Transformers #81

Hot Shot · Post by **Hot Shot** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 7:28 pm

Started a bit slow, but those last couple of pages gave me chills. Wasn't expecting that in the slightest.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:07 pm

Yeah, that was totally AWESOME those last few pages!!! Gave me chills. And I'm glad they went with the comic book black helmet instead of the cartoon white helmet like on the cover.

Anyway, yes, this dialogue is quite Furmany. So there will be people who don't like that. And whereas it looked good as compared to Costa or Mick and Patryk? or something like that in the DW days, it suffers when you compare it to Roberts. I don't know why Ultra Magnus uses the word blitzkrieg.

And yes, like the other IDW TF, there is a post war Cybertron with deadly intrigue and there are some people who leave it in an epic-space-adventure feel where instead of looking for Knights of Cybertron, I imagine we're going to go through a visual clip show of Marvel US. So YES, we may go back to the Amazon Babe planet. But it stars the Wreckers! You can tell that Simon is really going to relish doing whatever the f he wants because this is the END end and the fans demanded it (see first sentence of this post).

Other thoughts...
- Would have liked a bit more general set up, at least something that's happened in the past 20 years. Where are the Prowls or Blasters of the world? Geez, I can't even remember who was really alive after #80. Are they off serving on a post? Working down the street at a police station? Holed up in their studies writing novels?

- Optimus is Optimus, Hot Rod is Hot Rod, Kup is Kup. This isn't supposed to be some "new take" on TF. To me, complaining that Furman's Optimus is emo or mopey is like telling Frank Miller to stop taking Batman so seriously.

- Who's behind Bludgeon? Looked like Thunderwing to me.

Overall, this was a solid issue. Not without problems in pacing and dialogue, but then you also have to factor in the last few pages and the fact that this is Marvel TF #81. So I'd say B, B+

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:31 pm

Shanti418 wrote: Other thoughts...
- Would have liked a bit more general set up, at least something that's happened in the past 20 years. Where are the Prowls or Blasters of the world? Geez, I can't even remember who was really alive after #80. Are they off serving on a post? Working down the street at a police station? Holed up in their studies writing novels?

Presumably characters like Blaster Prowl and Wheeljack are suffering from the nasty Nucleon problems mentioned by Kup. Without double checking I don't think there was anyone in the issue who was definitely revived by Nucleon in the issue was there?

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:38 pm

I enjoyed this. Great cliffhanger.

Wildman's art is a bit iffy in places, but then you get the odd panel where you see his class. I'm hoping it will pick up in future issues. I don't like the colouring though. It seems too...shiny.

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SPOILER
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If Megatron is alive and well down on Earth, I would like to think that Ratchet and a bunch of Autobots that were on board the Ark in stasis are waiting around to take him down again.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 10:47 pm

inflatable dalek wrote:
Shanti418 wrote: Other thoughts...
- Would have liked a bit more general set up, at least something that's happened in the past 20 years. Where are the Prowls or Blasters of the world? Geez, I can't even remember who was really alive after #80. Are they off serving on a post? Working down the street at a police station? Holed up in their studies writing novels?
Presumably characters like Blaster Prowl and Wheeljack are suffering from the nasty Nucleon problems mentioned by Kup. Without double checking I don't think there was anyone in the issue who was definitely revived by Nucleon in the issue was there?

Oh yeah, THAT'S what happened. Thx!

Post by **snarl** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:36 am

Hound wrote:I enjoyed this. Great cliffhanger.

Wildman's art is a bit iffy in places, but then you get the odd panel where you see his class. I'm hoping it will pick up in future issues. I don't like the colouring though. It seems too...shiny.

Agree completely, looked a bit rushed in places, thought it suffered most in the "wide zoom" panels.

I bet I would have noticed the iffy panels a lot less without the bright, vibrant palette - mute it down chaps!

You could still have digital wizard colouring, but a limited palette based on the colours they used at the end of the Marvel Run would really work.

Look how good the Guido and Geoff covers are for example - the colours used just fit.

As for the story, really enjoyed it. Solid 7/8 stuff

Post by **snarl** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:57 am

issue 85 looks like it might be lively

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:39 am

I didn't think I was going to enjoy this. But you know what, I really did.

First off, I bought the cover with Hot Rod, Magnus, and Kup on the front and I can't stop looking at it. It's 80's magic and definitely one of my favorite TF covers from IDW.

There may still be some "old school" left in my heart yet. Smiled the whole way through. Particularly with the Thunderwing sillohuette panel. Took me back to the Matrix Quest. Loved the character 'intro box' throwback of just giving the characters name. Think Simon was waiting over two decades for that Deluxe Insecticon intro? I know I was. I have all their toys and I remember being dismayed at their never being in the comic as a kid. Nice nod to the Cosmic Carnival (despite my never being fond of it).

Kudos to Simon and Andy for staying true to the Marvel days. I don't think it's easy to pick up years later where they left off and keep the same magic. IMO, they achieved this. I'm looking forward to the next issue.

Really liked what Simon did at the end with Megatron and the Wreckers. No slow burn here! Just the wayz I likes it.

So yeah, much better than I expected. Really impressed with the 80's feel they've managed to capture. Preferred this to RID, actually.

Magic. Give it a "B+".

Post by **Best First** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:47 am

Agree on prefferring this to RID.

A few things jar - is it based on US continuity (Wreckerrs alive) or a mix of US and UK (Magnus being Cybertron's greatest warrior) - altho i would not be suprised if Furman is just picking what he wants from both.

Agree with Pops on the colouring - i would love some proper old school.

Berko was a great touch - a nice nod, that made sense without any real interferance in the story.

My fave bit was the Wreckers hands in the air. YES!

Kinda wierd seeing Whirl not being a total melon farmer though.

Loving Kup as well.

Not so thrilled about the idea of Unicron returning though.

All in all though...

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:24 am

Yaya wrote:Think Simon was waiting over two decades for that Deluxe Insecticon intro?

23 years after he debuted Chop Shop and Venom in Time Wars, yep. Though he killed them off during that story, so that, along with

Besty wrote:Wreckerrs alive

leads me to believe that

Besty wrote:Furman is just picking what he wants from both.

After all, Fort Scyk originates in one of the Annual stories which (I think) is set in the Earthforce continuity and the Baird Beaming Transmitter is from City of Fear, which leads into Wrecking Havoc and ultimately Time Wars. So yeah, continuity seems to be a little bit fast and loose, especially what with "Circuit Smasher" still to be explained - will he have "been" Circuit Breaker all along or is it a new character who's taken on her mantle?

Hm, just seen Simon's stated that there won't be follow-ups to UK stories but there will be "tips of the hat" to them. So this is, like, another "fresh" version of the Wreckers and Deluxe Insecticons unrelated to the ones we've previously seen, and while we'll get UK concepts it'll essentially be a reboot of them.

Otherwise, it's a bit odd that Soundwave's carrying the Deluxe Insecticons around in his chest cavity, isn't it? Loving the fact that Leadfoot's a Wrecker. Nice to see the Skyscorchers too, they tend to get overlooked a lot. And really loved the fact that the Megatron/throne cover could even have been part of the final few pages - a spoiler in plain view. Great stuff.

Oh, and this:

Yaya wrote:I bought the cover with Hot Rod, Magnus, and Kup on the front and I can't stop looking at it. It's 80's magic and definitely one of my favorite TF covers from IDW.

Post by **snarl** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:34 am

To add a touch more to Mr. LJ's comments about characters / continuity, from Simon Furman, courtesy of his blog:

"I know it’s strange, because the UK stories and US stories were intertwined for UK readers, and so formed one whole, but because this is (primarily) a continuation of the US series (and so many readers would be completely unfamiliar with the twisted timeline of Target: 2006–Time Wars) we have to sideline those stories, and any resultant casualties, into their own pocket UK universe. Not popular I know, but I think it’s fair to say the majority of RG1′s readership will be from the US side of the equation, so it seems unfair to bring in a whole other backstory they know little or nothing about. Can you imagine trying to encapsulate those stories into a flashback. We’d need a whole story arc. So, for the purposes of RG1, Roadbuster is alive and well. But I am drawing on individual elements of the UK stories, such as Rack ‘n’ Ruin (and indeed the Wreckers themselves)."

As for the issue, I really liked the pacing of it. I liked the earlier IDW stuff SF has done, but it wasn't like his Marvel run, where a lot tended to happen very fast. In this issue, a lot happened, and fast. I am quietly confident there will be bot / con carnage very soon, real wrath of god type stuff, which I love.

And I like the idea of Unicron being back... It will be difficult to top EoE though.

Is there a chance that Scorpy is back? Did the Last Autobot bring every ****** back to life? (which would mean that if you really want to, you can keep the UK stuff as cannon and just assume they were all "re alived" off camera)

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:47 am

Best First wrote:A few things jar - is it based on US continuity (Wreckerrs alive) or a mix of US and UK (Magnus being Cybertron's greatest warrior) - altho i would not be suprised if Furman is just picking what he wants from both.

Surely if it's #81 then it should be US continuity? Albeit with Furmo probably dropping Xaaronesque hints at the UK backstory as per usual.

Then again he couldn't handle continuity on it when he was writing the originals (cf Earthforce), 20 years later who the hell knows.

Not so thrilled about the idea of Unicron returning though.

Wasn't there a mandate from Hasbro that Unicron has to be in absolutely everything ever? Or was that Spinister? #WorldsCollideReference

1) Your posts make me want to buy this
2) I won't buy this
3) Gah

Post by **Best First** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:02 pm

Yeahyawill

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:24 pm

Best First wrote: Berko was a great touch - a nice nod, that made sense without any real interferance in the story.

Yeah, I liked that, it could very easily have been sneery- after all he comes from what's generally seen as the weakest run of issues in the American comic making him an easy target for crowd pleasing cheap shots- but he's played straight. There's no real need for him (the Wreckers could easily have just had a ship that could take them all the way to Earth) but him being there made it feel as if the book will be a celebration of the entire American run, silliness and all.

I do think the comic could have easily included the UK stuff without any huge or difficult problems (I'm doubtful there's many more people reading who know about Berko but not that some of the Wreckers featured are dead for example). It didn't have to bend over backwards to a lecture explaining Earthforce continuity, just tell the same story with an eye on keeping the small details in line where they can. It's only really what also didn't gel with G2 (Another Time and Place, some of the Earthforce stuff that may or may not have been set after End of the Road. And I'm sure that series wasn't written with any thoughts about the British stuff either) that would have to be completely ignored.

Mind, so far, as said, anyone desperate to make the UK fit can use the Last Autobot handwave so unless we get some big major contradictions down the line where I have to go "Fair enough" I many just ignore the official stance on that.

EDIT: Though to be fair, they're being up front about the continuity choices right from the get go which is a good thing. I suspect the IDW boards will very quickly get sick of "Wait, Rack'N'Ruin's in it but Roadbuster is alive?!?!?!" style questions from people who don't read the blog.

As for Circuit Smasher... one of the solicitations for an issue down the line revealed, if not their exact relationship with Circuit Breaker (if there is one), that they're not a newly created character. I'll leave it at that as I think some of the info out there may, based on this issue be a bit too spoilery. Or at least unfortunate (Kup and the Wreckers being promoted in a future issue robs the cliffhanger of any "Well, it is THE END and we've been promised no one's safe, maybe he would kill the Wreckers this way?!?!" potential. And I still think the Megatron on the loo cover blew any surprise over the ending).

Post by **Best First** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:34 pm

inflatable dalek wrote: Megatron on the loo

Worse still he didn't wipe properly and ended up with, uh, energon droppings on his hand.

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:42 pm

I liked the suggestion made at the Archive that the cannon on his back is actually a bog roll dispenser.

It's a pity it clicked for me before the reveal that "Oh, the cover is going to be literal" because that devastated Earth would have been really, really shocking otherwise.

I also wish Furman hadn't been so dismissive of G2 in the build up to this because it makes the little nods (destroyed San Fran here, Jhiaxus in the freebie) seem strange rather than nice callbacks. "Here's a tribute to some of my work I think is crap".

Looking at the Guido covers revealed so far and, even though they look great, something was bugging me about them. I think it's that the colouring is a bit too retro, by the time the comic ended the printing technique had improved considerably (even if Nel's crayons hadn't). The Guido covers are coloured in a way that makes them look a good twenty issues earlier.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 6:48 pm

inflatable dalek wrote:As for Circuit Smasher... one of the solicitations for an issue down the line revealed, if not their exact relationship with Circuit Breaker (if there is one), that they're not a newly created character.

Yeah, I spoiled myself on that one by going to Simon's blog. Though his reveal in the same post that another character is not returning seems to be contradictory to what we see in issue #81...huh. Could be a red herring, I suppose. Anyway, his page-by-page breakdown of #80.5 is worth a look: http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2012/0 ... -81-day-1/ beware spoilers

inflatable dalek wrote:Jhiaxus in the freebie

He addresses that too, for better or worse...

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:21 am

Finally the Rock has come ba... oh no that already happened this year at Wrestle mania. The year gets even better for myself with the arrival of TF 81...

SPOILERS

First off the bat - the Art work.

I know that IDW comics might be better on coloring standpoint but I dont always believe it works, I find many modern comics a mess of shape and color, where as BANG issue 81 hits the nail perfectly... like it always did.

Id just like you to all cast your minds back such fight sequences such as Galvy V Magnus, Deaths head V Shockwave etc... panel by panel they are like 'storyboards'. Its taken me something like 15 years to work out the correct term but I was watching the making of Lord of the Rings the other day and was amazed at the quality of the storyboard on show.
They are practically sword stroke, block parry and swing exact to what you see on film... your brain only needs to follow the swing of a weapon to know what happens in the next frame.

The old TF comics, especially Wildman and Senoir, got this right every time. ive yet to see a modern TF comic nail the clarity and action sequences of the past.

So for me, seeing this again, no matter the slightly messed up perceptive in some panels, and funny stances, when the action starts flying it just works! ----> smiley face me

The story - ok, its Furmanish but I um like that. I thought it picked up quite nicely from the past, Kup seems influential given his rank and it drops hints as to other characters paths. speaking of which.

Optimus, obviously through the matrix or something he has a great understand of the big picture, something that Kup is at pains to point out. Kup feels OP doesn't have a grasp of events on Cybertron but its clear that there are bigger issues at hand. Again, Kup tells hot rod that all this mentoring is a bit pointless but I suspect that its the complete opposite and Optimus knows in the coming battle Hot Rod will need all the help he can get. Lets face it he wasnt much cop in the EOE...

And to the end, Well i liked that, it was a nice way to shoe horn Megatron into play, and I wasnt expecting the wreckers to get fragged in one issue.
Im sure they are not all dead, the cosmic carnival was only a few clicks off the port side so they could all get picked up by sky lynx or something...

Events on earth?
Megatron has risen to power, separated himself from Ratchet, not woken up Galvatron and caused a time wars rift?...right?

What am i missing / forgetting here?

Solid start for me 7/10

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:47 pm

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote: separated himself from Ratchet

If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Ratchet already separated from Megatron when the Ark crashed to Earth again? I remember a panel with Ratchet punching Starscream before they crashed.

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:58 pm

Yaya wrote:
Impactor returns 2.0 wrote: separated himself from Ratchet
If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Ratchet already separated from Megatron when the Ark crashed to Earth again? I remember a panel with Ratchet punching Starscream before they crashed.

Physically separated, but not mentally.

I don't believe for a second that Furman has abandoned the Ratchet/Megatron mental link subplot.

Hot Shot · Post by **Hot Shot** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 3:55 pm

I'm betting Megatron has Ratchet locked up and restrained somewhere out of harm's way, to make sure he doesn't Dragonheart Sequel himself.

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 7:54 am

Nice, my biggest complaint is one of continuity.
Most of the Wreckers shown here were already well and truly deaded in Time Wars.
I mean Topspin? His head was vapourised, you can't tell me the magical Nucleon fixed that!

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:02 am

It was the magical Last Autobot.

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 4:41 pm

Legion wrote:Nice, my biggest complaint is one of continuity.
Most of the Wreckers shown here were already well and truly deaded in Time Wars.
I mean Topspin? His head was vapourised, you can't tell me the magical Nucleon fixed that!

Time Wars was a UK event wasn't it?

Hence; didn't happen in US series and is not in continuity for Regeneration One

Legion · Post by **Legion** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 5:36 pm

Ah, didn't think of that.
The inclusion of so many of Furman's UK favorites had me confused.

nothing to see here, move along.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:50 am

I thinking about bidding on this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... 0917734547

What do you guys think? Too high a price? Not worth it?

I'm leaning toward "Nay". Not really sure how much this kind of thing is worth as I've never bid on art and I could get some pretty cool Masterpiece figures, for instance, with this amount.

How much would you guys pay for this?

Post by **Kaylee** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:14 am

SPOILERS

Bought it from Comixology and am really pleased with it

basically it's what I've wanted for years. It looks, feels and tastes like the original run. The art is lovely- it's not that I can't see it has faults, they just don't bother me.

The continuity has gone a bit Cthulhu, but it already had chaotic tendencies and I don't think this makes them any worse.

The characters feel like how we left them: Prime almost retreating into his own soul, Kup tired of talk and Grimlock AWOL. The final reveal of the ravaged earth and Megatron sat alone in the debris was chilling, very Rhythms of Darkness.

I honestly feel lucky that an also-ran comic franchise, and it's B list team, have been given this. What were the odds?

Post by **snarl** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:36 am

Don't do it Yaya!

I wouldn't anyway. At the weekend my mum brought round loads of my TFs, that I spent loads on re-buying in the early 2000s.

Binaltech, re-issues... I got nowhere for the little pricks to go!

And I'm not going to be getting them out, as I wouldn't want to "spoil" them.

Think they're going on ebay tbh...

Thing is, she didn't bring round my Megatron G1 re-issue, and she says there are no more left...

I think she may have made a terrible mistake

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:03 pm

Yaya wrote:I thinking about bidding on this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... 0917734547

What do you guys think? Too high a price? Not worth it?

I'm leaning toward "Nay". Not really sure how much this kind of thing is worth as I've never bid on art and I could get some pretty cool Masterpiece figures, for instance, with this amount.

How much would you guys pay for this?

If it ends at under $1,000 it's a pretty safe investment. Cover art for a "first" issue of a comic with a proven track record. Good luck!

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:32 pm

Poor Mousepoo