ScottyP wrote:First Strike 1 comes out next week, and when it hits the following things intended to lead up to it will still not have been released:
- Optimus Prime 10
- Micronauts: Wrath of Karza 4 and 5
- Rom 12, 13, and 14
- Revolutionaries 7 and 8
- GI Joe 8 and 9
- M.A.S.K. 9 and 10
240 pages of lead-in material. 240.
Can you give us a hint of any major surprises or revelations that readers can expect from First Strike?
MS: Well, Scarlett’s gonna throw down with the last person on Earth she wants to fight. Anyone who thinks Shazraella’s gonna spend this book clinging to some-one’s shoulder is sorely mistaken. Optimus is in for a rude awakening and Elita One is going to prove once again that there’s a reason she’s the same color as Cybertronian blood. Oh, and that’ll take us to the end of Issue 2.
DR: I’m not sure what we’re clear to say this early on. But I can say that this isn’t just an “event” series—the universe is going to be permanently changed in a meaningful way by the end of First Strike. Hopefully we can get some jaws and f-bombs to drop. When working with characters with such a long history, how do you raise the bar and bring readers something they haven’t seen before?
MS: The most challenging part was more tonal than anything else. Till All Are One is a very political book. G.I. Joe is very balls-to-the-wall crazy action. Micronauts is fast-paced with a lot of wry humor. M.A.S.K. and Rom take on a darker tone. We wanted to feel like all these books could live together and still give fans each book’s unique aspect.
DR: I think the best thing we can do for the readers, and luckily Mairghread and David Hedgecock have been a big advocate for this as well, is to make sure that we are engaging all the characters in this story with emotional stakes that resonate with our readers. Sure, we can put Cybertron at risk with a huge, summer blockbuster style event and visuals, but without that relatable, human backbone to the story, it feels hollow. We are going to do our best to deliver that experience to fans.
Are there any characters you’re going to work with in First Strike that you haven’t had the chance to write before? Any characters you’ve been away from for a while that you’re excited to write again?
MS: This is my first time writing Scarlett and I am psyched. I’ve been wanting to write her for years. And it’s always a thrill to write Optimus. It’s been surprising how fun all the Joes are to write, but the real stand-out right now is Shazraella. She’s such a stuck-up, overconfident, condescending...well, every line of dialogue she has is a joy.
DR: Scarlett has always been a favorite. I was glad that I got to use her in the M.A.S.K. Annual and she has a large part in First Strike. She is just a fantastic character to write. But part of the fun of First Strike is the opportunity to discover and expand on characters I wasn’t as familiar with growing up and exploring how they interact with each other. But don’t be surprised if you see Sunstreaker. He is, after all, the prettiest damn Transformer that ever rolled out.
And finally, if you could be a Transformer,who or what would you want the ability to transform into?
MS: JET! JET! JET! Wait—! Robot dragon! No, 1950s UFO! ...Did anyone call shark/bird yet?
This may take a while.
DR: Oh, I would totally want to be Shockwave. Not only is his design incredible, but he might be the most stone-cold, ghost-faced, unflappable character in the entire universe. I don’t know if you remember, but Megatron called him from Earth after 4 million years and Shockwave picked up on the FIRST RING. No hemming and hawing, or “Where the hell you been?!” He was just “Yes, Lord Megatron.” 4 million years and he didn’t blink. That’s just badass.
Prowl4 wrote:Baffling how mairghread scott continues to get work. Awful writer.
Va'al wrote:Prowl4 wrote:Baffling how mairghread scott continues to get work. Awful writer.
Sorry, Broseph. Must hurt, my proud-standing sugarloaf, to see her name remind you that you, my pal, are baffled to the point that you - o dudemeister - feel the need to comment everytime. Such a toll it must take, my dude.
Prowl4 wrote:Va'al wrote:Prowl4 wrote:Baffling how mairghread scott continues to get work. Awful writer.
Sorry, Broseph. Must hurt, my proud-standing sugarloaf, to see her name remind you that you, my pal, are baffled to the point that you - o dudemeister - feel the need to comment everytime. Such a toll it must take, my dude.
Cool story needs more dragonstorms and gick.
Va'al wrote:Prowl4 wrote:Va'al wrote:Prowl4 wrote:Baffling how mairghread scott continues to get work. Awful writer.
Sorry, Broseph. Must hurt, my proud-standing sugarloaf, to see her name remind you that you, my pal, are baffled to the point that you - o dudemeister - feel the need to comment everytime. Such a toll it must take, my dude.
Cool story needs more dragonstorms and gick.
My pal! Using some Irish on the boards, stud? Yay for linguistic diversity, dudeicus!
Thank you once again, tiger, for some excellent contributions to the discussion.
Prowl4 wrote:Va'al wrote:Prowl4 wrote:Va'al wrote:Prowl4 wrote:Baffling how mairghread scott continues to get work. Awful writer.
Sorry, Broseph. Must hurt, my proud-standing sugarloaf, to see her name remind you that you, my pal, are baffled to the point that you - o dudemeister - feel the need to comment everytime. Such a toll it must take, my dude.
Cool story needs more dragonstorms and gick.
My pal! Using some Irish on the boards, stud? Yay for linguistic diversity, dudeicus!
Thank you once again, tiger, for some excellent contributions to the discussion.
Thanks for being a fan of my cac. I know a fan when I see one and you're a fan
Va'al wrote:Not a true fan - we have a thread for that.
Ain't comics swell! GI Joe on Cybertron, huh? What next? Transforming robots?!
Nexus Knight wrote:Prowl4 wrote:Va'al wrote:Prowl4 wrote:Va'al wrote:Prowl4 wrote:Baffling how mairghread scott continues to get work. Awful writer.
Sorry, Broseph. Must hurt, my proud-standing sugarloaf, to see her name remind you that you, my pal, are baffled to the point that you - o dudemeister - feel the need to comment everytime. Such a toll it must take, my dude.
Cool story needs more dragonstorms and gick.
My pal! Using some Irish on the boards, stud? Yay for linguistic diversity, dudeicus!
Thank you once again, tiger, for some excellent contributions to the discussion.
Thanks for being a fan of my cac. I know a fan when I see one and you're a fan
I feel like someone got drunk someone during this exchange...
Also, I absolutely love Skywarp's tag. Priceless. Absolutely priceless.
Va'al wrote:Ain't comics swell! GI Joe on Cybertron, huh? What next? Transforming robots?!
ScottyP wrote:Does it seem super obvious to anyone else that Baron Ironblood isn't Colton, but Chameleon posing as him? It's the only way I can explain Spike being all "hurr-durr gotta help these Cybertronians" without discounting that as a failure in writing.
ScottyP wrote:Does it seem super obvious to anyone else that Baron Ironblood isn't Colton, but Chameleon posing as him? It's the only way I can explain Spike being all "hurr-durr gotta help these Cybertronians" without discounting that as a failure in writing.
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