IDW Wreckers part 3 & FCBD Unicron #0

[griffin]

A couple of new Comic announcements by IDW.

A third Wreckers story is coming out in May (http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/02/21/idw-requiem-wreckers-announcement-359824), called "Requiem of the Wreckers", billed as a conclusion to the Wreckers story, but only as a single "one shot" issue though (double sized).


Written and drawn by Nick Roche himself, colored by Josh Burcham, and guest artists Guido Guidi and Geoff Senior.

And on Free Comic Book Day, on April 11th, will be issue 0 of the upcoming Unicron comic (or mini-series), and a four page preview has been mirrored here (http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/02/18/idw-free-comic-book-day-2018-unicron-0-preview-359519).
(if you are following the current IDW comics, be aware that there is a major spoiler, with one character being featured who should be dead... and it isn't Optimus this time :p )


(W) John Barber (A) Alex Milne (CA) Sara Pitre-Durocher
Not a whimper, nor a bang-the end comes with a squall of entropy shrieking from the ravenous maw of death itself. The message is clear: Unicron has arrived. The Transformers lock into a desperate bid to save Rom’s homeworld from the world-killer – but why has Unicron chosen this world on his path to Cybertron… and Earth? The biggest story in the history of Transformers starts now: for Unicron’s arrival can mean nothing less than the end of a universe.

[i_amtrunks]

Let’s hope Uniceon eats enough of the IDW verse that we stop getting all the useless ands meaningless cross overs and events. IDW have become as bad as Marvel!

I don’t think the “character is alive” is as big as a surprise as the IDW folk want us to think. It’s been in the pipeline for a while.

[Gouki]

Oh jesus, Death of Optimus Prime through Revolution was a complete fluke for IDW wasn't it? Either they have lost it again, like they with AHM or Hasbro should back off a little.

[Ploughmans Lunch]

Oh jesus, Death of Optimus Prime through Revolution was a complete fluke for IDW wasn't it? Either they have lost it again, like they with AHM or Hasbro should back off a little.

Remember the good times I suppose :)

[Gouki]

Remember the good times I suppose :)

IDW do love saving me money and I appreciate that they look out for my bottom line.

[reillyd]

Let’s hope Uniceon eats enough of the IDW verse that we stop getting all the useless ands meaningless cross overs and events.

I could live with Unicron eating GI Joes and ROM

[griffin]

An interview with two of the IDW people behind the upcoming Unicron comic (https://freecomicbookday.com/Article/207337-FCBD18-Interview-Transformers-Creators-Discuss-Comics-Unicron-and-the-End-of-a-Universe) has given us a quote that might be a hint at this story being the conclusion to the current Transformers IDW universe. Or it could just be the usual marketing red-herring...


John Barber: This is the end of the story we’ve been telling for over a decade. The IDW Transformers comics are the longest-lasting iteration Transformers characters ever—there’s more fiction in this universe than anywhere else in the history of the brand—and it all comes crashing down with Transformers: Unicron.
The question of what Unicron is—of what could be so big as to threaten all of reality—is central to the story. Everybody writing Transformers comics right now got together to figure out how to pull this off—me, James Roberts, Mairghread Scott, Nick Roche, plus the great editorial teams at IDW and Hasbro, and I think we’ve made something with depth, action, pathos, tragedy, and—maybe, if the Transformers are lucky—ultimately some triumph.
Alex Milne: I feel it's the biggest story due to the stake being so high. It's not just the Transformers and Cybertron that have to worry about Unicron, but the Earth and the other colony worlds as well. It really is something that affects this shared universe that IDW has created. Unicron is the destroyer of worlds, and not everyone will survive this encounter. Will out heroes even be able to stop him? I guess you'll have to read to find out.

[i_amtrunks]

Let’s hope Unicron eats everything bar Cybertron itself. I’d love to see them pull of something zany like in the Cybertron/Galaxy Force series and have Cybertron transform to defend itself. Whether it be piloted by some cons (Starscream redemption story arc?) or whatever.

It’d be a good reset button.

The question is, is a series wide reboot (again) what the brand needs? A decade is a long time in comics media.

[griffin]

IDW have released a full look at their Unicron through IGN (http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/03/24/unicron-coming-first-look-idws-unicron-robot-mode-361324), and if this is his actual scale/size, it would have to be the biggest version we've ever had.

The article also reinforces the idea that this will be the conclusion to IDW's current Transformers story.


TRANSFORMERS: UNICRON is a culmination of the years of TRANSFORMERS comics I’ve been a part of… and the conclusion of one of the longest continued narrative in TRANSFORMERS history.

[i_amtrunks]

Hard reboot or soft...

Transformers is and has been the only seller from the Hasbro stable.

Please let this be the end of all the crossovers and tie ins with other licenses. Only sad to see Lost Light go, hopefully Roberts can end things how he wanted to. We all knew that once Megatron was removed from the picture in the current timeline it’d only be a matter of time before he was either brought back in a silly way or they’d find a way to reset everything back to him being a maniacal decepticonnleader once more.

So at the end of this event will we have Optimus and the autobots waking on earth after crash landing after a fight with Megatrons receptions or will IDW try something different? Perhaps starting back on Cybertron at the beginning of the golden age or at the end of it when the war is really starating and do something a little more streamlined?

[Paulbot]

Looks like a hard reboot. Lost Light is going biweekly and wrapping up the current "season" at the same time the Unicron series ends (according to James Roberts on Twitter). Wreckers will wrap up. All th loose ends being tied up.

[SMHFConvoy]

Sucks that they're doing the hard reset but considering that in the last few years Hasbro and IDW trying to fold in so many other brands into one universe, it kind of made it unwieldy.

Hopefully, a lot of the current creative roster stay on as well as things like how genderless robots have relationships and the 13 tribes.

What I don't want is manly robots fighting a 4 million year war.

[reillyd]

I am slightly sceptical of their big event buildup, as none of the previous crossovers have had a huge impact except for specific characters. It sounds like more hype again, and more of a soft reboot from the newsarama article.

[SMHFConvoy]

I am slightly sceptical of their big event buildup, as none of the previous crossovers have had a huge impact except for specific characters. It sounds like more hype again, and more of a soft reboot from the newsarama article.

That article has been updated with a quote from Barber and Roberts confirmed on twitter that IDW is doing a hard reset.

[Paulbot]

Sucks that they're doing the hard reset but considering that in the last few years Hasbro and IDW trying to fold in so many other brands into one universe, it kind of made it unwieldy.

Hopefully, a lot of the current creative roster stay on as well as things like how genderless robots have relationships and the 13 tribes.

What I don't want is manly robots fighting a 4 million year war.

I've seen people drawing some lines between the IDW reboot and the new toyline/trilogy from the start of next year. Combined with the new cartoon and a possible "reboot" movie series and my assumption would be possibly a new "aligned" continuity?

Just need to see if they decide to reboot as a shared universe from the start this time or if they drop that concept. I fear feel they'll go for a shared universe.

[i_amtrunks]

I've seen people drawing some lines between the IDW reboot and the new toyline/trilogy from the start of next year. Combined with the new cartoon and a possible "reboot" movie series and my assumption would be possibly a new "aligned" continuity?

Just need to see if they decide to reboot as a shared universe from the start this time or if they drop that concept. I fear feel they'll go for a shared universe.

You crossed out the wrong word...

[UltraMarginal]

Pete Sinclair made a bold statement on Twitter a few weeks ago that he expected by this time next year Transformers would once again be a Marvel property.

I kind of hope he's wrong, except if it did become so, there's then long term likelihood that There would be Transformers related stuff at Disney parks and I expect they would do a really good job of that, even better than Universal.

[SMHFConvoy]

Just need to see if they decide to reboot as a shared universe from the start this time or if they drop that concept. I fear feel they'll go for a shared universe.

There's nothing wrong with a shared universe Hasbro and IDW just botched it with Revolution and it just got out of control. I hope that if they do got back to the war it's leading into it so it's less fighting and more what put these characters on their paths.

[DELTAprime]

James Roberts has said that the IDW continuity will end this September with the Unicron series.

http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/03/27/confirmed-idws-transformers-end-new-universe-reboot-start-september-361438

I guess it's probably due for a reboot since it started over a decade ago.

[i_amtrunks]

Great time to call my comic collecting quits and go digital only, unless something spectacular starts up from the get go on the reset... which I doubt. IDW has been on a death spiral for a while, only Lost Light and TAAO were worth reading.

No surprise that their transformers comics really went into free fall with the shared hasblow universe rubbish that really diluted the transformers brand.

At least there is a chance Kup might live for longer than a year this time around...

[Lord_Zed]

Have to agree, the stories have started to become really repetitive over the years, to the point where I'm missing All Hail Megatron.

I pretty much only follow Lost Light now.

I wonder what they'll reboot with? Does everyone still want G1? I'm finding constant throw backs and references to the Geewun universe is getting kind of tiresome these days.

[Paulbot]

Great time to call my comic collecting quits and go digital only, unless something spectacular starts up from the get go on the reset... which I doubt. IDW has been on a death spiral for a while, only Lost Light and TAAO were worth reading.

I did this at the end of Chaos. Only digital with some physical collections. Then More Than Meets The Eye started and I couldn't not own physical copies right away. I hope there's something as spectacular to come out the reboot.

[BigTransformerTrev]

I wonder how many loose ends and story threads they will try to tie up before it all comes to a finish?

I agree, its time for a fresh start, though a lot of the story arcs over the last decade have been among my fav ever so IDW had been doing a decent job. But too many of the comics are lackluster now and too many of the main characters are just played out.

[reillyd]

Looks like the hard reboot side won.

I *hate* reboots and it's a slap in the face of every consumer that bought the considerable volume of IDW stories. It didn't happen, the characters we've come to know and love didn't have these experiences. I hated the DC reboot, the Marvel, and now IDW. And I am still going to be paying for stories that got rebooted as part of the Hachette Transformer Collection.

Not. Happy. Jan.:mad:

[i_amtrunks]

A reboot makes sense if the writers are out of stories or have written themselves into corners with stories/arcs/deaths of characters that now have very limited places to go.

At this point I don’t mind a reboot if the writing from the get go can be as interesting as what we have had in the last few years with some very different takes on the series compared to what we have ever gotten before. MtMtE/Lost Light has been the standout after they did away with most of the Furmanverse, if it wasn’t for the massive misstep of AHM and trying to emulate the movie designs more, it’s been the most consistently good series ever. Barber, while an inconsistent writer month to month has done a commendable job rebuilding the universe and trying to tie non related strings and events into a canonical working universe.

Now to see if the Unicron series goes out like the G2 comic with deaths galore.

[reillyd]

Before this thread goes off-topic and is locked, I am curious to know if many IDW fans will continue to read their stories if they are erased from TF continuity by a reboot. Maybe I am being too pessimistic, because I am now reading the old TF UK material. But someone mentioned DC New 52, and I am sure their sales of pre-52 material must have gone down


Really eager to see Unicron return though.

[FatalityPitt]

Before this thread goes off-topic and is locked, I am curious to know if many IDW fans will continue to read their stories if they are erased from TF continuity by a reboot. Maybe I am being too pessimistic, because I am now reading the old TF UK material. But someone mentioned DC New 52, and I am sure their sales of pre-52 material must have gone down


Really eager to see Unicron return though.

I think similar to a lot of comic book runs, a reboot provides existing fans with a good "jumping off" point for those looking to "move onto other things"; and how better to end things with Unicron killing off everything :D. However, this reboot will also provide new and prospective fans with a good "jumping ON" point.

Me personally, I've been trying to curb my collecting for years, so I have no plans on collecting a new series. Also, with Hasbro wanting to roll-out a War For Cybertron (WFC) Trilogy toyline that will probably run for 4-5 years starting in 2019, the rebooted comic series will probably take place in the WFC/FoC universe. It would probably appeal more to fans of the video games (which I haven't played).

Normally I'd be tempted to buy some issue #1s of a new comic series (especially Transformers), but like I said, I've been trying to slow down my collecting.

[reillyd]

Thanks for your perspective Fatality.

[bowspearer]

I'll definitely give it a go. It'll be interesting to see the direction the lore in this new continuity will take. It'll be especially interesting if it goes back to Marvel, to see just how it all works in the wider scheme of things.

[reillyd]

I'll definitely give it a go. It'll be interesting to see the direction the lore in this new continuity will take. It'll be especially interesting if it goes back to Marvel, to see just how it all works in the wider scheme of things.

Wow, that totally didn't occur to me. Going back to an existing continuity would be awesome. Loved the Marvel US/UK run.

[bowspearer]

Wow, that totally didn't occur to me. Going back to an existing continuity would be awesome. Loved the Marvel US/UK run.

That's not what I meant, but who knows. I thought I read a rumour somewhere the it could be going back to being a Marvel property next year.

[philby]

Having gone through this with Star Wars a few years ago I can understand the hesitation and, well, anger.

I can also see why it would be good. With over 10years of lore and background it could be crippling and handicapping the writers. Imagine going into work saying 'i have this amazing idea for a new story with character x' but you get shot down because people need to investigate what has been happening with character X over the last 13 years and where they are now. Etc.

So don't fall into the hole of THESE STORIES NEVER HAPPENED NOW AND I HAVE WASTED ALL THIS TIME AND MONEY READING THESE!

Again look at star wars. They rebooted but also acknowledged and sometimes even included previous lore such as bringing in Thrawn to the Rebels cartoon 😊

[SMHFConvoy]

Philby, I'm not concerned about whether stories happened or not. I don't want the inclusiveness that's been the back bone of the IDW comics to be flushed. A reboot doesn't invalidate past continuities for me.

A reboot means that the newer characters can be reintroduced as being there from the start much like how Thrawn was brought into SW Rebels. If Chromedome and Rewind aren't a couple in the new continuity fine but don't drop the concept that these guys are capable of loving relationships or that these characters can identify as female or non binary.

[griffin]

(posts with rants and very personal opinions moved to the rants topic here (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=25369))

[DELTAprime]

^Well that's a relief.

Anyway. I'm thinking about starting to read IDW again. I own everything up to the end of Dark Cybertron and would be picking up from there. It seems like IDW has had a great run with the comics. Most of what I read was great to me with the exception of the 2009 - 2011 "The Transformers" and I'm looking forward to how it ends.

[reillyd]

Having gone through this with Star Wars a few years ago I can understand the hesitation and, well, anger.
..
So don't fall into the hole of THESE STORIES NEVER HAPPENED NOW AND I HAVE WASTED ALL THIS TIME AND MONEY READING THESE!

Again look at star wars. They rebooted but also acknowledged and sometimes even included previous lore such as bringing in Thrawn to the Rebels cartoon 😊

Hmm, I hadn't thought about it that way..... thanks Philby :)

[DELTAprime]

Hmm, I hadn't thought about it that way..... thanks Philby :)

Also Transformers is a multiverse. IDW is just one of many Transformers universes that exist in canon. This ending of the current IDW continuity is no different than the end of G1, BW, RID, AEC, TFA or the Aligned continuity. All the stories are still canon, even with their inconsistencies we have to work through with headcanon. What Lucasfilm did was different in that they made much of the Star Wars universe officially non-canon.

[griffin]

An excerpt from a Previews interview of various IDW people (http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/06/03/idw-john-barber-interview-on-unicron-event-364786) has more commentary on the upcoming Unicron comic series, confirming that they are still going to be doing Transformers comics after Unicron, but the focus is currently on... how will this 13 year story end.


“This is going to be the conclusion to the story — and the universe — that IDW launched back with Transformers: Infiltration #0 in 2005. IDW and Hasbro still have plenty more to say with Transformers — don’t misunderstand that! — but for this particular history, it’s all over. Now — whether that history gets wiped out or gets a nice happy ending for everybody? That’s the part that is playing out in the Unicron event”.

[griffin]

For those who missed out on the Free Comic Book Day issue of the Unicron comic, it is now on Comixology and Amazon for free (http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/06/27/idw-transformers-unicron-0-now-available-for-free-on-comixology-com-366231)... in time for the new mini-series that is said to end the current IDW Transformers universe.

[i_amtrunks]

For those who missed out on the Free Comic Book Day issue of the Unicron comic, it is now on Comixology and Amazon for free (http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/06/27/idw-transformers-unicron-0-now-available-for-free-on-comixology-com-366231)... in time for the new mini-series that is said to end the current IDW Transformers universe.

Is it just me or are the release dates for the mini series and next issues of the
Monthly series keep getting pushed back?

I don’t mind if it means that we finally get a decent IDW event. It strikes me as no surprise that we are getting Unicron now to wipe the slate clean after all the primus awful crossovers and other hasbro rubbish toylines leeching the energy and decency or of the transformers comics.

[griffin]

Not yet an official announcement (which will have its own news posting when it the press releases are done by IDW), but the current IDW President has let it slip in an interview that he is looking forward to the Transformers reboot in 2019.
As noted at TFW (http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/08/07/idw-transformers-reboot-coming-in-2019-369698), the October NYCC is probably the most likely venue for the official announcement, and teaser images for the new comic series... if it isn't starting in January (because the Diamond comic Previews for that month would be out at the end of September, spoiling the surprise).
But the new series shouldn't be starting too far into 2019, as we only have the crossover comic with Star Trek to tide us over after the current universe of stories ends in October, which itself would also be ending in December.