Comic Review: Transformers Regeneration One

[Paulbot]

I have similar disappointment, in that I wanted to have issue 81+ be what Furman originally had planned for the original 81+. I wouldn't have cared much if it rewrote Gen2, because if the comic had continued its run, it wouldn't have introduced Gen2 toys/characters until right at the end anyway (as issue 100 would have been in early 1993, just as Gen2 was about to be released... and the Gen2 era of comics began in mid 1993 anyway).
This Regen-1 series just feels too much like "retcon" after 20 years of fiction and fan stories and theories.... which is not what fans of the original comic probably wanted to see. They signed a petition, and wanted to see, a comic that continued the original series as if it had never been axed.

Aside from that, my other element of disappointment is the story structure, and the way it is done to conform to fit TPB reprinting.
I am a fan of individual story issues of Budiansky (in the original series), and I am a fan of the continuous story arc of Furman (in the original series) that keeps building momentum to sporadic climaxes (like issue 75). I am NOT a fan of story arcs that reach climax every 5 or 6 issues, and lose momentum by starting a new chapter/arc every 5 issues... just so that they can later sell a TPB that reads as a stand-alone "issue".
So far, the RG1 comic series looks more like four single, long, issues... which feels like we have been short-changed by 16 issues. (in my opinion)
When the series started coming out, I really wanted it to be like the Furman run of the original series, in that I would be excited enough to chase up each issue as they were released (because I wanted to find out what happens next)... but now I'm content to just wait for the TPB to be released months later and just read each "chapter".

Yep, if Scorponok and his magic key that turns Autobots evil had been one issue (or maybe two at most) it wouldn't have been as annoying as it wouldn't have taken up a whole quarter of the series.

Other IDW TF series (and comics in general) have this approach but it's become less common. MTMTE and RID have had arcs but generally each issue or two issues have made up a story. It makes this series a bit old fashioned (but more 2007 and not 1992).

[Verno]

Has anyone read #96 yet? I picked up a copy from Minotaur this morning, but it's the silly blank Cub Cover version. I was gunning for a Cover B.

[i_amtrunks]

Has anyone read #96 yet? I picked up a copy from Minotaur this morning, but it's the silly blank Cub Cover version. I was gunning for a Cover B.

Got the America blank cover. Can't remember what it was for, but the missus said it was the only cover that they had for sale.

Issue itself was more setup fodder. Just enough new stuff to keep me slightly interested, but I fear that once again thee are not enough issues tore solve what has been setup. Did we need 5 issues of Scorponok wasting our time just to get Grimlock down into Cybertron? Those issues could have been used to better the series rather than wrap nicely into a trade paperback issue.

I'm guessing the corrupted matrix energy is what seeped into Fort Max and it'll take spike to fix it. That will solve two of the issues in one swoop and I am sure Jhiaxus and Galvatron will overlap at some point for more anticlimactic battles in issue 100.

At least the handover from Optimus to Rodimus was succinct. Nightbeat and Bumblebee would have great potential if there was room for this series to expand or grow In a natural way rather than be shoehorned into finishing at 100.

[Paulbot]

I got the black and white Senior cover but had to leave it unread at the office on Friday night. I'll have a read tomorrow.

[Verno]

I've been reading up on the fandom's response to ReGen1, as a whole, on some other international boards and the attitudes towards the series are quite negative -- all except the IDW Boards themselves, where people dare not say anything negative, (I assume) in fear the Artists/Writers/Producers themselves are reading the comments.

I haven't read Marvel TF 1-80, I haven't read any of the UK stuff but I jumped on board the ReGen1 boat from the beginning and I've quite enjoyed it to be honest. For me (who'd like to do some work in the comic industry) it's 3-parts education, 7-parts entertainment.

I don't have the connections to the original stuff, which seems to be an advantage given some fans' reactions to the series, yet me being drawn to it is counter-intuitive given that the series wasn't really designed for new fans like me -- it was meant to be for the older, long-suffering fans.

4 Issues to go and I'm excited to see how it all wraps up. 4 Issues is still 88 pages of story. If I can tell the entire Csirac story in 4 Issues, a master story-teller like Furman can weave some absolute magic.

[Sharky]

I think Regen was short shipped this week I know my local only got a hand full,of regular issues and some incentives. Wasn't a bad read tho nebulous is back in the mix and some othe interesting bits to come. While it is a set up issue I feel like it was one of the stronger issues

[Paulbot]

4 Issues is still 88 pages of story. If I can tell the entire Csirac story in 4 Issues, a master story-teller like Furman can weave some absolute magic.

There's some of the problem. You could tell much more story in 88 pages than we'll actually get. MTMTE does it all the time. This series spends 110 pages on stories he could actually do in 22 or 44 (and would have done in the 90s).

[Verno]

There's some of the problem. You could tell much more story in 88 pages than we'll actually get. MTMTE does it all the time. This series spends 110 pages on stories he could actually do in 22 or 44 (and would have done in the 90s).

My point was more along the lines that there is a hell of a lot to tie-up in the remaining 88 Pages of this series, and it'll pretty much be balls to the wall from here on out -- well, maybe one more set-up issue -- we can't start fighting Jhiaxus straight away.

Jhiaxus
Galvatron
Spike
Evil Matrix Creature

And let's not forget the crack in time!

My fingers are crossed that all the waiting will have been worth it. I mean, this isn't an on-going, so the entire series has been building towards this apex, purposefully. Furman's known the ending all along, and has been moving us towards it step by step, unlike an on-going, which builds to 'moments' but has to keep going, no matter what. ReGen1 is special in that is will actually end.

[Paulbot]

My point was more along the lines that there is a hell of a lot to tie-up in the remaining 88 Pages of this series, and it'll pretty much be balls to the wall from here on out -- well, maybe one more set-up issue -- we can't start fighting Jhiaxus straight away.

Jhiaxus
Galvatron
Spike
Evil Matrix Creature

And let's not forget the crack in time!

I think it will seem a bit rushed honestly. Still, I should read #96 tonight and see.

My fingers are crossed that all the waiting will have been worth it. I mean, this isn't an on-going, so the entire series has been building towards this apex, purposefully. Furman's known the ending all along, and has been moving us towards it step by step, unlike an on-going, which builds to 'moments' but has to keep going, no matter what. ReGen1 is special in that is will actually end.

It never ends

[Verno]

I think it will seem a bit rushed honestly. Still, I should read #96 tonight and see.

Jam-packed for sure, but hopefully not rushed.

Furman's had 20 years for the ideas of what the original Marvel story could have been to swim around in his head, so when the opportunity arose for him to give it a proper ending through these 20 Issues, I'm sure he's been able to craft it carefully, even with the restraints of having to write with the trades in mind, which has been a lot of readers' complaints.

It never ends

If my theory is correct, it both will and won't end. But I'll save that for when you've read #96.