Can someone fill me in on The Dead Universe, Galvatron and The Darkness without simply pointing me to TfWiki, that place is no help.
Can someone fill me in on The Dead Universe, Galvatron and The Darkness without simply pointing me to TfWiki, that place is no help.
What's on the Wiki is pretty much it. There's another universe were everything is dead, and a group of Transformers, including Galvatron (older than Megatron, no relation), went there and got twisted by being there and became evil. You die or go evil. (Or wear a Pretender Shell as armour to stay alive for a short period.) D'Void, IDW's equivalent of Unicron, seems to be the cause, an anti-life presence that consumed all 'life energy' in the universe, and then tried, during the Chaos story, to break through and consume the IDW universe too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Verno
So the Galvatron in there is different to the one that Unicron turned Megs into in TF:TM?Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulbot
Yes. In the IDW universe Galvatron, Scourge and Cyclonus are older Transformers (older than the regular cast) and never had anything to do with Unicron. The events of TF:TM (and the rest of the cartoon) have not and can not occur in the IDW Universe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Verno
The beauty of starting all over again huh?Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulbot
Do you think this D-Void will end up being some kind of manifestation of Unicron that IDW is saving up for later? Or something else?
Sorry for all the questions and thanks for the info Paulbot, I'm thinking of playing catch-up with the IDW universe (I know I'm a long way behind)
D-Void fills the role of Unicron, god that want's to destroy everything, for the IDW stories. After Heart of Darkness mini-series it looked like they were going to make it more explicit but it didn't happen.Quote:
Originally Posted by Verno
They could still get away with Unicron appearing eventually next time they want a big epic story (likely to be a later crossover between the two new books if I was to bet).
Would you recommend getting the issues like Transformers IDW Collection 1 to get up to date?
If you want to read all the IDW comics, then yes that series would be the way to go, but you could also start with "#125" and just read the new ongoing series.
Also, if you don't need a physical copy, back issues are really cheap on ComiXology, $2 per issue, which is a cheaper way than buying the comics and you can pick and choose and skip things like Spotlight Cliffjumper and Spotlight Mirage that don't have importance to the overall story.
I should add you don't need to catch up either. IDW stories are self contained and (Drift toy aside) unlikely to have much influence on the rest of the broader TF univers, since the Prime cartoon and toy series are the main thing now.
Where does the IDW universe start? All Hail Megs?
Infiltration was the start. But it happens at the same time as StormbringerQuote:
Originally Posted by Verno
All Hail Megatron was "New Start #2".
Kinda sorta, if you want to get technical (indulge me).Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Phoenix
The end of Stormbringer happens, then slots in around Infiltration #4 (I think it's four).
I'd definitely read Infiltration first, but YMMV.
And the IDW Collections are the best way to get started. Over-sized, better value than collecting the individual trades by themselves.
Five volumes are out to date (the latest came about two weeks ago, and should be instock at DM places like Amazon very shortly, if not already).
They're also much wieldier to read than the Premier Editions. There were two of those, and while they cover what I consider to be the best material (besides Last Stand Of The Wreckers), they are simply too big to really read comfortably in bed, and definitely not something you'd want to drag around in public.
If you don't want to read the 'old' stuff, then starting next month, I'd recommend picking up either/both of the two new ongoing series: 'Robots In Disguise' and 'More Than Meets The Eye'. Both start fresh with issue ones next month. Different casts, different objectives. You may find you prefer one to the other, or are interested in both.
Either way, they're perfect for someone looking to start fresh, and not wanting to delve into the past IDW material.
Honestly, answering that fully would probably be a bad idea without spoiler tags, as a lot of board members who read these in trade only aren't up to date with this storyline (it's volume 6 of the Ongoing, and volume 5 just came out fairly recently).Quote:
Originally Posted by Verno
May be best to start a new thread elsewhere, explicitly marked as containing spoiler material, just for the courtesy of others.
There you go, now it's its own topic, so spoil away.
(any question in the random questions topic that generates this much interest will usually be branched off into its own topic)
Wow, I go to bed and my little questions get their own thread! It must be Christmas!
Would people recommend reading the IDW back catalogue? I'm assuming the stuff is good.
As most of you are probably aware, I've only ever been interested in BW, but as that won't see the light of day again in any official media, I figured I should branch out! and the comics seemed the most likely place. (Prime TV doesn't interest me, I watched the first few eps and wasn't hooked)
Oh, and would people recommend going right back to the Dreamwave stuff?
Infiltration #0 is the starting point. Personally I found the Furman written material was the best stuff IDW had released (other than LSotW and a few select issues like Spotlight Kup).
AHM was a soft reboot that ignored more or less everything that Furman had written, but the ongoing tried to tie some of the older stuff (including dead universe characters like Arcee, Hardhead etc) back onto the stor before the last 10 or so issues (including the Chaos "mini") really brought the Furmanverse stuff back to the fore by uniting it with the Chaos crossover.
Paulbot has given you all the good info, I recommend reading the "-tion" books (particularily Revelations), Spotlights Nightbeat, Galvatron, Arcee, to a lesser extent Spotlight Prime, then the ongoing from #119 on. Sure there are more issues but dont come to mind right now.
DW does not flow into the IDW stories so are not needed for the IDW run which exists in its own universe and hass no ties to any other tf lore.Quote:
Originally Posted by Verno
Cheers Trunks. I'm out of my depth so any pointers from knowledgable fans is handy.
In all honesty I'd get #125 and start from Jan 2012. Play catch up when you can afford it, starting with Last stand of the Wreckers and the Spotlight Collections (particularily Collections #1, #2 and #3) only the Ramjet and Mirage ones are worthless entries.Quote:
Originally Posted by Verno
From there collect: Infiltration, Escalation, Devestation, Revelation (collection of spotlights) then decide if you want to continue with Maximum Dinobots and then AHM and the ongoing. The final ongoing collection #7 would also be worth getting. Stormbringer is also a decent story to collect.
Hope that helps, it certainly wont help your bank account. Hopefully bookdepository has them in stock, that will save you a packet.
Cheers again Trunks.
Yes I was going to ask where people might recommend I track them down. ComiXology has been mentioned earlier and now book depository, are they the best (cheapest) bets?
With the $Au being stronger against the $US than the Pound, bookdepository is the cheapest bet, but they dont always have all the issues in stock.
For example Last Stand of the Wreckers is out of stock, as is Spotlight #1 and Stormbringer.
However:
Infiltration
Escalation
Devestation
Revelation
Spotlight #2
Spotlight #3
Maximum Dinobots
are all in stock for around $20 a piece, and you may find the sngle issues for the others at comixology or elsewhere.
Or you could try and kill mutliple birds with one stone: Hardcover Premiere Edition #2 collects Devestation, Revelation and the Spotlights 2 and 3 collections for about $93 in hardcover. Seems that Volume 1 is out of stock.
Goodluck!
I differ from IAmTrunks, in that I'd recommend the 'IDW Collection' hardcovers over the Premier Editions. (Sidenote: Did I already post this here, or was that somewhere else? Please excuse me if I've doubled up)
Better value than the trades, easier to read than the Premier Editions. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Premier Editions, but when I want to read them, I grab the IDW Collection hardcovers over the Prem Editions or the trades/singles etc.
Larger print, hardcover, works out cheaper than buying individual trades.
'Last Stand Of The Wreckers' is also getting a hardcover edition soon, which I believe will have all the extras, including the material that wasn't included in the tpb, but was in the single issues, so it's the most complete version, if you care for that.
Those 'IDW Collection' books look like the way to go.
Why have I never heard of this Book Depository place before?! Looks pretty good.
I've never used it myself, but my sister uses it for almost all book purchases, so she's obviously happy with them, I'd assume.Quote:
Originally Posted by Verno
EDIT: And if you're frugal and check your prices online, you should be able to pick up the first 3 volumes of the IDW Collection for under $120.
I was able to get them for slightly more than that the other week, for part of Arcee's Xmas present. The only reason it cost me slightly more was to ensure they got here in time for Xmas, otherwise I could have probably got them all for closer to $100.
According to UltraMarginal apparently Book Depository is fast and cheap, but very careless in the way of their packing, so has damaged several of his orders, but they do have a decent customer service as they refunded (or exchanged, I can't remember) his damaged books.Quote:
Originally Posted by Verno
I have ordered scores of comic trades from Bookdepository (seriously near 100 now) and have no complaints. I may have some minor corner creases among those but nothing worth complaining about when I get the book for half the price I could buy it in store and pay only $0 postage.
Not that they aren't worth having and all, but since you're a fellow Tasmanian @ Verno the State library system has a fair few of the IDW collections if you want to try before you buy.:)
Completely forgot about their existance, thanks for the heads up!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat
I got a free copy of Spotlight: Shockwave when I downloaded the Transformers app from IDW, and I have a question.
We see Shockwave seeding (what turns out to be) Earth with (what I assume is this miraculous) Ore-13.
However, would Earth not already be seeded with Energon by the Vok? Or is IDW not moving towards a Beast Wars future?
Or perhaps they're moving towards a different BW future, one devoid (no pun intended) of the Vok, where BW Megatron goes back in time to get the raw Energon from Earth which everyone knows is there.
No Beast Wars in IDW. You know that famous reveal at the end of Beast Wars series 2? Can't happen in the IDW Universe as that crash never happened in IDW.
Instead the Spotlight comic is based on Marvel's origin for Shockwave and the Dinobots with a few Beast Wars touches added (Earth seeded with Energon, CR chambers, the need for the Grimlock and co to wrap themselves in organic beast modes to avoid statis lock).
The G1 Transformers in IDW are on Earth because of the Energon that was planted here by Shockwave. It drives the plot of the first 18 issues or so.
They could do a new take in which case your idea might work but it's unlikely IDW will do anything but make more comics set in the original BW cartoon continuity.
No Ark? Heavens, they have given the G1-verse a reboot haven't they.
More comics in the BW cartoon continuity? Yes please. But I'm sure IDW have better things to be doing with their time, 2012 will be a busy year for them.
Well there is still the Ark.....just multiple Arks....Quote:
Originally Posted by Verno
The first Ark was the ship that Nova Prime and Galvatron took to explore the Dead Universe.
The Autobots also have lots of ships called the Ark in their fleet. They just have a number after it. I think Ark-17 was the ship that rescued Kup
These IDW people seem to be enjoying rewriting the G1 story from the start, and doing it in terms that reference previously written fiction, but twisting it to their own designs.
I guess that was the only way to avoid being hamstrung by that which has come before, by working outside of established canons, yet still being recognizable as G1.
Yeah, it's their own new continuity... but even then they still managed to screw things up... *cough*AHM*cough*
I wouldn't really say they're trying rewrite G1.Quote:
Originally Posted by Verno
Sure, AHM is an exception, but it's certainly the exception, rather than the norm.
They've definitely added a lot to it. Some bits you may like, some you may dislike. I personally loved the more set Autobot command structure that existed in the -Ations. That got abandoned for AHM and beyond, but I thought it was a very logical way for a large army to act, and much better than what we'd seen previously. Same with the 6-stage Decepticon strategy, the way Autobots were assigned, etc etc.
Are you familiar with Marvel Comics Ultimate imprint at all? I'd say that's more what they've done (again, especially during the -Ations).
Simon Furman was brought in to set the universe up, and pilot the first few years of stories, and basically his remit from IDW was, "Clean slate. What would happen if you started writing Transformers in 2005?" And Infiltration was his answer - Cybertron is a burned out husk and stores of true Energon are depleted, with a war of attrition being played out across various worlds with small Decepticon Infilitration teams trying strip down the planets for resources, and small Autobot teams fighting to stop them, all coordinated by Optimus from his Orbital Command Hub, and fought according to intergalactic accords and conventions. Optimus only gets involved on Earth due to the discovery of Ore-13 - Shockwave's only (known) successful attempt to create new Energon by seeding various different planets - basically turning Earth into the most import planet, resource wide, in the universe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Verno
Now this sounds quite excellent, so why was Furman taken away from the helm? :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by Seraphim Prime
Here's what AHM's author had to say on this board about it...Quote:
Originally Posted by Hursticon
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shane McCarthy
Hmm... See, this seems baffling to me as all I ever seem to hear/read is that the Furman IDW stuff was a far and away more coherent narrative and quite a bit better received, at least compared to what came after... :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulbot
Oh well, we'll just have to see how they go from the upcoming re-re-reboot eh? :p
Cheers for the clarification Paulbot. ;):)