RIPT Apparel Exclusive IDW Optimus Prime #1 Variant Cover by Tim Lim
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016 3:14PM CDT
Category: Comic Book NewsPosted by: Va'al Views: 26,805
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RIPT Apparel is excited to announce a special collaboration with IDW Publishing coming in November of 2016. With the inaugural debut of Optimus Prime in his first-ever solo on-going comic book, RIPT Apparel and artist Tim Lim decided to celebrate the occasion.
“This is really a pivotal moment in Transformers comics. The IDW universe has outlasted the original Marvel run at this point, and seeing a new character-focused book like Optimus Prime means these stories and characters can contend with other classic solo comics like Wolverine or Joker,” says Paul Friemel, CMO of RIPT Apparel. “We wanted to give Optimus his due by homaging what is debatably the most famous Transformers comic cover: Marvel’s Transformers #5’s ‘Are All Dead’ cover but with a good-guy twist.”
The illustration was executed by long-time RIPT Apparel contributor, Tim “Ninjaink” Lim. Tim has created hundreds of t-shirts over the past 5 years, but has been honing his talents for the comic industry with other exclusive comic covers for “Bebop & Rocksteady” “Back To the Future“, and “Street Fighter x GI Joe.”
“Tim was a dream to work with as always. He had some other awesome ideas for this cover that we weren’t able to get approved, but maybe life will find a way. There was a lot of debating what to finally put on the back wall behind Optimus,” added Paul.
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Posted by Kurona on November 2nd, 2016 @ 3:18pm CDT
hmmm.
Posted by o.supreme on November 2nd, 2016 @ 4:03pm CDT
This as an odd reference to Marvel's TF#5, I can think of at least 3 reasons off the top of my head why this doesn't work...
Posted by Va'al on November 2nd, 2016 @ 4:20pm CDT
o.supreme wrote:See...a while back ago there was a Megatron/Refltcor cover paying tribute to the cover of Batman: The Killing Joke. It worked
The never-to-be-sold Casey Coller cover, for All Hail Megatron. Yes. So good.
This as an odd reference to Marvel's TF#5, I can think of at least 3 reasons off the top of my head why this doesn't work...
Why not, for you?
I really quite like it actually! OP's new direction as fairly ruthless leader working for some sort of sense of right (is it though?) kinda works with the focused and emotionless Shockwave approach to things. In my view at least. This is, as the author said, a 'good guy spin' on the concept.
Posted by o.supreme on November 2nd, 2016 @ 4:27pm CDT
1. Optimus is still a hero, not a "bad guy", despite recent events
2. The phrase Is Till "ALL ARE ONE" not "ARE ALL ONE"...makes him seem somewhat illiterate in an attempt to copy the words from the cover of TF #5
3. Also if Optimus Prime "ARE ALL ONE" is there some sort of multiple personality disorder going on here??
Posted by Va'al on November 2nd, 2016 @ 4:46pm CDT
o.supreme wrote:ok...for me at least:
1. Optimus is still a hero, not a "bad guy", despite recent events
2. The phrase Is Till "ALL ARE ONE" not "ARE ALL ONE"...makes him seem somewhat illiterate in an attempt to copy the words from the cover of TF #5
3. Also if Optimus Prime "ARE ALL ONE" is there some sort of multiple personality disorder going on here??
I don't think grammar has anything to with the art, really - it is just an homage of the Shockwave cover. But hey, to each their own!
Posted by Deadput on November 2nd, 2016 @ 5:11pm CDT
o.supreme wrote:ok...for me at least:
1. Optimus is still a hero, not a "bad guy", despite recent events
2. The phrase Is Till "ALL ARE ONE" not "ARE ALL ONE"...makes him seem somewhat illiterate in an attempt to copy the words from the cover of TF #5
3. Also if Optimus Prime "ARE ALL ONE" is there some sort of multiple personality disorder going on here??
1: What about this cover even suggests Optimus is villainous here?
2: Different words for the same thing just like how good and heroic are two different words for the same thing also you do know that a homage is pretty much copying something else right?
If it was "Till all are one" the homage would be lost since "Are All One" is pretty much "All Are Dead" with a different word at the end.
3: It's a cover which almost always has little to nothing to do with the actual plot of the comic there is no personality disorders going on the previous issues would have built up to it if it was the case.
I could say that Megatron poster doesn't work since Megatron is nothing like the joke they have little in common besides being the main bad guy in hero media.
Posted by Hydrargyrus on November 2nd, 2016 @ 7:40pm CDT
Deadput wrote:It's a cover which almost always has little to nothing to do with the actual plot of the comic there is no personality disorders going on the previous issues would have built up to it if it was the case.o.supreme wrote:Also if Optimus Prime "ARE ALL ONE" is there some sort of multiple personality disorder going on here??
I think Deadput is mentioning how the whole idea looses some value with it saying 'Optimus Prime' instead of 'The Transformers' at the top.
The original: http://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:Shockwavearealldead.jpg
Posted by Emerje on November 2nd, 2016 @ 8:01pm CDT
Kurona wrote:"Optimus Prime are all one"
hmmm.
Yeah, great cover, shame it's on the wrong comic.
Emerje
Posted by Quint on November 3rd, 2016 @ 1:59pm CDT
Posted by Kurona on November 3rd, 2016 @ 2:01pm CDT
Quint wrote:I don't understand how people are failing to see and / or forgiving this cover's appalling use of English.
It's been about half of the discussion though?
Posted by Quint on November 3rd, 2016 @ 2:03pm CDT
Kurona wrote:Quint wrote:I don't understand how people are failing to see and / or forgiving this cover's appalling use of English.
It's been about half of the discussion though?
You've completely missed my point...
Posted by Starscream on November 4th, 2016 @ 12:53pm CDT
Posted by Va'al on November 16th, 2016 @ 11:17am CST
Posted by Kurona on November 16th, 2016 @ 11:35am CST
Talking of Zeta, nice to see he's got a slight redesign which... well, it still kind of screams "I'M THE BAD GUY" but not quite as loudly as before.
Also, the monsterbots protesting? The most violent Autobots in existence? Huh. Who woulda thunk it.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on November 16th, 2016 @ 11:41am CST
Posted by Kurona on November 16th, 2016 @ 11:43am CST
D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Art looks good, though are those some new bots showing up in the end? I don't recognize them
One of them looks like one of the Rail Racer guys from RiD 2001
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on November 16th, 2016 @ 11:47am CST
Kurona wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Art looks good, though are those some new bots showing up in the end? I don't recognize them
One of them looks like one of the Rail Racer guys from RiD 2001
Also... is Optimus blue and carrying a tanker trailer?
Posted by Kurona on November 16th, 2016 @ 11:49am CST
D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Kurona wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Art looks good, though are those some new bots showing up in the end? I don't recognize them
One of them looks like one of the Rail Racer guys from RiD 2001
Also... is Optimus blue and carrying a tanker trailer?
Pretty sure that's a new guy. I'm kind of getting a G2 Laser Optimus repaint vibe though.
Posted by Randomhero on November 16th, 2016 @ 11:55am CST
Posted by Microraptor on November 16th, 2016 @ 11:57am CST
Posted by Randomhero on November 16th, 2016 @ 12:01pm CST
Kurona wrote:Quite a lot of surprising cameos here. Don't know what the lot in the last few panels are about - though I know we'll find out for sure in the full issue - but Rosanna in the crowd protesting? That's... certainly surprising. Is she being retconned into being male in IDW, because I'm pretty sure the colonies left waaaaaaay before Orion Pax's time. At the very least ages before the war which takes place just after Zeta's rule ends.
Talking of Zeta, nice to see he's got a slight redesign which... well, it still kind of screams "I'M THE BAD GUY" but not quite as loudly as before.
Also, the monsterbots protesting? The most violent Autobots in existence? Huh. Who woulda thunk it.
The time frame for the colonies is a bit messy. The knights left like 12 million years ago and Titans left with them supposedly. Then it was said Titans left during the era of the Primes and the Primes left after them supposedly meeting up with their colony Titans on the planets that were chosen to seed. The Prime tribes existed from 12 millions years ago to 9 million years ago and Nova was in charge for 3 millions years after them.
Again, messy
Posted by ScottyP on November 16th, 2016 @ 12:33pm CST
See the cab and trailer transforming separately in the next panel? That's Oiler and Slide, who'd be Devisens in this universe.Kurona wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Kurona wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Art looks good, though are those some new bots showing up in the end? I don't recognize them
One of them looks like one of the Rail Racer guys from RiD 2001
Also... is Optimus blue and carrying a tanker trailer?
Pretty sure that's a new guy. I'm kind of getting a G2 Laser Optimus repaint vibe though.
This preview is just freaking amazing BTW. If having to suffer through Revolution made this happen, it was worth it.
Posted by SG Roadbuster on November 16th, 2016 @ 12:44pm CST
Kurona wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Kurona wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Art looks good, though are those some new bots showing up in the end? I don't recognize them
One of them looks like one of the Rail Racer guys from RiD 2001
Also... is Optimus blue and carrying a tanker trailer?
Pretty sure that's a new guy. I'm kind of getting a G2 Laser Optimus repaint vibe though.
The train is Railspike (yes from car robots/rid)
The blue Tanker truck is Oiler and the trailer is his partner Slide. they're Micromaster combiners
the car is Roulette
the bigass lobster is Gimlet
the Armadillo is either Armordillo or Bump kinda hard to tell as he's a very reddish orange.
Posted by Kurona on November 16th, 2016 @ 1:01pm CST
SG Roadbuster wrote:Kurona wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Kurona wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Art looks good, though are those some new bots showing up in the end? I don't recognize them
One of them looks like one of the Rail Racer guys from RiD 2001
Also... is Optimus blue and carrying a tanker trailer?
Pretty sure that's a new guy. I'm kind of getting a G2 Laser Optimus repaint vibe though.
The train is Railspike (yes from car robots/rid)
The blue Tanker truck is Oiler and the trailer is his partner Slide. they're Micromaster combiners
the car is Roulette
the bigass lobster is Gimlet
the Armadillo is either Armordillo or Bump kinda hard to tell as he's a very reddish orange.
Well that's just really bloody cool
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on November 16th, 2016 @ 4:14pm CST
Posted by ricemazter on November 16th, 2016 @ 7:35pm CST
Randomhero wrote:Kurona wrote:Quite a lot of surprising cameos here. Don't know what the lot in the last few panels are about - though I know we'll find out for sure in the full issue - but Rosanna in the crowd protesting? That's... certainly surprising. Is she being retconned into being male in IDW, because I'm pretty sure the colonies left waaaaaaay before Orion Pax's time. At the very least ages before the war which takes place just after Zeta's rule ends.
Talking of Zeta, nice to see he's got a slight redesign which... well, it still kind of screams "I'M THE BAD GUY" but not quite as loudly as before.
Also, the monsterbots protesting? The most violent Autobots in existence? Huh. Who woulda thunk it.
The time frame for the colonies is a bit messy. The knights left like 12 million years ago and Titans left with them supposedly. Then it was said Titans left during the era of the Primes and the Primes left after them supposedly meeting up with their colony Titans on the planets that were chosen to seed. The Prime tribes existed from 12 millions years ago to 9 million years ago and Nova was in charge for 3 millions years after them.
Again, messy
Messy indeed. That whole bit about the thirteen primes uniting Cybertron doesn't really make sense from my recollection. Didn't the thirteen each have his own tribe of Cybertronians separate from one another? Wasn't there then a civil war between them that ended when Galvatron killed Nexus and all the other thirteen left? Does Optimus even know about that? It's strange, but it seems this series can never decide whether the thirteen were good or bad. Nexus wasn't a great guy, and I think it's implied that Onyx wasn't either given that Galvatron was worried about his return.
According to TF wiki Micronus left with his titan, Prion, implying that took place when the primes' scattered after Nexus' death. They say the same thing for Onyx, but that doesn't explain why he left the beast transformers that followed him behind. I dunno, things are weird.
Posted by Va'al on December 6th, 2016 @ 3:36pm CST
John Barber: Not to give anything away, but as Revolution starts, Optimus is in a fairly antagonistic relationship with ... well, almost everybody. He’s come to Earth and said the whole planet is going to be part of Cybertron’s Council of World, without asking if the people of Earth wanted to be in it — or if the people of Cybertron wanted them. He’s doing this because he thinks he’s out of options to protect the Earth — he’s tried fighting evil Cybertronians, tried leaving the place alone. But bringing Earth into Cybertron’s fold is the only thing he hasn’t tried.
In Revolution this comes to a head: there’s a big, dangerous thing happening with Ore-13, which is a form of Energon that’s on Earth, and it looks to G.I. Joe like Optimus is behind it, so the threat becomes immediate. This isn’t a spoiler — Optimus is not behind the problem, and in the process of resolving the complex web of Revolution, alliances are formed and new relationships are established.
So...Optimus still has the goal of bringing Earth into the cosmic community of Cybertron. But who’s with him and who’s against him have shifted a bit.
Vince Brusio: How will Optimus’ origin be relayed in this new series? Is there room for the past? Or is the present too busy to spare time for reflection?
John Barber: The first arc goes full-steam-ahead into the present, but there’s a parallel story in pre-war Cybertron, when he was still Orion Pax, before he became Optimus Prime. It’s important for this series to see why Optimus is doing what he’s doing, what’s motivating his actions. He’s not just taking over, and he’s not just being decisive out of nowhere.
There’s a particular point in his life that we haven’t seen that’s really important to how he became Optimus Prime. He has some regrets — there was a war fought between him and Megatron, and that war lasted four million years and destroyed planets — including Cybertron, and very nearly Earth. And the ultimate goal of both sides was sort of the same — both sides were against an evil and corrupt system that had taken over Cybertron.
The first arc is called “New Cybertron,” so the war — and the events that led to it — weigh on Optimus’ every action.
[...]
Because Optimus made such a bold move in annexing Earth, the story was necessarily going to focus on him — or, at the very least, he becomes the axis on which the story pivots. There’s still a big supporting cast — Soundwave, Arcee, Jazz, Victorion, many others; plus the human contingent — but the shadow of Optimus’ actions is so big they can’t help but be pulled into his gravity. We’ll be seeing Optimus through their eyes.
Posted by Va'al on December 10th, 2016 @ 2:04pm CST
Posted by Halfofme07 on December 10th, 2016 @ 8:09pm CST
Posted by Va'al on December 11th, 2016 @ 1:45am CST
Optimus Prime #1
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a & c)
REVOLUTION is over—but the danger to Earth is just beginning. As OPTIMUS PRIME pulls Earth into the larger universe, he’s painted a target on Earth… and a new alien incursion begins when a corkscrew shaped craft drills into our world!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
The next evolution of TRANSFORMERS is here!
OPTIMUS PRIME’s past on CYBERTRON haunts his present on Earth!
Amazing artist Kei Zama (Scarlett Witch) makes her debut with veteran writer John Barber (Transformers)!
Variant cover by Sara Pitre-Durocher, Sonny Lieu, and Paul Pope!
Posted by Darth Zax on December 11th, 2016 @ 5:32am CST
Any theories?
Posted by ebonyleopard on December 11th, 2016 @ 10:48am CST
Darth Zax wrote:So... Who are they?
Any theories?
I want to say, Railspike, Bump,Roulette, Gimlet, Oiler, and Slide. Do I win?
Posted by Darth Zax on December 11th, 2016 @ 6:47pm CST
Ebonyleopard wrote:Darth Zax wrote:So... Who are they?
Any theories?
I want to say, Railspike, Bump,Roulette, Gimlet, Oiler, and Slide. Do I win?
Guess you do, would have never recognized Oiler.
So are these Cimeracons?
Posted by Shot Put on December 11th, 2016 @ 7:43pm CST
Darth Zax wrote:Ebonyleopard wrote:Darth Zax wrote:So... Who are they?
Any theories?
I want to say, Railspike, Bump,Roulette, Gimlet, Oiler, and Slide. Do I win?
Guess you do, would have never recognized Oiler.
So are these Cimeracons?
They're all colonists, if anything.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on December 11th, 2016 @ 10:13pm CST
Shot Put wrote:Darth Zax wrote:Ebonyleopard wrote:Darth Zax wrote:So... Who are they?
Any theories?
I want to say, Railspike, Bump,Roulette, Gimlet, Oiler, and Slide. Do I win?
Guess you do, would have never recognized Oiler.
So are these Cimeracons?
They're all colonists, if anything.
Pretty sure they are colonists. With Oiler and Slide being micromasters, I'd say they are Divusians.
Posted by Kurona on December 11th, 2016 @ 10:14pm CST
Posted by Darth Zax on December 12th, 2016 @ 3:08am CST
Kurona wrote:And the two beastformers? Likely from Eukaris.
Up to this point the Eukarians have only sported robotic beast modes,
which is why I thought these were Cimeracons.
But yeah, it's more likely they're Eukarians adapting earth modes, since they're with the other colonists.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on December 12th, 2016 @ 11:00am CST
Posted by Shot Put on December 12th, 2016 @ 5:43pm CST
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on December 12th, 2016 @ 6:48pm CST
Shot Put wrote:That cover was for Transformers #56, though, not Optimus Prime.
Holy... wow, thank you for notifying me. I dunno how I missed that. It's been fixed
Posted by Va'al on December 13th, 2016 @ 1:53pm CST
AL: Based on the cover I can assume Optimus won’t be alone in this series. Can you discuss who will be working with and/or against him in the series?
JB: There’s a big supporting cast. He’s still got a team on Earth—Soundwave is at his side, and we really see what’s going on psychologically betweem them in issue 3. Optimus blackmailed Soundwave to join him back before Revolution, but Soundwave has essentially come over to Optimus’ side pretty completely. How strong the bond is, how deep the trust between Autobot and Decepticon can be, is a big question. There’s a flashback story going on through the first six issues that goes back to Pre-War Cybertron, and we see how Soundwave and Optimus (then called Orion Pax) first met… and how deep the trust and mistrust goes.
Arcee is on Optimus’ side, but she’s a little wary of what he’s doing. She’s been around a long time, and she’s seen a lot of stuff happen, and is worried about Optimus overstepping the boundaries of right and wrong; but she’s really struggling to see if there is a real boundary between those things.
Pyra Magna, who leads the team that combines into Victorion, is becoming more hostile toward Optimus—and really, with good reason. She’s a strong believer in the Primes, and in the meaning of the Matrix of Leadership, which Optimus holds but doesn’t believe is a holy object. Pyra thinks she should have the Matrix, and is disturbed by Optimus’ attitude toward it.
Plus we’ve got some other favorites, Aileron (who’s a new character we introduced in the Transformers series and who had a key role in Revolution), Jetfire, Sky Lynx, Jazz. And a new G.I. Joe team featuring some surprising characters will be on-scene in the first story. Plus, Thundercracker and his dog Buster are still out there somewhere.
One of the big new additions, though, are the Colonist Soldiers—these are Transformers from Cybertron’s colony worlds who are fiercely loyal to Optimus Prime, who see him as a True Prime, a sort of space messiah figure. They’ll follow him anywhere… and Pyra Magna, in particular, is disturbed by that.
[..]
AL: Kei, you’re working with one of the most recognizable characters in pop culture with Optimus Prime. From a design perspective, can you discuss what elements of Prime’s look you are tweaking to make the design your own?
Kei Zama: I’m so honored to be able to draw him. At the same time, I’m feeling pressure to draw a character that’s everyone’s hero.
I’m always trying to draw him to look “heavy.”
In actuality he has big heavy metal body but on top of that he has struggled from pre-war to the current era and is now carrying the future of the Earth and universe—I don’t express him emotionally so much, but try to give just a glimpse of his hidden emotions and aggression.
And I try to draw him as a warrior. Not just with Optimus Prime, though—I usually add many scratches, bullet wounds, and rust on everyone’s body.
AL: Can you discuss the process of giving each Transformer a visual personality? Is it a challenge at times to infuse them with emotion considering facial limitations or vehicle modes, etc.?
KZ: I always think it’s difficult to express their emotions on their face, because head-parts or helmets often cover their features. Then I’m trying to express by gesture and lights/shadows/shadings, not only facial expressions.
I don’t think about alt-modes deeply. Instead of alt-mode, I try to add various personality on the robot mode. In Japan, a lot of robot characters are often drawn handsome or cool. I feel that’s boring, so I try to draw their appearance in various ways. For example, the colonists that entered in Optimus Prime #1 each have an individualistic design. There’s a cute boy, bad looking guy, tough girl, etc. Especially Gimlet, who’s my favorite!
Posted by steve2275 on December 14th, 2016 @ 1:26am CST
Posted by Va'al on December 14th, 2016 @ 3:59am CST
(Spoiler free-ish)
Synopsis
REVOLUTION is over—but the danger to Earth is just beginning. As OPTIMUS PRIME pulls Earth into the larger universe, he’s painted a target on Earth… and a new alien incursion begins when a corkscrew shaped craft drills into our world!
Story
What do we have here? A new title from John 'Continuity' Barber? Look at it this way: Revolution is over, Reconstruction is starting, corporate is backing out slightly just for a little bit, and it's time to patch up what's left of crossover events. Enter the same cast, a different title, and a lot of clashing personalities. Welcome back to Earth.
Barber has a penchant, has always had it, to play with story from an entry point. This series is probably the most promisingly enabling of that, with Optimus Prime being narrator and thread, as his personal story bleeds into his formation and current situation, shaping and being shaped by the context and the players around him.
This is true for the flashbacks, in which we see his young idealist law-enforcer self. This is true for when we switch back to the current events, where those ideals are a little shakier, and other people are more likely to call him out on things, from Pyra Magna (more of her please), to Soundwave, and even to his older allies.
For a reader who's followed RID, Transformers, all the crossovers and events, and even before all that, back to earlier stories with red-blue-bot, some of this may feel familiar, sure. But it's an excellent first issue that doesn't compromise its jumping on point in any way. It has enough new stuff to keep regulars in, and enough grounding to bring new audiences along too. That's a win-win for me.
Art
Kei Zama's work on the pages is something to behold. It's not often that an excellent cover artist is also a truly great interior artist, and when it happens, they deserve all the praise they can get. One of the interviews about her cited a number of heavy influences, from Marvel G2 to 2000AD, but I also see some James Raiz in more TF-friendly terms, and it's definitely her own take on sequential narrative, with bold inks and shading to boot.
And if the lines are gritty, and bold, and heavy without crushing the page, Josh Burcham crushes the work with some of the best colours he's produced in his career. If you thought Sins of the Wreckers was good, this goes in a different, even better direction altogether, and the two styles work oh so very well.
With the old style coming back, and a lot of new faces, Tom B. Long has a lot on his lettering plate, but do we really have any doubts that he can make it work, even with new art and busy panels? Not at all. The flow is great, the captions fit, and nothing is sacrificed. Plus, IDW got Paul Pope (with Lovern Kindzierski) to do a variant cover. Sara Pitre Durocher tags the shiz out of graffiti art, regulars Casey Coller, Joana Lafuente, Andrew Griffith are still magnificent, and the Sonny Liew and Tim King are great additions/banes to completists. Nice touch on the UK-variant Zama cover too, with David Garcia Cruz on colours.
Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead
We know this by now: Roberts and the MTMTE Lost Light team work best with the fandom they created, Barber and his rotating titles and teams are in charge of the core mythology, lore, and backbone storylines for the IDW verse. Optimus Prime, in this first issue is very similar to the early RID books I loved so much - internal narration devices included - and yes, while full of stuff, leads directly from the general reader that bought Revolution.
If this is what Reconstruction is going to bring, I'm quite happy to cautiously join in for the ride, and for one, accept our benevolent diplomatic if ego-inflated robotic overlords. And if they look this good doing it, thanks to Zama and Burcham, it's definitely going to be a swish ride for a little while at least, despite the criss-crossing plotlines that the editorial team will have to keep track of (thanks, synergy - we will achieve Total Brand Awareness).
Posted by Kurona on December 14th, 2016 @ 4:09am CST
Posted by Va'al on December 14th, 2016 @ 10:16am CST
Posted by ScottyP on December 14th, 2016 @ 6:58pm CST
That said, anyone else catch a slight nod to TF UK #99-100 with the Prime and Outback stuff, only with some fun contrast in their relationship? Of course, maybe this is nothing at all and just happenstance, but it made me chuckle regardless.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on December 16th, 2016 @ 3:20pm CST
In Prime, you have this unique lead with literally millions of years of history. Will you be digging into that?
We’ll definitely be digging into Optimus Prime’s past. The first arc has a parallel story set before the war — back when Optimus was Orion Pax, a police officer on Cybertron. It’s another view, on another world, in another time, of a lot of the same issues at play in the present day: the relationship of a protector to the protected, and how Optimus/Orion looks at his enemies. Back then, Cybertron was on a downward curve, historically speaking. Orion’s on the precipice of a four-million-year-long war that he winds up being an essential part of.
.....
Optimus tends to have a crew around him. Will that be the case in here? Who can fans expect to see at his side?
Optimus still has a big crew with him. The real difference here is that Optimus’ actions are so big, the people around him can’t help but be pulled into the orbit of what he’s doing. Soundwave is still at his side, and Pyra Magna and the Torchbearers (who form Victorion) are there, but she’s not exactly standing at his side. Arcee is cautious toward him, but in a different way. And Aileron, who was a Colonist who sees Optimus as a space-messiah, has had her worldview shattered a bit. She sees Optimus is just a guy – a big, metal guy – dealing with things as best he can.
But then Optimus brings in a half-dozen new Colonists, all very eager to follow his every word. This decision doesn’t sit well with all of his crew, but it introduces some very obscure faces into the fold – characters like Oiler, Slide, Gimlet, Bump, Midnight Express, and Roulette. Don’t be worried if you don’t know them — nobody else on Optimus’ team knows them, either. But Aileron and Pyra are both colonists themselves, and seeing these hopeful ‘bots willing to lay down their lives for Optimus, right or wrong…well, they get a little uneasy with the situation.
.....
How does bringing in a new artist like Kei change your approach to Optimus and these other characters?
When I thought about what a comic drawn by her would look like, it was like a whole new approach to the Transformers opened up. I mean, I’ve been writing these characters for a while, and I’m always super-excited to get to do this stuff, but the idea of Kei’s vision of the characters, of the way she’d draw G.I. Joe characters, and how she’d approach all this…it seemed like such an exciting idea.
Carlos Guzman, our editor, didn’t take too much convincing, and he brought in Josh Burcham to color and Josh has brought a very unique, very cool color palette. The book has an amazingly distinct look to it. It doesn’t feel like anything else out there, which is amazing.
Posted by Halfofme07 on December 17th, 2016 @ 9:07am CST
Posted by Va'al on December 18th, 2016 @ 2:49pm CST
NEW CYBERTRON! A massive corkscrew-shaped space ship has drilled into Earth, bringing with it a surprising disruption to OPTIMUS PRIME's plans. Meanwhile—ARCEE fields a dangerous offer that may be too good to resist!
Posted by Flashwave on December 18th, 2016 @ 11:26pm CST