New Transformers And GIJOE Comics Licensor Announced: Welcome, Skybound! 2 2

[Cat]

The first book is out this very week. Surprise! 

So, your thoughts? Are you happy that this is where the license has gone? Do you think they can handle franchises this big? Will you be checking any of the books out? 

 

[Buzzetta]

Not happy - would have preferred that Marvel got it along with the other Hasbro properties it took like Micronauts and Rom. 

[Cat]

On 6/12/2023 at 11:09 AM, Buzzetta said:

Not happy - would have preferred that Marvel got it along with the other Hasbro properties it took like Micronauts and Rom. 

We would have got some beautiful collected editions from Marvel. That would have been unbelievable. But they wouldn't have cared about the license, and we'd have got worse talent than IDW at the end. 

[Buzzetta]

Dunno.  I will follow the Hama series online but nothing else.  I might give it a try but my investment is with Hama.  
 

Originally 300 was supposed to be the swan song but the plot was changed once it was realized someone would pick it up.  If I remember right there is currently a plane falling from the sky. 

[Gonzimodo]

I'm happy to see GI Joe come back to comics and hopeful that it will have a good creative team, but I'm very disappointed that it's a shared universe with Transformers.

[F For Fake]

Don't really care about new TF comics, so much as I hope they give us nice HC editions of the Marvel stuff, and finish printing the UK stuff that IDW never got around to. Between their oversized hardcovers, compendia, etc Skybound does pretty nice collected editions, so it would be nice to finally have the classic stuff in a single hardcover format. That's really all I'm waiting for.

As for new stories, I'm sure I"ll check out whatever TF stuff they put out eventually, but I don't buy new floppies anymore, so I'll be trade waiting whatever they put out. 

[Buzzetta]

On 6/12/2023 at 9:42 AM, Gonzimodo said:

I'm happy to see GI Joe come back to comics and hopeful that it will have a good creative team, but I'm very disappointed that it's a shared universe with Transformers.

They plan on publishing multiple books.  Issue 301 with its self contained continuity (which still shared an existence with the transformers) should be released in the near future penned by Hama. 

[Gonzimodo]

On 6/12/2023 at 11:05 AM, Buzzetta said:

They plan on publishing multiple books.  Issue 301 with its self contained continuity (which still shared an existence with the transformers) should be released in the near future penned by Hama. 

Cool, so they're basically following the IDW model.    Hopefully Skybound can crack the code and give us a good "non-Hama" take on the franchise.

Although Hama's continuity did feature Transformers a couple times, it was minor enough not to be a deal breaker to me.  It also occurred during all the Ninja Force wackiness, so I can write it off as some kind of fever dream.    And let us never again mention the giant eye in the desert below the Pit and all that silliness... 

Over the course of 300 issues, there were some really amazing high points and some very regrettable low points.  It happens.  

[F For Fake]

From IDW, I really loved Costa's Last Laugh, and the Cobra/Coil stuff. Really great spy/espionage comics. I just couldn't ever get into the Hama stuff. Liked it when I was a kid, but didn't really hit the same as an adult. Great deal of respect for the guy, and if that's what fans want, I hope he writes it for a long time. But I don't think I'd buy a Joe book he was writing at this point.

[Buzzetta]

On 6/12/2023 at 11:22 AM, Gonzimodo said:

Cool, so they're basically following the IDW model.    Hopefully Skybound can crack the code and give us a good "non-Hama" take on the franchise.

Although Hama's continuity did feature Transformers a couple times, it was minor enough not to be a deal breaker to me.  It also occurred during all the Ninja Force wackiness, so I can write it off as some kind of fever dream.    And let us never again mention the giant eye in the desert below the Pit and all that silliness... 

Over the course of 300 issues, there were some really amazing high points and some very regrettable low points.  It happens.  

I read the entire IDW run digitally and as you say, overall I genuinely enjoyed it.  

[F For Fake]

On 6/12/2023 at 11:28 AM, Buzzetta said:

I read the entire IDW run digitally and as you say, overall I genuinely enjoyed it.  

I'm currently in the middle of my comprehensive IDW re-read. Phase 1 stories were hit or miss, but I'm still loving my revisit of Phase 2, particularly More than Meets the Eye, which I think is one of my favorite comics of all time, regardless of genre. I've got all of the reboot stuff in HC, but haven't started reading it yet. It's my understanding that I should be prepared to be underwhelmed.

[Buzzetta]

On 6/12/2023 at 11:31 AM, F For Fake said:

I'm currently in the middle of my comprehensive IDW re-read. Phase 1 stories were hit or miss, but I'm still loving my revisit of Phase 2, particularly More than Meets the Eye, which I think is one of my favorite comics of all time, regardless of genre. I've got all of the reboot stuff in HC, but haven't started reading it yet. It's my understanding that I should be prepared to be underwhelmed.

Oh I only read ARAH.  Where would I start if reading the IDW continuity?  Also, did it have a definitive ending?  I don't want to watch half a tv series, you know? 

[F For Fake]

On 6/12/2023 at 11:34 AM, Buzzetta said:

Oh I only read ARAH.  Where would I start if reading the IDW continuity?  Also, did it have a definitive ending?  I don't want to watch half a tv series, you know? 

Ah, understood. I jumped around GI Joe, but TF I've read them all up through the end of Phase 3.

As for where to start, well...that's a thorny issue. IDW's publishing history of TF is fairly complex, in that it started with a series of one-shots and events, and then had a soft reboot, and then continued along...then ANOTHER soft reboot for Phase 2, etc. It's pretty convoluted. It does, technically, follow a single continuity, from Phase 1 through 3, but there are several editorial and stylistic changes throughout those runs, so while it is all connected, it definitely has an overall disjointed feel.

There are a lot of TF people who like Simon Furman's contribution to IDW (though I imagine a lot of this is colored by nostalgia for his Marvel and UK TF stuff.) So, basically that adds up to a bunch of "Spotlight" one-shots, and miniseries Infiltration, Escalation, and Devastation. To that end, you'd probably be best reading the Transformers: The IDW Collection hardcovers (or digital files, as the hc's are now oop). That puts everything in a more or less coherent publishing order, and is the easiest way to keep all the random stuff straight.

However, if I was trying to convince you to read the BEST stuff? I'd say skip Phase 1 and jump right into Phase 2, either via the IDW Collection Phase 2 HC's/files, or the collections of More Than Meets the Eye and Robots in Disguise. All you really need to know is that Phase 2 kicks off after the war between Autobots and Decepticons has finally ended. Sure, there are some other storylines and seeds planted in Phase 1 that will pay off in Phase 2, but you have to get through a lot of mediocre junk to find them.

MTMTE is essentially a big space adventure story with lots of humor, heart, and imagination (Rodimus takes a disparate crew on a quest to find the Knights of Cybertron), whereas Robots in Disguise is the story of Cybertron in the aftermath of the war, as the various factions (Autobots, Decepticons, Non-aligned Indigenous Lifeforms) try to live together. I think they're very well done, particularly MTMTE, which I'd recommend to pretty much anyone to read, whether they were familiar with TF or not.

SO...yeah. There's tons of content out there, and you may like Phase1. I certainly like parts of it. But I would keep expectations low.  My personal recommendation would be track down that first comprehensive collection. If you dig it, continue going forward. If not, skip to Phase 2 MTMTE and RID.

[Gonzimodo]

On 6/12/2023 at 11:28 AM, F For Fake said:

From IDW, I really loved Costa's Last Laugh, and the Cobra/Coil stuff. Really great spy/espionage comics. I just couldn't ever get into the Hama stuff. Liked it when I was a kid, but didn't really hit the same as an adult. Great deal of respect for the guy, and if that's what fans want, I hope he writes it for a long time. But I don't think I'd buy a Joe book he was writing at this point.

Costa's Cobra stuff is probably the best Joe material IDW put out.  I highly recommend it.  

Hama's IDW run was...  inconsistent.  It had some really good moments, but overall, I'd say it was more below-average than good.  There was a lot of treading water, rehashing old storylines, and way too much blue ninja junk, which is still going on.    I've kept up on it mostly out of loyalty to the brand/nostalgia and FOMO when the good storylines come around.  I can suffer through the bad to get to the good for $3.99 an issue, but it's one of the few books for which I'll say that.  I'm just a sucker, I guess.  

[Gonzimodo]

On 6/12/2023 at 11:28 AM, F For Fake said:

From IDW, I really loved Costa's Last Laugh, and the Cobra/Coil stuff. Really great spy/espionage comics.

You may also like Sleeper by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.  Same basic concept, but set in the Wildstorm superhero universe.  I remember it being fantastic, even though I had very little knowledge of Wildstorm going in.  (Still don't.  )

[Cat]

On 6/13/2023 at 1:31 AM, F For Fake said:

I'm currently in the middle of my comprehensive IDW re-read. Phase 1 stories were hit or miss, but I'm still loving my revisit of Phase 2, particularly More than Meets the Eye, which I think is one of my favorite comics of all time, regardless of genre. I've got all of the reboot stuff in HC, but haven't started reading it yet. It's my understanding that I should be prepared to be underwhelmed.

I'm doing the same, except there's still a few volumes I need to pick up. 

Phase 2 starts off strong, but weakens, IMO, as you start realising that one of the main books, MTMTE, is being made for Tumblr, and that suddenly every character is the funny character, so no one is. Dialogue is the same. What had been sharp, individual dialogue is now just monotonous sitcom fare. You could put it in a hat and pull it out and you'd have no hope of guessing who who said what, whereas before, you'd be able to. The quality dropped significantly as the book continued. But that start, for both books, is quality. 

Also, call me crazy, but I don't mind Costa's run. Inoffensive fare, readily digestible, with a couple of genuinely good ideas thrown in, that could have been explored further. It gets better as it progresses, but due to change of plans it kinda collapses in on itself in the worst way, making you feel like you wasted your time, and that he never had a handle on a certain human at all. Starts badly though. 

All Hail Megatron is trash. Just awful. Spoilers 

Spoiler

Optimus is literally on death's door and Jazz and Prowl are discussing how he's probably not going to survive the night. The VERY NEXT damn panel is Optimus Prime up and better talking to everyone, a-okay. It's a complete farce, and a lesson in terrible writing. At that point I remember literally face-palming and asking if they were serious. 

The second half feels totally disconnected from the first, as you can see the backlash having an effect, and suddenly what come before starts getting referenced, to the detriment of the story, as it obviously wasn't intended for the book. It just makes it a mess, no longer suitable for new readers as claimed, and pissed off the old readers. It's pleased no one. 

The Furman run has some very good ideas behind it, you just may or may not like their execution. The 6 Protocols (Infiltration Protocols) of taking over a planet are great stuff, as is the Autobots having an actual command structure, so if Prime died there'd be no disaster on who would lead next (AHM chose to ignore that in favour of "But it wasn't like that in the G1 cartoon!"). His idea for the reboot was solid, he just meandered too much, and ultimately had it taken away from him. 

I'll leave later phases for when you guys are up to them. 

[Cat]

Oh, and I'm currently on Phase 2, volume 3.

[aardvark88]

1 of Canada's best comics by Dream Wave "Transformers and G.I  Joe" 1-6. Good read, great art by Jae Lee, executive Pat Lee. 2003 cover art:

 

[Cat]

On 6/13/2023 at 7:07 AM, aardvark88 said:

1 of Canada's best comics by Dream Wave "Transformers and G.I  Joe" 1-6. Good read, great art by Jae Lee, executive Pat Lee. 2003 cover art:

 

Dreamwave's Transformers/GIJOE is INCREEDIBLY underrated. Such a good read, by John Ney Rieber, and Jae Lee's moody pencils are brilliant, and unlike anything we'd ever seen before, and really, never saw again. Beautiful cover you've got there. They tried to do another TF/Joe crossover 'Divided Front' but only got out the first issue before going under. That one had art by Pat Lee though, so it had no chance. 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Cat

[Cat]

My 2 copies of Void Rivals #1 are secured. Cannot wait to see what the new universe will be like.