lot on eBay.

Did anyone manage to pick up #8? It was solicited for this week, but it's not on Comixology.

Yes I got it at my local shop yesterday.

o.supreme wrote:Yes I got it at my local shop yesterday.

Odd. I contacted IDW, who said it isn't scheduled for release until next week. It seems, however, that more than a few shops got copies and put them out, and the TFWiki has a synopsis.

I can confirm that all material from IDW indicates this is out first Wednesday of August.
How very odd.

Va'al wrote:I can confirm that all material from IDW indicates this is out first Wednesday of August.
How very odd.

Maybe they didn't get all their stock out on time and just bumped the official release to next week. Or maybe they decided at the last minute that having four Transformers titles on the shelves at the same time wasn't a good idea.

In any case, they certainly didn't get the message out to local comic shops, because I know a lot of folks across the country who managed to pick this up on Wednesday. The issue summary is even up on TFWiki.

With a peculiar blip in distribution, IDW Publishing confirms the release of Transformers vs G.I. Joe #8 for this Wednesday, though some shops and stores may already have received it last week - in either case, check out the full preview for the issue below, and head back to Seibertron.com for a review later this week!

Transformers vs G.I. JOE #8
Tom Scioli & John Barber (w) • Scioli (a & c)
In the interplanetary war between the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, anything can happen… and does.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Action and excitement as only Tom Scioli can deliver!
You won’t believe your eyes!
Variant Cover by Artyon Trakhanov!

this is like looking at a Salvador Dali painting that makes less sense.

This is the most nonsensical preview I've ever seen, and I still cannot stand that artwork for the purpose of sequential storytelling.

To be honest, like I said above, I have all 8 issues, there is no "sequential storytelling" as far as I can see, just a bunch of random stuff happening for no apparent reason. I'm pretty sure I'll be selling these all very soon.

Is it just me or does it look they are about to eat Snake-Eyes?

Transformers Versus GI JOE #8

Filling in for Va'al this week because he's a super-busy, super-desired, and super-successful dude, it's me, reservist-and former news admin, and comic reviewer Tigertrack. (I hope you check this out any way).



“I feel not unlike a small boy, waking from a bad dream to find reality not much of an improvement.” -John Byrne

Story so far:

Okay—Despite what we told you last time, it turns out GI JOE is real…and they’re the last line of defense against the Decepticobra alliance. With battlefronts on Earth and Cybertron, hope seems a a losing proposition—until Optimus Prime returns!.

Recap:

In our last episode, Scarlett in paradise...lost and then found, and Bumblebee's head is returned!

Spoiler free review:

This issue continues to tell the story of the seemingly mad reality that Earth and Cybertron are in as Koh-Buru-Lah has started to cause havoc on Earth with the Decepticobras battling the Joes, and Cybertron has started to look more and more like a certain planet-eater that is feared from Transformers religion—that is also bearing down on the Earth with conflicts on it, and in it, as well.



Using creative layouts and lettering, and exaggerated characterization often inspired from sources both familiar and those you will have to do a bit of research on, Tom Scioli continues to drum out a very wide mix of feelings for us; from fun and silly, to horrific and mind-boggling, unreal to all too real.

We are now 8 issues in, and if you’re still with this critically-acclaimed series, you’re probably past your personal feelings about art and layout, and just trying to enjoy the ride and appreciate all the work and creativity that has actually gone into this series. And of course...Transformers. You’ll continue to be surprised in this issue in several ways… I won’t spoil them all, but a couple of my favorite moments involve Omega Supreme’s unexpected entrance into the fray, heralding the return of the Astro-train (I love this silly, but cool design ), and the commentary about a love-it or hate-it classic generation one gimmick(most of 'us' dislike it anyway)! Some perfect examples of fun/creative ways to rethink what has been thought before.



Ramifications from Issue #6 are continued as we see GI JOE take full responsibility for the protection of the Earth, violently wrenched from government control in issue #6 by FLAGG! Optimus Prime returns to Cybertron after retrieving Bumblebee's body from GI JOE--Cobra Commander celebrates on Earth with his disciples over a feast of...Snake Eyes? In this issue, we also seemingly learn the fates of favorite sons Billy and Bumblebee...and of course, one shall stand and one shall fall...

There’s plenty of human and robot action in this page turner, although as in previous issues, some of the leaps between chapter breaks are a bit too profound! The changing from Cybertron to Earth in separate sections/chapters can be a little jolting and confusing, unless you have followed along from previous issues and know who is where and use some powers of inference.



There are also a few rad splash pages that just leave you a bit awe-struck…in a good way mostly…and a surprise ending that no one ever saw coming.


Rating:

Ultimately, if you’re still reading this series, you’ll continue to enjoy it, as I am, probably despite your personal feelings toward what should be done here or there, or how characters are or are not being treated with respect to your understanding of them from other media. The art and layouts are interesting and fun, and the fact that Barber and Scioli take time at the end of each issue to discuss the creative process and inspirations make this an enjoyable series for those who have a real taste for comic book history and wanting to know the inner workings on creating and publishing a book. And of course, there are Transformers too, some re-imagined and re-mixed in ways that were not thought possible before. I’m to the point where I can enjoy this for what it is…and I was very much against this after the very first issues. It’s gotten much less childish and random, and grown much more complex and a bit more dark--and still a bit random though.