IDW Transformers Comics in Japanese Translation - All Hail Megatron

Boy is Japan going to be disappointed.

but then they get better.

Didn't realize this was news, it's been on Japanese web shops for a while now. AmiAmi/HLJ/Amazon Japan

Emerje

That's a weird place to start. I guess they just want to get the bad stuff out of the way. I wonder if they are getting the earlier IDW stuff.

I know that it is incredibly unlikely, but I would be absolutely jazzed if this led to an eventual anime adaptation of the IDWverse Neo-G1 Transformers stuff.

Sweet mercy, is Japan really that self-loathing?

NuclearConvoy wrote:I know that it is incredibly unlikely, but I would be absolutely jazzed if this led to an eventual anime adaptation of the IDWverse Neo-G1 Transformers stuff.

That be pretty cool, but I have almost no hope for that happening.

I would actually be interested in getting some collections of TF manga and/or story pages if IDW ever wanted to do this in reverse.

A Gundan-tier Transformers show...bah gawd.

Is is bad that the first thing i thought when i saw this thread was we should apologize for giving them AHM?
I think I echo some other commenters that if at least they start here, it should be easy going after that.
Too bad LSoTW wasn't included to balance things out a bit.

Given all the negative reaction this news is getting, I think we're forgetting how big it actually is for IDW to be officially available in another language, especially with the Japanese readership!

Was AHM not as successful? Maybe. I liked it. I still do. Slow pacing? Sure. But as a one-volume read, to me, it works. And it sets the scene for everything that comes after it, Costa, Roberts, Barber, RID/MTMTE, Dark Cybertron, Drift, Scott, Windblade and Combiner Wars. It's a good place to start, without having to delve back into the -ations.

Va'al wrote:Given all the negative reaction this news is getting, I think we're forgetting how big it actually is for IDW to be officially available in another language, especially with the Japanese readership!

Was AHM not as successful? Maybe. I liked it. I still do. Slow pacing? Sure. But as a one-volume read, to me, it works. And it sets the scene for everything that comes after it, Costa, Roberts, Barber, RID/MTMTE, Dark Cybertron, Drift, Scott, Windblade and Combiner Wars. It's a good place to start, without having to delve back into the -ations.

But the -ations were great. And Stormbringer deserves translation as well.

NuclearConvoy wrote:

Va'al wrote:Given all the negative reaction this news is getting, I think we're forgetting how big it actually is for IDW to be officially available in another language, especially with the Japanese readership!

Was AHM not as successful? Maybe. I liked it. I still do. Slow pacing? Sure. But as a one-volume read, to me, it works. And it sets the scene for everything that comes after it, Costa, Roberts, Barber, RID/MTMTE, Dark Cybertron, Drift, Scott, Windblade and Combiner Wars. It's a good place to start, without having to delve back into the -ations.

But the -ations were great. And Stormbringer deserves translation as well.

I am not saying they're not! I adore Stormbringer with a passion.
What I'm trying to say is that, for a coherent, continuing market of translation, the story might want to take precedence - with Combiner Wars currently about to take place, AHM is a good place to start. Heck, they could even skip the 2009-11 ongoing, and re-start from Death of Optimus Prime (maybe with a summary of sorts).

We'll see how it develops, of course. All I'm really trying to claim here is that I more or less agree with AHM as a starting point for a new readership.

Va'al wrote:

NuclearConvoy wrote:

Va'al wrote:Given all the negative reaction this news is getting, I think we're forgetting how big it actually is for IDW to be officially available in another language, especially with the Japanese readership!

Was AHM not as successful? Maybe. I liked it. I still do. Slow pacing? Sure. But as a one-volume read, to me, it works. And it sets the scene for everything that comes after it, Costa, Roberts, Barber, RID/MTMTE, Dark Cybertron, Drift, Scott, Windblade and Combiner Wars. It's a good place to start, without having to delve back into the -ations.

But the -ations were great. And Stormbringer deserves translation as well.

I am not saying they're not! I adore Stormbringer with a passion.
What I'm trying to say is that, for a coherent, continuing market of translation, the story might want to take precedence - with Combiner Wars currently about to take place, AHM is a good place to start. Heck, they could even skip the 2009-11 ongoing, and re-start from Death of Optimus Prime (maybe with a summary of sorts).

We'll see how it develops, of course. All I'm really trying to claim here is that I more or less agree with AHM as a starting point for a new readership.

Considering I sank my money into buying all of AHM monthly and then felt so displeased with my purchases that I didn't buy any Transformers comics until I started picking up the MTMTE trades, I don't know if I would agree. It actually killed my interest in Transformers fiction for years. I'll give it some credit in that there were a few scenes and a few characterizations I enjoyed during the run, but overall I found it to be worse than the live-action movies.

I'm just going to offer a friendly shrug at that, I don't want to argue on tastes.

I do think that as a monthly it did not work, and your example helps reinforce that point, as well as echoing many others. As I said though, encountering it a collected story did not give me the same reaction, at all.

Maybe Japan just has a taste for poorly-received American TF comics. The last G1-based comics they got translated into Japanese over there were the two Pat Lee-drawn Dreamwave G1 mini-series. (*shudders*)

Sabrblade wrote:Maybe Japan just has a taste for poorly-received American TF comics. The last G1-based comics they got translated into Japanese over there were the two Pat Lee-drawn Dreamwave G1 mini-series. (*shudders*)

Well it's Japan, if there's one thing they love it's stories on a slow boil. This will probably suit their tastes in story telling pretty well.

Remember what happened after they got those Dreamwave comics? EVERYTHING was Pat Lee insprired from reissue packaging to Revoltech figures. If history repeats itself with IDW we might be better off for it.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Maybe Japan just has a taste for poorly-received American TF comics. The last G1-based comics they got translated into Japanese over there were the two Pat Lee-drawn Dreamwave G1 mini-series. (*shudders*)

Well it's Japan, if there's one thing they love it's stories on a slow boil. This will probably suit their tastes in story telling pretty well.

Remember what happened after they got those Dreamwave comics? EVERYTHING was Pat Lee insprired from reissue packaging to Revoltech figures. If history repeats itself with IDW we might be better off for it.

Emerje

But only if the post-AHM stuff comes out will it be truly beneficial. AHM was the least exciting set of IDW Transformers designs, IMO.

Well, Takara (in association with Hasbro and IDW) did already give us some IDW-based toys back at the beginning of the Thrilling 30 subline imprint of the Generations line, as well as the comic-accurate TF: Legends Windblade figure.

Va'al wrote:Given all the negative reaction this news is getting, I think we're forgetting how big it actually is for IDW to be officially available in another language, especially with the Japanese readership!

Was AHM not as successful? Maybe. I liked it. I still do. Slow pacing? Sure. But as a one-volume read, to me, it works. And it sets the scene for everything that comes after it, Costa, Roberts, Barber, RID/MTMTE, Dark Cybertron, Drift, Scott, Windblade and Combiner Wars. It's a good place to start, without having to delve back into the -ations.

WW2 also set the scene for everything to come after it, it's still not a good thing though. Or a good jumping on point

Eh, this story is right up the alley for the Manga audience, big stupid overblown action scenes, massive city destroying action, pointless side characters and stories that only serve to pad the story out to it's 12 chapters. The only thing that's missing is everyone announcing their attacks (Fusion Canon Blast of DEATH, Prime Fist of Justice, Insecticon Planet Crush), little girls in skimpy outfits, unnecessary panty shots, and nose bleed. Oh and recounting the previous events for 5 pages every 30 pages.

I can see why they chose AHM to start with, it's the easiest jumping on point for them, one it's as I said already pretty Shonen, but the previous -tion stuff has a completely different structure and feel to this and the Ongoing after it.
While the tion stuff is a bit slow, it's also too "quiet" for Japan, most of the stuff is just infiltrating and trying to outsmart the enemy with just very few actual robot fights, while mostly focusing on moving the story forward. AHM and the Ongoing are the right kind of slow for Japanese readers, since they spread out the story and extend it with long pretty pointless dialogue that goes practically nowhere, while pretending that it does, with plenty of action in between.

It would be too big a jump for Japanese readers to get used to tion, then get used to AHM tonal shift which pretty much stays the norm for the following material until RID and MTMTE shows up. It's just kinda the problem idw has now due to first caring so much about their continuity, then not caring at all, just to now care a whole lot again.
Hell, they might not even have to print the old spotlights or tion series, since MTMTE and RID bring up the stuff that's important post AHM, and explains it all while expanding on it to better fit the current status quo.

But yeah, this is the first foreign language printing of idw's TF comics, I know German comic fans have been petitioning Panini to start releasing idw's TF stuff, having the idw licence and all, but as of yet nothing has come of that.

You make some great points, particularly regarding story pace. I like all kinds of pacing having grown up on both western and eastern style storytelling. But I can see why the earlier stuff might not jive with a casual Japanese audience.

Those are the points I was trying to raise too, yes, thank you for articulating them!

Your idea about skipping the whole Costa stuff might very well work, too.
(Though a decision about Chaos Theory may have to be made, in light of MTMTE.)

After the first Japanese translation of IDW Transformers comics, two years ago, with All Hail Megatron, we have more news of the next book in the series: the Mike Costa run starting with For All Mankind is now available for purchase via sellers on Amazon.co.jp - translated by Ishikawa Yuto, and with a new cover by artist Eiji Yoshioka.

Refresh your memory on the original English release in our database, and check out the new cover art below!

wait, why did the japanese begin with all hail Megatron? why not start with a better story, like Spotlight Shockwave or Infiltration?

SG Roadbuster wrote:wait, why did the japanese begin with all hail Megatron? why not start with a better story, like Spotlight Shockwave or Infiltration?

Reasons.

SG Roadbuster wrote:wait, why did the japanese begin with all hail Megatron? why not start with a better story, like Spotlight Shockwave or Infiltration?

My assumption? Much as I've been a fan of IDW's TF comics from the start, the early stuff got a bit messy to follow for casual readers. You had a bunch of different minis and the Spotlights and the focus shifted all over the place. Starting with AHM, the central narrative got a lot more focused, and that's something we're still seeing now. Granted there are three books with three main storylines now, but there isn't much overlap. These kinds of series are probably a lot easier to translate for foreign audiences. I know if I was picking up a manga (which I rarely do) and the art and storylines were jumping around every to every other issue, I would have a hard time staying interested.

Love that cover. The artist did a nice job following IDW's style.

Marcdachamp wrote:

SG Roadbuster wrote:wait, why did the japanese begin with all hail Megatron? why not start with a better story, like Spotlight Shockwave or Infiltration?

My assumption? Much as I've been a fan of IDW's TF comics from the start, the early stuff got a bit messy to follow for casual readers. You had a bunch of different minis and the Spotlights and the focus shifted all over the place. Starting with AHM, the central narrative got a lot more focused, and that's something we're still seeing now. Granted there are three books with three main storylines now, but there isn't much overlap. These kinds of series are probably a lot easier to translate for foreign audiences. I know if I was picking up a manga (which I rarely do) and the art and storylines were jumping around every to every other issue, I would have a hard time staying interested.

Love that cover. The artist did a nice job following IDW's style.

I agree with ya, it's not an awful starting point however once you get past the first part of AHM the second half is such an continuity dump that would raise questions if you didn't read the -ations, spotlights and stormbringer

AHM also presented a more familiar setup that was closer to the cartoon than Furman's run was, enabling the Japanese to ease more into the story.

But, yeah, with the entire Furman era having been skipped, it does make one wonder if and/or how that run will be released in Japan, especially with "Infiltration" having been practically written as the definitive entry point of that era.

Also, if this new release contains just "...For All Mankind" and the "Things Fall Apart" 4-parter, some Japanese readers are gonna be confused when Bumblebee suddenly changes from his first Earth body in issue #4 to his Autobot Leader body in issue #5 without explanation, as that all happened in the "Bumblebee" mini-series.

Which raises another point. If Japan only gets the main ongoing without any of the mini-series or spotlights that either were released during it or were released after but took place during it, then there's gonna be a lot of missing pieces the Japanese version of the story.

EDIT: Just checked and saw that this volume contains 168 pages. How many issues' worth might that be?

Sabrblade wrote:AHM also presented a more familiar setup that was closer to the cartoon than Furman's run was, enabling the Japanese to ease more into the story.

But, yeah, with the entire Furman era having been skipped, it does make one wonder if and/or how that run will be released in Japan, especially with "Infiltration" having been practically written as the definitive entry point of that era.

Also, if this new release contains just "...For All Mankind" and the "Things Fall Apart" 4-parter, some Japanese readers are gonna be confused when Bumblebee suddenly changes from his first Earth body in issue #4 to his Autobot Leader body in issue #5 without explanation, as that all happened in the "Bumblebee" mini-series.

Which raises another point. If Japan only gets the main ongoing without any of the mini-series or spotlights that either were released during it or were released after but took place during it, then there's gonna be a lot of missing pieces the Japanese version of the story.

EDIT: Just checked and saw that this volume contains 168 pages. How many issues' worth might that be?

The listing also says it has 1-6 of the ongoing. I wonder if the rest are extras, covers, or something else entirely (or if the listing is incorrect).

Va'al wrote:The listing also says it has 1-6 of the ongoing. I wonder if the rest are extras, covers, or something else entirely (or if the listing is incorrect).

Google "translating" the product description reveals something Google calls "All 42 Characters Commentary", so the extras might be descriptions/bios for...

Wait, 42 characters?! There were really that many in just these six issues?!

Sabrblade wrote:

Va'al wrote:The listing also says it has 1-6 of the ongoing. I wonder if the rest are extras, covers, or something else entirely (or if the listing is incorrect).

Google "translating" the product description reveals something Google calls "All 42 Characters Commentary", so the extras might be descriptions/bios for...

Wait, 42 characters?! There were really that many in just these six issues?!

There's a lotta dudes that hang out in the background doing nothing - tons of Autobot Cars, then there's Swindle's little crew, not to mention everyone in Skywatch...

Also thanks to the official Transformers Twitter account for Takara Tomy, we have a listing for the next volume in Japanese translation of the IDW ongoing comic book series - as reported last here - reaching the second volume in the post-All Hail Megatron story: International Incident. The cover seen below is a new piece of art by Hayato Sakamoto - check it out!

The second book in the series!

Autobots finally won the trust of mankind, though some remain hostile.
However, the incompetent Decepticons remnants have been plotting a new kind of fire.
A Transformer that appeared in an unexpected place brings further shocks to the world, which was recovering from the pain of Megatron's invasion.
An Autobot decided to intervene in an unavoidable conflict, but there was a further enemy waiting for them!


The Japanese version cover is by Mr. Hayato Sakamoto!

【Collecting】 The Transformers # 7 - 12 (2010)

※ Cover subject to approval

I always love seeing Thundercracker stand with the Autobots. It's so perfect

I really like that cover art it's beautiful.

I want it because the art looks so cheery.

WreckerJack wrote:I want it because the art looks so cheery.

In such stark contrast to the bleak and serious story itself, even.

The next volume of translated comics, from English to Japanese, to be released in Japan from IDW Publishing is the Revenge of the Decepticons TPB from the Mike Costa ongoing series as notified by Amazon.co.jp! The volume due in November also includes a new Megatron-centric, and slightly horrorific cover. Check out more information below.

The latest update in the ongoing translation process of the IDW Publishing Transformers comics into Japanese, post All Hail Megatron, sees the volume collecting Space Opera, the Chaos Theory arc and Police Action (all following last volume's Revenge of the Decepticons) - specifically, the issues from The Transformers #19-23, #25, #27, #29 from 2011, which saw regular writer Mike Costa partner up with newcomer James Roberts.

The volume, currently listed on Amazon Japan, will be released at the end of February, and features a new Rodimus-centric cover from artist Kazumasa Ankin, which you can view mirrored below and also featuring the likes of Wheelie, Garnak, Galvatron, Bumblebee, Bob, Sunstreaker and more. Check it out, and let us know what you think!

That is an awesome cover, IDW need to get more covers like that.

That cover looks awesome.

Aay! That’s what I’m reading now!

While I wait for collection 7

Poster when? Oh, never? That's cool too.

zodconvoy wrote:Poster when? Oh, never? That's cool too.

You could download and print out the pic from this site?

primalxconvoy wrote:

zodconvoy wrote:Poster when? Oh, never? That's cool too.

You could download and print out the pic from this site?

He might want a clean version without the logos or text.

Sabrblade wrote:

primalxconvoy wrote:

zodconvoy wrote:Poster when? Oh, never? That's cool too.

You could download and print out the pic from this site?

He might want a clean version without the logos or text.

As would we all! That's a lovely cover. Any port in a storm, though...

Via a listing over on online retailer Amazon Japan, we have news of another IDW Publishing collection of Transformers comics to be released in Japanese translation, continuing the publication of stories after the All Hail Megatron an Chaos Theory volumes a while back.

The new listing shows a collected edition - with a new cover by Kei Zama, according to Autobase Aichi, but not yet shown - of the comics originally published in the US as Megatron Origin 1-4, Spotlight: Shockwave, and Spotlight: Soundwave. A true rogues gallery of the Transformers comics universe. Check out more info below, and stay tuned for the new Zama cover reveal soon!

Introduction

Road to the birth of destroyed Great Megatron!


It was a time when Cybertron still wanted peace and prosperity. But its prosperity was built upon the sacrifices of some.
Transformers were divided by occupation by their characteristics, there was no freedom of choice.
However, the system which seemed to be a stone stone starts to fail even if it is fragile by a certain incident. The stage of the incident is the marginal Energon mine.

The name of the man who became the key ... ... Megatron.
In addition to the secret origin story of Megatron, Japanese original edition version which simultaneously Shockwave, and Soundwave appeared!

◆◆ Japanese original cover art: Zama Kei

単行本（ソフトカバー）: 152ページ (pages)
出版社: ヴィレッジブックス (2018/6/29)
言語: 日本語 (Japanese)
ISBN-10: 4864913838
ISBN-13: 978-4864913836
発売日： 2018/6/29

Odd time for Japan to be receiving pre-AHM issues, after they've gotten all the way through the Costa run. Makes one wonder how the -ations will be released.

For some reason I thought they were further ahead than this...?

Rodimus Prime wrote:For some reason I thought they were further ahead than this...?

They were. The last volume they got contained the end of the Costa run. This is the first volume to go backward to issues released before All Hail Megatron.

In the previous news story about the latest translation of an IDW Publishing Transformers comic into Japanese - which you can see again here - we did not have a cover image to share with you all. Thanks to artist Kei Zama, who collaborated with Josh Burcham on this, and an updated Amazon listing, we now do!

Check out below the miner from Kaon, towering over this collected volume featuring Megatron: Origin, Spotlight: Shockwave, and Spotlight: Soundwave, and join the discussion in the Energon Pub!

Introduction

Road to the birth of destroyed Great Megatron!


It was a time when Cybertron still wanted peace and prosperity. But its prosperity was built upon the sacrifices of some.
Transformers were divided by occupation by their characteristics, there was no freedom of choice.
However, the system which seemed to be a stone stone starts to fail even if it is fragile by a certain incident. The stage of the incident is the marginal Energon mine.

The name of the man who became the key ... ... Megatron.
In addition to the secret origin story of Megatron, Japanese original edition version which simultaneously Shockwave, and Soundwave appeared!

◆◆ Japanese original cover art: Zama Kei

単行本（ソフトカバー）: 152ページ (pages)
出版社: ヴィレッジブックス (2018/6/29)
言語: 日本語 (Japanese)
ISBN-10: 4864913838
ISBN-13: 978-4864913836
発売日： 2018/6/29