Comic License goes to IDW / interviews with IDW and Simon Furman!

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Commander Shockwav
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Post by Commander Shockwav »

Good interview. He appears to have a handle on things, like the current divided atmosphere amongst TF comic fans, how their opinons are so varied, how impossibly difficult it will be to please everyone, and how much in withdrawal we are in for not having had our TF fix for months on end.

The best thing about all this is, like Dreamwave, Transformers will be "the big gun" for IDW, not some secondary or tertiary title. I always felt the best thing about DW was that they WERE Transformers, and hardly nothing more. Not many fans of sci-fi, be it Star Wars fans, Star Trek fans, etc, can claim an entire comic company dedicated soley to their favorite property.

Perhaps with IDW, we have a similar situation, which given the supposed financial stability of this company, could be a great thing.
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Denyer
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Post by Denyer »

Interview with Furman:

http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthr ... tid=880848
In the original, the Ark (the Autobots’ spacecraft) crash-lands on Earth. So it’s basically one big accident the Transformers are here at all. That’s no longer the case. There’s now definite intention and method behind their (recent) appearance on Earth. Think of this as G1 for a generation raised on X-Files and conspiracy theories in general.
He's keen to write a wrap-up for War Within, and credible human characters will play an important part in the IDW series. Ratchet will also be a key part of the early new take. As mentioned elsewhere, the probability of a Beast Wars comic to mark the 10th anniversary in 2006 is good.
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Post by dedicon »

I understand IDW wants to do a fresh start to G1, but how about finishing the Energon saga and even (GASP) doing some sort of MTMTE for Energon?

I thought the DW G1 comic was lacking, but the Energon one was very well done. And I liked the Armada MTMTE as well. Also, this will help making the Cybertron comic as well, if you want to go like the show and make Cybertron in the same cannon as Armada/Energon.
Really want the original(basic) Rattrap's gun. Please PM me if you have one you might spare!
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Post by Denyer »

Tied up in bankruptcy; it's possible it could take up to a year or two before things are smoothed out for a continuation.
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Post by dedicon »

Originally posted by Denyer
Tied up in bankruptcy; it's possible it could take up to a year or two before things are smoothed out for a continuation.


I figure you are right, but it's ok to dream right? ;)
Really want the original(basic) Rattrap's gun. Please PM me if you have one you might spare!
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Commander Shockwav
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Post by Commander Shockwav »

"The difference I guess is that these are human characters that will drive the story as much as the robots, characters we hope people will recognize and empathize with."

OUCH!

That's all I can say.

If we wanted a human focus, I'd read Marvel.

This will not go over well with many fans. I was hoping they wouldn't go this angle, but they have. And it hurts.

Call me a wham-bam fanboy type, but its the epic battles (minus Unicron) that attracted me to the Transformers, and many would agree. Simon and IDW are forgetting what made Transformers a successful comic through its Marvel and DW runs.

It wasn't by sharing the focus with humans. The movie will give us plenty of that.
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Post by Denyer »

I was hoping they wouldn't go this angle, but they have. And it hurts.
Take paracetamol and try, I dunno, reading an issue before coming down with doom-and-gloom psychosomatic reactions...

All I'm reading the interview as is: the writing team are aiming to get a small Earth cast involved (rather than TFs existing in isolation and with no credible explanation for why there aren't massive human fatalities*) and not have them suck this time.

*Until the end of G2 #11, when San Francisco gets blown up.

Something worked along the lines of the Binaltech story would be interesting...
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Post by Dreadwing »

Originally posted by Taylor
Plans are for the story to be set in the present day.


Present day for the series would then be 2006.... Target 2006? Sorry, i have a weird sense of humor.
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Post by Blacknife »

Wow, they do make the rounds...

Anyway, I've read the things and one thing seems abundantly clear.

This sounds like it's taking the plotline of the movie and just starting early. I highly expect the movie alt modes to be used {Hasbro has toys to sell, no matter what, we shouldn't kid ourselves on this aspect} and well, Alternators do not have an advertising format yet {hrmmm...}

Give ten different authors one plotline and have ten different stories.

What's nice is that this will basically create a "similar" story to the movie, and the collected TPBs would be sold when the movie comes out. And, the direct movie tie-in will be different enough to justify the expenditure by fans who are all ready reading this "new" series.
This way, when the movie comes out, you might earn a few new movie fans to the regular series...because you have something familiar for them to offer. Rather than something that is totally fanwank and shuts the door promptly in their face.

I know this will probably get me a lot of people with pitch forks and torches, but honestly there are some things in the Transformers Novels that I liked. Stuff like the multibillionare funding a practical "religious" movement that considers itself a watchdog over TFs {and also wants to know everything about them} called the Followers. Humans using and abusing TF back engineered tech {the cyborg that went nuts...}. Basically, stuff that makes sense of how humans might react and do if alien transforming robots were present on Earth.

It's sort of like Denyer's assessment on some of Dreamwave's stuff. A lot of good ideas to harvest, just the execution of using the ideas...
Well...

I don't really blame David Cian, he had to clean up the poor mess.
And, actually I don't blame Scott Ciecen either. He was probably tossed a lot of reference material and told to make a story within a couple months, and we got what we got.
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Post by barney »

Like the Marvel days, I hope the covers for the upcoming IDW Transformers comic don't spoil the whole shebang about the story contained within, while still being relevant to the contents of the issue.

And if Geoff Senior isn't in the business of comic books any more, then at least a guest spot of drawing a cover would be excebrilltastic (so long as he pulls his socks back up from the rush job covers he did for Titan).
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Post by Commander Shockwav »

Originally posted by Denyer
Take paracetamol and try, I dunno, reading an issue before coming down with doom-and-gloom psychosomatic reactions...


I'm a physician in the U.S and I have no clue what the hell paracetamol even is.

Going back to the roots of the Transformers, that they are covert "robots in disguise", obviously necessitates mucho human involvement. Now, if you like that sort of thing, it's great. But to me, Transformers has evolved in both the Marvel run and the DW run into what it was, namely warring Transformers from their own perspective, for a reason.
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Post by Denyer »

Now, if you like that sort of thing
I wouldn't know; it's never been done well yet. Operative word being 'yet'. I'm open to seeing results before writing something off.
Alternators do not have an advertising format yet
My bet is certainly on them being worked into the movie.

Not sure we'll see an advance movie comic, though, unless Hasbro is involved with forcing cooperation between producer and publishers. Expect divergence.
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Post by Ghirox »

Human cast - damn ... how many times i must write this :( :headbang:

In the first part of the story, TF are in disguise, so they need only a few human cast, then, with the war and story evolving, Autorobot and Decepticon could have human allies, but mantaining a Robot point of wiew, and only after years of story they could have their own city on Earth (like Energon)

A reason why they arrive on Earth ... last time i heard something waas during the Armada series - MInicons were once asked by Rad to came to his planet in search of peace, during his timetravel (a child was architect of the destiny of the entire TF race) - please, say me that you have a better idea.
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The invetible "What about the cartoon"...

Post by Blacknife »

I'm surprised. No really, either that or I'm too lazy to really search other message boards for that reactionary response to 1). Furman writing 2.) IDW coming straight out and asking about Marvel continuity.

Now, granted, the reactionary response maybe is considered worthless {by those that might want to complain} at this point just because Furman and Marvel continuity are mentioned out of the gate. But, I'd like to think that the door is not completely shut despite that.


And, I dislike imbalance. I think aspects of the cartoon have as much credence as aspects of the comics. I know IDW probably didn't intend for this oversight, but I'm surprised that there's not that typically fevored response.
I wouldn't want cartoon advocates to sort of give up the ghost as it were.
I like the Quints as much as Primus. And, frankly, I'd hope this new continuity would consider them truly "equal" but never completely "concrete" origin stories. Basically, it's something to be argued over and over, with different variations depending on a TF's personality.
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Post by Denyer »

I'm surprised that there's not that typically fevored response.
IDW have asked for feedback, but more I think with regard to writing style and successful story arcs rather than specific continuity details.

Personally, I'd like everybody to give up the ghost when it comes to origin stories, and instead focus on character-driven narrative.
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Post by dEcEpTiCoN MEGAtron »

Well, 2006 is the 10th Anniversary of Beast Wars. And the last thing I was almost working on for Dreamwave was Beast Wars. Could there be a link??
That brings me tears of joy!
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Post by Blacknife »

Originally posted by Denyer

Personally, I'd like everybody to give up the ghost when it comes to origin stories, and instead focus on character-driven narrative.



I wouldn't mind that either. But when it comes to the point of origins...
I just hope there's balance and no origin overplays another as the "absolute" origin.

And, yeah, I know they are looking for the kind of stories that people liked in the comics rather than "continuity" deal.
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Post by Taylor »

Originally posted by Commander Shockwav
If we wanted a human focus, I'd read Marvel.

This will not go over well with many fans. I was hoping they wouldn't go this angle, but they have. And it hurts.

Call me a wham-bam fanboy type, but its the epic battles (minus Unicron) that attracted me to the Transformers, and many would agree. Simon and IDW are forgetting what made Transformers a successful comic through its Marvel and DW runs.

It wasn't by sharing the focus with humans. The movie will give us plenty of that.

I don't think that you've got much to worry about. It will still be about the Transformers first and foremost. There are no plans to changing the title to Transformers & the Humans That Love Them. ;)
Peace...

Dan
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www.idwpublishing.com]IDW[/url]
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Post by Taylor »

Originally posted by barney
Like the Marvel days, I hope the covers for the upcoming IDW Transformers comic don't spoil the whole shebang about the story contained within, while still being relevant to the contents of the issue.

This shouldn't be an issue. There's plenty to do with Transformers covers without giving away the story. Well, except for the issue that will declare, "And Now... The Dinobots!" :)
Peace...

Dan
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Re: The invetible "What about the cartoon"...

Post by Taylor »

Originally posted by Blacknife
I'm surprised. No really, either that or I'm too lazy to really search other message boards for that reactionary response to 1). Furman writing 2.) IDW coming straight out and asking about Marvel continuity.

Now, granted, the reactionary response maybe is considered worthless {by those that might want to complain} at this point just because Furman and Marvel continuity are mentioned out of the gate. But, I'd like to think that the door is not completely shut despite that.

There are stacks of Transformers DVDs that are being reviewed. (I raided my own nephew's collection.) Also, info and opinion regarding the animated series has been relatively easy to come across in our research.
Peace...

Dan
Editor @ [url=http://
www.idwpublishing.com]IDW[/url]
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