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 Cars are great, robots are great, cars that turn into robots are DOUBLE GREAT. That's probably what the enterprising minds at Takara thought when they created the Diaclone: Car Robots toyline in 1982, which would be brought to the rest of the world two years later by Hasbro under a name you might recognise: The Transformers. While the first thing that will come to mind upon hearing that name is probably the 80s cartoon show Hasbro launched to advertise the toyline and the second those new live-action movies everyone's going on about, the franchise as a whole is much, much broader than that and has been going more-or-less strong in animation, comics and, of course, plastic crack for the last 29 years.  Quite frankly, most of it is not very good, but over 30 years, they were bound to hit the mark occasionally. Here's a very shallow overview of the more well known series, if you'd like some more info on an individual one please feel encouraged to just ask.  - The original cartoon, Transformers G1: Goody-two-shoe Autobots and EEEEEEVILLLLLL Decepticons crash land on earth, hijinx ensue. Incredibly 80s and often rather silly, G1 is the kind of thing you watch moreso for its cultural significance and "what the gently caress were they thinking?"-factor than any serious expectation of good storytelling or quality animation. Still fun if you enjoy that kind of 80's weirdness, but then, if that's your thing, then you probably already saw it, didn't you. However, The 1986 movie is where it's really at. While certainly not without its flaws, it's all the fun and sillyness in a much tighter, better written and fantastically animated package and can pretty much be watched as a standalone if you know who Optimus Prime is (you do). Orson Welles plays a giant robot that eats planets, Eric Idle is in it and a loootta people die.  - The Marvel comic series: Actually pre-dating the cartoon but running all the way trough 1991, there's actually two versions of this one, a US one and a much more extensive (332 issues!) UK one. The former is mostly written by the kind of shaky Bob Budiansky, while its end and the UK-unique content were penned by Simon Furman, one of the biggest names and most popular people in Transformers. It's not much of a question which one is better. In its totality the series contains some of the dumbest things ever put to paper, but also some actual Good Writing many fans prefer over the much more well known cartoon. If you like G1, may as well give them a try.  - Beast Wars: Goody-two-shoe Maximals and EEEEEEVILLLLLL Predacons land on earth, hijinx ensue, but this time it's the past and Optimus is an ape. This is far and away considered the best written Transformers cartoon series, and if you can deal with the horrible 90s CGI at all you should watch it. Followed up by Beast Machines, but that one is... Odd, and probably best avoided.  - The various Japanese cartoons, Headmasters, Masterforce, Victory, Robots in Disguise, Armada, Energon, Though actually, it turns out that there's people who like Headmasters (falling under that terrible-but-hilarious thing) and Galaxy Force (for basically being a Brave Series show with transformers). Huh!  - The Dreamwave comic series: PPPPPFFFFFFFFFffffffhhhahahahahahaha Alright, fine. Actually a not insignificant chapter of TF history that started the modern revival of G1, but... Not exactly worth reading nonetheless.  - The life-action movies: Questionably goody-two-shoe Autobots and really kind of pitiful Decepticons crash land on earth, violent murder ensues. Basically responsible for a massive financial and cultural revival of the franchise and a fascinating cultural signifier in general, but also nigh loving unwatchable. It takes a very particular mindset to enjoy them, and if you just want a big action movie about robots, you're probably better served elsewhere.  - Transformers Animated: Goody-two-shoe Autobots crash land on earth with magic McGuffin, EEEEEEVILLLLLL Decepticons want their magic McGuffin, hijinx ensue. A more modern attempt to make a fun and lighthearted cartoon show for children, this one is... Pretty alright? Opinions are actually fairly split on it, many people consider it the second best Transformers cartoon while others, well, don't, but either way there's no harm in trying it out and seeing for yourself. Unfortunately however, it was abruptly cancelled before the planned fourth season.  - Transformers Prime: Goody-two-shoe Autobots and EEEEEEVILLLLLL Decepticons are already on earth(!), hijinx ensue. The currently ongoing series, in its third and final season. You know there are some series that some people absolutely hate and others completely adore? Well, Prime is not such a show; Even in the realm of internet hyperbole responses are pretty, hm, measured. The writing is largely just too safe to ruffle feathers one way or another, but its very solid presentation (animation and so on) has drawn a number of fans. Worth trying out, just don't expect to be blown away.  - War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron: Goody-two-shoe Autobots and EEEEEEVILLLLLL Decepticons are not on earth yet(!), third person shooting ensues. The video games. In what may be starting to be a pattern, they're alright, but didn't exactly set critics' pants on fire. If you just want to play as a robot who turns into a space car, they will do just fine.  - The IDW comic series: Alright, now we're talking. IDW is the company behind the current line of Transformers comics and employer of James Roberts, whose writing may well be the best in the franchise. Early IDW's continuity is a bit of a clusterfuck and you'll have to reference TFWiki to get a semblance of a reading order (and even that's spotty), but you really don't need to bother unless you're curious. What you do need to do, however, is read these four things: Last Stand of the Wreckers: A five-issue series by Nick Roche and James Roberts and inevitably the very first thing that is recommended when a person asks for a TF comic to read. A terrifying Decepticon warrior hijacks his own superior's siege on a massive prison complex and, after taking it, promptly declares it his personal entertainment paradise. And who else can stop him but the Wreckers, a misfit team of fearsome cannon fodder with nothing to lose!? Well, except their lives, that is. The Death of Optimus Prime: A one-shot by Roberts and John Barber, this one sets up the two currently ongoing series. Long after the end of the great war, the big O.P. himself awakens on a vastly changed Cybertron he does not recognise. Now, he must go on an introspective journey to find his place among what were once his people... Or die, I suppose, if the title is to go by. Robots in Disguise: One of the two currently ongoing series, penned by John Barber. With the war's brutal simplicity behind them, the former Autobot warriors are forced to place their hands in the sticky, messy world of politics. In a newly charged situation now involving three different factions, they have to try the best to keep things in order and not have the whole planet blow up around them again. More Than Meets The Eye: The second current ongoing and Roberts' brainchild, also this thread's favourite thing in the world. Taking place concurrently with its sister series, one of the Autobots comes into possession of an Ancient Mystical Map™ and promptly concludes that clearly it points the way to the secret utopia of the legendary demigod Knights of Cybertron, who he believes are the only ones able to reunite the people. With some 200 random people on his giant spaceship, it sets off on its mission aaand immediately makes a random quantum jump and gets lost in space. Now this gaggle of weirdoes is stuck with each other on some ship in the middle of nowhere, really not ready to encounter one surprise after the other. All of these works are primarily praised for their very strong character writing, with various unique and relatable robots in new and imaginative scenarios. If you're going to read/watch a single series in the franchise, this is the one to go with. Less extremely beloved but still of interest are the Spotlight: [Character] issues, short stories with a focus on a specific person. Some newer ones written specifically for people coming in without much prior knowledge are Orion Pax, Thundercracker, Megatron, Bumblebee, Trailcutter and Hoist.  - Thew's Awesome Transformers Reviews: Alright, not actually a Transformers show in the conventional sense, but the guy is hilarious and you should watch his videos even if you have no interest in the toys. Speaking of which...  Oh, we all know why we're really here. Toys are great. Fiddling with them is fun, there's some really clever engineering to admire, and of course collecting them satisfies our barely-repressed hoarder tendencies. They run anywhere from $5 to $400 market price, are anywhere between 3 and 60 centimetres tall and range between "changes to robot in three seconds" to "it took me three hours to transform this the first time." A quick overview over the most notable stuff:  - G1: Once again, the one that started it all. Early parts of it consisted mostly of pretty nice and life-accurate vehicles with a satisfying heft due to their metal content that turn into hilariously pitiful robots with no virtually articulation and some pretty whack proportions, but once they ran out of Diaclone toys to repurpose, they started making a lot of just plain weird gimmicky poo poo. Like the cartoon, it's mostly nostalgia that makes this one notable. Followed up by G2, which was mostly the same things but in the most 90s colours imaginable.  - Beast Wars: Animal-based Transformers are here. First line to really realise the potential of ball joints, so now suddenly it's no longer statues that turn into cars, but actual articulated action figures. Beyond your gorillas and cheetahs there's also some odd creative stuff like the incredibly shiny biomechanical Transmetals and genetic laboratory mishap-esque fuzors. Also followed by Beast Machines, and much like the cartoon those toys are... Not great either.  - Machine Wars and Robots in Disguise: Although RID has its own cartoon and independent continuity, it much resembles the half-hearted attempt to return the franchise back from animals to cars that is MW by being a filler line largely consisting of repaints. RID Omega Prime, Rail Racer and Landfill aren't bad, though.  - The Unicron Trilogy, Armada, Energon and Cybertron: Largely abandoning realism, these are some of the most toyetic toys in the line. Hefty, blocky things with odd gimmicks which don't seem too appealing at first, but are pretty nice once you actually hold them in hand. Armada is more than a bit shaky in places, but Cybertron has some great stuff. Unicron and Primus are basically must-owns.  - Classics (also Henkei, Universe, Generations, Reveal the Shield and United, often abbreviated as CHUG): You know how the G1 toys were often not that great? Well how about we take the same beloved characters, but make totally new moulds for them with modern engineering and stuff? BRILLIANT! And it really is, because the classics lines are well beloved and home to some of the best received toys there are. Aside from G1, Hasbro also likes to shove stuff in there they couldn't fit anywhere else, such as video game and comic characters. Particular mention goes to one of SA's favourite robots, RTS Lugnut, who is fantastic.   - Masterpiece: Basically Classics, but in HYPERDRIVE. Generally running you $100-$200 if not more, these are massive, highly complex and supremely engineered super-premium figures of your favourite G1 characters. The two Optimus Primes are serious contenders for most beloved Transformer ever made, but aside from Megatron and Rodimus everyone in this line is basically a winner.  - Alternators / Binaltech: Scale model cars that beat everything else in Transformers on realism, right down to detailed interiors and opening bonnets. However, as nice as the car modes are, the transformations are a great example of how to do complexity terribly wrong and the robot modes don't actually end up looking too great anyway. Follow-up Alternity avoids many of the problems Alternators suffers from, but there's an actual total of four moulds across that entire line.  - Movie: Based on the life-action movies, these carry over their radically modern aesthetic to a fiercely unapologetic degree. With realistic vehicle modes based on specific, often licensed vehicles and rather, um, unique robot modes, these lines have some of the best engineering you can find on an affordable mass-market toy. The look may take some getting used to, but there's a lot to love here. Anything with the prefix "Scout Class" is almost guaranteed to be brilliant, and ROTF Leader Optimus Prime is just a work of genius.  - Animated: You can guess what this is based on. Mostly notable for doing a remarkable job at adapting the series' extremely stylised, somewhat abstract designs into actual physical toys that exist in 3D space. If you like the aesthetic, the line certainly does it justice. The biggest stand-outs are Rodimus, Shockwave and Ultra Magnus.  - Prime: Another series-based line, this one sort of combines the aesthetics of Animated and the movies, which, as odd as it sounds, actually works quite well. Unfortunately, its main sub-line just so happened to be created during that time when Hasbro most felt the troubled economy, and it's something that does come across on many of the toys. Thankfully, the early "First Edition" sub-line managed to sneak into stores before that little cataclysm and is almost consistently great, and the currently ongoing "Beast Hunters" figures show definite signs of recovery. And economy or no, RID Vehicon is another serious fan-favourite.   - Third Party Transformers: Okay, so this is a bit more complicated. Not actually produced by Hasbro or Takara, these are unofficial toys made by adult collectors for adult collectors. Produced on a small scale, their creators don't have to worry about mass marketing, playability, child safety, budget restrictions or any of the other hundred things that tend to make official toys just that bit less awesome than they could be. Just make the best, most massive combiner you can and peg up the price tag until you make back your expenses - of course, as a result, most of these are costly, but you pay for quality - some collectors even have sworn off official toys entirely and gone Third Party only. Many third party companies piggyback on the success of Classics and Masterpiece and make their own versions of G1 characters Hasbro/Takara are unlikely to give the full treatment to, but another popular thing is to create add-ons for official figures that enhance their play value or show accuracy or just generally make them better. Each company has its own stories, style, focus and quirks, and really third party items are one of the biggest topics in Transformers today, but going into details is a bit beyond the scope of this post. So where can you find these? If you live in the US, any store that has toys basically, but while it's easy to find Transformers in general, it's much harder to find something you're actually looking for. Make sure to check often and scan the aisles thoroughly - of course, the best stuff is generally bought out the fastest. Failing that, and for third party items, there's lots of online stores you can turn to: Hasbro Toy Shop (Prices are ridiculously low here, but they run out of stock at according pace. Also doesn't ship internationally) Big Bad Toy Store (The most prolific online shop on this list, a lot of people can vouch for it) Captured Prey (Not as big as other shops, but my experience with them has definitely been positive) TFSource If you live in Europe or on Saturn... Well, you're kind of screwed, because Hasbro doesn't like you. TFs technically still sell in European stores, but the chances of finding anything good are near zero, and the only specifically European-based online shop I know is Kapow Toys, who put such a mark-up on their prices that in some cases it's actually cheaper to order directly from the US or Asia. If all else fails, there's always eBay. While home to notorious scalpers who buy up bulks of figures upon release to re-sell them at absurdly inflated prices and various flavours of stolen Chinese toys, there's also plenty of mothers selling their children's toys and legitimate shops based in it. I buy most of my figures here and all negative experiences I had were entirely customs' fault. It's generally worth it to just look around in the lower price ranges or search for lots specifically. Of course, there's also trade happening at conventions. Transformers has those! Gammatron 64 goes into a bit more detail for us: quote:BotCon, June 27th-30, San Diego, CA Some more Links - TFWiki: The best franchise wiki out there. I'm not sure it's actually possible to give praise more faint, but inbetween the insufferable sperging about continuity there's actually a lot of useful info and stuff written with an actual sense of humour. On the other hand, they also consider "third party" a sort of political un-word, which is just the dumbest thing. - TFW2005 and Seibertron: Two largely analogous sites that serve to bring you the biggest (and smallest) news in the world of Transformers. Also have their own communities attached to them, but, well, you know how fandom communities are. I personally prefer TFW for their site design and that pretty solid podcast they run, but Seibertron has much more extensive toy galleries. - Transformerland Toy Identifier: Have some old TF toy lying around but have no idea who or what it's actually supposed to be? This service might help you find out! - TFU.info is an old, but very comprehensive figure listing that has some extra info such as parts rundowns. - Aside from Thew, two more big name TF reviewers are Internet Personality Vangelus™, a quite amusing fellow with high production values who hits a good balance of being entertaining, showing off a toy and giving his opinion, and Peaugh, who is drier than a desert planet but has a video for basically every single new release that happens, usually before it's even out in stores, and makes pretty objective presentations of what a toy actually is and does. And now that the general stuff is out of the way, let's pick up where we left off:  Wheeljack and Bumblebee have been (tentatively?) announced as the next Masterpiece releases! Unfortunately we don't have pictures or anything yet, but you know a Masterpiece Lancia Stratos robot can't possibly not be brilliant 
Terry van Feleday fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Jun 21, 2013 |
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Jun 20, 2013 20:51
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Everybody should read Last Stand of the Wreckers then the MTMTE trades. They're so good.  Hopefully by the end of this thread we'll have a Swerve toy.
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Jun 20, 2013 20:58
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Add http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEG2009R8GOZ4OQEs6x4rqA PhelesDragon's Review Dump to the reviewer pile; big beast wars fans, updates regularly now, tons of humor.
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Jun 20, 2013 21:01
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The only Transformers toy I actually want right now is a "My First Blaster."
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Jun 20, 2013 21:04
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MP Tigertrack just hit my POL on BBTS! Baby's first Lambo mold!
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Jun 20, 2013 21:07
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We've needed a new OP for years. Shmax.com is another useful tool for collectors. It lets you catalog everything you have, and lets you document what parts you have, whether its opened or not, what country its from, etc. Granted, I suppose you could just document this all in an excel spreadsheet, but it lets you get an idea of how many goddamn robits you have and (roughly) how much your collection is worth... although said number isn't super accurate. Wanderer posted:The only Transformers toy I actually want right now is a "My First Blaster." One of the many, many moments in MTMTE that made me laugh out loud.  Also,  Ultra Magnus is my favorite character.  So yeah guys, you should be reading this book.
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Jun 20, 2013 21:23
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Will the upcoming MP bumblebee be the classic vw? If so will it only be available in Japan like the lambo molds? If its Japan only it doesn't bother me, I've bought all the other drat imported MPs.
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Jun 20, 2013 21:35
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I would have preferred Jazz to Wheeljack, but Wheeljack is cool, too.
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Jun 20, 2013 21:43
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Gammatron 64 posted:One of the many, many moments in MTMTE that made me laugh out loud. You really can't pitch MTME without mentioning everyone's favorite cyclopean sociopath:  Whirl is pretty much the number one reason (out of a loving ton) I've found myself invested in a piece of Transformers fiction in a really, really long time. (Number two reason is Cyclonus) Oh right, new thread, whoa etc.
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Jun 20, 2013 21:52
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I can't believe we finally got a new thread, and it wasn't called the Galvathread. 
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Jun 20, 2013 22:31
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The_Doctor posted:I can't believe we finally got a new thread, and it wasn't called the Galvathread. It's a pit-damned travesty. Mods?
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Jun 20, 2013 22:36
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3 posted:You really can't pitch MTME without mentioning everyone's favorite cyclopean sociopath: I really don't like Whirl. But specifically, I don't like the person he is. He's a great character. 
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Jun 20, 2013 22:39
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The_Doctor posted:I can't believe we finally got a new thread, and it wasn't called the Galvathread. While I firmly believe a new thread was not needed, and at least should have been cleared with the mods, I have decided Terry van Feleday is the best person to make the new thread specifically because they did not call it the loving Galvathread.
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Jun 20, 2013 22:49
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"All Hail Megatron!" is another fairly self-contained story that's worth a read. It can get a bit grim in places though. But like MTMTE it's a fresh direction.
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Jun 20, 2013 22:52
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Milotic posted:"All Hail Megatron!" is another fairly self-contained story that's worth a read. It can get a bit grim in places though. But like MTMTE it's a fresh direction. AHM seems to be pretty roundly disliked around here, but I think at least the first half is an interesting take on Megatron's point of view after millions of years of a pretty one-sided war, as well as his real opinion of Starscream.
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Jun 20, 2013 22:54
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I think AHM is fine, assuming you read it as a self-contained work or a new storyline. Just ignore the threads leading back to the tapestry Furman worked on. Lots of interesting ideas that have been improved and brought forward. I mean in lots of ways I think AHM is a better jumping on point than LSOTW, insofar as being neither as repulsive or off tone from the rest of the books. But then you're recommending a far worse story and it's all such a jumble anyway. I really wish IDW would publish something that flashes back to about the same point to serve as an introduction to their canon so we don't have a big pile of "best fit" answers.
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Jun 20, 2013 22:59
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I have no Masterpieces, I was tempted to get Tiger Track (Sunstreaker) at £85, but gently caress him, if MP-20 is Wheeljack I'm all over that.
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Jun 20, 2013 23:19
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Phy posted:I really don't like Whirl. But specifically, I don't like the person he is. He's a great character. That's probably my favorite Whirl moment. Also, he's like this on the inside:  Keldroc posted:AHM seems to be pretty roundly disliked around here, but I think at least the first half is an interesting take on Megatron's point of view after millions of years of a pretty one-sided war, as well as his real opinion of Starscream. Basically, AHM pissed a lot of people off because it took a huge dump on established continuity and introduced IDW Spike, who is an enormous douche. Joe Fisto posted:Will the upcoming MP bumblebee be the classic vw? If so will it only be available in Japan like the lambo molds? If its Japan only it doesn't bother me, I've bought all the other drat imported MPs. Hopefully he's a VW. If the new MP Bumblebee turns out to be a Camaro, tears of joy will quickly become tears of sadness. You know, a Masterpiece Wheeljack and a VW Bumblebee were the two MP figures I wanted to happen the most and holy poo poo lo and behold, my prayers are answered. It would be totally wicked if Bumblebee came with a mini Spike, Chip and Carly. Goldskull posted:I have no Masterpieces, I was tempted to get Tiger Track (Sunstreaker) at £85, but gently caress him, if MP-20 is Wheeljack I'm all over that. To be fair, MP Sideswipe \ Red Alert is really, really good, and is worth tracking down if you can find one. Same with Prime Ver. 2 and Soundwave. ...If you can find them. For not insane prices.
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Jun 20, 2013 23:26
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Gammatron 64 posted:...If you can find them. For not insane prices. Digging the new OP. It could use some of the customs and/or drawings from the last thread, perhaps. Also loving the new masterpiece news! 
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Jun 20, 2013 23:48
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Gammatron 64 posted:To be fair, MP Sideswipe \ Red Alert is really, really good, and is worth tracking down if you can find one. Same with Prime Ver. 2 and Soundwave. Well that's the thing. I have G1 Red Alert re-issue & G1 Breakdown to fulfill my Countach needs at the minute, I never had Sunstreaker as a kid. I mentioned in the old thread next purchases will be Gen Sandstorm and the FoC Wreckers, so that's ~£120+ right there if I can find them. Plus my lass would kill me straight spending between £60-80 on one toy at this point.
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Jun 20, 2013 23:51
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Have they actually said anything about getting Sideswipe over here, rest of the world, etc?
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Jun 20, 2013 23:52
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Goldskull posted:I have no Masterpieces, I was tempted to get Tiger Track (Sunstreaker) at £85, but gently caress him, if MP-20 is Wheeljack I'm all over that. FWIW, MP Tiger Track is retailing for ~US$100 (~£67) here in Japan atm. £85 is not that much more, especially if it includes shipping. Totally pre-ordering MP Wheeljack and Bumblebee the moment they pop up. Holy poo poo. I've got pre-orders up on MP Prowl, Bluestreak and Smokescreen. Can't wait!
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Jun 20, 2013 23:55
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TheDK posted:Am I dumb for waiting for a US release of Sideswipe and Soundwave? I want them very badly but I would like to not pay as much as they are going for right now. Soundwave? Not really. Soundwave is getting released in the US, with all 5 tapes, for way cheaper. Of course, he'll be a Toys R' Us exclusive, and it will be a bitch to track him down in stores, and he will probably show up for a span of a month then disappear... but I'd say wait. You could pay upwards of $300 if you want a Japanese Soundwave with all his tapes, or wait and try to get the US version for $150. You just have to be up to the challenge of actually tracking him down. As for Sideswipe, nobody really has any idea if he'll get a US release or not. I imported mine because I figured he wouldn't because Lamborghini is owned by VW and VW has had a history of refusing to allow TF toys based on their cars because they're war toys, but apparently things have changed so who knows. Goldskull posted:Well that's the thing. I have G1 Red Alert re-issue & G1 Breakdown to fulfill my Countach needs at the minute, I never had Sunstreaker as a kid. I mentioned in the old thread next purchases will be Gen Sandstorm and the FoC Wreckers, so that's ~£120+ right there if I can find them. Plus my lass would kill me straight spending between £60-80 on one toy at this point. Well... Tigertrack isn't Sunstreaker, not really. Sunstreaker actually isn't a yellow Sideswipe, but a totally different robot.   Tigertrack is based on a Japanese web exclusive from about a decade ago... who is in turn based on a Japanese Pre-Transformers Diaclone figure. Transformers actually switched Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's colors around from the original Diaclone release. Diaclone had many toys in different colors, such as a black Ironhide, the fabled blue Bluestreak, a red Mirage, a police car variant of Sunstreaker, an Ultra Magnus with his reds and blues reversed, and so on. Many of these were later re-issued as e-Hobby web exclusives in Japan around the early 2000s when they started to re-issue G1 Transformers again. GET IN THE ROBOT fucked around with this message at 00:12 on Jun 21, 2013 |
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Jun 21, 2013 00:09
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Those new Masterpiece announcements are so sexy. Glad to see companies finally giving in to TakTomy and making cool poo poo for us again.
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Jun 21, 2013 00:40
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^^Oh yeah, I know G1 Sunstreaker was a different mold from Sideswipe/Red Alert, and mainly made out of metal too. UK eBay G1 Sunstreaker prices (especially with fists/weapons) are really high too these days, especially for how goofy he looks in Robot mode. MP Tiger Track is a recolour/slight retool of MP Sideswipe though no? What I actually meant was the £85 I'd possibly do on him, I'll save for MP Wheeljack, not holding out hopes for original Ailitalia deco though. Plus, Am I the only one that thinks forthcoming MP Smokescreen looks like it's made from the cheapest plastic ever? That's another one Id've had straight away but I'm not convinced by the photos up on TF2005 so far.
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Jun 21, 2013 00:43
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I've not really bothered with the comics this century but those MTMTE images did get my attention. Does Ultra Magnus always come across like Kryten or is it just that page?
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Jun 21, 2013 01:03
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I don't know who Kryten is, but yes that picture is pretty much UltraMagnus.jpg
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Jun 21, 2013 01:07
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Arise new Transformers thread. And, yes. MTMTE is some of the best TF fiction that's been released in a very long time. The trades are a definite buy.
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Jun 21, 2013 01:13
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Squalitude posted:I've not really bothered with the comics this century but those MTMTE images did get my attention. Does Ultra Magnus always come across like Kryten or is it just that page? So it's fun and silly but it has a meaning to the story. It's a comedic device used for dramatic effect. Man I love MTMTE.
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Jun 21, 2013 01:22
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I maintain that Galaxy Force is one of the best shows. 
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Jun 21, 2013 02:12
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SpazmasterX posted:I maintain that Galaxy Force is one of the best shows. I believe Galaxy Force is the best Optimus toy.
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Jun 21, 2013 02:22
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Squalitude posted:I've not really bothered with the comics this century but those MTMTE images did get my attention. Does Ultra Magnus always come across like Kryten or is it just that page? If you're interested at all in Transformers, RID and MTMTE are must reads. RID gets slightly uneven but is still great, and MTMTE is undoubtedly the best TF stories the fandom has ever gotten.
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Jun 21, 2013 02:25
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Forget the fandom, they are the best comics I've read in years, and the most insanely creative worldbuilding this side of Grant Morrison.
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Jun 21, 2013 02:27
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Ultra Magnus is basically like Worf mixed with Sam the Eagle with an even bigger stick up his rear end and even less fun. If I were to sum him up in one word, it would be harumph. Ultra Magnus frowns so much that the servos to make him smile had rusted solid and when the team had to force him to smile to save his life (long story), everyone got a kick out of it, and of course this made him even more angry. He's my favorite. Also, while we're still on the first page, and summertime is just starting up, I figure I'd discuss conventions a little bit. BotCon, June 27th-30, San Diego, CA  http://www.botcon.com/BotCon2013/ BotCon is the official con, but the organization that runs it, Fun Publications, is so horrible and abusive that it makes Matty Collector seem fantastic. Fun Pub will get your credit card info stolen, make you pay for toys upfront then still not deliver them a year later, has a website that looks like it came from the 90's (and is about as secure as one) and doesn't take constructive criticism well and will pretty much tell you to gently caress off if you're not happy with anything. BotCon costs an arm and a leg, and has a set of lame toys that will set you back half a grand if you want them. If you live on the West Coast, it may be worth it to attend, but if you don't, I wouldn't recommend giving FunPub your hard earned money (and they demand lots of it.) TFCon, July 26th-28th, Toronto, ON  http://www.tfcon.ca/ TFCon is one of the biggest unofficial cons and has a more social focus than BotCon, which is a little impersonal. At most cons, the celebrities are guarded by men in suits, you have to pay big bucks for an autograph, and you're not even allowed to look them in the eye half the time. At TFCon, Scott McNeil (voice of Dinobot, Waspinator and half the cast of Beast Wars) will gladly drink a beer with you at the bar, and Gary Chalk (Optimus Primal) will be chilling out playing his guitar. Last year, TFCon had a bigger dealer room than BotCon, doesn't ban 3rd party toys and non-Transformer merch, has poutine, a waterslide, and is run by good people who are actually fans and aren't going to dick you over. It's basically a giant three day drunken party that also has toy robots. It's a blast and if you live on the East Coast do yourself a favor and check it out. Auto Assembly, August 9th-11th, Birmingham, England  http://www.autoassembly.org.uk/ I've never been, but from what I hear, it's essentially the same thing as TFCon, but for those of us who live in the UK. It also has a lot of drinking and toy robots, but has fish and chips and poor dental hygiene instead of poutine and hockey, I guess. If you're a British fan, definitely check it out! Charticon, August 9th-11th, Charlotte, NC  http://www.charticon.com/ A new, up and coming Con, conveniently located right in my home state. I know a few of the guys behind this and they're good people, and they're going to have a few, hand-painted(!!!) exclusive toys. They cost a fair amount of money, but they each took at least 16 hours to make, so a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into them. Beast Hunters Bulkhead looks really cool in Sharkticon colors. If you live near the southeast, give this one a shot. GET IN THE ROBOT fucked around with this message at 02:44 on Jun 21, 2013 |
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Jun 21, 2013 02:33
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Who is actually confirmed as going to TFCon besides you and Rei?Yonic Symbolism posted:Forget the fandom, they are the best comics I've read in years, and the most insanely creative worldbuilding this side of Grant Morrison. While being willing to murder them.
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Jun 21, 2013 02:41
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Spiderdrake posted:Who is actually confirmed as going to TFCon besides you and Rei? No clue. As much as I love TFCon, I'm really starting to wonder if I can do it next year, as plane tickets have kicked me in the rear end money wise, and from where I live, Toronto is a 12 hour drive if you're speedy, and I'm the kinda fella who starts falling asleep at the wheel in half that time. Luckily I have a guy or two who may tentatively share a hotel room with me, so should cut down on expenses a little bit. To make matters worse, a new convention decided to pop up in my home state, so gently caress all fiscal responsibility! Luckily I had the wisdom to register as a dealer instead of a guest so here's hoping I sell more than I buy. TFCon is still way loving cheaper than BotCon, and a lot closer, too. (Oh hey, pay $500 to get into the Con and get this box set of ugly toys, and you can buy additional 3-packs for the low, low price of $150 each! And for an additional $100, Pete Sinclair will personally enter your hotel room and take a poo poo on your bed! ...You guys don't think I'm bitter, do you?) But just so y'all know, James Roberts is going to be a guest at both TFCon AND Auto Assembly, so if you want to meet him, you can do it from either side of the Atlantic. Spiderdrake posted:I would actually compare Roberts work to Hickman, who is probably regarded as Marvel's strongest writer at the moment. Only surprisingly warmer and less in love with robots, if that makes any sort of sense. You know, I've said it before, but I really hope somebody in the industry notices Roberts' Transformers comics, and it's not just us Transformers nerds. You know, they have a stigma of being "ewww, Transformers, that's a terrible Michael Bay movie and a cartoon that's just a 30 minute toy advertisement", and while Transformers' bad stigma is really kind of deserved most of the time, the sad part is because of that, a LOT of people will write off one of the very best ongoing comic series right now. I love it that I finally have some legitimately fantastic Transformers comics, but it makes me sad that people don't want to read it because it's a Transformers comic.
GET IN THE ROBOT fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Jun 21, 2013 |
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Jun 21, 2013 03:02
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Gammatron 64 posted:You know, I've said it before, but I really hope somebody in the industry notices Roberts' Transformers comics, and it's not just us Transformers nerds. You know, they have a stigma of being "ewww, Transformers, that's a terrible Michael Bay movie and a cartoon that's just a 30 minute toy advertisement", and while Transformers' bad stigma is really kind of deserved most of the time, the sad part is because of that, a LOT of people will write off one of the very best ongoing comic series right now. I love it that I finally have some legitimately fantastic Transformers comics, but it makes me sad that people don't want to read it because it's a Transformers comic. On one hand, I agree, the book is one of the best things in comics today and deserves vastly more recognition. On the other hand, the sooner the rest of the industry notices Roberts, the sooner we lose him to "real" comics.
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Jun 21, 2013 03:14
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Lot of disrespect being shown towards the Japanese G1 and Unicron Trilogy in that OP, people.
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Jun 21, 2013 03:54
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Rei_ posted:Lot of disrespect being shown towards the Japanese G1 and Unicron Trilogy in that OP, people. Unicron Trilogy is dildos, thanks for playing. Also OP its live action And thirdly, Generations Sandstorm has been spotted at a California TRU. Corn Glizzy fucked around with this message at 04:11 on Jun 21, 2013 |
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Jun 21, 2013 04:07
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Random thought of the day: Why did the Decepticons get so many better figures than the Autobots in the Unicron Trilogy? Energon is the only one where there was any kind of explanation with the dumbass engineering of the Autobots figures.
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Jun 21, 2013 04:14
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