Transformers Comic Book News on Seibertron.com

Interview with John Barber and Kei Zama on IDW Optimus Prime Series

Date: Tuesday, December 13th 2016 1:53pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Interviews
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): Comicosity

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From comics and entertainment site Comicosity, we have another interview with creators John Barber and Kei Zama about their upcoming (i.e. tomorrow) first book together: Optimus Prime #1! Part of the post-Revolution phase in the IDWverse, Reconstruction, you can find out more about the book below and here, check out the full preview here, and read our review once the book is released.

AL: Based on the cover I can assume Optimus won’t be alone in this series. Can you discuss who will be working with and/or against him in the series?

JB: There’s a big supporting cast. He’s still got a team on Earth—Soundwave is at his side, and we really see what’s going on psychologically betweem them in issue 3. Optimus blackmailed Soundwave to join him back before Revolution, but Soundwave has essentially come over to Optimus’ side pretty completely. How strong the bond is, how deep the trust between Autobot and Decepticon can be, is a big question. There’s a flashback story going on through the first six issues that goes back to Pre-War Cybertron, and we see how Soundwave and Optimus (then called Orion Pax) first met… and how deep the trust and mistrust goes.

Arcee is on Optimus’ side, but she’s a little wary of what he’s doing. She’s been around a long time, and she’s seen a lot of stuff happen, and is worried about Optimus overstepping the boundaries of right and wrong; but she’s really struggling to see if there is a real boundary between those things.

Pyra Magna, who leads the team that combines into Victorion, is becoming more hostile toward Optimus—and really, with good reason. She’s a strong believer in the Primes, and in the meaning of the Matrix of Leadership, which Optimus holds but doesn’t believe is a holy object. Pyra thinks she should have the Matrix, and is disturbed by Optimus’ attitude toward it.

Plus we’ve got some other favorites, Aileron (who’s a new character we introduced in the Transformers series and who had a key role in Revolution), Jetfire, Sky Lynx, Jazz. And a new G.I. Joe team featuring some surprising characters will be on-scene in the first story. Plus, Thundercracker and his dog Buster are still out there somewhere.

One of the big new additions, though, are the Colonist Soldiers—these are Transformers from Cybertron’s colony worlds who are fiercely loyal to Optimus Prime, who see him as a True Prime, a sort of space messiah figure. They’ll follow him anywhere… and Pyra Magna, in particular, is disturbed by that.

[..]

AL: Kei, you’re working with one of the most recognizable characters in pop culture with Optimus Prime. From a design perspective, can you discuss what elements of Prime’s look you are tweaking to make the design your own?

Kei Zama: I’m so honored to be able to draw him. At the same time, I’m feeling pressure to draw a character that’s everyone’s hero.

I’m always trying to draw him to look “heavy.”

In actuality he has big heavy metal body but on top of that he has struggled from pre-war to the current era and is now carrying the future of the Earth and universe—I don’t express him emotionally so much, but try to give just a glimpse of his hidden emotions and aggression.

And I try to draw him as a warrior. Not just with Optimus Prime, though—I usually add many scratches, bullet wounds, and rust on everyone’s body.

AL: Can you discuss the process of giving each Transformer a visual personality? Is it a challenge at times to infuse them with emotion considering facial limitations or vehicle modes, etc.?

KZ: I always think it’s difficult to express their emotions on their face, because head-parts or helmets often cover their features. Then I’m trying to express by gesture and lights/shadows/shadings, not only facial expressions.

I don’t think about alt-modes deeply. Instead of alt-mode, I try to add various personality on the robot mode. In Japan, a lot of robot characters are often drawn handsome or cool. I feel that’s boring, so I try to draw their appearance in various ways. For example, the colonists that entered in Optimus Prime #1 each have an individualistic design. There’s a cute boy, bad looking guy, tough girl, etc. Especially Gimlet, who’s my favorite!

Preview of IDW Transformers: Till All Are One Volume 1 TPB

Date: Tuesday, December 13th 2016 12:28pm CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW

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Lost Light and Optimus Prime are not the only number 1 books to come out this week from IDW's Transformers output - the first volume of Transformers: Till All Are One is also hitting retail, in digital and print format, tomorrow, collecting the first four issues of the new ongoing series from Mairghread Scott and Sara Pitre Durocher. Check out the preview provided below!

Transformers: Till All Are One, Vol. 1
Mairghread Scott (w) • Sara Pitre-Durocher (a & c)
Starscream rules Cybertron. He and Windblade vie for control of the Council of Worlds, each aligning themselves with as many long-lost colonies as they can. But Starscream's secret police keep increasing the tension, destabilizing the fragile peace that has been established. Collects issues #1–4.
TPB • FC • $17.99 • 100 pages • ISBN: 978-1-63140-808-3

Bullet points:
“Till All Are One (has) the character of a novel or a prime time television series.” –Weekly Comic Book Review

#SWINDLELIVES

Full Preview of IDW Transformers: Lost Light #1

Date: Tuesday, December 13th 2016 3:12am CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW

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The new week brings us two fresh starts (more or less) in the IDW Transformers universe! Right here, we have the full preview of the highly anticipated continuation of the More Than Meets the Eye saga: Lost Light #1. Check it out below, join the discussion in the Energon Pub, and look out for our review after its release!

Transformers: Lost Light #1
James Roberts (w) • Jack Lawrence (a & c)
Five years ago, Rodimus and a collection of traumatised, lovelorn and/or sarcastic Autobots set off on a quest to find Cyberutopia. So far, they've made a right hash of it. They've misplaced their map. They've lost their ship, the Lost Light, to a mutinous escapologist. Oh, and they're dead.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99


Bullet points:
The crew from MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE might be dead, but the LOST LIGHT lives on!
Incredible artist Jack Lawrence (Skylanders, Micronauts) makes his Transformers debut with returning writer James Roberts (Transformers: MTMTE)!
Variant covers by Sara Pitre-Durocher, Sonny Liew, and Paul Pope!

Bad Wolf Comics Variant Cover for Lost Light #1 Revealed

Date: Monday, December 12th 2016 11:08am CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal | Credit(s): Bad Wolf Comics

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We continue on with this weeks comics news with the reveal of the first ever variant cover for Bad Wolf Comics in the form of a cover for Lost Light #1! The cover features Rodimus and Megatron, with the art done by Sajad Shah and coloring done by Juan Fernandez. You can check out the variant cover below, and remember to stay tuned for our Seibertron.com review of Lost Light #1, coming this Wednesday!

Transformers: Lost Light #1 is the first ever variant for Bad Wolf Comics. This cover features art by Sajad Shah and colors by Juan Fernandez

Alternate IDW Transformers #56 Cover Shown Off

Date: Monday, December 12th 2016 11:01am CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal | Credit(s): Josh Burcham @twitter

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Thanks to Josh Burcham on Twitter, we have a look at an alternate coloring for one of the Transformers #56 covers, originally drawn by Kei Zama. The original cover features a much grittier look at Optimus Prime and Soundwave that current IDW Optimus Prime ongoing artist Zama will be using, while the alternate coloration features a cleaner yet darker coloration. You can check out the original cover first followed by the alternate one below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below! And stay tuned: Optimus Prime #1 drops this week, so be prepared for our Seibertron.com review!

Full Preview of IDW Optimus Prime #1

Date: Sunday, December 11th 2016 1:37am CST
Category: Comic Book News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): CBR, IDW

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Another first issue of a new series, but not entirely new series, from IDW's take on the Transformers, comes in the shape of Optimus Prime #1 out in the new week! Follow the full preview below, as we continue from the end of Revolution into Reconstruction, and check out our review soon after the issue is released on Wednesday.

Optimus Prime #1
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a & c)
REVOLUTION is over—but the danger to Earth is just beginning. As OPTIMUS PRIME pulls Earth into the larger universe, he’s painted a target on Earth… and a new alien incursion begins when a corkscrew shaped craft drills into our world!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The next evolution of TRANSFORMERS is here!
OPTIMUS PRIME’s past on CYBERTRON haunts his present on Earth!
Amazing artist Kei Zama (Scarlett Witch) makes her debut with veteran writer John Barber (Transformers)!
Variant cover by Sara Pitre-Durocher, Sonny Lieu, and Paul Pope!

Timothy Lim Lineart for IDW Optimus Prime #1 RIPT Apparel Variant

Date: Saturday, December 10th 2016 2:04pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Company News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): RIPT Apparel

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As for the variant cover for Transformers: Lost Light #1 from IDW Publishing, Ript Apparel have also posted the clean lineart for their Timothy Ninjaink Lim variant for Optimus Prime #1 - with an early version of the writing on the wall (One Shall Stand, instead of final edit Are All One)! Check it out below.

RIPT exclusive Lost Light cover lineart revealed & Pre-Orders now available!

Date: Thursday, December 8th 2016 4:59pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Press Releases, Store News
Posted by: Kurona | Credit(s): RIPT Apparel

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Remember that awesome RIPT-exclusive cover for IDW's More Than Meets The Eye sequel Lost Light #1 from yesterday? Well, if you liked it, good news - RIPT has not only revealed their lineart for it, but they've put up Lost Light #1 with that exclusive cover up for pre-order! Not only that, but you can also pre-order Optimus Prime #1 - IDW's sequel to Robots in Disguise/The Transformers - with their exclusive cover in the same place, or both in a bundle for a slightly reduced price. You can pre-order both here, and take a look at the lineart below! And, as always, don't forget to drop a comment in the forums!

IDW Publishing To Establish Satellite Office In Portland - Press Release

Date: Thursday, December 8th 2016 1:43pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Press Releases, People News, Company News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): IDW

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While nothing strictly Transformers-specific, we just got news from IDW Publishing that they are in fact opening a second branch - or a satellite, as they call it - in Portland, Oregon! The offices will actually serve as a launch pad for a new imprint, and will be directed by Dirk Wood. Check out more below in the official press release.

IDW Publishing To Establish Satellite Office In Portland
VP of Marketing Dirk Wood To Spearhead Operations, Start New Imprint

San Diego, CA (December 8, 2016) – IDW Publishing is headed to Portland, Oregon! While the company’s main base of operations will remain in San Diego, IDW is officially branching out to the burgeoning comic book scene in Portland, establishing a beachhead for its new phase of development, headed up by VP of Marketing, Dirk Wood.

Wood will serve as Creative Director for Woodworks, a brand new imprint of IDW to be run out of the Portland office. Woodworks will consist primarily of a new line of books, anchored by a high-end, curated magazine, featuring contributions by, and conversations with, the most talented and diverse creators in the industry. While the primary focus will be comics, it will also have a dash of general entertainment and culture features; film, TV, art, music, history, and more. Further details will be unveiled in the coming weeks as this budding line continues to develop.

“This was born from a conversation that Ted Adams and I had,” said Wood, “We were talking about our similar taste in books, and some of the projects we’d like to see happen. This led to talk about the incredible comics scene that’s taking off in Portland, and how we should be a part of it. Suddenly, we realized that these two thoughts fit each other perfectly. To be able to start this new chapter of the company I love, and expand our reach into the hometown that I love, is an incredible opportunity. I can’t wait to get started.”

IDW Publisher and CEO Ted Adams adds, “Dirk and I are both Oregonians -- we even went to the same university in Southern Oregon -- and this new line will represent the independent streak that's part of the DNA of everyone born there. That independence will include not just the books and magazines we make but also in the way we get them into the hands of readers. As everyone who has met him knows, Dirk is a one-of-a-kind talent and I can't wait to get started on this new venture with him.”

In addition to this exciting endeavor, Wood will be staying on with IDW in an advisory role concerning Trade Shows and Marketing, particularly as it relates to the Direct Comic Market.

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About IDW
IDW Media Holdings, Inc. (OTC:IDWM) is a fully integrated media company, which includes publishing, games, entertainment, and the San Diego Comic Art Gallery.

IDW Publishing’s comic book and graphic novel catalog includes some of the world’s most popular entertainment brands, including Transformers, My Little Pony, Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, and Disney’s classic characters. At IDW’s core is its commitment to creator-owned comics including 30 Days of Night, Locke & Key, Wormwood, Ragnarök, V-Wars, and Archangel by bestselling sci-fi author William Gibson.

IDW Publishing is also home to the acclaimed and award-winning imprints; Top Shelf, The Library of American Comics, Yoe! Books, and Artist Editions, showcasing the greatest original art ever published in American comic books.

IDW Games’ diverse line-up includes the international phenomenon Machi Koro, as well as hit licensed games such as X-Files, Back to the Future, The Godfather, and TMNT.

IDW Entertainment currently serves as the worldwide distributor of Wynonna Earp airing on the Syfy Channel in the U.S. and is producing BBC America’s Dirk Gently, based the best seller by Douglas Adams starring Elijah Wood and Sam Barnett, and Brooklyn Animal Control for USA Network.

IDW Transformers: Revolution: More Than Meets The Eye Review

Date: Wednesday, December 7th 2016 5:52pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: ScottyP

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Let's get one thing straight right off the bat when it comes to this final Revolution tie-in one-shot: it's of extreme importance to both the Transformers as well as the shared Hasbro universe being created by IDW. There are stakes, meaningful actions with meaningful consequences, and more snooker references than you can fit in your pocket.


Now that the forewarnings have been tabled, let's take a quick snapshot of where our heroes are at the start of this issue. They are all probably, definitely, almost irrevocably dead, and definitely not coming back next week in a new issue number one. Definitely not.

With Prowl hanging out with Cerebros, Fortress Maximus, and Red Alert, that leaves the Scavengers to pick up the plot and go to Earth. Crankcase is getting set to meet up with an online chat room friend, and the Energon Goodies are chalked and ready.


What they find waiting for them ends up being more than they bargained for, closing back in on a plot from the Furman-era of IDW that was long thought to be over, finished. Right on cue, things ricochet in completely unanticipated ways.


It can't be understated how significant the main reveal of this Revolution edition of More Than Meets The Eye is. Not only does it bring back a popular but fearsome character, it neatly ties together every aspect of the crossover, closing up plot-holes and nicely calling its shot for the last ball that clears the rack and readies this universe for what's to come.


There are more amazingly well placed references to other franchises than you can shake a stick at, with immediate fan favorite G.I. Joe character MP3 being assigned one of the most famous and ubiquitous of Action Force gadgets. It's moments like this one that show how well studied both authors, Nick Roche and James Roberts, are when it comes to the franchises involved in this incredibly well received event series.


The tremendous pacing of the issue allows the story time to work, with the scope of events being illustrated effectively in a way that brings some genuine emotion. For the people of Earth, things may never be the same again, especially since this is the first time any city in the United States has ever been destroyed in any way in the IDW Transformers fiction.


Just when things can't seem to get any worse, the power of the crossover comes full force. The organic yet infinitely complex details of the years long build to Revolution pay off in a big way, and in one masterstroke of plotting, the entire purpose of this three month long, 13 issue event becomes as clear as the right angle for a corner shot.



On a lighter note, Alex Milne's art is crisp throughout, with panels like the one below this paragraph conveying a fantastic sense of motion. This is not the only example of the dynamic framing and posing that takes place, and Joana Lafuente's colors help define the settings in distinctive ways. Chris Mowry handles the letters for this book, and has not only done well, but really really well in one particular instance dealing with a dire wraith. Full credits and images of all the covers are available at this link for the book in our Comics Series Resources.




There's a reason this writing team is held in such high regard, and this issue again makes it clear exactly why that is. They'll always be held to the gold standard of their own creation, but will they ever come close to capturing that magic again?


I think they did, and they may have even surpassed their past achievements. We won't soon forget this one. Hold on to your butts and call your loved ones - Transformers, nay, comics themselves just changed forever.



(Actual review: this issue is a fantastic work of comic relief that manages to move along one major Transformers character's story line in a meaningful way. Be prepared going in to have a good time and you certainly will. Readers should also know that this issue stands alone in a way where no prior reading of other Revolution books is required. The paragraph about the art above is genuine, it's really good. 5 out of 5 is also the real score.)