iTunes Preview of IDW Optimus Prime #8

Man I love Caseys Art. Always have. I get why he doesn't do interiors but I wish he did.

Oh, we're back to this art! Fantastic! Zama's style grew on me and I do recognise how it was appropriate for the story, and Tramontano I'm also a fan of; but Casey's is my absolute favourite for this book and helped make ex-RiD so great.

I think Johana is a better for his line art however. Josh is a good colorist but his coloring is just too inconsistent anymore. With Guido he uses a very realistic modern comic style. With Alex and Zama is uses too much of a old school dot color style and with Casey Nick and Andrew its just so saturated. feels joyless sometimes. its a little jarring at times.



It's nice to see John doing some more coloring though it's very flat

Dear IDWGodJesusAllahXenuJosephSmithKrishnuMosesCthuluITriedAndHopeYourDeityOfChoiceOrNoChoiceWasListed,

Please put Casey Coller on an ongoing.

That is all,

Scotty.

Can we please get rid of the damn captions? Anyone reading this book knows who everyone is.

Bounti76 wrote:Can we please get rid of the damn captions? Anyone reading this book knows who everyone is.

Uh, no? Considering some monthly readers may not be as into Transformers as others and have to live a life, it's not hard to see how they could forget the names of some of these lesser known bots.

Nexus Knight wrote:

Bounti76 wrote:Can we please get rid of the damn captions? Anyone reading this book knows who everyone is.

Uh, no? Considering some monthly readers may not be as into Transformers as others and have to live a life, it's not hard to see how they could forget the names of some of these lesser known bots.

How about, yeah? If it's a book you subscribe to every month, regardless of how fanatical you are about Transformers, wouldn't you care enough about your monetary investment to follow along with the narrative and learn the names of the characters in the book you're paying for? Lost Light doesn't caption every single issue. Till All Are One doesn't. I genuinely don't understand why OP has to do it all the time, considering all three are books with relatively large casts (TAAO's being the smallest).

Bounti76 wrote:

Nexus Knight wrote:

Bounti76 wrote:Can we please get rid of the damn captions? Anyone reading this book knows who everyone is.

Uh, no? Considering some monthly readers may not be as into Transformers as others and have to live a life, it's not hard to see how they could forget the names of some of these lesser known bots.

How about, yeah? If it's a book you subscribe to every month, regardless of how fanatical you are about Transformers, wouldn't you care enough about your monetary investment to follow along with the narrative and learn the names of the characters in the book you're paying for? Lost Light doesn't caption every single issue. Till All Are One doesn't. I genuinely don't understand why OP has to do it all the time, considering all three are books with relatively large casts (TAAO's being the smallest).

Not everyone has a good memory. Paying for something doesn't mean you instantly remember everything you read/watched. I know people who care a lot about their stories, but sometimes have to be remind even what the heck is going on.

I think it would be better if there was a page before the story that showed pictures of characters, with their names and a tiny description below.

Like, for instance...

The third and final preview for next week's releases from IDW Publishing Transformers comics comes in the form of Optimus Prime #8, out this Wednesday - which is when our review will be going up too. Read more below courtesy of CBR, and enjoy Casey Coller's return to interior art!

Jazz confronts his past—and the Autobot’s future—in front of millions of television viewers. But will he make the people of Earth understand Optimus Prime’s mission… or turn against it?

Hector Ramirez...because why not. This is awesome.

Courtesy of Previews World, we have two variant covers for IDW Publishing's Optimus Prime #9 - the main retail one, and the retailer incentive by fan artist Zerob! Very Arcee-centric either way, but you can check them out below! And note: they include the wrong credits in at the top of the book, with variant A still sporting issue 8's names, unless it's referring to the cover artist, in which case Casey Coller is indeed the culprit.

THE LIFE OF SIDESWIPE! A Junkion machine finally gives long-injured Sideswipe a new lease on life! But when his brother goes missing, Sideswipe and Arcee return to Cybertron-and nothing will be the same between them ever again.

The heck does Sideswipe need a respirator for?

And what even is that second cover?

Deadput wrote:The heck does Sideswipe need a respirator for?

And what even is that second cover?

The respirator is simply thematic and symbolic; covers are supposed to grab a reader's attention and sometimes tell them what's actually going on inside the issue, so without context Sideswipe just floating in a jar wouldn't really convey his medical condition. A respirator allows that to be communicated to the reader.

And yeah, the anatomy and proportions on the second cover are all out of whack.

Kurona wrote:And yeah, the anatomy and proportions on the second cover are all out of whack.

Kinda like she went to the plastic surgeon and said, "Can you make my 2 boobs look like a single car hood?"

TF-fan kev777 wrote:

Kurona wrote:And yeah, the anatomy and proportions on the second cover are all out of whack.

Kinda like she went to the plastic surgeon and said, "Can you make my 2 boobs look like a single car hood?"

... but, she's... consistently looked like that not just in the book, but throughout the entire continuity? With the exception of Heart of Darkness, but that wasn't flattering to anybody...

Kurona wrote:... but, she's... consistently looked like that not just in the book, but throughout the entire continuity? With the exception of Heart of Darkness, but that wasn't flattering to anybody...

My favorite look for arcee is still her Alex Milne design. Still love that weird no cheek look she had. Also

TF-fan kev777 wrote:Kinda like she went to the plastic surgeon and said, "Can you make my 2 boobs look like a single car hood?"

That's how most of the Autobot cars look anyway. Add in Shockwave and his glass boob shelf, and we have some extreme cases of back pain.

Synopsis
Jazz confronts his past—and the Autobot’s future—in front of millions of television viewers. But will he make the people of Earth understand Optimus Prime's mission... or turn against it?



Story

Once again, I find myself apologising for the lateness of this review - let's call it doing an IDW shall we? just to make me feel better - and making it fall so close to all the Transformers: The Last Knight news. On the other hand, the IDW Optimus Prime ongoing in unquestionably good and staying good, so swings and roundabouts!



The usual framing device that John Barber uses for most of his TF writing is replaced here by a fairly ingenious magazine style interview - the very same interview that has been prepared in previous issues leading up to this one - with the perspective being Jazz, playing along pretty much behind the scenes all along so far.



Jazz, as pointed out in the previous issues, is an interesting choice of character - Cybertronian character - for a first big mediatic approach to Earth after Optimus' power-grab/forced annexation/colonialist actions. And all of those threads come up, and create the crux of the story...



But, while Jazz is indeed the main player and spotlight taker in the issue - almost literally - Jetfire and Pyra Magna also take on some very shiny roles, both in flashbacks and present for the former, and the present and a potential future for the latter. There are things afoot, and there are still creases to smoothen out from the past. Hopefully before everything spirals again.


Art

Zama is away from the book again this month, letting Casey W Coller to cover the interior art for a change. And Coller's art has a regularity to it, a crisp, linear feel to the lines and outlines of the character designs and layouts, that may very much appeal to recent readers - and fits perfectly with the framing device of the script.



The artistic collaboration here is with John Paul Bove, and a special one it is at that. Bove has shown how he can mimic several colour styles in the past (and is the colour wizard behind the Hachette definitive collection, too), but what he does here is keep the continuity with Burcham while also adding a lot of his own shine to it.



Of course, Tom B. Long is on lettering, and the different formats offer a whole new playground for his skills too - I actually wonder how much of his production set went into the final look of the issue, and if so, he was excellent. As for the covers, the thumbnail spotlights the Coller/Bove variant, but all the other versions of excellent art can be found in our database entry!

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

The magazine style interview is not an entirely original comics device (recently seen in the likes of The Wicked and The Divine, for example) but the way that it's employed in his issue, and how Barber manages to blend this new toy with his trademark running POV commentary - and how it feeds directly into the story - is extremely pleasing, and satisfying.



The characters, with Jetfire and Pyra Magna taking the biggest chunk, have some very very nice developments in backgrounds and perspective, and there's plotting and planning set up for things about to happen - plus gorgeous designs from Coller and Bove, covers included. Why would you not want to pick up this issue, you cool cats you?

I think this might be my favourite issue yet - I've fallen completely in love with Jazz and Jetfire. This is up there with Soundwaves and MTMTE Revolution as one of the best standalone issues in IDW Transformers imo

I loved it but I was really expecting Jazz to say something like "look, he was going to kill my friend and commander. I did what I had to do. I'm not proud of it and I can't ask for forgiveness but I ask to let me help"

That's all I really wanted. Not to say this was a bad issue at all. Casey is my fav artist and john is my fav writer and it was a solid issue.

Randomhero wrote:I loved it but I was really expecting Jazz to say something like "look, he was going to kill my friend and commander. I did what I had to do. I'm not proud of it and I can't ask for forgiveness but I ask to let me help"

I was hoping Jazz would mention that too, and maybe even mention how said friend then saved the universe (maybe not so much that last part). But it was a great issue, the best of OP so far IMO

Via the usual iTunes source, we have a three-page preview for the upcoming issue #9 of IDW Publishing's ongoing Transformers series Optimus Prime! If you missed our review of issue #8, you can find it here, and then check out the opening pages for next month's book below.

THE LIFE OF SIDESWIPE! A Junkion machine finally gives long-injured Sideswipe a new lease on life! But when his brother goes missing, Sideswipe and Arcee return to Cybertron—and nothing will be the same between them ever again.

I'm getting heavy Wheeljack revival vibes from this. I wonder if that's intentional...

In other IDW Publishing news, the Optimus Prime ongoing Transformers comic sees its issue #9 released this coming week, and we get to go back to Sideswipe as he gets released of his tank - and more! Check out the full preview below via CBR, and come back to Seibertron.com for a review after the book's release!

THE LIFE OF SIDESWIPE! A Junkion machine finally gives long-injured Sideswipe a new lease on life! But when his brother goes missing, Sideswipe and Arcee return to Cybertron—and nothing will be the same between them ever again.

Don’t miss the Optimus Prime cover by Mondo artist Tom Whalen, part of our Tom Whalen Cover Month!
Variant cover by ZEROB!

I know folks complain about these "filler" issues, but that was one of the best single issues that John Barber has written.

I want to see Barber write a lot more character-focused issues, because if the past three have proven anything, it's that he's really friggin' good at it. It's ironic because MTMTE/LL was considered the character-focused one while ex-RiD/TF/OP was considered the story-focused one... but I'm honestly finding myself liking some of these characters on the same level as if not higher than some of the Lost Lighters. Jazz is certainly fitting in comfortably between Chromedome and Whirl.

I wish we'd gotten more of this during post-Dark Cybertron ex-RiD because the lack of fleshed out characterisation among Prime's crew was probably the biggest problem I had with it; it was a great storyline and there were fantastic characters in Optimus, Prowl, Aileron, Soundwave, Cosmos, Thundercracker etc. but I didn't feel connected to most of what was supposed to be the main protagonists. But now I do. I love Sideswipe, Jetfire and Jazz a hell of a lot more than I used to and Barber deserves any praise he gets for these issues.

MrBlack wrote:I know folks complain about these "filler" issues, but that was one of the best single issues that John Barber has written.

Review incoming, but basically. Yes. That.

Synopsis
THE LIFE OF SIDESWIPE! A Junkion machine finally gives long-injured Sideswipe a new lease on life! But when his brother goes missing, Sideswipe and Arcee return to Cybertron—and nothing will be the same between them ever again.



Story

It's fascinating what we get to read in Transformers comics these days, really. Truly fascinating how we've had so much character development taking over the steady progression of plot for a couple of issues, and how breathers have become such a staple in the major arcs that another 'filler' issue isn't really regarded as such. But it still is. And yes, it fills.



John Barber has shown a sharp increase (which is probably a lot more steady, but since stepping down from editorial, the writer in him has just leapt streets ahead, for me) in his talent for capturing voices, both through the established techniques like the caption narratives, and newly acquired tricks in recent issues and sidelines.



In this case, we mostly see the entire issue through the eyes and voice of Sideswipe, as he is awakened from the stasis he was in for a while now already, and we explore this new world to him - the old world of Cybertron in the new reality - and to some newer readers (if we consider Revolution or OP #1 as their starting point), with some assists from Arcee of course, in one of the best platonic friendships the publisher has to offer right now.



The framing of story is interesting, insofar as it tries to follow up just briefly on the Jazz-centric events of the previous issue, but then fully delves into this second spotlight in two months. It takes a deep breath - and plunges an unexpected blade into several sparks. Hard.


Art

What Kei Zama achieves in the issue is really quite extraordinary, bringing her heavy lines and inks back to Cybertron, making Sideswipe himself essentially look like his G2 incarnation while still keeping in tune with the continuity in design, and adding her twists to the fairly numerous cast of the issue, and with delightful composition cues from RID #33, too.



Josh Burcham ups the amping on the grittyness in all the right spots too, playing with lighting and saturation to achieve some very Sideswipe action sequences, mixed in with more calm, tranquil palette choices for the other scenes around them, in yet more proof that he and Zama can work wonders in thick ink and grainy layers.



Tom B. Long also has more work on his hands, with plenty of captions to place around the page, some very good and in fact very subtle fonting work across the book, and carefulness not to cover up lines of dialogue and panel layouts for the overall effect. The cover we're using in the thumbnail is the variant by Casey Coller (EDIT: also on colours!), which best captures the issue's tone by the end too - all other covers can be seen in our database entry right here!

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

I have not commented, not one bit, on the ending / resolution / twist of this book. I talk about it now in the vaguest of terms, and only really to preface a couple of misgivings that people might have about the art or even the dialogue - both of which might seem too on the nose or to go in circle a bit in spots. There is a reason for that. Keep reading.



Take your time with this one, as it closes a number of plot points that we probably wouldn't have addressed in any other satisfying way, cleverly employs known techniques to original results, and had some very strong reactions on staff - ranging from anger, to sadness, to adoration. We're warning you, and it still won't be enough.

The only anger this issue got from me was when the comic showed... those two. You know who I'm talking about. They're even in the review. *shudder*

Otherwise the score is fully deserved. An excellently well-done issue that proves OP isn't just "that other" IDW Transformers ongoing and is fantastic in its own right.

I hated the revelation of what this whole episode was. Hated it. But it was good storytelling nonetheless.

This issue did not make me sad in the slightest. I finished it and smiled. It was amazing. Best issue of Optimus prime so far. It was a celebration life, not death.

Halfway through I figured it out. Once marissa mentioned wreck-gar was just a head and he wasn't and the whole scene at the warehouse blew over so fast I knew what this was. Not complaining, it was clever and I liked it.

Also I liked skids and Mudflaps cameo. They're characters I've never had a problem with.

Randomhero wrote:This issue did not make me sad in the slightest. I finished it and smiled. It was amazing. Best issue of Optimus prime so far. It was a celebration life, not death.

Also I liked skids and Mudflaps cameo. They're characters I've never had a problem with.

I like your way of thinking there. I started out a little mad because he's always been my favorite Autobot, with Skywarp as my favorite Decepticon and now one is dead and the other is stuck with G I Joe in the IDW-verse. But man, what a very touching and cool way to let him go out.

Plus, now maybe he'll get an updated toy, hell maybe even in wave 6 of TR. TR seems to love putting out dead bots from the IDW-verse (Galvatron, Astrotrain, Ravage, Hardhead, Quake, Topspin, Twintwist, Sky Shadow, Flywheels, anyone else?).

TF-fan kev777 wrote:

Randomhero wrote:This issue did not make me sad in the slightest. I finished it and smiled. It was amazing. Best issue of Optimus prime so far. It was a celebration life, not death.

Also I liked skids and Mudflaps cameo. They're characters I've never had a problem with.

I like your way of thinking there. I started out a little mad because he's always been my favorite Autobot, with Skywarp as my favorite Decepticon and now one is dead and the other is stuck with G I Joe in the IDW-verse. But man, what a very touching and cool way to let him go out.

Plus, now maybe he'll get an updated toy, hell maybe even in wave 6 of TR. TR seems to love putting out dead bots from the IDW-verse (Galvatron, Astrotrain, Ravage, Hardhead, Quake, Topspin, Twintwist, Sky Shadow, Flywheels, anyone else?).

Thunderwing! He even started that trend in Generations 2012 before it was cool!

Kurona wrote:

TF-fan kev777 wrote:

Randomhero wrote:This issue did not make me sad in the slightest. I finished it and smiled. It was amazing. Best issue of Optimus prime so far. It was a celebration life, not death.

Also I liked skids and Mudflaps cameo. They're characters I've never had a problem with.

I like your way of thinking there. I started out a little mad because he's always been my favorite Autobot, with Skywarp as my favorite Decepticon and now one is dead and the other is stuck with G I Joe in the IDW-verse. But man, what a very touching and cool way to let him go out.

Plus, now maybe he'll get an updated toy, hell maybe even in wave 6 of TR. TR seems to love putting out dead bots from the IDW-verse (Galvatron, Astrotrain, Ravage, Hardhead, Quake, Topspin, Twintwist, Sky Shadow, Flywheels, anyone else?).

Thunderwing! He even started that trend in Generations 2012 before it was cool!

Triggerhappy, off the top of my head. Too lazy to go looking.

Sigma Magnus wrote:

Kurona wrote:

TF-fan kev777 wrote:

Randomhero wrote:This issue did not make me sad in the slightest. I finished it and smiled. It was amazing. Best issue of Optimus prime so far. It was a celebration life, not death.

Also I liked skids and Mudflaps cameo. They're characters I've never had a problem with.

I like your way of thinking there. I started out a little mad because he's always been my favorite Autobot, with Skywarp as my favorite Decepticon and now one is dead and the other is stuck with G I Joe in the IDW-verse. But man, what a very touching and cool way to let him go out.

Plus, now maybe he'll get an updated toy, hell maybe even in wave 6 of TR. TR seems to love putting out dead bots from the IDW-verse (Galvatron, Astrotrain, Ravage, Hardhead, Quake, Topspin, Twintwist, Sky Shadow, Flywheels, anyone else?).

Thunderwing! He even started that trend in Generations 2012 before it was cool!

Triggerhappy, off the top of my head. Too lazy to go looking.

Scourge as well! Sentinel Prime died in the TR comic tie-in -- though he died in that, uh, body-was-never-found-I-totally-won't-return comic book villain way.

Then there's Horri-Bull, Nightbeat died before he wasn't dead, Wilder's technically in Titans Return because he's the same as Fangry...

... man, this is depressing.

Did I mention that I hate this art.......

As much whining as I hear about LL's art at least it's legible. But whatever, still haven't read ep. #6 and probably won't bother with this one either.

Revert back to Cybertron....To h3ll with these humans!

Excellent review of an emotional issue. I was one who went through a gamut of emotions. I was angry because I was hoping for the miracle, it was set up as such, and in having my own expectations be thrown back at me in such an extreme manner... Sideswipe's always been a favorite. Mostly because of his alt mode and somewhat brash, but fun attitude, and his interactions with his brother which I could relate too.

Well executed writing and art. I think Optimus Prime has been my most looked forward to reading each month. It's been really well done. I'm converted. I've always been the reader who wanted less to no humans in my comics to finally evolve Transformers fiction to a higher, more enjoyable level. I didn't think it was possible to include humans and for us to reach the level of story that we're at here. I've been proven wrong and it's awesome!

Lambobros forever!

Snare was the first thing that tipped me off to "this isn't really happening" because John Barber wouldn't let a Predator jet in as a background character. They're too famous as being Decepticon cannon fodder in LSotW!

ScottyP wrote:Snare was the first thing that tipped me off to "this isn't really happening" because John Barber wouldn't let a Predator jet in as a background character. They're too famous as being Decepticon cannon fodder in LSotW!

I didn't catch him. Was too wrapped in seeing Lazer Rods! Good catch. Much like the Wreckgar has a body and not just a head. I saw that to start and went, 'huh?', but read in thinking if they could repair the cool McGuffey, they could certainly give him a new body. Where's Ratchet, First Aid, Velocity, or Pharma when you need them?

ScottyP wrote:Snare was the first thing that tipped me off to "this isn't really happening" because John Barber wouldn't let a Predator jet in as a background character. They're too famous as being Decepticon cannon fodder in LSotW!

Didn't Snare die in that anyways?

Chromia being on Cybertron made me wonder what was going on.

YoungPrime wrote:Did I mention that I hate this art.......

As much whining as I hear about LL's art at least it's legible. But whatever, still haven't read ep. #6 and probably won't bother with this one either.

Revert back to Cybertron....To h3ll with these humans!

I'm sorry someone hurt you this bad.

In the pic with RID Fixit and the Movie twins, is that Prime Arcee?

Agreed with so many of these points. Sideswipe is my 2nd favorite behind Trailbreaker (dangit, top 2 dead...) and it made me sad and smile. The ending was amazing, and I agree that this is the best issue of Transformers recently, and maybe ever for Barber.

Windsweeper wrote:In the pic with RID Fixit and the Movie twins, is that Prime Arcee?

I'm not sure who you're referring to specifically, but I can confirm Prime Arcee is not in that panel!

Courtesy of Previews World, we have some variant covers for the upcoming Optimus Prime #10 from IDW Publishing, as we stave off First Strike just a little longer - and we return to Alpha Trion, but also Galvatron the Barbarian, and the early days of the Primes! Variants are by Andrew Griffith and Andrew MacLean

(W) John Barber (A) Kei Zama, Livio Ramondelli (CA) Andrew Griffith
THE RETURN OF GALVATRON THE BARBARIAN! When Optimus Prime of Alpha Trion, the ancient sage reveals a tale of Cybertron's earliest days, when the original Thirteen Primes united the world. Optimus Prime meets with Alpha Trion, the ancient sage, who reveals a tale of Cybertron's earliest days, when the original Thirteen Primes united the world.

Bullet points:
* Leads directly into this month's First Strike event!

(W) John Barber (A) Kei Zama, Livio Ramondelli (CA) Andrew MacLean
THE RETURN OF GALVATRON THE BARBARIAN! When Optimus Prime of Alpha Trion, the ancient sage reveals a tale of Cybertron's earliest days, when the original Thirteen Primes united the world. Optimus Prime meets with Alpha Trion, the ancient sage, who reveals a tale of Cybertron's earliest days, when the original Thirteen Primes united the world.

Bullet points:
* Leads directly into this month's First Strike event!

That is one mess of an issue blurb. Someone fell asleep at the keyboard.

Kurona wrote:That is one mess of an issue blurb. Someone fell asleep at the keyboard.

Still better than most MTMTE and lost light blurbs that just try and be witty and uninformative

Via the usual avenue of iTunes, the three-page preview for Optimus Prime #10 has arrived. Along with the usual pages, the "A" cover for this issue has also been revealed at last. The cover by Kei Zama features Onyx Prime and Liege Maximo, two of the original Thirteen Primes, looking both menacing and mightily cool. The interior pages shown are also the familiar Kei Zama and Josh Burcham combo that readers of Optimus Prime are familiar with, however it should be noted the flashback story that Alpha Trion sets up below which will comprise the bulk of this issue is drawn and colored by another fantastic Transformers comics artist, Livio Ramondelli.









With this preview available, it looks like this chronicle of Galvatron the Barbarian's adventures will be available for you to read on August 30th, so be sure to head to your local comic shop and pick it up when it comes out!

That cover is fantastic!