Transformers questions by newbies, and not-so-newbies

[GoktimusPrime]

So it sounds like the millions of new fans introduced to the fandom by the Movies isn't translating into new fans of the comics -- which is ironic given then quality of storytelling in each...

Perhaps fans of the films aren't too fussed about storytelling quality. Maybe IDW could attract more of those fans if they included more massive explosions, US army action, crude humour and shamelessly gratitious shots of girls.

[Verno]

Perhaps fans of the films aren't too fussed about storytelling quality. Maybe IDW could attract more of those fans if they included more massive explosions, US army action, crude humour and shamelessly gratitious shots of girls.

I assumed that's what the Movie-tie-in comics were...

[Paulbot]

It would help if the movie comics were good... but they are mostly not good stories and have some really ugly art.

[UltraMarginal]

Ah, we utilise the same resource.

Just having a flick back to Dreamwave's era... their top two titles selling about 140,000 copies each in just one month, compared to IDW struggling to get 10% of that per title (somewhere around 10,000 with most TFs issues).
As bad as Dreamwave turned out, they certainly knew how to sell a comic, as the sales number of that first Gen1 series of theirs climbed and held, instead of dropping off from the first issue (as most do).


(the thing that bugs me though, is both DC and Marvel produced almost-free comics, that they had to sell at a huge loss, just to make sure Dreamwave's Transformers didn't enjoy boasting rights of #1 each month)

I put down some, not all of Dreamwaves transformers popularity at the time to massive kneejerk reaction to there being new G1 media. I never realised there were even Transformers Comics till I saw a late G2 comic in a store maybe 97 or 98. I didn't realise DW was doing new comics till I saw one of the small digest ones in a supermarket. After that I went out of my way to hunt down DW Transformers comics. It was the first G1 Media in for ages for me and I soaked it up.

I really liked the art style, it was clean and crisp, something you don't always get with IDW. Although the IDW art has much better proportions. Now that we've had Comics of Transformers for over a decade straight the honeymoon period is over and to sell really well they need to be a very popular product.

I assumed that's what the Movie-tie-in comics were...

They weren't too bad, they often filled in a lot of story, character and plot holes left out of the films.

It would help if the movie comics were good... but they are mostly not good stories and have some really ugly art.

Unfortunately for the artists, they were trying to draw in a reasonable time frame the super ridiculously complex characters from the film, in my mind the greatest downfall of the movie tie in comics.

[griffin]

The movie comics actually made the movies make sense... so it is a pity that there were no epilogue/sequel comics from TF3, and not prequel comic for TF4 (and no indication of an adaptation comic either).

But ultimately it comes down to the sales numbers, and the Movie comics didn't do too well...

The first movie adaptation did well in June 2007, with all four issues being in IDW's top 5 for that month, coming in at #109-123, at 18,000 to 16,000 units.

The sequel to the first movie did okay as well, with the middle issue in July 2008 being the fourth best IDW title at #157 with 13,000 units sold to comic shops.

The Defiance prequel to the second movie in March 2009 was now down to 10,000 units at #150 & #151, with 9 other IDW comics doing better that month.
The Alliance prequel was even worse at 9,000 units at #159.

For the second movie, in July 2009 the movie adaptation was #172 at about 10,000 units, with 9 other IDW comics doing better (including AHM).
The epilogue comic for TF2 in September, came in at #174 at 11,000 units, with 7 other IDW comics doing better.

The TF2 sequel/epilogue in March 2010 was now down to less than 9,000 units at #191, with 7 other IDW titles doing better (including several GIJoe comics, which is supposed to have a smaller fandom with less toy sales and fanclub/convention attendees).

TF3 had two prequels as well, dropping down to 6,000 units each in March 2011 and sitting at #259 and #268... barely making it into the top 300 list. By the end of their mini-series, they were down to about 5,000 units each, and almost 20 other IDW titles were doing better.

The first three issues of the TF3 adaptation in June 2011 were staying down (like a Coles commercial) at about 5,500 units each, at #270-280, with 16 IDW titles doing better that month.

My thinking is that on Transformers Movies, the trend suggests that it isn't worth doing by IDW at all anymore. They have a small, limited number of staff, who can get better return on their investment by doing something else instead... no matter what it is.


I also think that people probably avoided the comic, assuming that it would make as little sense as the movies... but if IDW marketed their comic adaptation as "making sense of the theatrical movies", they might get more interest (like people who go out and buy the book of a movie after they see it). But then, Hasbro and Paramount would probably prevent IDW from promoting that, as it would impact on their much-bigger revenue earners.
Which is going to get priority, the multi-billion dollar movie franchise, the multi-million dollar toy franchise, or the multi-thousand dollar comic series.

[autobreadticon]

this is probarly a long shot but does any1 have the MOSC Takara masterforce vintage God Ginrai gold braces, just wondering if there is some gold wear on the small gold metal piece that comes with it even though its sealed. From alot of photos I have seen wear but some dont seem to be affected.

[BruiseLee]

Perhaps fans of the films aren't too fussed about storytelling quality. Maybe IDW could attract more of those fans if they included more massive explosions, US army action, crude humour and shamelessly gratitious shots of girls.

I think you just described just about every single comic published in the early to lateish 90s...

[GoktimusPrime]

90s Transformers comics never did though (except perhaps for G2 Starscream's weird tongue thing... eerrk)

[i_amtrunks]

Trying to convert the movie aesthetic to comics also did not work as well, even though the artists (milne etc) did as best they could with the source material.

The movie comics were not terrible, but as the movies got worse, the stories became more rooted in the history of humans dealing with the hiding of Megatron and other such things, while somewhat interesting to read and doing a wonderful job of piecing the awful movie writing into a more cohesive, understandable universe were not "must read".

I fully understand IDW not continuing with the movie comics, with all the movie adaptations in books, games etc, comics are an unnecessary addition.

[Verno]

From an email response from BBTS:

We unfortunately were not provided with any further specific details, but only that there would be delays. These issues tend to be common at times and when they do happen we are at the mercy of the manufacturer until they decide to release the figures again.

So it seems Hasbro don't even need to supply a reason to the retailers why there's a delay...