Update on Missing IDW Transformers: Till All Are One March 2017 Issue
Thursday, December 29th, 2016 3:43AM CST
Category: Comic Book NewsPosted by: Va'al Views: 52,402
Topic Options: View Discussion · Sign in or Join to reply
Noticed there was no TAAO issue in the March solicitations; it's not cancelled, is it? D:
Nope. We’re just taking a month off for Sara to catch up. Unlike our characters (or like them, depending on how you define it) she is not a machine.
News Search
Got Transformers News? Let us know here!
Most Popular Transformers News
Most Recent Transformers News
Posted by Bounti76 on December 29th, 2016 @ 5:04am CST
Dr Va'al wrote:Bounti76 wrote:Dr Va'al wrote:Nik Hero wrote:They should have clearly labeled this as part of Titans Return.
It is, in the blurb/synopsis of last issue. The fact that it's not happening before Revolution is entirely IDW's scheduling fault. They're.. not very good at keeping schedules to schedule.
Va'al, I checked out the database like you suggested, and I was surprised to see Slammer listed among the characters. I've studied every panel and can't see Slammer anywhere, unless he's got a robot mode that has hithertofore been unseen in the last 30 years.
ScottyP suggests that one of the guards - the one you see shouting at people, I believe - is in fact slammer, mostly due to the presence of Metroplex in the story. I cannot confirm or deny either way, but it's worth considering as an option!
That's fair. Considering we have such obscure characters as Greenlight, Lancer, Moonracer and the Devisen twins in this story, I wouldn't put it past Scott to slip Slammer into one of the issues. Though given that TAAO generally hews close to 'bots classic color schemes and Slammer's color scheme has always been white-on-white, and this bot's is predominantly gray.....eh, if it is Slammer, maybe Scott, Pitre-DuRocher and LaFuente are taking creative liberties with him, since he's never appeared in robot form before.
Posted by Randomhero on December 29th, 2016 @ 6:15am CST
Posted by ScottyP on December 29th, 2016 @ 8:07am CST
It's a case of me having fun with it for one, but also making the most educated guess that I can. If it comes out 'officially' that it's just a generic 'bot, I'll take it out of there prontoBounti76 wrote:That's fair. Considering we have such obscure characters as Greenlight, Lancer, Moonracer and the Devisen twins in this story, I wouldn't put it past Scott to slip Slammer into one of the issues. Though given that TAAO generally hews close to 'bots classic color schemes and Slammer's color scheme has always been white-on-white, and this bot's is predominantly gray.....eh, if it is Slammer, maybe Scott, Pitre-DuRocher and LaFuente are taking creative liberties with him, since he's never appeared in robot form before.
I did say educated guess and you were right to say that Slammer never had a robot mode. However, in the spoopy world of third party Transformers, the Iron Factory Generations Metroplex upgrade set came with a Slammer that has a bot mode that's at least a little like the one drawn in the book:
On another note, very glad to see that this is continuing on in April, and also glad they just skipped March instead of throwing out a solicitation that might not make it in.
Posted by Randomhero on December 29th, 2016 @ 11:21am CST
Posted by Va'al on December 29th, 2016 @ 12:12pm CST
Posted by Randomhero on December 29th, 2016 @ 1:39pm CST
Dr Va'al wrote:Yeah it's a shame that we're still using humans that have lives and the such. How dare they.
Nothing stopped Mark bagley frrom drawing 111 issues of ultimate Spider man in the span of 7 years. That's almost 2 issues a month continuiously through out his whole time on the book. Same with Charlie adlard on walking dead for 13 years. WD got delayed a couple times but never a point of slipping an actual solicitation. I'm just saying if you can't meet the monthly deadline then don't commit to it. That's why Sarah stone isn't drawing for Transformers anymore, she did great work but couldn't do the monthly deadline and drawing comics isn't a hobby it's a job.when you can't do it, a new artist comes in that can do it because when you miss a month, sales get smaller. I know, I've actually drawn comics and just had to turn down a story in a self published this month because my day job is in the way. I didn't tell the creator "gimme a few months I can do it" I said "I thought I could but I can't, if you want I can do a story for the next one"
Honestly I'd rather see some verterans on this book like dan khanna, Robbie musso or Emiliano Santalucia because those are artist that can draw good transformers comics on timely basis.
Posted by Va'al on December 29th, 2016 @ 2:53pm CST
Randomhero wrote:Dr Va'al wrote:Yeah it's a shame that we're still using humans that have lives and the such. How dare they.
Honestly I'd rather see some verterans on this book like dan khanna, Robbie musso or Emiliano Santalucia because those are artist that can draw good transformers comics on timely basis.
I'd rather we gave creators a chance to continue their own work, rather than drive them to burnouts and having to turn down work. I'm sure you also know that artists are pretty much all work for hire at IDW, and that this is not their only job.
We (readers and editors) gave Nick Roche a chance with Sins of the Wreckers. Happy to do the same for Sara Pitre Durocher. And much happier IDW did this than their usual -whoops, let's just publish two weeks late because the writers are too slow to get their work over to the artists.
EDIT: Image have been doing the couple of months hiatus for a while now, and none of their sales have been affected. It's a model I really do quite like: one monthly issue for five months, one month is the TPB, one month break, repeat.
Posted by Rael on December 29th, 2016 @ 4:24pm CST
Count me as another glad they're going this route with the schedule as opposed to sliding releases back a week several times in a row to even it out. Many of the fill-in artists IDW brings in are fantastic, but there's always something to be said for keeping the ongoing artist in the chair when it means consistent trades and minimized continuity oversights in designs and details.
Posted by Randomhero on December 29th, 2016 @ 4:49pm CST
Biggest reason i miss the Spotlights. they were an easy way to get new artists and see if they can handle it
Posted by Va'al on December 29th, 2016 @ 5:08pm CST
Posted by Sunstar on December 29th, 2016 @ 5:51pm CST
Posted by Go-Faster-Wings on December 29th, 2016 @ 6:03pm CST
Plus, as other people pointed out, this isn't her only job. Last I checked she was still an art director at a video game company or something. I think she deserves a break.
Posted by Kurona on December 29th, 2016 @ 6:26pm CST
Posted by Rael on December 29th, 2016 @ 6:38pm CST
Randomhero wrote:personally Id rather have consistency in release dates. im fine giving people a shot but if they cant keep up than they cant keep up. Its one of my biggest worries with Kei Zama, got total faith, shes great artist but this is her first go and we have now had one artist stop because she couldnt do it and another now that apprently needs a break. when that happens then maybe TAAO needs to go to a revolving art team like Lost Light. I know some people are being very harsh at Jack Lawrence not because of his art but because hes not Milne while Milne even admitting that all the delays the past 5 years on MTMTE were his fault. yeah he had an injury and i respect and understand that but he has admitted that couldnt keep up sometimes and a filler artist came in.
Biggest reason i miss the Spotlights. they were an easy way to get new artists and see if they can handle it
The thing is, claiming from this one instance that Sara Pitre-Durocher generally "can't keep up" is still quite an assumption. Given how far ahead this news comes, it seems incredibly likely this was done proactively (perhaps as a kindness to Sara after several months of continuous work on ex-RID, TAAO, and more and to Mairghread with the birth of her baby) instead of reactively due to a plea for more time.
With Kei being such a beast, as long as her health holds out I've got no concerns.
I don't really see how a Spotlight oneshot provides insight on how someone will handle months upon months of work back to back (especially if a oneshot and an issue for Marvel apparently couldn't do the same for Sara and Kei).
Regardless, it's pretty clear we've got a difference in priorities here, since I'd always gladly wait for the detailed, time-intensive art we see from Milne, Coller, etc. over letting them bench warm because they can't keep pace with people with looser styles.
Posted by ScottyP on December 29th, 2016 @ 8:46pm CST
She's laughing at you, btw.Randomhero wrote:Hateful garbage about an artist
Posted by Sunstar on December 29th, 2016 @ 11:19pm CST
ScottyP wrote:She's laughing at you, btw.Randomhero wrote:Hateful garbage about an artist
I am amused.
Posted by Randomhero on December 30th, 2016 @ 10:10am CST
Sunstar wrote:ScottyP wrote:She's laughing at you, btw.Randomhero wrote:Hateful garbage about an artist
I am amused.
Well it's nice to see she reads threads. Means she not making terrible slash/fic art of tailgate and Cyclonus because that's that relationship in a nutshell.
Posted by Rael on December 30th, 2016 @ 12:53pm CST
Randomhero wrote:Sunstar wrote:ScottyP wrote:She's laughing at you, btw.Randomhero wrote:Hateful garbage about an artist
I am amused.
Well it's nice to see she reads threads. Means she not making terrible slash/fic art of tailgate and Cyclonus because that's that relationship in a nutshell.
Idk man, some accomplished multitaskers can manage forum browsing and quality ship doodles at the same time—you never know.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on January 5th, 2017 @ 10:00pm CST
That would be my one complaint. The first arc felt like it should have been 5 issues, not 4, and it feels the same here. I wish it was a teensy bit paced slower and a little more "dense"
Posted by Va'al on January 16th, 2017 @ 1:45am CST
Posted by Va'al on January 24th, 2017 @ 11:49am CST
PEACE IN OUR TIME! STARSCREAM and WINDBLADE have given everything to bring together CYBERTRON’s Lost Colonies into a Council Of Worlds. But when the increasingly brutal tactics of STARSCREAM’s secret police increase tension among the former DECEPTICONS… how long can the Council maintain this fragile peace?
Posted by Bounti76 on January 24th, 2017 @ 12:45pm CST
Posted by Va'al on January 24th, 2017 @ 12:50pm CST
Bounti76 wrote:So, wait..... IDW's own website stated that TAAO #7 wouldn't be coming out until February 22nd. Just checked it again, and now it says #8 is coming out on the 22nd (and also doesn't list #7). Does that mean we get two issues of TAAO before the scheduled break in March? IDW, you so crazy!
In IDW's schedule we (DO NOT) trust.
Posted by o.supreme on January 24th, 2017 @ 12:53pm CST
Posted by ScottyP on January 24th, 2017 @ 1:08pm CST
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on January 24th, 2017 @ 1:20pm CST
Posted by Bounti76 on January 24th, 2017 @ 1:51pm CST
o.supreme wrote:I thought we would get #7 end of January, February was TAAO's "off" Month, and it was returning in March with #8?
March was always the scheduled "off" month. There were no solicits released for TAAO in that month.
Posted by Targetmaster Kup on January 24th, 2017 @ 1:56pm CST
Posted by o.supreme on January 24th, 2017 @ 1:58pm CST
Bounti76 wrote:o.supreme wrote:I thought we would get #7 end of January, February was TAAO's "off" Month, and it was returning in March with #8?
March was always the scheduled "off" month. There were no solicits released for TAAO in that month.
ok...then we should get #8 in February then, to stay on schedule, and be back with #9 in April
Posted by Bounti76 on January 24th, 2017 @ 3:13pm CST
o.supreme wrote:Bounti76 wrote:o.supreme wrote:I thought we would get #7 end of January, February was TAAO's "off" Month, and it was returning in March with #8?
March was always the scheduled "off" month. There were no solicits released for TAAO in that month.
That's my understanding. #7 on February 8th #8
ok...then we should get #8 in February then, to stay on schedule, and be back with #9 in April
That's my understanding. #7 on February 8th, and #8 on February 22nd.
Posted by Sunstar on January 24th, 2017 @ 5:18pm CST
Posted by Bounti76 on January 24th, 2017 @ 8:01pm CST
Sunstar wrote:so when can I send my husband out to retrieve my books? I am starting to salivate now.
Check the post above.
Posted by ScottyP on January 24th, 2017 @ 10:32pm CST
Basically, don't expect anything more than 7 days out to have a solid release date that you can expect will be met, and this next part is important - this holds true even if IDW has put a date out somewhere on their own website. They'll send an email at some point tomorrow that will contain everything that is set to ship out in the coming days so that it can make it to shops in time for next week. Until that comes in, 2/1 or 2/8 or 3/1 for [insert book name here] is as good of a guess as any.
Posted by Randomhero on January 24th, 2017 @ 11:40pm CST
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on January 24th, 2017 @ 11:49pm CST
Randomhero wrote:Lost Light #2 is released and is available on iBooks
where? I can't find it
Posted by Va'al on January 25th, 2017 @ 2:27am CST
D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Randomhero wrote:Lost Light #2 is released and is available on iBooks
where? I can't find it
The iTunes page does say released on 25th January...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/transf ... 2270?mt=11
Posted by Randomhero on January 25th, 2017 @ 5:49am CST
Va'al wrote:D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Randomhero wrote:Lost Light #2 is released and is available on iBooks
where? I can't find it
The iTunes page does say released on 25th January...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/transf ... 2270?mt=11
I managed to snag it at 11:05 central when I was getting Optimus Prime #3
Posted by ScottyP on January 25th, 2017 @ 6:17am CST
ScottyP wrote:IDW release dates really aren't known until the week before. Even then, weird stuff can happen (TF 57 being the latest example where it hit digitally, then not in shops for two more weeks.)
Basically, don't expect anything more than 7 days out to have a solid release date that you can expect will be met, and this next part is important - this holds true even if IDW has put a date out somewhere on their own website. They'll send an email at some point tomorrow that will contain everything that is set to ship out in the coming days so that it can make it to shops in time for next week. Until that comes in, 2/1 or 2/8 or 3/1 for [insert book name here] is as good of a guess as any.
My apologies for apparently totally jinxing itRandomhero wrote:Lost Light #2 is released and is available on iBooks
Posted by Randomhero on January 25th, 2017 @ 6:54am CST
ScottyP wrote:ScottyP wrote:IDW release dates really aren't known until the week before. Even then, weird stuff can happen (TF 57 being the latest example where it hit digitally, then not in shops for two more weeks.)
Basically, don't expect anything more than 7 days out to have a solid release date that you can expect will be met, and this next part is important - this holds true even if IDW has put a date out somewhere on their own website. They'll send an email at some point tomorrow that will contain everything that is set to ship out in the coming days so that it can make it to shops in time for next week. Until that comes in, 2/1 or 2/8 or 3/1 for [insert book name here] is as good of a guess as any.My apologies for apparently totally jinxing itRandomhero wrote:Lost Light #2 is released and is available on iBooks
iBooks is a weird one. Till a couple months ago Wednesday releases happened at 10pm central on Tuesdays, now it's 11pm and once in a while they really screw up on something. I got MTMTE #16 back in 2013 4 weeks before it came out. I was getting RID that night and there it was. I remember when remain In Light part 3 was part 2 for over a month.
Won't spoil anything ofcourse since it's not out legitimately for another week
Posted by Va'al on February 4th, 2017 @ 5:53am CST
Transformers: Till All Are One #7
Mairghread Scott (w) • Sara Pitre-Durocher (a & c)
As Windblade and her team fight their way through Elita-1’s Titan, Carcer, they face opposition at every turn to stop them from awakening the sleeping giant… and they soon find out why!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
- Variant cover by Joana Lafuente!
Posted by Nexus Knight on February 4th, 2017 @ 9:14am CST
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on February 4th, 2017 @ 10:44am CST
Nexus Knight wrote:Strika... just caught... Devastator's fist... Holy freakin' crap.
Yep... She was not impressed by him
Posted by Glarryg on February 4th, 2017 @ 12:28pm CST
Glarryg
Posted by Hydrargyrus on February 5th, 2017 @ 5:05pm CST
Also, considering that this involves IDW storyline, I thought I might bring this up: I've been reading summaries of IDW story arcs for a while, so I finally decided to actually buy the books. I currently have Last Stand of The Wreckers, Phase Two collections 1-4, and the phase 1 compendium consisting of collections 1 and 2. Is there any other stories you would suggest I read?
Posted by Kurona on February 5th, 2017 @ 5:26pm CST
MagicDeath wrote:Did the Constucticons just decide to give up on finding a sixth member and form a one-legged Devastator?
Nope, they're currently using Scoop - as seen in this panel in the last comic.
I'm not entirely sure how they done it in-universe, but the fact Devvy has a new design which merges aspects of both his CW toy and the AHM design along with making Scoop as a leg more obvious and prominent makes me happy.
Posted by Sunstar on February 5th, 2017 @ 6:40pm CST
ctrlFrequency wrote:]
Can't.. breathe... laughing... too.. hard...
Obligatory OT insert....
I certainly hope Scott takes this chance to actually give some story to Screamer and Windblade. There was always a hint, I'd like to see more focus on it.
doin' the nasty...
Posted by Stuartmaximus on February 6th, 2017 @ 5:10am CST
i deffo wanna see a pic of Starscream as a llama, & maybe a toy made
Posted by Sunstar on February 6th, 2017 @ 4:39pm CST
Posted by Kurona on February 7th, 2017 @ 9:32am CST
Posted by Va'al on February 8th, 2017 @ 12:22pm CST
(Spoiler free-ish)
Synopsis
As Windblade and her team fight their way through Elita-1’s Titan, Carcer, they face opposition at every turn to stop them from awakening the sleeping giant… and they soon find out why!
Story
Till All Are One is still keeping up the tension and the storyline that was so quickly done with in the Titans Return mini-arc (the trade was only out these past weeks, with MTMTE and Transformers joining the One-shot - all of these, their casts, and the covers and credits can be found in our database entries), and it does it in a very natural way, not forgetting its other sources and bringing in some very intriguing twists.
The major players, as we know are Starscream and Windblade, the Council and Cybertron on one side, Elita, Obsidian and Strika, and her crew on the other (there is also the faction of undead titans, I guess, like whatever - again, full cast can be found here, though beware of some spoilers), and it's in the contrasts between the characters and the writing of their interactions that the meatier stuff comes out.
In particular, Strika and Obsidian get a nice dose of spotlight each this month, with the latter already playing a fairly major, menacing role on the Council as the bearer of bad news (backed up with facts and data), and we also finally see what the former can do, dipping into both of their seeding in the Beast Machines series.
What we also get in the issue, which is exciting and almost a little surprising, I'll admit, is a direct link to information and story development that were achieved in the Revolution tie-in issue for this series, in the form of the issue's resolution/cliffhanger... and more on that below.
Art
Sara Pitre Durocher delivers yet another pearl of linework and layouts, with some truly memorable Starscream and Elita-1 condescending looks, and some impressively expressive faceplated faces (Obsidian and Strika are but two). The concluding pages echo the very first Windblade series, too, with some other hints towards the Revolution tie-in, again.
Joana Lafuente adds to the excellent linework performance, once more, too - the panel below I believe proves it marvellously: the lighting, the shades of purple, the way they work with the inking beneath them, almost drowning out everything else in the image, all goes to show how the visual language of the medium can be fully employed.
Likewise, the lettering in the example above is an integral part to the frame (and the storytelling), actually adding weight to the word itself rather than just remaining sound - Tom B. Long does this often, and still well. The covers are also this month a full IDW TF grouping too, with Pitre Durocher on main, Priscilla Tramontano on Chromia's criminal cover, and Joana Lafuente (thumbnail) joining the theme of her other two pieces this month.
Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead
Till All Are One was ramping up the tension since issue 5. It took a potentially good story seedling in Titans Return and made sure it took roots in the ongoing series, while also connecting previous aspects of Transformers lore, the expanded mythos we are encountering across IDW, and bringing in a new-but-old major player, if the last page is to be believed.
We will not know what makes Elita and her crew so adamant to protect their Titan-ship, until another month at least, but we can enjoy just how hard, how strenuously, how viciously, how well laid out and constructed each scene is, and how the visual and verbal languages are co-deployed for this month. Very, very good indeed.