Full Preview of IDW First Strike #0 (Spoilers), Plus New Visionaries Series Possibly Confirmed

"So that's what happened to Blitzwing"

Still waiting for Zoids to come back

I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't "toss out Revolution's main inciting conflict, drone on about Onyx's MacGuffin, and get set for the fourth doom-crisis to hit Cybertron in the past year."

The unexpected nature of the apparent crux of First Strike's high level plot would be good, if only said plot actually was. This looks bad and I can't imagine anyone reading this preview and going "wow, better go put in my subs!"

leokearon wrote:Still waiting for Zoids to come back

Maybe they'll make a return with Grimlock and MP3. And Brandon.

From everything we've seen, it looks like Revolutionaries was designed to flow right into First Strike. And if since we're getting Visionaries after the event and General Blitz is talking about magic, I love the idea that the Talisman has a connection to the magical light. It certainly lines up when you consider that the individual Visionaries all have animal motifs, so tying them into Onyx in the same way Micronus was tied into the Micronauts works.

ScottyP wrote:I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't "toss out Revolution's main inciting conflict, drone on about Onyx's MacGuffin, and get set for the fourth doom-crisis to hit Cybertron in the past year."

The unexpected nature of the apparent crux of First Strike's high level plot would be good, if only said plot actually was. This looks bad and I can't imagine anyone reading this preview and going "wow, better go put in my subs!"

leokearon wrote:Still waiting for Zoids to come back

Maybe they'll make a return with Grimlock and MP3. And Brandon.

What was Revolution's inciting conflict and how are they throwing it out? Not criticizing, I never bothered to read revolution.

I need a clean version of this for my phone wallpaper stat!



But for the time being, this will make due.

ricemazter wrote:

ScottyP wrote:I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't "toss out Revolution's main inciting conflict, drone on about Onyx's MacGuffin, and get set for the fourth doom-crisis to hit Cybertron in the past year."

The unexpected nature of the apparent crux of First Strike's high level plot would be good, if only said plot actually was. This looks bad and I can't imagine anyone reading this preview and going "wow, better go put in my subs!"

leokearon wrote:Still waiting for Zoids to come back

Maybe they'll make a return with Grimlock and MP3. And Brandon.

What was Revolution's inciting conflict and how are they throwing it out? Not critzicizing, I never bothered to read revolution.

Rom killed Joe Colton. Snowball started down the hill from there.

Slightly longer version with important context: Rom killed a Dire Wraith that had taken over the body of Joe Colton, meaning he was dead already.

This throws out that idea which cheapens it for me, and also makes me less interested in the Joe side of things. This is because the way Rev presented the Joes, which then progressed through the new book, was as a smaller group of characters without too much continuity baggage to go dig into.

Is there really much continuity baggage with Colton that wasn't made clear in Revolution/Revolutionaries? He's the original G.I. Joe and former head of the G.I. Joe team. That's all you really need to know. Hell, Colton only showed up with the third Joe series, while Scarlett has been there since day one.

None of my local comic shops got this!

You can get it for free here http://www.idwpublishing.com/product/first-strike-0/

Blitzwing, you deserved so much more than to only show up in awful crossover events getting tortured

Gotta love everyone saying something is awful before its even come out.

Daniel Adkins wrote:Gotta love everyone saying something is awful before its even come out.

Revolution was bad, basically everything involved with the transformers since the hasbro universe kicked off has been crap. It's annoying and the universe should really have not been done, or at least given another full year or 2 before they even attempted it.

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Daniel Adkins wrote:Gotta love everyone saying something is awful before its even come out.

Revolution was bad, basically everything involved with the transformers since the hasbro universe kicked off has been crap. It's annoying and the universe should really have not been done, or at least given another full year or 2 before they even attempted it.

Well you might be able to guess my feelings on the Hasbro Universe based on my signature, but I'm gonna have to disagree with you. Revolution was a fun, bombastic event that had the feel of what we all did when we were little kids, mixing our toys up. It had problems here and there, but it was overall solid. Revolutionaries has been a fantastic title since the beginning and has really helped to flesh out the universe. Optimus Prime has been really solid and enjoyable, while Lost Light has just been more of the mediocrity that started to show towards the end of MTMTE Season 2. And of course, TAAO continued to prove to be incredible with really great character driven stories.
And with the exception of MASK (which is utter garbage) the rest of the Hasbro Universe line has been pretty solid. ROM is great, Micronauts is fun (even if poorly paced at times), and G.I. Joe is really fun, going for more sci-fi action than the realistic military stuff that always put me off from Joe.
What specifically about First Strike looks so awful to you?

Personally speaking I thought Revolution was the worst story IDW's main Transformers continuity has ever put out. Yes, even above All Hail Megatron. Yes, possibly even above Transformers/Avengers. It's thankfully not as bad a comic as, say, Dreamwave; but it's still pretty dire.

Despite that, I kind of love the expanded universe - they've handled it and the crossing over material pretty well so far with only a few outstanding annoyances like Skywarp in GI Joe. The only title affected by it in any way is OP, which so far is only affected by it in extremely minor ways beyond the loss of Skywarp and Kup (who weren't big players to begin with and I much prefer Kup in Revolutionaries anyway), and along with TAAO that ongoing has managed to beat all expectations this year. Lost Light, I'll give you, this hasn't been a particularly good arc (in fact unless we count Dark Cybertron, it might just be the worst in MTMTE/LL's run), but that's nothing to do with the expanded universe.

That said, I'm not looking forward to First Strike as it's looking to be how to do a crossover in the worst possible way. I'm not really able to sum up my thoughts on why this is at the moment aside from the fact that they really shouldn't be following in Marvel's footsteps and doing another huge event comic this quickly no matter how good it is (especially with, apparently, a THIRD huge event crossover planned for 2018). I just wanted to say that as someone who actually enjoys the Hasbroverse for what it is, how it's proven itself in Revolutionaries, how it's shown to not be intrusive in the slightest with OP and the potential it has and as someone who has enjoyed all three Transformers comics this year to varying degrees (four if we count Revolutionaries), I'm not looking forward to First Strike, nor did I enjoy Revolution in the slightest nor do I support the constant yearly event crossovers no matter how much I ardently defend the Hasbroverse. It's getting to a point of frustration and being hard to follow. And I really, really, REALLY do not like that Transformers readers are being forced to care about 5 entirely different franchises which have barely had a chance to live yet. It would be one thing if they'd been around for 3 or 4 years before another crossover happened and we'd gotten a chance to get used to them and the universe; but these are just coming at us so hard and fast it's difficult to accept this as anything but a forced sales push.

And I'm not just saying this as someone who loves Transformers and wants the other franchises to just go away and not interfere in my sacred temple of alien robots. This isn't good for any of the comics involved. Since most only just started in late 2015, they're barely getting any time to develop as their own thing before getting pushed into crossover hell and huge, all-encompassing important events. Even if the comics are good - and a fair majority are better than a lot of people give them credit for - whatever unique identities they have are quickly washed away into a tide of big, important all-encompassing You Must Read This It Is Huge events rather than being allowed to evolve and grow as their own thing. This isn't good for anyone whether they're a Transformers fan, a ROM fan, or someone from outside who just wants to read a decent fucking comic. Optimus Prime, Action Man and Micronauts are all comics I really want to recommend to my friends who don't know their Shockwaves from their Bumblebees, but exactly how enticing is it going to be when the reading order I give them involves so many crossovers that they have to read to know what the bleedin' hell is going on? It's not exciting to get into a new comic and only four issues in having to get involved in a huge crossover involving 5 other comics which you might not have even heard of. And it's not fun having to do the same thing twelve issues later either!

I have to honest, most of my problems here stem from the fact that it's happening so soon. If this crossover was happening in 2021 instead of now, I'd be far, FAR more excited for it! You know why? Because by that point, all these comics would have had time to breathe. I would have had time to read and appreciate ROM, GI Joe etc. on their own as their own individual stories without crossovers interrupting every few issues. I would have grown to love them and the unique identities they had developed. And I would be really friggin' excited to see all those unique identities collaborate together on something truly special that doesn't come around often.



I remember watching a review not so long ago of the Superman vs. Spiderman comic. One of the things specifically brought up in that review due to the comic apparently being a very good example of it was how to do a fight scene. A bad fight scene has just punch after punch after punch with no breaks; where everything is huge and exaggerated and it just gets boring quickly. With Superman vs. Spiderman, you see the wind-up and THEN the punch. You're allowed to see what gives these hits weight, and because they're spaced out much more they hence have the impact they're supposed to have and feel much more important than if they were just one after another.
And I feel the same should be applied to how you treat crossovers. We have to let the comics develop on their own to know WHY them having an event together is important; why it's so significant that this ROM character is fighting this GI Joe character or why we should care about this MASK character working with Optimus Prime. The wind-up, and then the punch. But right now that does not seem to be the Hasbroverse's policy. Its policy is punch, punch, punch, punch, punch.

Excellent points, Kurona. I can definitely understand the fear of event fatigue. But I have faith in IDW, especially since they've said that they planned this out in advanced.

Btw, we now have advanced solicits for the October issues. https://www.newsarama.com/34891-transfo ... trike.html I love seeing Ayana/Mayday and Arcee teaming up!

Daniel Adkins wrote:Excellent points, Kurona. I can definitely understand the fear of event fatigue. But I have faith in IDW, especially since they've said that they planned this out in advanced.

Btw, we now have advanced solicits for the October issues. https://www.newsarama.com/34891-transfo ... trike.html I love seeing Ayana/Mayday and Arcee teaming up!

Yupyup; don't take this as me giving up on IDW - they've gained my trust immensely with three excellent Transformers ongoings (and a fair few Hasbroverse ongoings!), so even if this is a terrible schedule and gives us no time to breathe; I'm still gonna be following. Still love these stories, just these constant events gets on my nerve

Niiiice, I like Ayana

If you have not already had a chance to check out the series, IDW is offering a Free Digital Download of First Strike #0. We don't know how long this free deal will be available, so get it while you can!

The Transformers are a massively powerful, ancient alien race that has been warring with itself for millions of years. That war has brought death and destruction to every planet it has touched. And now, The Transformers have annexed earth into their galactic empire. History tells us this could be a problem. What, if anything, can one person do to save a planet? What sacrifices must be made to save mankind? …How do you destroy all The Transformers?

Some thoughts i had on First Strike what could be a head....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt3hq82LWPI

I'm a little more OK with Krieger and Ironblood as credible villains now that I looked into the Binaltech connection. If they're planning to invade using some permutation of that idea (sparks or souls or something in TF or TF-like bodies) that could be a cool thing. Possibly how Shazraella gets to be how she looks on one of those covers?

Alternately , dig up those Eukarians and use their sparks, perhaps? There are Binaltech/Alternity/etc designs for Shockwave, OP, Prowl, Bee, and Ironhide/Ratchet (using Broadcast) all ready to go.

Daniel Adkins wrote:Gotta love everyone saying something is awful before its even come out.

This is just how us Transformers fans are. Despite any early, high level misgivings, I'm subbed for this at my LCS, will follow it obsessively, and reserve the right to totally change my mind and say it's the Best Thing Ever at a moment's notice

To put it another way, my opinions are like alt modes sometimes.

ScottyP wrote:I'm a little more OK with Krieger and Ironblood as credible villains now that I looked into the Binaltech connection. If they're planning to invade using some permutation of that idea (sparks or souls or something in TF or TF-like bodies) that could be a cool thing. Possibly how Shazraella gets to be how she looks on one of those covers?

Alternately , dig up those Eukarians and use their sparks, perhaps? There are Binaltech/Alternity/etc designs for Shockwave, OP, Prowl, Bee, and Ironhide/Ratchet (using Broadcast) all ready to go.

Now see, the Binaltech idea is awesome and I hope they go for it... but while I do like the Binaltech toy bodies, why would you not want to see the badass HoS Steampunk Transformers fighting?!

Kurona wrote:Now see, the Binaltech idea is awesome and I hope they go for it... but while I do like the Binaltech toy bodies, why would you not want to see the badass HoS Steampunk Transformers fighting?!

That would be fine too! But if I had to come up with a reason for Binaltech > HoS, it'd be that HoS has a miniseries already.

Of course, most (if not all) of the Axalon crew were destroyed by Centurion.

According to the last page, Visionaries #1 is out in December (it's what's written under 'Classified'), which is exciting. (It's possibly also why they're seeding the theme of magic in this issue.) I truly hope they put a good writer on Visionaries - IDW has to be beginning to realise they can't successfully reboot dead franchises with uninspired, average content.

Courtesy of Newsarama we have the solicits for IDW Publishing's comics due for release in October 2017 (Confusingly. September's material can be seen here and here.) - though not the entirety of them, as these are mostly related to the Hasbro Universe First Strike event, featuring Rom, MASK, and Transformers. Check it all out below!

M.A.S.K.: First Strike #1—Cover A: Drew Johnson—SPOTLIGHT
Aubrey Sitterson (w) • Ilias Kyriazis (a) • Drew Johnson (c)
VENOM’s showdown with the G.I. Joe team continues as transforming vehicles, robotic ninjas and explosions threaten to bring the mission to a deadly end!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Expected in-store date: 10/18/17

M.A.S.K.: First Strike #1—Cover B: Ilias Kyriazis
Aubrey Sitterson (w) • Ilias Kyriazis (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Expected in-store date: 10/18/17

*Retailer incentives:
Order 10 copies, get one free variant cover by Nick Bradshaw!

Bullet points:
· Tying into the events of First Strike—A Hasbro Comic Book Event!
· The second part of G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K.’s story—continued from last month’s G.I. Joe: First Strike #1!

Rom: First Strike #1—Cover A: Nelson Daniel—SPOTLIGHT
Christos Gage (w) • Chris Panda (a) • Nelson Daniel (c)
Rom’s team-up with the Micronauts leads our heroes right to the Dire Wraiths… and their new microscopic threat!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Expected in-store date: 10/4/17

Rom: First Strike #1—Cover B: Chris Panda
Christos Gage (w) • Chris Panda (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Expected in-store date: 10/4/17

*Retailer incentives:
Order 10 copies, get one free variant cover by Nick Bradshaw!

Bullet points:
· Tying into the events of First Strike—A Hasbro Comic Book Event!
· The second part of the Micronauts and Rom’s story—continued from last month’s Micronauts: First Strike #1!

Transformers: First Strike #1—Cover A: Sara Pitre-Durocher
John Barber (w) • Guido Guidi (a) • Sara Pitre-Durocher (c)
Continued from Optimus Prime: First Strike! When a bounty hunter drags one of their own into the wilds of Cybertron, the Revolutionaries join forces with Arcee and pursue! But in the midst of war, can humans and Cybertronians put aside their differences, or has the invasion of Cybertron doomed any chance at peace?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Expected in-store date: 10/18/17

Transformers: First Strike #1—Cover B: Guido Guidi
John Barber (w) • Guido Guidi (a) • Guido Guidi (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Expected in-store date: 10/18/17

*Retailer incentives:
Order 10 copies, get one free variant cover by Nick Bradshaw!

Bullet points:
· Tying into the events of First Strike—A Hasbro Comic Book Event!
· The second part of the Optimus Prime and the Revolutionaries story—continued from last month’s Optimus Prime: First Strike #1!

Guessing the bounty hunter mentioned is Sandstorm?

While we have received and seen plenty of information already for the First Strike event - a Hasbro Universe crossover with IDW Publishing's comics - we have also the official launch press release courtesy of IDW directly! Check it out below.

The Plot To Destroy ALL Transformers Has Begun!
IDW Publishing Presents “First Strike” – A Hasbro Comic Book Event

San Diego, CA (June 19, 2017) – This August, General Joe Colton, the original G.I. JOE, will take the fight directly to the TRANSFORMERS home world of Cybertron in the Hasbro Comic Book Event of 2017 – First Strike!

This six-part, bi-weekly series will feature the talents of writers Mairghread Scott (TRANSFORMERS) and David A. Rodriguez (SKYLANDERS), with art by Max Dunbar (DUNGEONS & DRAGONS), and colors by Ander Zarate (MICRONAUTS).

Earth’s heroes have united after the explosive events of last year’s REVOLUTION! Bringing together G.I. JOE, ROM, the MICRONAUTS, M.A.S.K.: MOBILE ARMORED STRIKE KOMMAND, ACTION MAN, and the TRANSFORMERS, Earth has never been more secure now that it has become a member of the Council of Worlds due to Optimus Prime’s leadership.

But oversight and control isn’t what everyone wants; especially when that control is in the hands of alien forces…

The premiere season of post-REVOLUTION titles are heading towards their natural conclusions to make room for First Strike so fans can enjoy the action in one place (and go easy on their wallets during the event)! In addition to the main series, six additional one-shots will set the stage for the second season of the Hasbro comic universe, where fans will witness their favorite characters forming new alliances, paving the way for exciting adventures to come.

Look for Micronauts: First Strike, by Christos Gage and Chris Panda, G.I. Joe: First Strike, by Aubrey Sitterson and Ilias Kyriazis, and Optimus Prime: First Strike by John Barber and Guido Guidi in September.

M.A.S.K.: MOBILE ARMORED STRIKE KOMMAND.: First Strike, by Aubrey Sitterson and Ilias Kyriazis, Rom: First Strike, by by Christos Gage and Chris Panda, and TRANSFORMERS: First Strike by John Barber and Guido Guidi will follow in October.

These one-shots will explore more corners of the event for completest readers who just can’t get enough, while also providing a glimpse into what the future will bring for our heroes when the dust settles on the scorched planet of Cybertron at the conclusion of First Strike.

IDW’s Editor-in-Chief, David Hedgecock says, “This is what REVOLUTION has been building towards over the past year. It’s been an exciting first season of action in the Hasbro shared universe which laid the foundation for all-new stories and adventures, but now with FIRST STRIKE, we’re shaking things up and, once again, disrupting the status quo forever. It’s a perfect time for readers, new and old, to jump on board and join us for one raucously fun ride!”

The event kicks off in First Strike #0, now available as a GIVEAWAY in comic shops (ask your local retailer) and online at idwpublishing.com/first-strike. Inside you’ll discover more of what Joe Colton is plotting against the TRANSFORMERS and what our Earth’s heroes are up against! (Available while supplies last.)

In the back of the #0 issue, you’ll find a handy checklist for the entire event running through October, as well as a couple new #1s scheduled for November and December titled G.I. JOE: UNMASKED and ROM & THE MICRONAUTS, respectively. Keep checking the IDW site, as well as following IDW on social media, as more info about these exciting new titles becomes available!


About IDW
IDW Media Holdings, Inc. (OCTQX: 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 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 on the bestseller by Douglas Adams starring Elijah Wood and Samuel Barnett.

About Hasbro
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World's Best Play Experiences. From toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming and consumer products, Hasbro offers a variety of ways for audiences to experience its iconic brands, including NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, LITTLEST PET SHOP and MAGIC: THE GATHERING, as well as premier partner brands. The Company's Hasbro Studios and its film label, Allspark Pictures, are building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Through its commitment to corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to make the world a better place for children and their families. Hasbro ranked No. 1 on the 2017 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine, and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere Institute for the past six years. Learn more at www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews) and Instagram (@Hasbro).

The premiere season of post-REVOLUTION titles are heading towards their natural conclusions

No.

Peace out, IDW.

RNSrobot wrote:

The premiere season of post-REVOLUTION titles are heading towards their natural conclusions

No.

Peace out, IDW.

Wait, why? Is it 'coz these comics are closing their primary story arcs? And if so, why?

Courtesy of Syfy.com, we have some more detailed information about the upcoming First Strike comics event from IDW Publishing and featuring pretty much the entirety of the current Hasbro Universe - plus the tease for Visionaries once the event comes to a close. The article brings us an interview with the two writers on the series, Mairghread Scott and David Rodriguez, artist Max Dunbar, and editor David Hedgecock, plus an unlettered preview of the first issue, and some covers (some we've seen, some we've not, like the thumbnailed First Strike #2 by Leonardo Manco). Check out some relevant snippets below, and head here for more!

Since First Strike is the second story in a trilogy with the Hasbro universe, is it packaged in a way that will allow newcomers to come in fresh, not having read Revolution? Folks still have time to catch up, but what’s the important stuff to know going in?

DR: I think the series works as a jumping on point without needing much catch up. The events that the reader really needs to know is that at some point in the past, Optimus Prime annexed Earth and begged forgiveness (not really) rather than asked permission. This rubbed a lot of folks the wrong way. But now Earth is getting a seat at the big kids' table on Cybertron and joining the council of worlds. But Colton, and some other upstanding citizens of the planet, decide that the risk is too great. The Cybertronians are an immediate threat and need to be dealt with. And even if you don’t know that, we set this up in the early pages of the series.

MS: The Davids and I have done everything possible to make this event very new-reader friendly. We add little things like captions to introduce a character the first time they show up and David Rodriguez and I have made sure the dialogue gives you a great sense of who these people are and what they want right off the bat. That said, if you like earning extra credit, you should check out Revolution from last year, the current G.I. Joe comics, Revolutionaries, Optimus Prime, and Till All Are One. I am 100% biased, but definitely read all of Till All Are One just because we’ve had a grand old time doing robot politics.

[...]

Will Cybertron give the Transformer characters an upper hand going in? Quoting a line in your zero issue, are the characters from G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K. for example, going to be out of their weight class?

MS: I think the Transformers are at a huge disadvantage. Joe Colton has been studying how to defeat them for years; he is a master strategist and has planned a decisive first strike (Get it?) to knock them completely off balance. They also have to try to fight off the villains while protecting their home and civilians. Transformers may be in a whole other weight class, but they have never dealt with a foe quite like Joe Colton, which is why Scarlett becomes so important, because no one knows Joe quite like her.

DR: I think it hinders the Cybertronians at first because it is SO outside of their personal reality. A human invasion of Cybertron isn’t really something they’ve ever considered, and even while it’s happening, they are still sort of like “well damn, we’ve got termites, we ought to do something about that.” And that’s the teeny tiny advantage Colton exploits to get the jump on them. But that only lasts so long before the Transformers remind everyone just how deadly 30-foot war machines can be.

[...]

Can we expect more titles besides the announced one-shots bridging this to the third act, presumably next year? After all, Revolution was just short of 30 comics after all of the one-shots and tie-ins were tallied.

DR: I’m sure one of our lovely editors would LOVE to answer this question.

MS: Hedgecock?

David Hedgecock: Everything you need to enjoy FIRST STRIKE is contained within the mini-series and the one-shots. Coming out of the event, we have all-new, exciting storylines that will be new-reader-friendly!

I'm so pumped for this series!

A Waspinator sighting? Nothing good comes of this. The universe hates Waspinator :'(

i gotta confess.

ive given up.

i couldnt collect the "lost light" cause no store in my country got a copy of that till issue three and ive decided to drop OP with issue 6.

its just fecking overkill.

i was initially pumped for a shared hasbro universe. but the whole things become Faaaaar too intrusive for my liking . christ its taking me back to the worst excess's of the X-book in the mid 90s

and i loath the art.

sorry but IDW had a hard time getting a decent team on two TF books. it simply IMO doesnt have the artists to do justice to the sudden explosion of titles.

looking at the previews/covers for "first strike" is like being caught in the rob liefeld "extreme studios" days again . and THEY werent fecking good !

ok youve got the odd lad that looks like he worked at homage studios but in the main its nowhere NEAR the quailty we were getting with milne and co.

so im out.

i'll pick up OP and LL in trade form as its much cheaper and i can deal with the substandard art at that price point. but right now the only books im looking at is stuff like "salvation" and the TF/ROM crossover which seems Faaar more organic an idea than this thing.

its a pity as ive been with IDW since the infiltration 0 and credit them with some of the BEST work on the characters thats ever been done.

but what looks like the dictate of hasbro has led to the plot being lost IMO. I dont WANT this universe to crash and burn, but after what i saw happen at marvel in the 90s it doesnt bode well for where things are going as things feel EXACTLY like that.

Though not entirely new images - as we've seen the same art in the unlettered preview here - IGN has posted a quick motion comic teaser for the upcoming IDW Publishing crossover event First Strike, taking on all of the Hasbro Universe casts so far. You can check out MASK, GI Joe, Micronauts, Rom, and of course Transformers, in the brief clip below!

Sorry Im way late to the party on this, was on vacation last week and spent yesterday trying to play catch up, including getting my monthly comics and looking at solicitations for future ones.

So I have a question....With last years Revolution event, we got a *Revolution* comic in lieu of a regular series entry in a single month (i.e. we got TAAO #4, then the next month TAAO Rev #1, then the next month TAAO #5). With First Strike however it appears we will be getting an Optimus Prime First Strike #1, and Optimus Prime #11 in the same month (September supposedly...) do I have that correct?

o.supreme wrote:Sorry Im way late to the party on this, was on vacation last week and spent yesterday trying to play catch up, including getting my monthly comics and looking at solicitations for future ones.

So I have a question....With last years Revolution event, we got a *Revolution* comic in lieu of a regular series entry in a single month (i.e. we got TAAO #4, then the next month TAAO Rev #1, then the next month TAAO #5). With First Strike however it appears we will be getting an Optimus Prime First Strike #1, and Optimus Prime #11 in the same month (September supposedly...) do I have that correct?

Yup, OP #11 deals with the team that was left on earth.

We have some more news on IDW Publishing's Hasbro Universe comics crossover event First Strike, starting this September, via the website Dynamic Forces, who were able to have a chat with current editor David Hedgecock! The full interview can be found here, but we've highlighted some snippets below too, covering the main plot of the event, the factions, the motives, and more! Check it out.

DF: It is so hard to have peace in any comic book universe, but the IDW/Hasbro Earth was on the verge of joining the Cybertronian Council of Worlds … not unlike the Earth of the Star Trek universe when it was initiated into the United Federation of Planets, to my mind. What goes wrong here?

David Hedgecock: The Transformers are members of a massively powerful ancient alien race that have been warring amongst themselves for millions of years. As the Transformers have spread out across the stars, that war has spread with them. No matter where the Transformers go, they bring death and destruction. The “peace” that the Transformers currently enjoy is but a breath in the grand scheme.

There are people on Earth who understand this. People who feel that Optimus Prime, by initiating Earth into the Council, has done nothing but paint a big red target on the planet and that our destruction is a foregone conclusion if something isn’t done. First Strike is about one man's mission to save his planet from what he feels is the greatest threat to humanity in its entire history, and his solution to save all of humankind... is to destroy all Transformers.

[...]

DF: David, there certainly seems enough action for two or three “events” in First Strike, but what can you tell us about the personal side of all of this? Who are the real POV characters here and what is/will become their motivations? What will give First Strike its heart?

David Hedgecock: Scarlett is really going to be the “heart” of this story. In the midst of all the chaos and destruction that will ensue, it’s Scarlett’s personal battle that may determine the true outcome and fate of two planets. I’m so amazed by what Mairghread Scott and David Rodriguez have been able to accomplish in this regard. These two writers have put together an event book worthy of the name, with all the explosions, destruction, and cyborg ninjas one would expect while still delivering a really compelling, heartfelt character piece with resonance and meaning. I’m in awe of both of them, truly!

DF: As August and this epic crossover approaches, is it possible to give readers new and established a road map of sorts as to where it starts and where it will go, title-wise?

David Hedgecock: August will see the “Season Finale” of several of our titles— G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K., Micronauts: Wrath of Karza, and Rom. These books are all coming to their natural conclusions and making way for the big First Strike event. We had several reasons for this but chief among them were two things— 1. All the stories were coming to their natural end for the “Season” and we needed to clear the decks for brand new material coming out of the event. 2. We didn’t want to ask our fans to buy more than what they were already comfortable with buying. With the event and its surrounding one-shots, we felt we had enough books in the market and didn’t want to ask our fans to buy MORE than what they might normally buy to be able to enjoy the “big” story we’ve created.

Via iTunes, we have the first short preview for the next big thing over at IDW Publishing and the Hasbro Universe: three pages for the upcoming First Strike event, featuring Transformers, GI Joe, MASK, Micronauts, Revolutionaries and more! The images have been enlarged and mirrored below, and we will expect a more substantial preview in the next week or so too - so stay tuned for more!

A Hasbro comic book event! A new era of peace is dawning as Earth formally joins the Cybertronian Council of Worlds. That is… until Baron Ironblood joins Destro, Storm Shadow and other nefarious villains in a terrorist attack on Iacon! As chaos takes hold on Cybertron, it will be left to Scarlett and the rest of G.I. Joe on Earth to discover the true purpose behind the attack before both worlds descend into all-out-war!

This looks great

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.

^I've been concerned about this for some time. I was wondering why Revolutionaries was like 3 months behind, and now TAAO is a month behind, but with both of those ending, I guess it doesn't matter. I keep hearing this is Diamond Distributing's fault and not IDW...but now I'm not convinced.

It's the most frustrating thing. Crossovers and scheduling; the two things IDW can't do.

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.

That's impressive! And horrifying!

Have IDW always been this bad at their scheduling. I know they have with their crossovers.

I think so, but it only became particularly noticeable with such a huge influx of books taking place in the same universe. Before Revolution, they only really had two constant ongoings to keep a track of -- MTMTE and ex-RiD.

Beyond that you had that one Drift mini - which is very fluid in where it takes place; you can read it anytime between Ratchet's departure from the Lost Light and Dying of the Light - ; some books like Primacy which don't have any immediate connection to the cocurrent stories; the Dinobot stories which are their own self-contained thing so it doesn't matter all too much when they come out; and the Windblade books, which aside from actual crossover stuff, are also fairly fluid in where they take place and where you read them.

But now we've got all these books converging into a single point and which are supposed to have shared world events happening at the same time for them -- take for instance how much more involved the Council of Worlds have been with what Optimus is doing. We saw them in OP with references to Windblade being in some sense inactive and hence the Mistress of Flame having to take over for her; leaving a fair few of us who had been keeping up with both OP and TAAO very confused as to what was going on. The move from fluid continuity to solid continuity has done a fine job of exposing just how bad IDW is on the business side of things.

Fact: They don't have enough editors. This is the only actual reason they are behind like they are. Even then, most books are only a month behind, part of my earlier post embellishes a little - the original intention probably was that some of the finale books like Rev'aries 8, Rom 14, GI Joe 9, and MASK 10 were going to come out concurrently or just after First Strike started.

Another fact: These delays really started in earnest in December '16/January '17, and they never have gotten that month back. Some things have just slipped yet further.

My own speculation (not even a rumor, just me talking): I'm not sure they have a consistently available printer. But you know, a service company that prints comics, not literally an office printer. Just looking at some recent stuff I have Revolutionaries 6 and issue 2 of the Sourcebook that were printed in Korea, with Lost Light 8 having been printed in the US. I wouldn't have to go too deep into the pile of older stuff to find something printed in Canada.

Still operating on the lack of an embargo, we have a repeat of the full preview for IDW Publishing's Hasbro Universe First Strike comics crossover event - which we have seen before. What is new is the interview with writers Mairghread Scott and David Rodriguez, a brief one mind you, in the backmatter of the first issue of the Transformers meets GI Joe meets MASK meets Micronauts meets Rom the Spaceknight. Check it out below!

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.

Baffling how mairghread scott continues to get work. Awful writer.

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.

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.