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Va'al
Mar 31, 2017 at 6:58pm CDT
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Readers and fans of the IDW Transformers comics have been clamoring to see the return of artist Alex Milne on an official project, and we appear to have our answer. Already hinted at in the interview with Chris Ryall (which you can listen to here), we have confirmation from CBR and WonderCon 2017 that Rom the Space Knight will be facing off against the Transformers in a new series: Shining Armor! John Barber, Christos Gage and Milne and Josh Perez will be joining forces on the crossover, which will focus on new character Stardrive, a Cybertronian Knight of the Solstar order. Read more about it below, and check out our database entry!
At WonderCon, we found out! In July, IDW will launch “Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor” by John Barber, Christos Gage and Alex Milne. The story, set nearly two centuries in the past, will focus on a brand new character named Stardrive who’s not just a Cybertronian, but also a Solstar Knight. She finds herself caught in the middle between her fellow knights — including Rom — and the constantly evil menace of Starscream!
[...]
The series revolves around a Cybertronian Solstar Knight, what can you tell us about Stardrive?
Gage: She’s a great combo character… a Cybertronian infant rescued by Rom from a crashed spaceship. She grew up in the Solstar Order, so she’s never been around her own kind, until the events of our story. She’s very much a fish out of water, not really fitting in anywhere. She has a strong code of honor and a good heart, but they’ll be put to the test.
Barber: The reputation of Cybertronians has permeated every part of the civilized galaxy, so the Solstar Order know they’re bad news. Transformers have a tendency to destroy planets that get in their way — that’s all Stardrive knows about her heritage. She doesn’t fit in with organic life, but all she’s ever heard is how terrible Cybertronians are.
[...]
What was the process like for designing Stardrive with Alex Milne?
Gage: I stayed out of it, not being too familiar with Transformers, and I think he nailed it! She has sweetness and innocence, but also she looks incredibly tough, like when she’s stomping on Dire Wraiths!
Barber: Working closely with the team at Hasbro, Christos and I developed the story and what her personality was. At first, we’d even thought of using an existing Transformers character, but it became clear we were creating somebody new — the experiences she’d gone through and the way she acted didn’t fit right by the time we’d outlined the story. The character was very honest and very optimistic, despite everything. But she’s a Knight, a warrior, and she’s led a hard life. So we threw it over to Alex, who deserves the gold medal for Stardrive.
In collaboration with Hasbro’s creative team, Alex came up with the look, the alt-mode, how the Solstar armor works, and her name. I would have happily gotten involved, but as you might know, Alex really knows Transformers. He’s been drawing them for a really long time, and really gets what makes them tick. And he did a perfect job here. I couldn’t be happier with what he’s done with Stardrive.
[...]
Gage: I will admit that I wasn’t terribly familiar with the Transformers before this, but the more I learned, the more it seemed like a great fit. Besides the obvious — cool metal dudes and dudettes punching each other — there is the intriguing element that many of the Transformers view organic life as somewhat (or completely) inferior. But now along comes Rom, who is a combination of organic and machine life, and also functionally immortal. So where does he stand? It’s the kind of thing that calls your whole belief system into question, which is why it’s so much fun to have a Cybertronian Solstar Knight as the fish out of water who is seeing her own people for the first time.
Barber: My whole run on Transformers has been about the recurring cycles of violence, and throwing another big space empire like the Solstar Order — and the Dire Wraiths — into the mix gives an outside perspective on the Cybertronian war and vice versa. The Solstar Order looks down on the endless war of the Cybertronians, even as they’re just starting to engage in their own endless war. The organic versus mechanical differences sort of fade away when the shooting starts.
Also, I don’t know if this is thematic, but we finally see what happens when a Dire Wraith possesses a Transformer! It’s horrifying!
IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor Series Thread
IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor Series Thread
IDW Rom Vs. Transformers: Shining Armor Series Thread
