The modern comics universe has had such a different take on G1, one that's significantly represented by the Generations toys, so they share a forum. A modern take on a Real Cybertronian Hero. Currently starring Generations toys, IDW "The Transformers" comics, MTMTE, TF vs GI Joe, and Windblade. Oh wait, and now Skybound, wheee!
Dominic wrote:Some of this is also going to touch on ideas in the "Spotlight" thread.
The problem with Furman at IDW is that by the time IDW got the license, Furman had expended most of the credibility he built up in the 90s. (Remember, the TF creative team is one of the few from 90s Marvel that is remembered fondly. Granted, some of those other guys are still around. But, how many Marvel books from the 90s are remembered as anything other than awful?)
His work at the convention comics in the early part of this decade left much to be desired. "Universe" read like an example of how not to write fanfic. (In all seriousness, I recall "never do this in your story" lists from then that now read like outlines for "Universe".) "Energon" lost direction and became a "and then this happens" book. (In that sense, DW collapsing was not the worst thing. Of course, too many people lost their jobs to consider truncated comics to be the most important problem.) On top of all that, Furman's remarks about how great various comics and products were rang hollow even with fans.
Simply put, Furman did not have the credibility to ask readers to follow him and his story-line over several years. I often found myself wondering how much time he was killing while waiting to be able to use Unicron again and again and again and again..... "Stormbringer" did little to inspire this confidence. The "Beast Wars" comics were just awful. (They actually made me nostalgic for the 3H BotCon comics from '02 and later.)
I don't entirely disagree. It helps that I'm looking back on the story after it's pretty much been told rather than at the beginning wondering how long it was going to take. I don't think I was as hard on him as many others for the slow pace, but I can remember wondering when we were going to find out what happened to Sunstreaker, and how all the bits in the spotlights tied into the main plot. I haven't read the Botcon comics, so I can't comment and have no poor impression of Furman from them. I remember he pretty much saved the original Marvel ongoing, and despite killing off loads of characters in G2 had come up with an interesting idea there as well. His work at Dreamwave had some high and low points, so as long as he stayed away from Unicron, I was generally glad to hear he was writing for IDW at the time.
As I've said elsewhere, after reading most of the buildup when it came out, and reading most of the payoff this past month, I see where he was going and I've found the story enjoyable. Maybe if I'd sat through the last year and a half one issue at a time, I'd be less enthusiastic. It's hard to say.
The Dead Universe is one of those things that I really want to givw Furman the benefit of the doubt on. But, enough things about that arc were similar enough to "Warhammer 40,000" that part of me wonders how much was coincidence and how much deliberate.
Jhiaxus not only acts, but looks, like a Chaos Space Marine.
I think the advantage Anderson had was that everything was in front of him, so there was less a leap of faith between chapters.
Onslaught Six wrote:Galvatron is, incidentally, an exception to this, I think--he was different and it was Good.
Man, I *hated* IDW Galvatron. He was an overpowered roleplay character, flying around kicking the ass of whoever Furman felt like smacking around at the moment. That was *it*. His Spotlight issue might've been the worst single issue of Transformers I read all year. And then they buried him even deeper in the suck pile with that terrible, terrible AHM Coda story.
Onslaught Six wrote:Galvatron is, incidentally, an exception to this, I think--he was different and it was Good.
Man, I *hated* IDW Galvatron. He was an overpowered roleplay character, flying around kicking the ass of whoever Furman felt like smacking around at the moment. That was *it*. His Spotlight issue might've been the worst single issue of Transformers I read all year. And then they buried him even deeper in the suck pile with that terrible, terrible AHM Coda story.
This post makes me laugh, because that's what Galvatron has *always* been.
BWprowl wrote:The internet having this many different words to describe nerdy folks is akin to the whole eskimos/ice situation, I would presume.
People spend so much time worrying about whether a figure is "mint" or not that they never stop to consider other flavours.
Onslaught Six wrote:This post makes me laugh, because that's what Galvatron has *always* been.
Maybe, except they removed all traces of personality from him. Galvatron has traditionally had at least one defining trait: He's completely crazy. And they couldn't even get that in properly in his IDW incarnation. He simply had no personality or unique characterization at all.
In terms of making characters different though, let me be the first (only?) one to say that I really liked what was done with Arcee.
I vastly prefer this sane version of Galvatron, who isn't Megatron rebuilt. I like his backstory, that of being someone from before the war whose ambition led to much of the Dead Universe problems in the first place. It's a welcome change from the ineffective lunatic we got during G1. He's still stuck with Scourge and Cyclonus, so not all links to the past have been broken, but I'll withold judgment until I see how the character is handled in future. A universe in which both Megatron and Galvatron exist and in which they have the potential to come up against each other at some point is of interest to me as well.
andersonh1 wrote:I vastly prefer this sane version of Galvatron, who isn't Megatron rebuilt. I like his backstory, that of being someone from before the war whose ambition led to much of the Dead Universe problems in the first place. It's a welcome change from the ineffective lunatic we got during G1. He's still stuck with Scourge and Cyclonus, so not all links to the past have been broken, but I'll withold judgment until I see how the character is handled in future. A universe in which both Megatron and Galvatron exist and in which they have the potential to come up against each other at some point is of interest to me as well.
Man, read the Marvel UK comics. Galvatron was insane in those, but he was *far* from ineffective. Kicked all kinds of ass. And he and Megatron fought each other all the frickin' time.
I may hate IDW Galvatron, but unlike Dom, it'll take a lot more than that to ruin Marvel UK Galvatron for me. I love that guy. And Cyclonus and Scourge.
andersonh1 wrote:I vastly prefer this sane version of Galvatron, who isn't Megatron rebuilt. I like his backstory, that of being someone from before the war whose ambition led to much of the Dead Universe problems in the first place. It's a welcome change from the ineffective lunatic we got during G1. He's still stuck with Scourge and Cyclonus, so not all links to the past have been broken, but I'll withold judgment until I see how the character is handled in future. A universe in which both Megatron and Galvatron exist and in which they have the potential to come up against each other at some point is of interest to me as well.
Man, read the Marvel UK comics. Galvatron was insane in those, but he was *far* from ineffective. Kicked all kinds of ass. And he and Megatron fought each other all the frickin' time.
I may hate IDW Galvatron, but unlike Dom, it'll take a lot more than that to ruin Marvel UK Galvatron for me. I love that guy. And Cyclonus and Scourge.
Maybe I should be picking up 'best of UK' then. I haven't ready many of their Transformer stories. Regardless, I like IDW's portrayal of Galvatron so far.
