I have lost all interest...

[bumblemusprime]

in the IDW line. Even the occasional Furman issue doesn't peak me, since it's just an anamoly.

Sad, isn't it? The IDW issues pre-Revelation and All Fail Megatron were the highlight of my trips to the comic store.

[Sunyavadin]

I think what we need to do is find a millionaire among the old-school fans.

And buy the comic rights.

[spiderfrommars]

I've not picked up an IDW issue since AHM issue 2. How long ago was that?

[Impactor returns 2.0]

The scripts are poor, the art work is to clinical and lacks flair, and ultimately the characters are old and poor relations of thier former glory...

It will never be like G1/2 again unless IDW understand the basics of TF story telling.

Can I just mention the artwork again, it's technically great but I haven't seen a single page Ive enjoyed luke 300+ old comics......

[BB Shockwave]

With me, it happened after reading this interview with Costa.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... e&id=23606

Killing off Ironhide just for the shock value? By humans no less? And Hasbro merrily gives them the get-go.

Allspark? Come one, AHM showed us the Matrix in this universe. Now comes another retcon?

The Decepticons, after winning the war throughout the universe, are defeated because someone shot Megatron in the face? This is as bad as Star Wars, where the Empire was defeated because the rebels blew up the Death Star II and the Emperor was killed. Who cares there are thousands of Imperial troops still out there?

It has been 3 years, and the Autobots are still on Earth, trying to help and rebuild (Most likely because OP got all emotional)... while Earth develops a new RAAT and hunts them all. Oh, and a nobody who just got one lucky shot is in command of Skywatch now.

It pains me to see how they are pulling apart Furman's logical and masterfully built universe by the seams. I'll still be curious to read Furman's new ROTF comics, but by nature I don't like ROTF so I'd prefer to read G1 comics...

With the Hasbro announcment that the two doofuses Orci and Kurtzmann will be writing something for their new network (guess what project that will be...) it appaears I won't have any media in the near future I could enjoy. Cancelling Animated, kicking out Furman, producing a billion-budget movie with a plot written by a 10-year old... it seems Hasbro is deliberatly trying to dumb down Transformers for kids and brainwashed people.

[Professor Smooth]

Please don't think me cynical. I'm asking with the utmost sincerity.

What do we want from a TF comic?

[Brendocon]

Please don't think me cynical. I'm asking with the utmost sincerity.

What do we want from a TF comic?

Fun or drama. Entertainment. A coherent story. Writing of a decent standard. Art that doesn't make me cry. The sense that it's been written and edited by somebody who's awake. Internal continuity. Decent pacing. Solid and consistent characterisation. The feeling that the publishers don't regard the readership with contempt.

I'd like to feel that an issue was worth the £2.50 and time spent reading it. I'd like to be able to express my views in the form of constructive criticism on the creators' forum without being burnt as a heretic.

But most of all, I'd like to read a comic that doesn't make me completely apathetic towards the future of the line. I don't collect the toys anymore, the last cartoon was fun in a disposable "I'm not the target audience, but it's charming fluff" manner, I enjoy the films but they won't sustain me in the two-year gaps between installments. I'll only be able to watch Starscream get slapped about with his own arm so many times before I'm bored with it.

Which leaves the comics. That keep rebooting in new and inane directions whenever IDW seem to realise that maybe things aren't going as planned, whilst the previews for the New new NEW reboot fill me with burning indifference.

I'm not asking for The Sandman here. I don't feel my expectations are unrealistic. I just feel that, based on the past year's output, the bare minimum I want for my money is something that IDW just don't comprehend.

[Hound]

Please don't think me cynical. I'm asking with the utmost sincerity.

What do we want from a TF comic?

Fun or drama. Entertainment. A coherent story. Writing of a decent standard. Art that doesn't make me cry. The sense that it's been written and edited by somebody who's awake. Internal continuity. Decent pacing. Solid and consistent characterisation. The feeling that the publishers don't regard the readership with contempt.

I'd like to feel that an issue was worth the £2.50 and time spent reading it. I'd like to be able to express my views in the form of constructive criticism on the creators' forum without being burnt as a heretic.

But most of all, I'd like to read a comic that doesn't make me completely apathetic towards the future of the line. I don't collect the toys anymore, the last cartoon was fun in a disposable "I'm not the target audience, but it's charming fluff" manner, I enjoy the films but they won't sustain me in the two-year gaps between installments. I'll only be able to watch Starscream get slapped about with his own arm so many times before I'm bored with it.

Which leaves the comics. That keep rebooting in new and inane directions whenever IDW seem to realise that maybe things aren't going as planned, whilst the previews for the New new NEW reboot fill me with burning indifference.

I'm not asking for The Sandman here. I don't feel my expectations are unrealistic. I just feel that, based on the past year's output, the bare minimum I want for my money is something that IDW just don't comprehend.

[Yaya]

Please don't think me cynical. I'm asking with the utmost sincerity.

What do we want from a TF comic?

Fun or drama. Entertainment. A coherent story. Writing of a decent standard. Art that doesn't make me cry. The sense that it's been written and edited by somebody who's awake. Internal continuity. Decent pacing. Solid and consistent characterisation. The feeling that the publishers don't regard the readership with contempt.

I'd like to feel that an issue was worth the £2.50 and time spent reading it. I'd like to be able to express my views in the form of constructive criticism on the creators' forum without being burnt as a heretic.

But most of all, I'd like to read a comic that doesn't make me completely apathetic towards the future of the line.

Pretty much sums it up.

And i don't believe that, with a cast of over 400+ characters from which to choose, that it's asking too much to get these things.

I will say killing off a character is a good start though. This is war. Lives should be at stake. At least Costa seems to realize this, so I think it's a step in the right direction.

Incidently, I just read the CBR article with Schmidt. My reaction? I have to disagree with BB Shockwave, I think their strategy and approach are exactly what are needed to jumpstart the Transformers. They are delving deeper, seemingly becoming more complex and mature in their approach, and speaking indirectly about the human condition through the Transformers. I've been saying ever since IDW got the license that this is the route they should take.

Thumbs up on the strategy from me, I'm excited. Execution, on the other hand....we'll see.

[bumblemusprime]

What do we want from a TF comic?

Writers and artists doing things that have not been done before. Infiltration was, for all its pacing flaws, entirely dedicated to this premise.

We never saw the Autobot/Decepticon war cast as a secret group trying to create political destabilization, entirely unknown to anyone.

We never saw Autobots who were cavalier about human losses.

Or one Autobot as the exception, an aberration because he cares about humans.

We never saw Megatron make Starscream pay for his insubordination. But in Infiltration he BLEW A GIANT HOLE THROUGH THE GUY.

We never saw the classics TF forms updated for the 21st century.

And guess what? They tossed it out for a story with the 80s modes, Starscream whining behind Megatron's back and a full-frontal robot attack that led the humans to distrust all robots.

I get angry just talking about it. Furman actually did it. He made "Ultimate" Transformers. And they just undid everything.

Seriously, Yaya, I don't know why we should care that they kill Ironhide. Furman had Megatron finally kill Starscream. The hard-bitten soldier attitude in the -ation saga was a lot deeper than any of the retread cartoon character + PG-13 rating in AHM. I never thought I would see Bumblebee talking about humans as "acceptable losses."

In fact, everything in your post describes Infiltration and its sequels. Why is this "new direction" better?

Oh, and a nobody who just got one lucky shot is in command of Skywatch now.

Hmmm... sounds like this "Dark Reign" story I heard about one time.

[Jack Cade]

Not very impressed with the publicity stunt and, short of some rave reviews and a real sense of upping their game, I won't be getting the ongoing. A year or so ago, and I'd have been more willing to give Costa the benefit of the doubt, but you know, just as you might get sick of your wife or girlfriend constantly flirting with fat, stupid men right in front of you, so am I fed up with the sense that IDW's TF comics pretend that a large portion of the vocal, faithful fanbase simply doesn't exist while trying to attract the attention of some other, more gullible audience. All you get for giving a [composite word including 'f*ck'] is told to shut up.

And what hope I had of Don refining his new look has rather evaporated. I get the sense that he's settled into drawing fuglabots now.

Bah.

[Denyer]

Please don't think me cynical. I'm asking with the utmost sincerity.

What do we want from a TF comic?

Stuff written like that Nick Roche half-issue / Eugenesis. Consistency. A release format that new readers can follow. Artists who give a flying [composite word including 'f*ck'] about scale and perspective.

It's probably too late for this continuity.

[Yaya]

Seriously, Yaya, I don't know why we should care that they kill Ironhide.

I don't care because it's Ironhide, per se. I really could care less about the guy. Unless you're an Ironhide fan, I don't think his death will really resonate on an emotional level. It's not like I'm all "Oh wow! They killed Ironhide! This is intense".

I care because maybe, just maybe, Costa's strategy will be to focus more on the real consequences of war. By killing off a major Autobot player right away, there is the chance that Costa's approach to storytelling will be grounded more in the idea that there really is something at stake.

I am hopeful that Costa will attempt to get the reader emotionally invested into the story. I don't think this is some cheap tactic for the sake of shock value. Otherwise, why announce his death ahead of time? To me, it seems like Costa is more interested in what happens afterwards. It seems like it's a set up for deeper storytelling, in an emotional sense. I hope.

I have to disagree with you Sprunk if you think the TF comic was done right with Infiltration. It was slow and plodding, and there was absolutely no emotional investment whatsoever in the story. Despite being different, it was fully plot driven with a smattering of decent individual character moments. In short, it was a Furman story. Not what I would call meeting the full potential of what the Transformers could be.

It just so happens that any other attempts after the Furman stuff were so off the mark, and so much of a disappointment, that Simon's stuff appeared strong by comparison.

I agree with Stu. What actually stands out more than anything done by IDW is the storytelling from Nick Roche. When you read his stuff, you become hopeful that, yes, Transformers can be fun to read. His rendition of Prowl in that last half issue he did is evidence of the man's talent in taking TF in a direction they haven't been before.

Why is this "new direction" better?

Never said it was, considering I haven't read a single issue of it. I said I hope it is, based on what I'm seeing.

Moreover, just the fact that Hasbro actually okayed Ironhide dying gives me hope they are "lossening the reigns" so to speak, as they did with Costa's critically acclaimed G.I.Joe Cobra work. It's nice to know that the creators hands aren't so tightly tied.

[bumblemusprime]

I liked the characterization of Ratchet quite a lot, and I think the Furman Spotlights did a good job nailing all the characters. Not sure how Infiltration was "totally plot-driven." It hinged on the actions of Ratchet as an Autobot aberration, a "conscientious objector." If anything, it was slowed down by too much characterization for Hunter and Verity. Freaking humans...

I agree with you that Infiltration was plodding, but for the most part, the entire Furman run on the IDW continuity was his best work in years, with strong individual characterization, a vast, ambitious plot, and a number of incredible scenes like Spotlight: Shockwave versus the Dinobots and Megatron versus Prime in Escalation.

As far as the real consequences of war, Furman and Budiansky were the only ones who ever killed off a character and meant it. (And I'm only giving Budianksy points for Scrounge.) Was Scorponok's death not meaningful in Edge of Extinction? Was Impactor's not meaningful?

(That said, I do wish there had been more genuine casualties during the -ations. They tried for it in M: D, though.)

Honestly, dude, you're looking for something that isn't there. We are never going to get the Alan Moore Transformers. The comic is always going to be tied to the need to sell toys. As far as Hasbro is concerned, the toys came first.

Some franchises are made to take risks, like X-Men, because they have a history with risk-taking creators. X-Men was also a comic book first and foremost. Even then, most X-Men writers stay in a comfort zone. If you want depth and humanity in a comic book, I suggest you reread Maus, or Michael Chabon's Kavalier & Clay.

Furman's work is the most consistently risk-taking, high-stakes stuff we will ever see on these books.

Roche seems to me to be good because he builds on what Furman has always been good at. Spotlight: Kup had some serious echoes of the "Klud" story, with the same strong reverence for Kup that Furman always had. But he's new, and he poured a lot of earnest energy into his work, and that counts for a lot.

[bumblemusprime]

Also:

I think Casey Collier does Figueroa better than Figueroa. I like the Fig, but he has a bad sense of place.

[Yaya]

Agree with some of what you have said, but disagree with a lot of it.

I liked the characterization of Ratchet quite a lot, and I think the Furman Spotlights did a good job nailing all the characters.

Agreed, Ratchet was done well. The strongest part of Infiltration was Ratchet and Ironhide's characterization. But the other Furman spotlights were only average to good. Never great. Sixshot was woeful.

the entire Furman run on the IDW continuity was his best work in years, with strong individual characterization, a vast, ambitious plot,

Better than G2? Better than the War Within? Better than Marvel UK? I don't think so. Furman was much better then.

and a number of incredible scenes like Spotlight: Shockwave versus the Dinobots and Megatron versus Prime in Escalation.

These scenes were incredible not because of Furman, but because of Roche and Su. Their rendition of these battles is what makes them stand out. I will say, though, that Spotlight:Shockwave was the peak of Furman's run on the Transformers with IDW.

As far as the real consequences of war, Furman and Budiansky were the only ones who ever killed off a character and meant it. (And I'm only giving Budianksy points for Scrounge.) Was Scorponok's death not meaningful in Edge of Extinction? Was Impactor's not meaningful?
(That said, I do wish there had been more genuine casualties during the -ations. They tried for it in M: D, though.)

Like I said, Furman UK Marvel was better. The Impactor storyline was great.

Honestly, dude, you're looking for something that isn't there. We are never going to get the Alan Moore Transformers.

See, I don't buy this. I'm not asking for Alan Moore. I'm asking for some talent is all. IDW is a solid company with some nice guys, but compared to other publishers, they are sorely, and I mean sorely, lacking in the talent department.

I think we've been on the receiving end of so much garbage and mediocrity that we've stopped believing that Transformers can be a strong title. The reason for such sentiment is because nobody with any talent has actually been put on the Transformers. We've had Furman, McCarthy, and Holmes put on TF series. Yeah, that's a real All-star line-up we have there.

Some franchises are made to take risks, like X-Men, because they have a history with risk-taking creators.

Exactly. No reason why we can't get a 'risk taker' on Transformers, barring Hasbro mandate. If Hasbro can let Costa get away with the stuff he pulled on G.I.Joe Cobra, there really isn't an excuse now not to give us a stronger product.

This is primarily the reason why I would say to you guys to give the ongoing a chance. Hasbro is more open to the creators now, as was mentioned at Comicon. Shane is nowhere to be found, sensibly so, and a writer with some experience has taken the helm. Give it three issues. If it's not something different than what we've seen before, then I'll be off it with the rest of you.

Furman's work is the most consistently risk-taking, high-stakes stuff we will ever see on these books.

Oh c'mon dude, are you trying to depress me? Simon is the best we can ever get? I don't buy it.

Roche seems to me to be good because he builds on what Furman has always been good at. Spotlight: Kup had some serious echoes of the "Klud" story, with the same strong reverence for Kup that Furman always had. But he's new, and he poured a lot of earnest energy into his work, and that counts for a lot.

Roche, from the small sampling of what he's done, blows Simon out of the water. It's not a fair comparison though, as Simon has been asked to do more in a constrained period of time. Nick hasn't faced those kind of constraints.

[Professor Smooth]

Honestly, dude, you're looking for something that isn't there. We are never going to get the Alan Moore Transformers. The comic is always going to be tied to the need to sell toys. As far as Hasbro is concerned, the toys came first.

Real quick note on that...

Some of Alan Moore's best stuff was on properties that nobody cared about in the least. Swamp Thing? Miracle Man? SUPREME? Then there's stuff like "Lost Girls" in which he made hardcore pornography an awesome read.

How? Alan Moore's got talent for telling a compelling story, regardless of the inherent or perceived worth of the subject matter.

Also, Dreamwave did pretty well (for themselves) with their G1 line of comics and the overwhelming majority of it wasn't tied to anything toys that had been on the western market in years. They didn't even give spotlight to the figures that Hasbro had been reissuing during that time.

[Jack Cade]

OK, here's what I want from a Transformers comic, broadly speaking.

I want a comic I can lend and recommend to other people I know, the same way you recommend The Wire, or BSG, or Fables, or anything compellingly made, confident that they will come back to me and say, "Sheeyit, that were good. Have you got the next volume?" I like sharing things with people. I like being able to discuss fiction socially, rather than just keeping it between myself and the author.

In short, I want a TF comic that doesn't just appeal to dedicated TF fans, or a particular selection of dedicated TF fans, but to anyone who knows a good story when they see it. Anyone who thinks that AHM and the Spotlights surrounding it come anywhere close to appealing to people on strength of story alone is living in cloud cuckoo land.

Infiltration, Escalation and Devastation were 70-80% of the way there. Infiltration was a little slow, but not to the extent that people say it is - I still think part of that is an expectation that we should be introduced to the whole cast all at once. When it comes down to it, what's wrong with a story that features just one Autobot and a few humans, if it's well written?

To my mind, Furman - with some more hands-on editing - could have done it. He had all the right ideas. He needed someone keeping an eye on the occasional silly dialogue, calling him up about inconsistent damage dealt, and I really think - although this is more controversial - he should have stayed away from the mystic/alternate Universe stuff and stuck to the galactic war. Really, he needed to be co-writing, I think, with someone coming from a different background.

Roche shows all the signs of being even better than Furman, although we've yet to see how he handles a large cast, managing an ongoing plot etc.

As for Costa, I admire your positive attitude, Yaya, but I don't see how announcing this death is any less of a controversy-whipping effort than letting the cards fall where they may. Yes, as an event, it could be a sound basis for starting some serious characterisation. Let's hope it is. But stirring up a shitstorm a couple of weeks ahead of release was hardly necessary for that. I've read Schmidt's reasons, and I don't really follow them, tbh. Schmidt is certainly bringing an air of professionalism to proceedings that wasn't there before, but then again, it's not as if I think most Marvel and DC comics are particularly well written, so I'm not sure how that figures in to the prospects for a good series.

[Best First]

I think one of the problems is that i have had the TF comic i wanted.

Short of an extension of the original UK/G2 run, Infiltration and the subsequent series was as good as i think TFs will get - i also think it was a longsighted take that had a lot more to give - although that may also be why it suffered.

Having seen this approach adopted and then abandoned, and that there are people out there who view it so dimly when for my money it was genuinely Good Comics means i am sadly confident i will not see a coherent TF Universe to my tastes any time in the next 10 years.

The Alan Moore argument doesn't work well because he has made a point of working with characters he is in a position to abuse and subvert - doesn't work so well with the hasbro factor sadly.

All that said i am going to give the ongoing 6 issues. Unless its truly terrible. I hate those damn "you won't believe what we are gonna do" interviews though. Hate em. More than i hate that c*** who is going to start a superband because he has free text messages FOR LIFE.

And i hold some hope for isolated bursts of joy when Mr Roche gets involved.

Basically it was all better when there was no comic and we could just imagine what we wanted wasn't it? Being a fan is usually thus, especially once the original incarnation has expired i think.

Except for Buffy Season 8, natch.

Er, and Serenity.

[Yaya]

To my mind, Furman - with some more hands-on editing - could have done it. He had all the right ideas. He needed someone keeping an eye on the occasional silly dialogue, calling him up about inconsistent damage dealt, and I really think - although this is more controversial - he should have stayed away from the mystic/alternate Universe stuff and stuck to the galactic war. Really, he needed to be co-writing, I think, with someone coming from a different background.

That is a beautiful description of what would have taken Simon's IDW stuff to that next level. Especially that last sentence about the co-writing.

BF makes a good point about it being difficult to find satisfaction in current material when you've already had the TF comic you wanted in the past. Sometimes, I think in the same manner.

Then I read Roche's stuff, and say to myself, "y'know, there is that chance I might still enjoy reading Transformers".

For this reason, I still hold out hope for the upcoming material, and the material after that, etc. Transformers can still be good, if it falls in the right hands.

Maybe it's a fool's hope that Costa can rekindle something.

[bumblemusprime]

Ya,

I still think you're describing the Furman run when you say what you want. I guess that it did all those things for me. Yes, Infiltration and Stormbringer were bad starts.

But the art alone didn't make Spotlight: Shockwave. It was that brilliant moment when Shockwave realized that Grimlock was actually stubborn enough to chase him halfway across the galaxy merely for his wounded pride--and it nearly blew his mind. In a similar vein, Prime and Megatron's relationship was nicely summed up during their fight. The art, of course, was wonderfully amazing, but Guidi's art was wonderful in AHM, and the bad writing still stood out.

War Within was cool, but it was only a prequel with a predetermined ending. So by "best work in years," I meant "best work since 1994." G2 is still Furman's pinnacle.

As for Furman's flaws--well, Mark Millar writes terribly wordy, overexpository dialogue, but still gets plot and character across. Brian Michael Bendis has pages and pages of "um, yeah, okay, but, like," and Peter David, for all that he is God, has to throw in a really f*cking confusing time travel story every few issues. Even Ed Brubaker took a dive when he tackled X-Men.

I wince with Furman's cheesy dialogue, but I don't get a perfect comic very often. Spotlight: Shockwave was a perfect comic. Escalation was perfect. Devastation and the other Spotlights came close. And hey, I thought the only thing dragging down Sixshot was the art. I don't see any more flaws in Furman than I do in other writers.

I would love to see an ongoing co-written by Furman and Nick. But that's what I thought we would get with Maximum Dinobots, and that didn't turn out so well. I wouldn't mind seeing what Shane could do adding dialogue to a Furman plot [ducks the rotten fruit Snarl is throwing].

I feel like you're seeing a half-empty glass. Which makes me wonder what other factors influence your reading. After Revelation got sh*tcanned I saw a big fat empty glass where AHM was concerned.

I mean, what did you expect from Infiltration? I brought a massive sense of relief that Dreamwave had died and taken Mad Brick with it, so maybe I saw a very full glass. What did you guys expect from Infiltration?

[Best First]

I actually did quite a good job of zero'ing my expectations for Infiltration - i was, as you were, overjoyed that DW and Bad Prick were gone and that SF was back at the helm. I was a little nervous about EJ as i had not seen much of his stuff but he won me over with issue 0.

Everything else i was just happy to let unfold.

Of course i think then the IDW aproach to publicising TFs was quite different, more direct engagement, a bit less hyperbole - or maybe just hyperbole that chimed with what i really wanted to hear. I dunno.

Either way, infiltration surpassed whatever expectations i had; the handling of Megatron especially was about the best i had ever seen.

Yes it could have been cut down an issue, but that's true of 98.9% of comics today.

Agree with Jack's comments about the editing. Not sure about the Dead Universe stuff though - that gave us Spotlight: Hardhead which i am loathe to give back, but i can see how it was going to be a struggle for the more casual TF fan given it was generally driven by non maintay characters.

[Jack Cade]

I loved Spotlight: Hardhead, but it could have been done just as well with Jhiaxus and the Dead Universe crew as a rebel faction of Decepticons growing their own army on Gorlam Prime. We didn't need no Dead Universe really.

And generally, I didn't mind that plot myself - I just find it easier to sympathise with people who find that stuff boring or cheesy, and the feeling among IDW staff that they needed to refocus on Megatron and haul the action back to Earth.

As for Infiltration, my thing is that I picked up one or two copies of War Within years before and found it wasn't enough to get me back into Transformers. It was all right, but the focus on Prime, and the scene with him growing mightier by some magical Matrix powers, both made me doubtful. And that was about the best thing Dreamwave put out.

I bought Infiltration 0 and genuinely felt it was a clever, clean, fresh start for the franchise - not so much a nostalgia trip as taking the concept and the characters and starting out as if you had to sell it to people all over again. The first time you see a TF in robot mode, in Infiltration 1, it felt like a proper introduction. You didn't need a caption - you could see the huge hulking robots who had just pulled off the garage door like wrapping paper were configurations of the two driver-less cars that had been trying to run the main characters off the road. And then it turns out the mysterious good guy isn't just a creepy hologram dude driving a KITT-style ambulance, but is also a huge, hulking robot. Yeah, I knew it was coming, but it still played out for me like it wasn't - the same way a film takes time to introduce a hero or monster who is on all the posters.

To my mind, if anything, the introduction of the rest of the Autobots after that was a tad rushed, but once that was out of the way, I thought the slow-burn plot was great. Apart from the odd blip like the Sixshot spotlight, it was only Devastation number 4 where I started feeling cool towards the series, and even after that, AHM was an almost inconceivable drop in standards.

[Yaya]

Ya,

I still think you're describing the Furman run when you say what you want. I guess that it did all those things for me. Yes, Infiltration and Stormbringer were bad starts.

I don't classify Furman's stuff as really character driven. Some of it was, sure, but I feel overwhelmingly Simon lets plot and plot devices drive his stories. And that's when things get boring.

What I mean is, when you rely on Darkness's, Dead Universe's, Matrices, mystical arts, solar pools, ultrapowerful zombie Transformers like Thunderwing, Pretender and -Master techs, etc. you lose the magic. Yes, you need these things to anchor a story, but what drives it should be the cast.

Maybe it's just me, but when I look back at comics and movies I've enjoyed the most, it always comes down to the cast. Lost is a show with a lot of cool ideas, but the coolness that is Lost comes from the cast, not the plot. Without Locke, Sawyer, Ben, etc, Lost is another throw away fantasy/sci-fi story with a time travel theme.

I have seen Prowl in many a story doing many a thing. I saw him in the cartoon, the Marvel comic, the DW comic and the IDW comic. There he was, always logical and to the point, but very static as a character, going nowhere in terms of development for twenty odd years. But when Nick Roche wrote the guy in half an issue, it was the first time I really enjoyed Prowl, all the while staying true to his character.

But the art alone didn't make Spotlight: Shockwave.

Definitely agree with you here, it wasn't just Roche. Simon was freakin brilliant here. I don't know what he had for breakfast that morning, but the dialogue in that issue was the best I had seen in a long time, in particular Shockwave's inner monologue. It was like I was reading Shockwave for the first time (hard to do after 'Shockwave did it' DW).

Ace Simon +ace Nick= best issue for IDW yet, IMO.

I wince with Furman's cheesy dialogue,

I beat my head against the wall.

I feel like you're seeing a half-empty glass.

Probably, but it's more I've grown older, seen twenty five years of TF, and want something new.

What do I want from a TF writer? I want a writer to have the confidence and talent to write a 20-page comic about nothing but Frenzy and Rumble in a room with nothing around, and get me to like it through character interaction alone. To me, a writer who can pull something like this off, who can engage the reader with little dependence on ancillary plot devices, is the writer I want to see on Transformers.

We have a cast of over 400+ characters with a myriad of personalities.

What more do we need?

When I look back, in the end, I shockingly come to the realization that the writer who most fit the bill was early Bob Budiansky when he gave a damn. Ratchet, Shockwave, the Dinobots, Jetfire, Blaster. The story revolved around them. With Simon on IDW, they revolve around the story. With Shane, he tried to reproduce Bob's magic, tried to get into the heads of the characters, and failed miserably.

Nick is a "Bob" kind of writer. His writing is always centered on the character. That's why he's got oodles of dialogue on each page, a strategy some naysayers find distracting. You know, when you think back to Budiansky, he had the benefit of those 'text boxes' that helped set the tone in each panel. Kind of did away with that some time ago, but I think it helped get into the characters head better.

[bumblemusprime]

I want a writer to have the confidence and talent to write a 20-page comic about nothing but Frenzy and Rumble in a room with nothing around, and get me to like it through character interaction alone.

Well...

J.Michael Straczynski wrote a 22-page comic of Peter and Aunt May just talking that is still my favorite Spider-Man story. But to do it he had to reveal Spidey's identity.

That's a pretty tall order, man. Peter David takes a lot of obscure X-characters in X-Factor and makes them interesting when they sit around and talk. But 22 pages of it? And this is Peter David. He's had a couple dozen career-making runs. He still doesn't have 22 pages of nothing but talking in any of his stories.

More thoughts later, plus a marquee in front of a church that says "Furman Loves You and Yaya Is Still Wrong" when I wake up.

[Best First]

i find this whole plot device arguement massively selective - you ignore all the character development (Infiltration was almost entirely driven by Ratchet for example) and focus on the plot beats and then claim its all about plot devices.

You could just as easily say that Bob B's early Blaster story's were all about Smelting Pools, Uprisings and Space Bridges.

Take the Reapers for example - in a single issue Simon used them to highlight Sixshot's doubts and redefine Starscreams relationship with megatron. Yes there is a plot device in there but it was used to drive character moments - your synopisis of that issue would not doubt say it was all about space invasion and shut down switches. Its selective reasoning.

[Guest]

What do I want from a TF writer? I want a writer to have the confidence and talent to write a 20-page comic about nothing but Frenzy and Rumble in a room with nothing around, and get me to like it through character interaction alone. To me, a writer who can pull something like this off, who can engage the reader with little dependence on ancillary plot devices, is the writer I want to see on Transformers.

Ahem...

Frenzy and Rumble are alone in a room. One of them does something in-line with his character. The other reacts to it, based on his character. The first then reacts to the second's reaction, based on his character. The second reacts to the first's reaction, based on his character. The first reacts to the second's reaction, based on his character. The second reacts to the first's reaction, based on his character. The first reacts to the second's reaction, based on his character. The second reacts to the first's reaction, based on his character. The first reacts to the second's reaction, based on his character. The second reacts to the first's reaction, based on his character. The first reacts to the second's reaction, based on his character. The second reacts to the first's reaction, based on his character. The first reacts to the second's reaction, based on his character. The second reacts to the first's reaction, based on his character.

And so on for 20 pages' worth of comic.


Snap me up, IDW. I am Yaya's ideal writer for Transformers.

[Brendocon]

Rumble and Frenzy have characters?

Beyond being antagonistic and idiotic muscle occasionally used for either comic relief or mild threat from the perception of another character?

Any writer who can tell a compelling story comprising solely a conversation between those interchangeable ciphers is a god to me.

So, in short: Yaya's ideal writer is god.

Or, alternatively: Rebis is god.

[Yaya]

That's a pretty tall order, man.

So, in short: Yaya's ideal writer is God.

Okay, my example was somewhat sarcastic and exaggerated. Point taken. Though Rebis came close.

It might seem like I'm asking for a bit much, and I probably am. I'm probably asking to squeeze milk from a stone by hoping to get something new out of the TF, a property that has been in existence for over twenty five years.

Maybe it's time to to jump ship, and say "well, twas a good ride". But I still love the TF, for all they have given me throughout the years, and I just don't want to see it die just yet.

i find this whole plot device arguement massively selective - you ignore all the character development (Infiltration was almost entirely driven by Ratchet for example) and focus on the plot beats and then claim its all about plot devices.

I think all stories have both, it just comes down to how much weight each carries.

IMO, in Simon's stories, the scale usually tips in the favor of plot devices driving the story. You bring up Infiltration, but Infiltration was one of the few stories where Simon used the cast to drive the story, which was nice. Like I said, I enjoyed Infiltration's Ratchet quite a bit.

Take the Reapers for example

Do I have to? I have tried my darndest to forget them.

You could just as easily say that Bob B's early Blaster story's were all about Smelting Pools, Uprisings and Space Bridges.

Interestingly, those things you mentioned revolved around the characters too. Hell, the Spacebridge itself was a character. Blaster had to make a concious decision whether to detonate him or not. The Smelting pool was significant in showcasing the courage of Scrounge. They were plot devices that served a purpose in developing the character. There weren't just there because they were cool.

[Best First]

More selective reasoning.

Anyway...

I don't think its too much to expect something new to be done with TFs. While they have been around for quarter of a century there are many facets of them that have hardly been explored - in part i think because Hasbro don't want the brand straying too far from its roots and in part because there always seems to be a critcial mass whose entire interest in TF comics can be summed up by "When is Devestator gonna show up?"