Transformers: Primacy

Comics, cartoons, movies and fan stuff.
Post Reply
User avatar
inflatable dalek
Posts: 24000
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 3:15 pm
Location: Kidderminster UK

Transformers: Primacy

Post by inflatable dalek »

I guess one thread for the whole lot will do it, yeah?

At first the new format was mildly confusing (it's now basically a "Normal" comic, I kept expecting the thing to end but it just kept going), but overall this is more of the same, it's not going to convert anyone who didn't enjoy the previous series but is a fast and harmless read if you didn't mind the earlier instalments.

Impressively, it went the whole 22 pages without quoting Transformers: The Movie once, a first for that length of content I believe. See Flint, you can do it!

It still feels more like it's set in the cartoon Universe though, I mean, if this is Prime's first sabbatical shouldn't Thunderclash (there's an excellent Nick Roche Auto Assembly sketch on twitter showing him falling out of the sky riding Snap Dragon just like Ace Rimmer) be looking after the Matrix?

Livio's art also won't win over anyone who isn't a fan, but as always I thought he did well with the big and weird stuff, Omega Supreme looking out sadly across the Pole was especially nice.
REVIISITATION: THE HOLE TRUTH
STARSCREAM GOES TO PIECES IN MY LOOK AT INFILTRATION #6!
PLUS: BUY THE BOOKS!
User avatar
Terome
Posts: 1431
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:16 pm
Location: Brighton

Post by Terome »

Your mildness is commendable.

Though I have to say that it is nice for that waning edge of the fandom to be served. I reckon its a misstep to have this cluttering up the IDW continuity but then again there's clutter enough as it is so what's a little more?

Perhaps a full-on Sunbow cartoon prequel comic would make everyone happy?
User avatar
Blackjack
Posts: 9112
Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 1:04 pm

Post by Blackjack »

-yawn-

More of the same indeed. I did... not-hate Autocracy, I suppose, but hated Monstrosity for the simple fact of shoehorning the Fall of Cybertron bullshit into IDW continuity. Certainly don't particularly like this one either though Omega Supreme is at least kind of intriguing.
User avatar
Terome
Posts: 1431
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:16 pm
Location: Brighton

Post by Terome »

Here is Livio from the IDW boards:
We always regret the continuity errors- but as I've said, some of them are more creative choices that we hope will make sense upon reflection. Or even, build on the things that have come before or will be coming later. The IDW verse is constantly being written both in present history and past history, and so keep in mind that things will always be coming up that change perceptions on things. But also, hopefully, that make sense.

Having said that, I hate Midi-Chlorians as much as the next guy so hopefully we've never done anything that offensive:)

And trust me, if we were doing stories completely without any regard to continuity we'd be doing much crazier stuff. :)
I would love to see the crazier stuff. I'm very fond of the 3rd season of the Sunbow series for all that wacky D&D nonsense that it throws up at a relentless clip.

These days I even quite like Primacron as a concept - he's the picture of a D&D endgame punchline.

Hmm.

Maybe this team should be put to work on an actual pen and paper Transformers RPG? It's quite odd that the franchise doesn't have an official one already. Hasbro own Wizards of the Coast, do they not? That would make borrowing the standard rulesets easy enough.
User avatar
inflatable dalek
Posts: 24000
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 3:15 pm
Location: Kidderminster UK

Post by inflatable dalek »

Livio is certainly the artist for crazy stuff, so yeah, they might as well have gone full on nuts.

Continuity isn't a huge thing for me (though Autocracy's view of Pax being completely at odds with how Roberts was writing him in comics being published at the same time was a bit much), it's just when they seem to go down the less interesting route every time.

I mean, how is a story where Thunderclash is looking after the Matrix and doing a generally awesome job not inherently more fun than Optimus looking a bit sad on a glacier?
REVIISITATION: THE HOLE TRUTH
STARSCREAM GOES TO PIECES IN MY LOOK AT INFILTRATION #6!
PLUS: BUY THE BOOKS!
User avatar
Unicron
Posts: 2457
Joined: Wed Dec 20, 2000 5:00 am

Post by Unicron »

inflatable dalek wrote:I mean, how is a story where Thunderclash is looking after the Matrix and doing a generally awesome job not inherently more fun than Optimus looking a bit sad on a glacier?
You know, I can almost picture Matrix-carrying Thunderclash casually strolling through a battle, randomly upstaging Hot Rod on his way through and almost winning the war if not for some stupid little happenstance.

And thinking of Thunderclash has me waiting for his eventual run in with Co-Captain of the Lost Light Megatron. Wonder if that'll be mutual warriors' respect, Megatron pulling a Rodimus and hating him, or Thunderclash completely losing his cool and attacking Megs.
User avatar
inflatable dalek
Posts: 24000
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 3:15 pm
Location: Kidderminster UK

Post by inflatable dalek »

Having basically forgotten it when it was coming out in issues I've picked up the trade now, meaning you all finally get to hear what I think of the full series!









Basically what I thought of issue 1, not essential but nice harmless enough- if forgettable- stuff with some really nice Livio art. The later being especially notable after he's felt off his game on the last two Combiner Wars issues.

It did feel padded at four issues though. When Megatron went to collect all the Decepticons, did we really need to see three basically identical sequences of the Predacons, Stunticons and Combaticons all being picked up? Especially when only the Predacons really contribute anything of note, we could have just had that sequence and the rest being fetched left implied.

I also found the idea of the Stunticons and Combaticons being set tests by the Seekers before being recruited a bit silly as well. "Sorry, you didn't manage to take down this delivery truck/break into this arms depot... I guess we can't take you with us".

Oh, and Grimlock suddenly having an arch foe from his wrestling days that's only mentioned thirty seconds before the guy is killed was gratuitous padding as well.

That said, I loved Megatron setting an army of mad Junkions on the Autobots, and the captured Quintesson ship being used to skewer Metroplex, both the sort of crazy ideas Terome suggested the series needed and which are pulled off with a huge sense of fun. Prime felt a lot more proactive and not taking any shit in this one as well, which is always welcome.

The Megatron in prison ending did feel sequel hunting (though apparently it was to provide a sense of closure for this trilogy, again, it really does feel apart from the rest of the continuity)), but I thought this was a good solid place to end it.
REVIISITATION: THE HOLE TRUTH
STARSCREAM GOES TO PIECES IN MY LOOK AT INFILTRATION #6!
PLUS: BUY THE BOOKS!
User avatar
Terome
Posts: 1431
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:16 pm
Location: Brighton

Post by Terome »

I'll get round to reading this some day. Nice to hear they are attempting to court the recalcitrant Terome market with more wacky hijinx.

I'd forgotten my earlier idea of a Transformers RPG from these guys too. It's a good idea! I approve.
User avatar
Red Dave Prime
Posts: 1340
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:03 pm
Location: Ireland

Post by Red Dave Prime »

Oh Primacy, you sure look pretty but my god its a mess once you start to think about any of it. Gems such as -

1. How do the Decepticons know about Omega to plan for that big attack
2. Optimus and Megatron - "I want to save you but fight to the death!" That last scene is a mess. And the Matrix again??
3. The messed up timelines - long enough for scorponok to have splintered the decepticons far and wide, short enough for trypticon to still be laying around (unguarded no less), It even contradicts the final scene in Monstrosity where Trypticon was standing behind Megatron and his amassed army of cons.
4. Grimlocks foe - seriously, why? There was already a background rivalry with Hot Rod.
5. Predacons have earth animal modes. hmmmmm....
6. Also, Predacon scene is far too similar to Dreamwave series 3. Actually the whole Megatron linked with Junkions and backed by Quints is very similar to DW. Was Dillie on board with that?

That said, some of the art is really lovely and the action scenes are really quite good. I got the feeling they had these cool scenes all planned but didnt know how to join things up at all. I reckon they had a rough outline of the plot and just went with that.
User avatar
inflatable dalek
Posts: 24000
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 3:15 pm
Location: Kidderminster UK

Post by inflatable dalek »

Terome wrote:I'll get round to reading this some day. Nice to hear they are attempting to court the recalcitrant Terome market with more wacky hijinx.
Their "Target Terome" strategy was presumably created by the mastermind behind Labour's election campaign.

Red Dave Prime wrote: 4. Grimlocks foe - seriously, why? There was already a background rivalry with Hot Rod.
That bit was so one of Livio's contributions wasn't it? "You know this character I created that's been in the background? Why not give him a bit? He could be Grimlock's greatest rival. I'll change the name from Marimus Sueitron if you like".
5. Predacons have earth animal modes. hmmmmm....
From what I've read, and it's a logic that's hard to argue with even if it's odd to put animal Predacons against vehicle Dynobots- is that with various Transformers who've never been to Earth turning out to have alt modes based on animals that look just like Earth ones (Rattrap, Waspinator and so on) Livio thought "Why the hell not?" and went with it.
REVIISITATION: THE HOLE TRUTH
STARSCREAM GOES TO PIECES IN MY LOOK AT INFILTRATION #6!
PLUS: BUY THE BOOKS!
Post Reply