Interest in Transformers 81 Continues
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011 12:32PM CDT
Category: Comic Book NewsPosted by: El Duque Views: 22,405
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The online petition is located here.
It’s a great feeling to think that there’s this huge groundswell of support for the continuation of a series that is now 20 years old,” Furman wrote via email. “Clearly, we must have been doing something right back then. But my experience with Transformers comics fans, across countless conventions, discussion forums and feedback on my blog, is that they’re just incredibly devoted and loyal to those original stories, storylines and characters.
The closest thing to a public acknowledgement on the petition thus far from IDW was publisher and editor-in-chief Chris Ryall tweeting last week, “If you can get the petition to 10,000 signatures/pre-orders, I'll give you an exclusive cover for issue 81 ...
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Posted by Seibertron on April 26th, 2011 @ 12:41pm CDT
Posted by gothsaurus on April 26th, 2011 @ 12:48pm CDT
Posted by Seibertron on April 26th, 2011 @ 1:03pm CDT
Though now that I mention Classics, this could be an amazing opportunity for some of the Classics toys to be worked into the Marvel storyline. Could that work even?
While I love this idea, I hope we're all being honest about what drove the original Marvel run. It was the continual onslaught of toys for 7 years from the same series. Without the push from toys and that continued direction, I'd be concerned about what could happen with that overall storyline that has been "complete" for 20 years. I do think this could be a neat opportunity to introduce characters that were never brought into the American comics such as the Wreckers, the Autobot Triplechangers, the Jumpstarters, Whirl, Roadbuster, the Deluxe Insecticons, the vehicle Pretenders, Slugfest, Overkill, and so on. They could all be introduced over various storylines in a similar fashion to the way the other G1 characters were introduced to us, which could keep the storyline going. Obviously not all of the older characters would work if Furman wanted to stay true to the UK run or even just the late Marvel run, but it could be one of the many ingredients to keep this great recipe going.
Other potential storylines that easily get you to issue #100 ...
Circuit Breaker (could IDW/Hasbro work out something with Marvel?
JB Blackrock
Whatever happened to Sparkplug and Buster Witwicky?
Preventing the path of #67 from unfolding
Returning to/Rebuilding of Cybertron
The Last Autobot
Revisiting the Straxus character (relevant because of Classics toy)
Return to Earth
Bludgeon versus Megatron done right!
Ratchet's "coming of age" after fisticuffs with Starscream
What happened to the Nebulans?
Undoing the effects of Nucleon
Grimlock vs Optimus Prime while Prowl calculates from the sidelines
Just for a fun one-off issue ... return of the Scraplets!
Other human tie-ins ... 10 years later, what happened to those kids that were with Blaster/Sky Lynx?
No more Prime doubting himself! But this should be part of the story! Why is he more sure of his decisions now? What happened?
Psychological problems from Unicron ordeal
Legacy of Emirate Xaaron ... what secret did he leave behind?
Spike Witwicky and Fortress Maximus ... coming to terms!
"Who are the Wreckers?" (ignoring UK continuity) or "Return of the Wreckers!" (acknowledging UK continuity)
Hasbro/IDW buy the rights to DEATH'S HEAD!!!
Working toward or against the Movie storyline
All stories I've thought of for the past twenty years. Would love to see some of these ideas see fruition.
Posted by RiddlerJ on April 26th, 2011 @ 1:33pm CDT
Posted by F Prime on April 26th, 2011 @ 1:57pm CDT
gothsaurus wrote:I'd love to see "issue 81" happen... as well as a follow up on the G2 series that was cut short. These would both be definite buys for me... Someone please post the petition link when that happens!
http://www.petitiononline.com/tf81idw/petition.html
Posted by Janus Prime on April 27th, 2011 @ 12:18am CDT
Posted by cybercat on May 5th, 2011 @ 7:19pm CDT
That plotline is wrapped up.
Also, I heard that the major franchise holder (NOT IDW) has NO interest in this happening.
I'd much rather give a younger writer with fresh new ideas *cough cough mowry* the reins, or start a new storyline.
HK, SUBTLE!!!
Posted by Stormer on May 5th, 2011 @ 11:04pm CDT
Remember the art - especially towards the end of G1? Ack! Even then I thought it stunk. The stories made up for it...I doubt that would work today. And, the British TF's? Again, good stories, stinky art. If it wasn't for a great story, I'd never been a fan.
Now...There's a lot of really great art! LSOTW is my favorite EVER! Ongoing has potential...yep, been hanging on. There's glimmers of hope here or there.
As far as potential goes for a continuation of the original G1 run...I still think it's there. Of course, in today's market, I'd think it would have to be a lot darker and a lot more grown up - it can't be too "kiddied" up. I would like the stories to be more about the Transformers than humans. Though I'm not sure how I feel about the comic promoting new characters every month (I also understand the marketing element), I'm also a big proponent of expanding the universe as far as it can go. I'm just not so sure it should be Mr. Furman at the wheel.
Posted by Cyberstrike on May 7th, 2011 @ 1:42pm CDT
They shouldn't be the be all and end all of Transformers comic book writers.
I don't want Mike Costa to write the ongoing series until he dies but I like his work because it's new direction that is actually NEW and to me it's far more exciting to have a writer where you don't know where he's going with and that makes him a more dangerous writer because the reader doesn't know what he is going to do with the series and with Furman it's safe, predictable, and really boring.
New writers bring new ideas and fresh perspectives that Furman can't which is what the Transformers comic needs to survive.
IDW also needs to create some ongoing spin-offs from the ongoing series (like they did with their G.I. Joe titles) because lets face it with so many characters in the G1 TF Universe to play with it makes sense to have more than one G1 TF book.
However reviving the Marvel series is not a good idea because it will only create a bigger division in the fanbase than there already is and I doubt that IDW can maintain a G1 Transformers multiverse (and the same with G.I. Joe) I think ultimately one will get pushed aside for the other.
I mean even Marvel and DC can't maintain separate comic book universes outside of their established super-hero universes.
Posted by Stormwolf on May 8th, 2011 @ 12:14pm CDT
Cyberstrike wrote:However reviving the Marvel series is not a good idea because it will only create a bigger division in the fanbase than there already is and I doubt that IDW can maintain a G1 Transformers multiverse (and the same with G.I. Joe) I think ultimately one will get pushed aside for the other.
The fanbase will always become more divided whenever a new series/comic gets introduced. You can't please everyone.
Hell, we even have stupid discussions about what colors Rumble and Frenzy are, back then we only had the G1 cartoon, US comic and UK comic.
You and I for instance seem like polar opposites when it comes to which stories are good or bad. And we aren't even the worst of the lot. Cough
DW back in the day never had any problems with running G1 alongside the Armada/Energon comic. Having IDW publish two series wouldn't be all that different.
Posted by Cyberstrike on May 8th, 2011 @ 3:33pm CDT
Stormwolf wrote:Cyberstrike wrote:However reviving the Marvel series is not a good idea because it will only create a bigger division in the fanbase than there already is and I doubt that IDW can maintain a G1 Transformers multiverse (and the same with G.I. Joe) I think ultimately one will get pushed aside for the other.
The fanbase will always become more divided whenever a new series/comic gets introduced. You can't please everyone.
Hell, we even have stupid discussions about what colors Rumble and Frenzy are, back then we only had the G1 cartoon, US comic and UK comic.
You and I for instance seem like polar opposites when it comes to which stories are good or bad. And we aren't even the worst of the lot. Cough
DW back in the day never had any problems with running G1 alongside the Armada/Energon comic. Having IDW publish two series wouldn't be all that different.
I meant 2 different G1 Universes (IDW publishes the movieverse).
Which will in the long term will doom one.
It has happened many times with Marvel and DC and chances are it will happen to G.I. Joe in the future.
Posted by F Prime on May 8th, 2011 @ 3:41pm CDT
Cyberstrike wrote:
I meant 2 different G1 Universes (IDW publishes the movieverse).
Which will in the long term will doom one.
What are the two G1 universes? Besides the Marvel-verse are you counting ongoing as the other G1? Just curious.
Posted by Stormer on May 9th, 2011 @ 8:11pm CDT
F Prime wrote:Cyberstrike wrote:
I meant 2 different G1 Universes (IDW publishes the movieverse).
Which will in the long term will doom one.
What are the two G1 universes? Besides the Marvel-verse are you counting ongoing as the other G1? Just curious.
Yup, IDW's Ongoing and a continuation of the Marvel G1 series. They're both G1, though IDW's take and the ever-changing appearances of the characters makes one wonder...Not that I think that's necessarily a bad thing.
Two series might doom one to fail, but I think failure tends to comes more from lame stories and unenthusiastic art - which of coarse leads to disinterest in the series (I'm sure there's lots of other factors, I'm just trying to simplify). Though, I really can't argue with the point that two G1 series would interfere with the continuity and cause some fan rifts. Better maybe to have mini-series that tie in with the current universe but also explore where Marvel G1 left off.
Posted by Fortress Rodimus on June 26th, 2011 @ 11:22pm CDT
Posted by F Prime on June 27th, 2011 @ 11:34am CDT
Fortress Rodimus wrote:That is true i never thought of the idea that one G1 series would cancel the other out. Oh well i would still like a miniseries on the finish off the original marvel.
I don't think they would cancel each other out. They have entirely different versions of how the TFs came to be on Earth, so they are already not the same continuity. I think they can easily co-exist.
Posted by st@rscream on July 21st, 2011 @ 9:33am CDT
I grew up with, and still love the original comics!
Posted by Blast Cannon on July 21st, 2011 @ 11:38am CDT
Posted by Stormer on July 21st, 2011 @ 8:07pm CDT
Blast Cannon wrote:Hell, yes. I love Furman's vision of TF characters. Although I agree with Cyberstrike's sentiment that Furman certainly should not be the be all and end all of TF comic book writers, I do believe that there is a sense of 'unfinished' business for his storylines and would like to see them completed.
And now it's confirmed - #81 is gonna happen! Well, I'm looking forward to it! Always wondered what would have happened next...(ooooh...please let the art be good, please let the art be good, please...)
Posted by Rodimus Prime on July 22nd, 2011 @ 5:08am CDT
Posted by Energon on July 22nd, 2011 @ 7:26am CDT
Posted by st@rscream on July 22nd, 2011 @ 9:15am CDT
This fall IDW's collected UK Transformers start hitting shelves.
Early 2012 will see the start of their G1 reprint series which will include new colors.
2012 will see Simon's continuation of G1 with hopefully a similar coloring scheme as the new reprints.
I'm hoping that the success of these releases causes IDW to reprint Generation2 as well.
Posted by Stormer on July 22nd, 2011 @ 7:33pm CDT
Rodimus Prime wrote:Is only #81 confirmed or is it solid all the way to #100?
Just in case you haven't heard, yes, all the way to #100.
Posted by Blast Cannon on July 23rd, 2011 @ 7:55am CDT
Stormer wrote:Rodimus Prime wrote:Is only #81 confirmed or is it solid all the way to #100?
Just in case you haven't heard, yes, all the way to #100.
About damn time. Very excited to see this.
Posted by craggy on July 24th, 2011 @ 12:26pm CDT
Burn wrote:Can you blame them? Who'd want to touch something that had been touched by Pat Lee.
i'm pretty sure some of the former DW employees who never got paid for their work in the last few months of the company's existence wouldn't mind touching the man's wallet...or face with their fist.
Posted by craggy on July 24th, 2011 @ 12:28pm CDT
st@rscream wrote:The next few years will rock for Transformers comics.
This fall IDW's collected UK Transformers start hitting shelves.
Early 2012 will see the start of their G1 reprint series which will include new colors.
2012 will see Simon's continuation of G1 with hopefully a similar coloring scheme as the new reprints.
I'm hoping that the success of these releases causes IDW to reprint Generation2 as well.
new colouring on the reprints? damn! might have to check these out.
Posted by Insidious on July 24th, 2011 @ 1:02pm CDT
Posted by M3Gr1ml0ck on October 13th, 2011 @ 6:53am CDT
It's issue #78.5 - The Last Quest (Act 1).