Oh my god I loved it. I’m gonna read it again. The voices are perfect and echo in my head as I read. The art, while not everyone’s cup of tea, does it for me. I love Josh’s art from club comics and this doesn’t disappoint. I can’t wait until the next issue! I buy digital individuals but I’ll get the TPB when it comes out too...

 

Beast Wars via Transformers Animated, at least visually (and the fact that Optimus comes across as young and eager to explore, while stuck in a menial assignment, much like TFA Optimus). I thought it was a good start, though a lot of it is covering old ground that was covered in the first five minutes of the tv series. I did feel like I was not getting a lot that's new out of this issue, but if things change and diverge going forward, then I won't mind starting at a familiar place, particularly since it is a good setup.

 

Expectations were high and Burnham surpassed them. Setting the story right around the hunt for the Predacons was the right choice considering how little it was explored in the original show. The characterization is great, I especially dig how Optimus Primal is presented as this bold action hero which is pretty on-point with his first incarnation and some reinventions like Magnaboss being the counterpart of the Tripredacus Council are really appropriate.

Art is not the most fitting but still gets the job done in terms of storytelling. Exciting beginning and times ahead.

 

I think my biggest disappointment in this issue was that there was a moment left wide open for Rattrap to say, “We’re all gonna die,” but he didn’t. Even Megatron managed to get in a “Yes”.

Give the fans what they want and what I want are catchphrases!

 

much like the end of earthrise, i felt it fun to see a slightly more expanded take on a familiar story kick off with some more information and stuff happening. this also made me really hope we will be getting a Nyx figure soon

 

I didn't realise this was out this week so I am contacting my Lcs to make sure it's in my stash

 

I really enjoyed this first issue! It very much felt like a true Beast Wars story. The Animated art style is still not my thing. No shade at all to Josh, I just prefer the art to more closely resemble the source material. It's like doing a Scott Pilgrim reboot in the style of an 80s action cartoon, or Thundercats in the style of Steven Universe (all shade intended toward TC Roar). Despite my hang up on the art though, I have high expectations for this series and can't wait to see what surprises lie in wait. Also, Magnaboss vs Tripredacus or we riot!

 

Growing up with the original BW series, I've been elated over the announcement of this series since I first heard about it. A huge part of why I enjoyed Beast Wars was the science-fiction nature of it with the Vok, Earth's pre-history, stasis pods, the concept of the spark, the backdrop of a greater Maximal vs Predacon conflict mired with the history of the Great Autobot/Decepticon War. While I was enthused over having new BW series back when Furman took a stab with The Gathering and The Ascending, they always felt like overblowing the simple premise of Beast Wars and didn't jive with me. So this was a solid re-introduction to the world with a brand new take which I much prefer. The fact that the writers are envisioning this as "The Ultimate" take on Beast Wars definitely intrigues me. My fingers are crossed that issues featuring The Vok will be titled "O.V" ala the original Other Voices, Other Visits and Other Victories - all which feature the enigmatic Vok. I hope the team manages to tackle a few of the limitations that Mainframe had back in the day with CGI limitations to show more Stasis Pod characters and give them the appropriate character development along with showing us different areas of the Axalon and Darksyde ship interiors. The Axalon in particular very much became a character in itself in the original series and I still remember being distraught at its destruction at the hands of Rampage in Optimal Situation.

My only criticism so far is that I never really saw Primal as someone who would be longing to see more action. I really respected his level-headed and measured approach he had back in the original series. Primal leading the Maximal pursuit of the Predacons always seemed dutiful to me especially in his exchange wirh Rattrap in the first epsiode. But again its a new take so I'm down to see where his arc goes.

As for theories. I'm willing to bet Nyx will receive a Transmetal 2 upgrade hopefully way down the line via Sonar's toy model. As for Scold perhaps the writers will dig into some of Megatron's "experiments" hinted in the tech-spec cards of the old toys and go the way of Terragator in the Fuzor introduction. There were several toys back in the day that I really enjoyed like Spittor and Cybershark whom got Transmetal 2 upgrades and characters like Insecticon which could be connected to Scarem - which gives the writing team more opportunities to add depth and growth to the characters and what's at stake especially when experimenting with live Cybertronians - something I always found sinister about Megatron with this Transmetal 2 experiments even with the cyber-raptors.

Also, love Josh's art. That stasis pod shot with Protoform-X had my inner BW fan grinning ear to ear.

 

Tbh as a Beast Era fan I'm glad that they're not going hard on that kind of fanservice. Megatron saying "yes" is one thing since he says it all the time in the original show, but I'd prefer if they saved any direct quotes/callbacks for later in the story when it can feel a bit more appropriate and/or earned. I don't want any of the memorable quotes from BW to turn into "one shall stand one shall fall" where saying the line just becomes kind of obligatory, if that makes sense.

 

So isn't klik a measurement of distance in beast wars? In the comic they used it as time. I know they used it in at least one episode but I don't know if they ever used it as a measurement of time in the original show...

 

Magnaboss Ironhide!!! Nice. Wonder if we will see Silverbolt and Prowl?

And nice hint at Rampage as well.

 

You’re right, except that I am talking about catchphrases, not a one off line that is now oft repeated like “one shall stand” or “freedom is the right of all sentient beings”. Rattrap saying, “we’re all gonna die,” or Primal saying, “well that’s just Prime,” were said all the time in the original show. They were their catchphrases just as much as “yessss” was Megatron’s.

 

You greatly exaggerate.

Yes they were said several times, but not "all the time."

 

I liked it and I have high hopes going forward.
I'm greatly looking forward to the next issue.

 

A great, fun read, and I'm looking forward to future issues. Although, I do one question in that regard: how long is this series going to be? I was under the impression that this was just going to be like a 4-part mini-series and then it'd be done. But in the backmatter, Burnham talks about this being the "first arc" and teases issue 6, obviously implying that there are more than 4 issues to come. So is this going to be a more full-fledged series, or what exactly?

 

Oh, and I love how Rattrap and Rhinox have their Botcon 2006 bodies.

 

i hope some associated concept art comes out soon because the glimpses i got of dinobots cybertron body really intrigued me

EDIT: ask ands you shall receive, dinobots arm blades are AWESOME. its weird though cause i thought nyx was taller than rattrap

 

The amount of retooling required to turn Airrazor into Nyx would be far too extensive for Selects. The best you can expect is either an Amazon exclusive mold that gives us both Nyx and BatPrimal, or a WalMart Netflix line retool. Amazon is the only one that has gotten a new mold (Punch/CounterPunch) before, and along with WalMart are the only ones to have gotten extensive retooling (Ironhide & Ratchet, and Bumblebee & Soundwave). As far as I can remember over the past 9 or so years, anyways.

Of course, I sincerely doubt either Nyx or Skold will get a figure any time soon unfortunately, since they're brand new characters. Hasbro has a ton of IDW created characters they could make figures from, and so far have only done three (Nautica, Minimus Ambus, Rung), and only years after their debuts. That's not me saying other IDW characters deserve a shot first, that's me saying Hasbro is really slow to adopt IDW characters.

edit: And of those three figures, one was a slight retool, while the other two were the smallest available sizes. Sure, Hasbro did a year of IDW designs for figures, but otherwise has not given IDW very much.

 

I can see Skold being a short Deluxe but it would be a shame if Nyx is just a Core class considering any possible retools/repaints for Convobat would turn out to be too short.