Here's something I think we can all agree on.

TF 2019: great idea - poor execution.

 

I think there are certainly people who frequent this site who get their kicks from looking down their nose at everything, but most of the people on this thread really do *want* this book to be good, and were fans of the last continuity.

Context is important. If this were an effort by a tiny startup creator finding their feet, I'd feel tentatively supportive of it. But this is IDW's big shot at reversing a downward trend in sales, which they ditched a bunch of really talented creators to embark on. It's a bit perplexing that the art is, at best, merely functional and the story slow-moving and awkward.

They had the template on how to introduce a whole bunch of intriguing new characters in a single issue with MTMTE #1, and they had the template on how to botch a relaunch with a dawdling plot with Costa's Transformers - but IDW never seems to learn from their successes or their mistakes. They just keep rolling the dice and occasionally getting something that works.

 

Looking at the solicitation for issues #3 - 8, I think the pace might pick up at #8, when Termagax appears. But until then, we’ll likely see more of Cybertron.

Also, issue #6 will have a new artist onboard: Bethany McGuire-Smith. Cachet Whitman will still be the second artist in #7 and #8 (it’s the artist that draws the least amount of pages, and is honestly the better of the two artist at the moment, although those peg holes...).

 

Check out McGuire-Smith's art, she's goddamn amazing.
Bethany McGuire-Smith (@Andernell) | Twitter
Hope she doesn't come too late to salvage this.

 

It´s starting a bit slow, but I am cautiously optimistic about it.

 

I have to say, on the whole, I really liked the story / the art.

I think, we shouldn´t try to be holier than the pope and should give writers and artists time to grow resp. to improve - and shouldn´t savage them/the story already after the second issue. And above all; People should stop compare vol1 with vol2.

 

Wow, that is beautiful stuff. I’ll be honest, the comic needs more “oomph”, it hasn’t quite hooked me yet.

I’m hopeful things will pick as the issues go buy, but the story needs more.

 

I disagree. You guys complained hard core through the last IDW series, about everything. I am not the artist, but I am an artist and I can appreciate this work. The colorist deserves awards. And this is the first time we see Cybertron Pre violence. I think several loud members of this forum are impossible to please. That sucks, you all are so busy trashing the work that we can't speculate on the story.

 

The only times I complained about the last run was the awful McCarthy and Costa era.
I too am an artist and I cannot appreciate the art in this, it's serviceable as comic art. This is filler art.
This is not the art you use for establishing shots. The fact that this is supposed to be the first series to give us a good look at the "Golden Age" makes the fact that the art shows us nothing more than a colourful wasteland especially egregious.
Yes the colouring is pretty, it's the best about the art, but that does not qualify it to win awards.

 

An artists would be be able to appreciate different styles of art. Your dedication to trashing the art is rediculous.

 

An artist realizes what kind of art or style is appropriate.
The script speaks of great beautiy and amazing scenery, the art does not convey this. The script talks about emotion, the art does not convey this.
The art is also not representative of the artits's actual skill. Google their names and you find that both are capable of better, both can convay mood, scenery and emotion perfectly fine, just not in these two issues.
This series is a rush job for both of them, they're likely being payed a pittance by idw for this, which is why this is not up to their standard.

And I am not dedicated to trashing the art, I am voicing criticism at one of the two most important parts of a comic. This is a thread dedicated to discussing this comic series, this comic series is the start of idw's new Transformers line, which is their second most important line (TMNT being their true flagship here).
So far in these two issues there's nothing truly noteworthy that has happened, it is a slow moving story, a slow moving story that relies on its art to show us this world it's introducing us to. The script is not bad, but it's hurt by the fact that the art does not do the heavy lifting the script needs it to.
Some of the panels and pages look like thumbnails for the actual art, as if idw just took the mock-ups for page layouts and printed them.
At the moment there is basically nothing else to talk about than the art, since that's currently the most prominent thing about the two issues.

And another thing, just because I myself like to draw and consider myself a bit of an artist, doesn't mean I need to blindly love every piece of art, every style or every artist. The art here is lackluster. That is evident from looking at it and seeing laughable panels that look like they're blown up five times their original size with no detailing added.
And I will not pretend to like it just because I do art in my free time. If I can criticise my art to the point that I delete/ throw away pieces I've worked on, because they're not up to standard then I sure as hell can criticise art people were payed for.
What you're trying to do here has not only zero to do with the comic at hand, but is tantamount to endorsing what Dave Chappelle criticised in his "Black Actors" skit.

 

Strange you seem to come at this very subjective critique as if you have absolute truths. I'm enjoying this, I like the art. I don't think the art is the problem, its your specific standard that is the problem.

I have enjoyed all of these styles and more:

There's only one style that I did not like:


Even so I didn't leap to the forums to crap on the artist. Can you imagine someone talking about your work the way you've been going on?

 

To briefly offer a dissenting opinion, I 100% do not give a toss about the art. All I care about is the story, and in that respect, as long as the art makes it clear what is supposed to be going on in the story and the characters are recognizable, it’s fine for me. That might be blasphemy as far as the medium of comic books goes, but it’s absolutely the truth of how I’m approaching this series.

 

The only problem is that you’ve said some exceptionally rude things to people on this thread from the point of view of your own opinion being absolute (latest example being “it’s your specific standard that is the problem”). It would be nice to have discussion without telling people to “get over themselves” or calling people “erudite turds”. That language is completely unacceptable in my view, and ironically demonstrates some of exactly the negativity you state you wish to condemn. Presumably also against the rules of the forum.

Again, as before, no wish to derail the thread and if this doesn’t get resolved I will deploy mute rather than create and absolute storm, but I wish there was more respect for others opinions here.

 

But it's completely okay to drown the thread in trashing comments. My negativity is a reflection of yours and others.

 

I’m kind of the same I think. I think if I *really* don’t gel with the art it’s a problem, but I think my tolerance for ‘bad’ art is pretty high. Much of it seems okay to me. I am as commented a heathen in that respect. The story has to be compelling for me.

 

Nobody else has been as rude as you have to other individual posters. And despite complaining about negativity here I often see you go into movie threads to offer nothing but snark. It’s a double-standard and it’s not okay.

My own comments on the issues so far have been a mix of positive and negative. I have also repeatedly said it’s too early to offer absolute judgements. So I think on balance I am not the one being unreasonable here. Please stop trolling this thread.

 

I'm not trolling this thread. I'm complaining that the comic threads are stuffed full of criticisms. Not just yours. Go ahead drop into the issue 2 thread....or any of the comic threads. I'm am not the troll here. I'm defending the comics against unreasonable enduring and unending criticisms.

Sure, I did troll some of the movie threads. I'm honest.

10+ years of the same...flawed thing is enough to drive anyone nuts. In that case the movies were directed and produced by a team that was and is completely indifferent to existing fans. So yeah I protested the best way I know how. The truth is, the damage is done. A whole generation has no idea what Transformers can be.

 

Moving back on track:

I have a few thoughts on the last 4 pages on Issue #2:

Spoiler

Remember when the explosion happened at Tarn, and it involved Megatron and his Ascenticons? It got me think:

• What if someone within the group planed for this explosion to happen, in order to provoke Megatron into having a war? Could it be that someone has infiltrated within the group?
• Also, when Megatron gets shot, it looks like its a warning shot, since it appears that sustained no damage. Is the mystery bot trying to tell Megatron to be quite, or face an even worse consequence, which makes me think it could be an Autobot, but one who is a good shooter...
• I wonder why Soundwave is there, standing in the background. Is he Megatron's second in command, a bodyguard or just a mere follower?