Transformers Comic Book News on Seibertron.com

IDW Transformers #36 Full Preview

Date: Tuesday, December 9th 2014 3:31am CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW

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Views: 29,336

In other Transformers comics news from IDW Publishing, the ongoing-that-used-to-be-Robots-in-Disguise is also being released this week, in its 36th issue. Check out the full preview below, and head back to Seibertron.com later for a review!

Transformers #36—Days of Deception
John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a & c)
DAYS OF DECEPTION! All-out war erupts on the streets of Tokyo when PROWL finally gets his hand on the one human he wants to get revenge on… and when PROWL gets revenge, it’s never pretty.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Days of Deception continues!
The secret of ONYX will have far-reaching consequences!
Plus: Thundercracker reads a story to a dog!
HOW FAR IS TOO FAR?
30th Anniversary Variant Cover by Alex Milne!

IDW Angry Birds Transformers #2 Full Preview

Date: Tuesday, December 9th 2014 3:30am CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW

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Views: 24,789

Ready to return to Piggy Island with the Eggspark, Autobirds and Deceptihogs? Check out below a full preview of this week's IDW Publishing release of Angry Birds Transformers #2, and if you can contain your eggcitement, head back here later this week for a Seibertron.com review.

Angry Birds/Transformers #2 (of 4)
John Barber (w) • Marcelo Ferreira (a & c)
With the fate of Piggy Island hanging in the balance, will this be the Age of EGGStinction!? Continuing the craziest crossover this side of CYBERTRON!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Written by John Barber! (TRANSFORMERS, TRANSFORMERS vs G.I. JOE)

Sneak Peek - IDW Transformers Drift: Empire of Stone #2 iTunes Preview

Date: Thursday, December 4th 2014 5:18pm CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): iTunes

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Views: 28,710

More quick IDW Publishing news, in the form of three more pages from an upcoming Transformers comic. This time, it's issue #2 of the Drift: Empire of Stone miniseries. Check out the mirrored images below, via iTunes bookstore!

ONCE A DECEPTICON! DRIFT’s past comes back to haunt him, as RATCHET tries to drag him back to the Lost Light. But alone on a far-off world, DRIFT’s honor demands he stand his ground!

Sneak Peek - IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #36 iTunes Preview

Date: Thursday, December 4th 2014 7:56am CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): iTunes

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Views: 28,828

Courtesy of the iTunes bookstore, we get the usual three page preview for the upcoming IDW Publishing Transformers More Than Meets the Eye comic, now on its 36th issue, and diving into past, present and future with Elegant Chaos - check it out below!

OUTLAWS! Before the war, Orion Pax was part of the Establishment—until a friend opened his eyes to the truth behind the lies and he vowed to overthrow the system. Now, it seems as if his newfound enemies are willing to go to any lengths to see him dead—even if it means waiting four million years...

Charity Auction - Transformers: ReGeneration One #100 Multiple Signatures via Andrew Wildman

Date: Wednesday, December 3rd 2014 9:18am CST
Categories: Comic Book News, People News, Auctions
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): Andrew Wildman

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Views: 72,769

Here's a bit of a treat, with a charitable cause, for all Transformers comics fans. Artist and general godfather of the Cybertronian aesthetics for the past 30 years, Andrew Wildman, has collected the signatures of Bob Budiansky, José Delbo, Simon Furman, Geoff Senior, Lee Sullivan, Stephen Baskerville, Andrew Wildman, Guido Guidi, Nick Roche, Jason Cardy, John Paul Bove and Casey Collier - all on the Guidi after Sienkiewicz cover for IDW's ReGeneration One! He is auctioning off 30 of these special issues, with the profits going to help comics creator and first Transformers writer Bill Mantlo. So head over to eBay, bid your savings, do some good, and own a part of robot history.

It's finally happening. The auction of the exclusive, signed Transformers Regeneration One comics. There are 30 copies (it's the 30th anniversary) of issue 100. This is the release with the 'issue 1 homage cover' by artist, Guido Guidi and all the books are signed by a host of Transformers creators. A real who's who list.
What is really important about this auction is that all the proceeds will go to help Bill Mantlo. One of Marvel's writers who was responsible for some of their greatest titles. Not only did he create Rocket Raccoon but he was the first writer on the Transformers book. Bill was involved in an accident in the 90's and requires constant care. This is our way of saying thanks to him for his contribution to one of the worlds biggest franchises.
Check out the auction below and share with... everyone.

IDW Angry Birds Transformers #1 Review

Date: Monday, December 1st 2014 1:20pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW, Va'al

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Views: 71,381

Synopsis
You got TRANSFORMERS in my Angry Birds! No, you got Angry Birds in my TRANSFORMERS! ERGH, OOF, MPPHH!!! Hey! Waitaminit! This is actually pretty great! That’s right, comic lovers, two of your favorite IDW comics have morphed into one amazing new comic! When the TRANSFORMERS lose their powerful ALLSPARK, it ends up on Piggie Island and the world of Angry Birds turns robotic! Prepare to meet… the AUTOBIRDS and DECEPTIHOGS!



Story

Before time began, there was the egg. Or maybe it was the bird. The egg, or the bird, what came first..? In any case, there was an egg, and a green pig wanted to eat it. To eat all of them. As they do. Apparently. But the egg was also a cube, and the cube fell, rolled away, and became an egg. With the properties of a cube.



John Barber is having a lot of fun with the script here, letting puns rip every other panel, juggling multiple identities, continuities, storylines and characterisations that fans of the Transformers franchise of the past decade will recognise, and aiming for a fairly contemporary target (with some nods to older fans too).



There is very little one can do to spoil the issue, but I am not going to simply summarise the story of the comic, and I am actually quite glad something as light-hearted and - simply put - silly as this actually exists out there, reminding fans that kids are into our favourite robots too. And the transition page is really quite clever, verbally.


Art

The comic uses Livio Ramondelli to introduce and frame the story as part of a spin-off universe of the Transformers, something based on modern iterations of the Cybertronians, from Bayverse to Rescue Bots and some added G1 highlights to please a bit of everyone. And it works.



The artists who will be gracing the pages of the series from here on, however, are a great addition to my knowledge of visual creators: Marcelo Ferreira has a great sense of visual humour, in facial expressions, character, dynamism and page layout - and the cartoon style art is perfectly apt in tone for the series.



And of course, all of it catches the eye even more thanks to the wonderful colour work by Nikos Koutsis, making sure all characters jump off the page, vibrantly and energetically, and Chris Mowry's brilliant lettering work, letting himself really go on the fun aspect of the job. Plus, the comic comes with three fantastic covers, that further show off the glorious silliness of the crossover, with Ramondelli, Ferreira and Koutsis being joined by action-packed Jorge Pacheco's variant (thumbnail).


Thoughts

I don't believe anyone was expecting a masterpiece of storytelling or the new rising star of the comics medium, but the issue is a whole lotta fun, pleasingly funny, enjoyably silly and most importantly, never takes itself seriously - something that the IDW Transformers titles can sometimes fall victims of (though less so as series progress).



The art is also extremely refreshing, and the framing of the story by a Transformers regular sets the scene nicely for the very cartoony, series-appropriate Ferreira and Koutis approach to the illustration. The lettering is fun, the writing is fun, the issue is, overall a non-serious

IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review

Date: Wednesday, November 26th 2014 12:59pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW, Va'al

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Views: 64,988

Synopsis
Days of Deception begins with… PEACE AND HAPPINESS! To be honest, there's not much we can say about this issue without giving away the life-changing events of last issue. What we can say is this: everything’s fine. There’s no conflict, no sadness, no angst. Why is this a problem?



Story

Timelines have met each other and collapsed. Old friends and lovers are reunited, though something is obviously not quite right yet. Other friends and allies have revealed a different set of colours entirely. And as we explored some of the past events last issue, we delve once more in the days before the Decepticons were a thing - or do we?



James Roberts' script is heavy. This is an issue that will require time to spend on reading, rather than a quick skim-through. The play on the different time settings is clearly marked, and cleverly linked, though that is not the critical part of the connection between the two, as what they have in common may in fact be diverging once more, but further away than expected.



While in the present Megatron finally had a bit of a breakdown aboard the Lost Light, as the rest of the crew investigate Brainstorm's doings (and part of the yellow briefcase's secrets are sorta kinda revealed!), the past sees Rewind and Minimus Ambus dealing with Functionists, and the cunning and seditious Dominus Ambus himself.



Does something feel off yet? It seems like something is a little off. No? Make sure you read *everything* that takes place in the issue, as details are constantly changing, for what seems to be a very good reason indeed in the grand scheme of things, and the upcoming Elegant Chaos event in particular, for which this issue a prelude of sorts.


Art

Alex Milne and Brian Shearer, with the latter helping on inking duties, have some great visual fun, despite everything happening in the script as it already is. A lot of Unicron Trilogy body types have been spotted, without being subtle at all, already in the first couple of pages, and there may be a reason for all of it being there after all. Though character design does not stop at that, with some twisted ..er.. twists elsewhere, too.



On top of the busy script and busy backgrounds, colourist Joana Lafuente clearly had a busy time coordinating all the multiples of the same type of Cybertronian, yet marking them as individual entities (much to the ruling classes' disappointment, one might guess). I am very impressed at the result, especially with the final product in hand.



Tom B. Long keeps on keeping on with the fantastic letter work, making sure to maintain the space that Roberts does not leave to the art, and . The issue also comes with an excellent array of variant covers, on top of the ominous Milne/Josh Perez main one. In the thumbnail is the eerily appropriate Nick Roche/Josh Burcham Functionist, and make sure to keep an eye out for the Andrew Griffith 30th Anniversary special incentive art, too.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

It's mind-bendy, it's space-bendy, it's time-bendy - it just pushes the envelope and watches it bend for most of the plotlines being teased up to this point, and some intriguing social commentary to boot. Out of all of this week's releases, this is the most dense and emotionally compromising, without any doubt, so be warned before you dive into it.



We vaguely know what has happened with the Functionist Council in the past. We've seen something of Brainstorm's character so far. We know what Rewind used to do in the days of Dominus Ambus, and the House of Ambus overall - be ready to have all of that questioned. Again. And again. Elegant Chaos is here.

IDW Transformers Drift: Empire of Stone #1 Review

Date: Wednesday, November 26th 2014 11:44am CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW, Va'al

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Views: 61,460

Synopsis
DRIFT RETURNS! Last year, TRANSFORMERS readers were shocked when DRIFT left the AUTOBOTS in disgrace… and now he’s alone, on a mission to clean up the darkest depths of the galaxy—until RATCHET shows up to try to bring him home!



Story

Imagine: you're an ex Decepticon, who used to kill people for fun. Then you grew a conscience. So you traded guns for swords (that famous instrument of peace). Then you grew a bit too much of a conscience, and tried burying guilt beneath it and a veil of reborn spiritualism - and by ways of redemption, take the blame for something you didn't actually do, and are exiled. That's where we are with Drift, as Empire of Stone begins.



It's been some time since we saw him in action, other than flashbacks, and readers have been wary of the return of a character who has been fairly marmite-esque (that's British for divisive). What we find with this first issue back in Shane McCarthy's hands, is thankfully not a return to the character when he first introduced it, though some will complain it can feel that way in places.



Compared to other Transformers comics coming out this week, Empire of Stone is a lot slower in terms of narrative, though it does stand up quite well with the dialogue, and the chemistry between sulky Drift and grumpy Ratchet works nicely. And, as a set-up/catch-up issue, it does what it has to do without wandering too much around.



However, that's about it so far. It's not a bad comic, the story can go in a very interesting direction with the next three issues, and Empire of Stone is a catchy enough title for a popular enough character like Drift - but I can see how it might not be on everyone's immediate buying list as yet. Still.. read on.


Art

The art team is really where the book, much like ReGeneration One before it, will gain traction with potential readers. Guido Guidi's linework and Stephen Baskerville's inking are a great combination, and the action sequences are very well choreographed, with the sword element added to the fights gives space to Guidi's art to play around with the space of and around the panels.



Also back from the ReGen team is colourist JP Bove, doing an amazingly dusty and gritty (in the soil, dirt sense) job of the patina covering some otherwise quite flamboyant roboformers. I will never tire of looking at Guidi backgrounds filled in with Bove's technicolour magic, and there are some excellent sets in the issue.



Unfortunately, the review copy does not fully credit the letterer or editors for the issue, and has some general technical difficulties in the credit page layouts - nonetheless, The Unknown Letterer's work is, while very very subtle, pleasingly appropriate, keeping dialogue in place and a limited amount of background noise. As for the covers, we've seen all of them by now throughout the last couple of months, from the Alex Milne/Josh Perez one to the multiple Guidi variants (including the thumbnail one).


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

As a first issue, and as I mentioned above, Drift: Empire of Stone #1 is a harmless, easily paced, fairly well-dialogued and definitely good looking book, preparing a stage that so far has very little impact on the wider universe of the Transformers, but according to solicits may change everything - again.



It does little more than that, however, other than re-establishing the at times quite moving relationship between Ratchet and Drift, and hopefully diving into more of Drift's story from this point onwards, as well as the presence of the Cybertronians we do find in the issue. Needless to say, I remain hopeful.

IDW Transformers Drift: Empire of Stone #1 Preview

Date: Tuesday, November 25th 2014 3:05am CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW

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Views: 35,990

And finally, are you ready for the return of your average Decepticon gunman turned Autobot swordsman with a spiritualist tendency? IDW Publishing has you covered this week! Find out below a full preview for the first issue of Drift: Empire of Stone, and head back to Seibertron.com for a review later this week!

Transformers: Drift: Empire of Stone #1 (of 4)—SPOTLIGHT
Shane McCarthy (w) • Guido Guidi (a) • Alex Milne (c)
DRIFT RETURNS! Last year, TRANSFORMERS readers were shocked when DRIFT left the AUTOBOTS in disgrace… and now he’s alone, on a mission to clean up the darkest depths of the galaxy—until RATCHET shows up to try to bring him home!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The creative team behind the classic—and best-selling—All Hail Megatron return to the character they introduced!
Ties directly in to the ongoing MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE series!
The fan-favorite character from the big screen returns to where he started—the comics page!
Artist’s Edition Variant cover by Guido Guidi!

IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Full Preview

Date: Tuesday, November 25th 2014 2:59am CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW

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Views: 35,452

Next up in terms of previews from IDW Publishing, Everything Is Fine. We swear. Don't believe us? Read the full preview for Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #35 below, then, and see what is happening in Cybertron's past. Then come back later this week for the Seibertron.com review. Which will be fine. Everything is.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35: Days of Deception
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a & c)
Days of Deception begins with… PEACE AND HAPPINESS! To be honest, there's not much we can say about this issue without giving away the life-changing events of last issue. What we can say is this: everything’s fine. There’s no conflict, no sadness, no angst. Why is this a problem?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
HOW FAR IS TOO FAR?
The fires of change drag CYBERTRON’s darkest secrets to light. Heroes become villains, enemies become allies, life becomes death… and history's revelations may tear the AUTOBOTS apart.