Oops, another long absence from my blog. Will tell you what’s been monopolizing my time — soon. Anyhow, out this week (Wednesday 8th in the US, Thursday 9th in the UK) is Transformers Spotlight: Sideswipe, the final part of the epic, if slightly squeezed, Revelation saga. And what a lot we, that is myself and artist EJ Su, packed in! The return of Bludgeon, Autobot Pretenders, more Arcee, all-out battles on three fronts, Nemesis Prime versus Optimus Prime, oh and Sideswipe! Yeah, he gets a bit of love too, seeing as how it is his Spotlight. As some of you will know, if you’ve been following this series and that, Sideswipe is kind of hung up about getting to Earth and getting to the bottom of the mystery of Sunstreaker’s disappearance. Why so concerned? Well, in the classic TF storyline, the two were ‘brothers,’ whatever that means to robots. But the new IDW-verse rarely, if ever, just parrots what’s gone before, so expect a twist to their relationship, and maybe not the ending a lot of you were expecting. Anyhow, apart from all the story goodness crammed in to the 22-pages, there’s also EJ’s positively succulent fully painted art to pore over. It’s a Transformers experience quite unlike any other — don’t miss it! Click on the thumbnail below for a peek at EJ’s cover for the issue and check out IDW’s site for news all on things Transformers.
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simon furman 
Hey, Simon.
Sounds like this will be a busy issue! I hope things are going okay at IDW. I’ve been a bit concerned and confused (in the case of All Hail Megatron) as to what is going on with the ‘slow-burn’ continuity that you’ve been mapping out. We do seem to be moving at a pace now! Which, to me hints that editorial are seeking a new direction (of which AHM seems to be a part of). Still, I shall look forward to the resolution of this tale and of what is yet to come!
Fully painted EJ Su artwork, ay? ooh… 🙂
Can’t wait to read it.
All Hail Megatron’s been kinda disapointing so far so I’m really looking forward to getting at least a little bit more of the storyline I was quite loving. And looking forward to Maximum Dinobot down the line. And The Thirteen too for that matter. Any word on when we’ll hear more on that one? I’m waiting eagerly for news…
“Will tell you what’s been monopolizing my time — soon”
Marvel have had you in scripting Ultimate Death’s Head?
I’m thinking it’s finalizing what will happen in the third Beast Wars mini.
oooh yes !
sorry but seeing as im getting my books online now ive been holding off getting all hail megatron 3 untill this little beauty was released !
and what an apt term. ive seen chris’s blog with the five pages of painted art up on it and its stunning ! i really hope we get to see more creative stuff like this on the art front. slowly over the years EJs art has grown on me but this new painted style which reminds me of the painted covers that used to adorn the old UK comic has just taken it to the next level
truely gorgeous. reminicient of the painted work geoff did on deaths head TBIQ (only not as shiny)
realy enjoyed the revelation arc and my only regret is i can kinda see how expansion wouldve worked out so i guess we’ll never get a proper look at a scrap with the respective guardians on each of those worlds or get to really know the rest of the dead universe crew on a greater level.
still ya played a blinder on what mustve been a logistical nightmare, not to mention came up with a format that should help max dinos too boot, so i look forward to getting this issue.
the three day wait off steve on thursday will be a bastard ! 🙂
Mr. Furman
I beg you please do not make Sideswipe and Sunstreaker lovers, I love reading your work and IDW’s work, but I would have to stop reading both if this were the case. There is no need for that in trasformers. I have a pretty open mind about things, but gay transformers are a little to much for me.There robots, they dont have sex, Mr. Furman I beg of you, I dont know your intentions and I hope you were going in a different direction with them, but dont take that road. Its been over used.
Man, I’d love it if Chris N were right. Although maybe the MAX imprint would be better for DH’s modus operandi. I’d love a MAX series given the stuff thats come out from there – Foolkiller, The Hood and Terror,Inc to name but three. With that, you could just do a straight reboot with no referencing of the Minion stuff and maybe bring DH into present day Earth with some reference to another memory glitch…
I really love Death’s Head 🙂
If, by some wonderful series events, you are working on an Ultimate Death’s Head, please could we see a return to something along the lines of the original “Green-bodied” DH, before that worrisome incident with Dragon’s Claws occurred!
Thanks for all the stories over the years.
I just hope that the issue is paced well. I’d be disappointed if the story attempts to tell too much in too little space and not doing a good job at explaining anything in detail. Neither would I want to see plot threads left hanging or tied up haphazardly with little chance of being picked up again in a future storyline.
ZacWilliam – I think its because AHM takes several steps back from what we have seen from IDW since Stormbringer. Infiltration was the series which started off slow not setting itself too high with the finale being a clash between Megatron and Starscream. Since then we’ve been treated to a spectacular wide reaching stories full of action, characters and events that to go from Revelations to a battle on Earth with humans taking as much space up as the Transformers do, I think you’re right to be disappointed. The action in AHM may work well in a cartoon but in comics, readers rightfully expect the storyline and its development/advancement to be the main focus. In Revelations, no page was wasted – every page was full of story and things happening, it does feel like a kick in the face to see AHM “wasting” pages on full page panels with little text especially when Revelations was forced to be condensed due to space reasons. I am looking forward to the next issue of AHM because it supposedly focuses on the Autobots and tells us more about their problems – I am kinda getting a bit tired of the Decepticons destroying buildings and the humans hiding from them with pitiful attempts at fighting back. I think AHM would have worked better if the reader was given the full twelve issues to read in one go instead of having to wait each month for the next issue – I know thats not possible though and I’ve never been one to pass by on a new Transformers comic.
Much as I would love it to be, it’s not Ultimate Death’s Head. Or Dragon’s Claws.
Third Beast Wars mini? Definitely on my current work slate. But not what’s been the real BIG project of late.
I sincerely hope no one’s disappointed in the way Revelation wraps, but concessions for space definitely had to be made.
Grr, won’t be able to get this until Saturday 😦 But I’m more excited for this comic than I’ve ever been for any comic, and I’m sure its not gonna dissapoint, and if you want to see how much people have enjoyed it, there’s always the topic on the IDW forums:
http://www.idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=97505#97505
which so far has only praise for you Simon 😉
So, if its not Ultimate Death’s Head, could it be original Death’s Head? Death’s Head 3.0? Yet another new Death’s Head? Can you tell I want more Death’s Head? :p
Well, whatever it is, I’m sure it will be trouser shattering 😉
Thanks for your stories, Simon. I appreciate that you’ve worked hard to make the G1 comics a more mature, complex alternative fiction to the usually more well-known cartoons, but it’s sad that now IDW is taking their flagship comic continuity the cartoon route with All Hail Megatron with it’s dubious continuity.
I hope you get to finish off your story in some form, one day.
Yeah, I understand about the concessions for space that was made beyond your control. I just hope what we get still works although I will be forgiving with that in mind. Revelations went from strength to strength IMO with each new issue, although I do think Hardhead’s is my favourite of the three I’ve read so far. If the fourth issue keeps up the quality set by the previous issues then I’ll be happy. Should be recieving it early next week, I’m currently just waiting for my usual Ebay comic seller to put it up.
I can’t wait until I get my talons on this one later today, Simon. It sounds great!
And does your secret project have anything to do with a certain unlucky number?
Simon,
You are without a doubt the best writer the Transformers could ever have had. I just finished reading the final chapter of Revelation, and it was everything I had hoped it would be. There was an abundance of events to fit into only 22 pages, but your story was well told, along with Su’s art to back it up. I’m a little confused with the final Optimus Prime panel on page 22, which goes back to me mentioning all these events and little comic to put it in. It’s as if there are a few illustrations missing to fill the gaps of what happens at the end there. I won’t spoil it for anyone, but wow, a hell of a book!
Looking forward to Maximum Dinobots and whatever else you do with the Transformers IDW stories.
Hi Simon, is it the “13” story that’s taking the time?
I won’t be able to make it to my LCS til Sunday at the earliest, can’t wait to get Sp:Sideswipe!
I picked up Revelation today. Whilst I enjoyed the story and noticed that you’d worked hard to give each of the story strands equal billing. Its such a shame that this version of the Transformers Universe, that was truly cosmic in scale has been foricbly brought to a close (of sorts). With an extra two issues (at the very least) given to Revelation, I feel it could have delivered so much more than it could have. This is not to say that the writing or characterisation was bad in anyway, but just that you can see a lot of intriguing concepts pared back to allow for everything to be closed off by the end of this issue. I might be wrong, but it seemed to me that the whole Dead Universe stuff was envisaged as a creeping menace, but sadly its been forced through in a hurry before it could be fully realised. Damn those falling sales and tough editorial decisions!
oh, I should also mention that EJ Su’s artwork is excellent in this issue – he should paint all the time!
Great story but as you see Mr Furman everyone (I won’t be far from truth when I say including you, will I?) thinks that four issues are to less to contain such epic events. It’s a shame that such crap as AHM is, has took whole miniseries from you.
One thing though, I thought that Nova Prime had matrix within him. Can you shed some light on the case of its whereabouts?
Hey Simon– No mention whatsoever of Nightbeat in the end of Revelations. Are we going to see his death mentioned/dealt with anywhere? He is something of a fan-favorite, so it seems weird for him to die (?) and never be mentioned ever again…
I have no idea how you managed to cram so much into 22 pages. That was _epic_, with a number of lovely little touches – Jetfire talking Jhiaxus into defeat, Arcee’s happy ending, Sideswipe’s motives.
And Optimus’ response to Galvatron’s offer is not only a great character moment differentiating IDW Op from the others, it’s piss-your-pants funny.
Hi Simon
Sad it’s all come to an end, have loved the whole -ation run. The way it all wraps up really is a bit quick with so much to digest. How about a Q&A to help us figure things out. Would help if we knew what was left purposely open, what should have been inferred and what there was just no time for. Maybe we can also get some info from you on the new idea you had for Denton?
Though the -ions have come to an end, it’s not the end of my bit of the story by any means. There’s Maximum Dinobots, at least one new Spotlight and that ‘other’ series I pitched to Denton, which can only be moved along when I find time to pitch it properly in document form.
I understand people’s disappointment at the strictures on the physical size (in issue terms) of Revelation but I figure the story still got told the way I wanted it to. Sure, it would have been great to give battles more scope, give Sideswipe more page time and address some of the plot points that had to be boiled down into a dialog mention, but I was still pleased with the way it wrapped (and judging from the comments here and on the IDW boards others were too). Could it have been better, sure, but then I tend to look at everything I do that way, regardless!
More on Nightbeat when I can find a time and a place. His story’s maybe not as done as it appears.
Another Q&A is definitely out there somewhere, just not yet. I need to clear the decks somewhat before I can consider doing one. Maybe in November.
This really put me in mind of Firefly & Serenity in terms of its conclusion. A frenetic but fantastic ending to something that was ended before its time. It left me both happy with the comic in my hands but equally saddened by the hints of what more there could have been in terms of both this tale and those that were maybe planned beyond it.
Many thumbs up for Simon and EJ but the opposite gesture to the editorial decisions that have led us to this point.
Well there we go! I’ve got a UK#332 & G2#12 kinda vibe going on right now… it’s not over, yet it is… except it never ends yes? ;o)
Beautiful issue (props to EJ) and a titanic battle of the Primes – not as wordy as some hinted, more badass from Optimus than I expected – cool. Question: Was the Prime battle maybe supposed to take place elsewhere originally? What’s a ‘solar pool’ doing down in the Autobot’s prison basement? WTF is a solar pool? lol Why’s that three, now four questions instead of the single question I started with? Ah well, it wouldn’t be a Furman epic without a load of questions at the end…
…some ambiguity though, Jetfire… that feedback, that slow moment with Bludgeon-Jhiaxus, the voiceover at the end… slightly schizo maybe? Hmmm….
Max Dinos to come as a coda to the Hunter storyline that hooked us all in all those many many months ago… geez, I wish my early TPB’s weren’t holed up at me folks now, I wanna sit and do a cover to cover reading right now! Ah well, Spotlight 3 and Revelation will do for now…
What’s to come? Hardhead as the gatekeeper… Nightbeat’s next mystery – how to make it back from the DU? Nova – is he really gone? Or just absorbed by Optimus… or with the darkness by Galvatron… the matrix? Questions questions…
…I want answers Furman!! :op (And I’m sure you’re only too willing to oblige – just not here, not now… wherever it is, see you there!)
Thanks Simon!
This is the first reference to that ‘other’ series since… the Doubledealer talkback. You’re really going to drag out the suspense, aren’t you?
Hi again Simon…
…as you have probably noticed over on the IDW boards, the 13 thing just won’t go away…
…since we’re a bit closer to it now (and your newest secret project is now the BIG secret) can you let one little detail out about the 13…
…specifically, is there a gestalt amongst the 13? I mean, it’s kind of a Revelation related question and all, what with Jhiaxus, Monstructor, Devestator in AHM…
…settle an ongoing fued one way or tother – please!! lol 🙂 (If you can, we appreciate things may still be tight…)
Just been able to read it. It was a great issue and had some sense of closure while still leaving things open for a follow up story.
overall, it was the best mini series that you’ve done, Simon. I did understand that it was cut down while reading it but I particularly noted that it didn’t feel like the story had been cut short too much – something which was noticeable in Megatron: Origins and Haerts of Steel.
I have no complaints at all with Revelations. I just wish that it had been six issues just to give lesser seen characters in the story some more stuff to do. Revelations has been one heck of a rollercoaster – it was fast and over before you knew it but every moment was exciting. Now to get into the queue and wait for the next rollercoaster… Maximum Dinobots!
Wait, if I do have a complaint it would be that it makes AHM painfully slow and empty in comparison. Oh well. You did good, Simon.
Great stuff. I can only echo the comments before me and say that I’ve really enjoyed this series and look forward to the next one. Keep writing, I’ll keep buying.
Been meaning to post on this issue since I got it. I was impressed with Revelation as a whole.
Yes, the cramped nature of this issue was a little jarring but totally understandable given the scale of the story you were telling. I wonder if its simply that we are so used to modern comics’ decompressed storytelling that an issue like this comes as a bit of a shock?
Still, its dense and holds up to re-reading and gives us something every transfan loves- blanks in the story we can fill in ourselves and argue over!! lol
The art was gorgeous, too. And that scene with Optimus and Galvatron was priceless!
Can’t wait for Maximum Dinobots!
perhaps Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are robotic lovers?