SCRIPT (W)RAP – TF REGENERATION ONE #91

This is it. The beginning of the end. The pieces are all now in play and Transformers: Regeneration One #91 kicks off the climactic confrontation(s) that will, like dominos falling, culminate with the shocking, searing uber-battle that is issue #100. In the meantime, #91 goes on sale this week, Wednesday May 15th (officially anyway… it was released to digital buyers a week early… or on time… and we knuckle-dragging print ‘n’ paper folk are behind a week… I don’t know. Anyway…), and as usual I present my  delve into the darker recesses of the brain that produced it (ie. mine) with the pure and simple aim to tantalise and torment. BUT, should you prefer to read #91 with wide, agog, clear-of-potential-spoilers eyes, then abort now. Okay, so the first chunk of “Destiny”, our third RG1 arc, kicks off a certain amount of aftermath from the shocking events of Scorponok’s dark reign, as you’d expect, and a certain amount of rumbles of the gathering storm that will rock Cybertron and the Cybertronians to their very core (and yes, I mean that quite literally). Just about everyone is now either on Cybertron or en route to Cybertron, with a wide and complex set of festering motives. There’s Bludgeon and his nomadic group of Decepticons, armed with a WarWorld and a whole heap of Matrix-powered clone war machines, coming back to even several raw and burning scores, and Galvatron (displaced from an alternate future), determined to have what he most desires, and was denied in his own timeline — total domination of Cybertron (and in his way a certain ‘Cybertron’s Greatest Warrior’). And meanwhile, Hot Rod (acting C-in-C on Cybertron in Optimus Prime’s absence) has concerns more close to home on his mind, and a restless populace about to let him know exactly what they feel about his current scheme to reunify them with their distant (and feral) ancestors. It’s an incendiary situation about to combust in spectacular fashion, especially as one key player (so far not on the board) ramps up his involvement. Phew… and if you think you know where all this is going, think again. We’re about to toss in a huge and entirely unexpected curve-ball mid-arc, which will throw a bunch more stuff into the cauldron that is RG1 (and shatter a fair few pairs of trousers in the process). News of that soon! In the meantime, RG1 #91 hits stores in a mere two days, and you can view the official IDW preview here. Trust me, we are at the top of a really big rollercoaster, and the plunge downhill starts now…

UPDATE – creator commentary on the first 5 pages is now up at the official Transformers facebook page. And while we’re on the subject of facebook, don’t forget that RG1 has its own dedicated facebook page.

GO EBAY, YOUNG FAN!

Once again, a veritable treasure trove of signed/exclusive ebay goodies are up for grabs over on my ebay page, including a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a signed RG1 TPB plus all six of the original scripts that make up its component stories (#80.5 – #85 – Loose Ends) and some luscious (and hyper-rare) Geoff Senior retailer incentive/variant covers co-signed by the man himself and me). Hurry, before they all go. You can check my ebay auction page here.

THE 2013 CONVENTION TRAIL (4)

Just back from a splendid weekend in Edinburgh (thanks to Andy and Ralph and Nick and all the other great guys who came along to the Edinburgh Toy & Comic Mart to say hi) and, with little or no chance to draw breath, I’m off again, to Wales Con, which takes place on Sunday April 28th, in Wrexham (in Wales, naturally). A good chunk of the Regeneration One team will be there (myself, Andrew Wildman, John-Paul Bove) to sign stuff, and I’ll have my usual exclusive script/comic packs, original scripts and comics for sale (all signed). And… I’ll have sneak peeks of some  upcoming RG1 covers (including a simply amazing Senior incentive cover for #92!) and a teaser of  Guido Guidi’s interior art for #93 (his first issue). Last year’s event was incredibly full on, so make sure you’ve got advance tickets for this event. There’s an unbelievable guest list, which (above and beyond the comics people) includes stars of big and small screen. For more information on Wales Con, check out their official site here.

THE 2013 CONVENTION TRAIL (3)

In a little over a week, I’ll be heading north of the border for the Edinburgh Toy & Comic Mart. This special one-day event spans pretty much the whole of Saturday April 20th, and includes on its guest-list (other than me) the likes of John-Paul Bove (colourist extraordinaire on Transformers Regeneration One) and writer Ferg Handley (my co-collaborator  on the special Hulk vs Death’s Head story a short while back). I’ll be there with my usual assemblage of signed scripts, signed comics and signed script/comic packs, and just generally available to sign whatever’s stuck under my nose. Expect also some teasers and exclusive sneak peeks at what’s coming up in Regeneration One. Might even blow your mind with a teaser of Guido Guidi’s amazing interior art for #93. Boy, are you in for a treat there! For more details of the Edinburgh Toy & Comic Mart, check out their website here.

SCRIPT (W)RAP – TF REGENERATION ONE #90

Out this week (April 10th), the rip-roaring conclusion of ‘Natural Selection’, the second searing story arc of Transformers: Regeneration One. We’re midway though, halfway to #100… already! How’d that happen? Yep, RG1 issue #90 hits stores this week, and as is standard here’s my post-script musings on the issue, avoiding anything too spoilery… but of course it contains a certain amount of stuff you may or may not want to read at this stage, so you have been warned. Right then, get ready for a truly packed issue, with pretty much wall-to-wall action (on various fronts, levels and depths of Cybertron… and Earth!). The main thrust of the issue is, of course, the final showdown between Grimlock and Scorponok, which plays out rather tantalizingly above the Sonic Canyons, as Scorponok prepares to fire his monster-sized Gene Key, converting (en masse) every right-minded Autobot or Cybertronian citizen on the planet, freeing their inner beast. Could it happen? Could the entire planet soon be ripe for true, unchallenged Decepticon rule? Not if Grimlock’s got any say in the matter, but at this stage, what can he do? We all know he’s not as dumb as he makes out, but does he really have a last minute, game-changing strategy of his own, or it all just a doomed tilt at an already lost cause. Whatever happens, the reverberations from Scorponok’s dark reign will continue right to the very end of RG1. What else? Well, there’s Ultra Magnus and the Autobots returning from Earth, blissfully unaware that they’re headed into a firestorm of their own, there’s Hot Rod at the core of Cybertron, discovering things he’d rather not have known about their creator, Primus, and Optimus Prime, on a collision course with future Decepticon Galvatron. Or not. Trust me, after this one, nothing will ever be the same again… for anyone! You can view the official IDW preview of the issue here.

EBAY-RIFFIC

Another great swathe of Transformers-related signed/rare goodies up for grabs over on my ebay page, including an ultra-rare Million Publishing/Takara-Tomy Artfire toy, a Regeneration One super-pack and some rare Geoff Senior cover variants signed by the man himself. You can check out my current lots here.

SCRIPT (W)RAP – TF REGENERATION ONE #89

Here we go again, with a post-game (but pre-release) ramble on the latest issue of Transformers: Regeneration One to hit the stands (#89 is out next Wednesday, March 13th — lucky for almost everyone I’d say). As usual, my free form digressions into content and behind-the-scenes process on any given issue come with a capacity for spoilers, though I do try to tease more than outright reveal, so be warned. Stop now. Here. Proceed no further, if you’re the least bit concerned about such energy saving reveals, otherwise proceed… So, the penultimate chapter of the ‘Natural Selection’ arc, and things are about as bad as they can get. For Grimlock, in way, way too deep, even for him, and for his fellow Dinobots (Snarl, Swoop and Sludge) too. In fact, that trio of Dinobots (somewhat ignored since #86, and then seen only in flashback or dream-sequence) take centre stage here. Still at large in Scorponok’s new Iacon (with its more murderously inclined population), but only just. And guess what? They’re not the least bit happy about their commander’s alliance with Scorponok, whatever his ultimate motivations, to the point where the thing that’s uppermost in their minds is not so much survival, as putting their own house in order. Grimlock has defied ‘the code’, and that’s the biggest Dinobot ‘no, no’ of all. No happy endings are assured here. What else? Well, a whole lot actually. In the very core of Cybertron, Hot Rod faces an impossible choice, and learns the faith-testing truth about the entire Transformers race. Optimus Prime embarks on a mission to clear Earth of any remaining possible dangers (of Cybertronian origin), a task that sets him on a collision course with the Ark’s current inhabitants, and where we learn more about last issue’s ‘shock’ revelation. Plus, Ultra Magnus and the Autobots are on the home leg of their long journey back from Earth, unaware that the reception in Iacon is likely to be warm… in all the wrong ways!  UPDATE: The official IDW preview of #89 is now live, here, and so is the official Transformers facebook page, where there’s now a Q&A with me up, which (while still RG1-centric) is more about the writing process than the content.

THE 2013 CONVENTION TRAIL (2)

Well, London Super Comic Con has come and gone (and what a great weekend that was, lots of people stopping by to say hi and have stuff signed!), and I’ve barely drawn breath before I’m off again. Next stop (in a jam-packed 2013 personal appearance calendar) is Belfast, next weekend (March 9th & 10th), for the W5 centre’s incredible Robot Nation event. I’ll be there all weekend, along with Transformers Spotlight: Megatron and Last Stand of the Wreckers writer/artist Nick Roche, talking about the secrets of creating Transformers comics for IDW (and in my case, many publishers before them) and signing ourselves silly. We’ll also be presenting (for those who haven’t caught it before) our script-to-finished page presentation (with live commentary), which takes a page of Spotlight: Shockwave through all stages from inception to printed page. In addition to us, there’s a whole host of robot-centric stuff (for all the family) to enjoy over the weekend. Be great to see you there. For more information, check out the W5 site here.

 

DEATH’S HEAD IS BACK, YES?

Last year, did you know, marked the 25th anniversary of Death’s Head, the bounty-hunter (um, freelance peacekeeping agent) I co-created with artist Geoff Senior. An anniversary that sadly passed without so much as a ripple of acknowledgment. But that’s all set to change for 2013! From humble beginnings (as a bit-part player in issue #113 of Marvel UK’s Transformers comic… not to mention his solo debut in the one-page strip “High Noon, Tex”), ol’ Death’s Head has featured in his own comic (and original graphic novel), guest-starred in Doctor Who, Dragon’s Claws, She-Hulk, Fantastic Four, and others, graduated (or regressed, depends on your point of view) to Death’s Head II and Death’s Head 3.0, and spawned various little Deaths (Metal, Wreck) along the way. And he’s still going strong! After his support role in the tragically short-lived S.W.O.R.D., writer (and all-round nice/talented guy) Kieron Gillen is now featuring him in none other than Iron Man! Yep, Death’s Head is back… with a vengeance! Throw in a cameo in Avenging Spider-Man #17, a HeroClix figure and a Marvel Universe action figure, and 2013 is set to firmly re-establish Death’s Head in the Marvel Universe. Do not — repeat, do NOT miss an issue of Iron Man. You can check out the preview of issue #9 here.

THE 2013 CONVENTION TRAIL STARTS HERE!

Already, my convention/personal appearance schedule for 2013 has filled up like you wouldn’t believe. Last year was busy, what with the release of Regeneration One and my induction into the Transformers Hall of Fame, but if anything 2013 is shaping up to be even busy-er-er. And it all kicks off next weekend (23-24th Feb) at London’s Excel with The London Super Comic Convention. After its hugely successful debut last year, the LSCC roars back for 2013 with a pro guest list so rammed it’s almost beyond belief. I’ll be there on both days, with my own spot in Artist’s Alley, and (as usual) I’ll have a full complement of signed scripts, comics, comic/script packs, TPBs and more, including some very, very exclusive packs that will only be available at LSCC. As well as being around all weekend for signing and chatting about what’s coming up for me in 2013/2014, I’m also featuring on the pros vs fans quiz on the Sunday, so if you want to see me display my abysmal general comics knowledge, make sure you grab a seat for that. For more information, check out the LSCC site here. And, after that, I’m in Belfast as part of w5′s Robot Nation weekend (March 09-10), Edinburgh at the Toy & Comic Mart (April 20), Wales Comic Con (April 28) and Derry’s 2D Festival (May 31-Jun 02). And that’s just the first half-year! More details on all of these (and more) as they get closer.