The concept of Optimus annexing Earth looks interesting but I'm a little skeptical on how the overall execution of the storyline will be.

 

Personally I really like the idea that Optimus' good intentions can go awry. The right thing to do isn't always so clear cut, even when it seems to be staring you right in the face. It's become quite apparent that IDW Optimus is a flawed, if well-meaning, character, so aiming for the greater good while overlooking important factors doesn't seem completely out of character for him. It certainly doesn't help him any that he essentially has an army of fanatical followers in the Camiens, who most likely will tell him what he wants to hear rather than what he needs to hear. Doubtless the fallout of this will leave Optimus wishing he had Prowl back.

Seriously looking forward to this.

 

That would indeed be frightening.

 

Love the cover, not so sure about the story line.

 

We don't know, though, as SotW definitely looks like it takes place before #45.

 

Everyone keeps telling Optimus that he needs to take action and get off the sidelines, I bet this isn't what they had in mind.

 

Done right, this could really be a great storyline. I'm looking forward to getting my copy.

 

I feel like people are exaggerating the "dark path" thing. It's pretty clear Optimus isn't happy with his current status as overall ruler as appointed by the Camiens. I doubt he'll go "evil", but it would be interesting to see him make some incredibly tough decisions, and the annexing of earth is just one of them. For their safety, I'd say it makes sense. Earth has been dabbling with Cybertronian stuff, and the Cybertronians have been dabbling with Earth stuff. Obviously for the motives of both the Decepticons and humans a lot of people won't be happy, but then that's bound to be factored into the story line.

 

I have to ask: why does IDW feel it needs to be moar darker and moar edgier? Especially if it's based on G1. I'm not saying it has to be totally light and fluffy like the G1 cartoon and comic, but damn, the IDW-verse is so dark it makes Nemesis Prime look white.

 

Be carful what you wish for?

Because it seems like stuff always gets worse these days in comics.

Are we talking about the same G1 Comic? I remember some very dark stuff in it like the Smelting Pit, and the Matrix getting corrupted.

 

Yeeeeaaaaah, the original G1 comic was far, far from "light and fluffy." Let's not forget stuff like Optimus committing suicide or the Megatron/Ratchet amalgamation.

 

Marvel G1 was far from being completely light-hearted and it was long before Simon Furman took over the writing duties.

Smelting Pit and how Cons built the space bridge were two pretty gloomy issues one after another. Fires of Boltax was pretty sad as well.

Grimlock leadership over the Autobots also wasn't anything nice and fluffy. I remember I was like "WTF? They're supposed to be the GOOD GUYS!?"...

And it was coming from a writer who did state in an open manner that he was concerned mostly with writing for children...

 

There's dark, and then there's grimdark, which is what annoys me with IDW.

 

Okay, how about "Dry and lifeless"? Prior to Furman taking over, everything seemed so bland, slow, and without personality.

 

Even fiction with a "darker" tone still has a tinge of light and optimism, that hope at the end of the tunnel. Grimdark never allows for moments of levity or for its characters to be happy.

An example of "dark but optimistic" for me is TF Prime.

 

I don't think you understand the definition of grimdark.

It's only when it serves no real purpose. Except IDWverse, well, tries a realpolitik approach. With a varied level of success, but still...

TF Prime is pretty much a definition of grimdark aimed at edgy teenagers.

So far recently it's people crying about one solicit while not even seeing the book with their own eyes and I think tfwiki has the best summary, as usual.

 

I actually really like the sound of this. Of course, we'll see how it's executed, but I'm excited. I love it when characters like Optimus are taken out of their comfort zones.

 

"It’s a powerful move on Optimus Prime’s part, and one that there’s no moving back from."

And yet, inevitably, we will move back from it.

I wish they wouldn't proclaim stuff like that.

 

Just as we all know Megatron will go evil again.

Come on, villains having a change of heart NEVER lasts in comics.

 

People said similar things about the notion of the war ending, and yet here we are four years later...