SCRIPT (W)RAP

Here we go with a somewhat cautious and circumspect (ie. as spoiler free as possible) post-script analysis of Transformers Spotlight: Sideswipe, the last of the ‘Revelation’ quartet/story arc (which plays out across Spotlights Cyclonus, Hardhead, Doubledealer and Sideswipe). So what’s going on with the Dead Universe saga? A lot, is the short answer! Story threads that have been building and developing almost since the IDW-verse was brought screaming into this world come to a head (and a conclusion) herein. Optimus Prime faces Nemesis Prime! Arcee (finally) catches up with Jhiaxus! Galvatron seeks (actively) his destiny! Jetfire faces Bludgeon (okay, that is a capital letters SPOILER!)! Ultra Magnus calls the shots in a last, desperate attempt to stave off the imminent Expansion! A trio of Autobots actually set foot in the Dead Universe… and live to tell the tale! How? Let’s just say it plays into yet another evolving story thread! And in amongst all this — Sideswipe, trying hard not to get squeezed out of his own Spotlight! Yes, he finally gets to Earth! Yes, we learn the true relationship between him and Sunstreaker… and why he’s been so darned keen to find him! Yes, he gets to hit lots of things, in the course of which we find out a little about what makes him tick. Who lives? Who dies? Who’s already dead by this stage of the story? All will be, er, revealed. Spotlight Sideswipe hits stores in September. Script by me, art by EJ Su. Excuse me, I think I need to lie down now…

THE CONVENTION SEASON CONTINUES…

With Botcon done and dusted, I’m off to the UK’s premier comic event this weekend. I’ll be at Bristol’s Comic Expo on Saturday May 10th, which is held at the British Commonwealth & Empire Exhibition Hall and Ramada Plaza Hotel. My two confirmed slots on the day will be from 2PM-3PM, when I’ll be signing at the Titan table in the main dealer/exhibitor hall, along with the likes of Steve White, Gary Erskine (currently hard at work on interior art duties for Aftermath pt1, see previous item) and (all being well) Geoff Senior. Then, right afterwards, from 3PM-4PM, I’m over at the Ramada’s Park Suite for my ‘Crossing the Ts’ panel, where I’ll be talking about Transformers, Terminator, Torchwood and Turtles (and maybe Starcraft as well, even though it’s not a ‘T’). Expect special guests! I’m just there on the Saturday this year, so if you’ve stuff you want signed or just want to chat, make sure you track me down at one of the above. For more details, check out the Comic Expo website here. Then, on June 7th, I’m off to Derry for the 2D Northern Ireland Comics Festival, an event I attended last year and thoroughly recommend. More details on this and other upcoming events/appearances soon!

SCRIPT (W)RAP — UK

Right, here we go with Transformers UK #13, the final part of Twilight’s Last Gleaming, our epic five-part movie-verse tale, which spins out from an alternate (less than happy) ending in which Megatron and the Decepticons, far from defeated, emerge triumphant and very much in the driving seat. Minor spoilers, major teases! So far, we’ve seen a spirited and determined, but realistically doomed fightback from the Autobots and humans, one which has been manipulated to an extent by Starscream, who has his own unique designs on planet Earth (that don’t involve Megatron!). But now, at last, the tide begins to turn, as the recently thawed Optimus Prime faces Megatron anew, for perhaps the last time! Big, crowd-pleasing battle action guaranteed! But that’s not the only major-league throwdown in progress. At the All Spark power distribution hub, Ironhide and Ratchet are up against their own ‘big bad,’ not to mention a whole battalion of Decepticon drones! It ain’t looking good… on either front. Things do come to a suitably fiery conclusion in the eleven (yes, eleven!) story pages, but this is NOT the end. The big news is, Transformers UK is staying firmly in its alternate movie-verse, and issue #14 will feature the first part of the portentously titled ‘Aftermath,’ which deals with the fallout (in some cases literally) from Twilight’s Last Gleaming. From there, the sky really is the limit, as we explode into far-flung realms of the movie-verse, bringing in a threat so monumental that ‘epic’ plainly doesn’t cover it, plus new characters, a return or two and some big, big changes for planet Earth. The fun’s just starting… don’t dare miss a single panel!

BOTCON (W)RAP

It’s the Monday after Botcon, and here’s my own potted round up of events over the weekend in Cincinnati. Arrived midday on Thursday, touching base with the likes of Denton J. Tipton and Chris Mowry (from IDW), Aaron Archer from Hasbro and my old mate and sometimes co-collaborator Ben Yee. No duties as such, so just a chance to chill after my whistle-stop visit to NYC. Spent the PM in the company of Denton, Chris, Alex Milne and others. Talked a little shop but mostly just tested the limits of the bar staff’s patience in Champs, the Hyatt’s main hangout. Friday, and things began in earnest with a 10AM IDW panel, attended by myself, Denton, Chris, Marcelo Matere, Alex, Marty Isenberg and Jim Sorenson. Had some ‘teething’ problems with the visual side of the presentation, so while that was getting fixed we opened up a Q&A session, taking the attendees through the likes of the Revelation Spotlights, All Hail Megatron, Reign of Starscream and my new series, Maximum Dinobots. Then it was back to the IDW booth for the first of several signing sessions (which continued across Saturday and Sunday). Friday PM the whole extended IDW family headed to a Brazilian steakhouse (Marcelo’s recommendation I suspect) and then back, inevitably, to Champs (with artist Dan Khanna joining the entourage). Saturday saw repeats of the IDW panel, this time sans technical hitches, and more signing, culminating in the ‘casino’/awards night festivities. A particular highlight was the voice-actor script reading, featuring David Kaye, ‘Bumper’ Robinson and Tara Strong. Hugely entertaining. And yes, then back to Champs. Sunday was, blissfully, a less frenzied affair, and I finally found time to catch up with David Kaye, who I think has attended almost as many Botcons as me. Got to chat (over the weekend as a whole, either at the con or in the bar) to a whole slew of fans and the general consensus seems to be we’re doing a lot right, which is always gratifying/reassuring. Many thanks to Hasbro, who sponsored my trip out, and IDW who looked after me while I was there! Here’s to next year and the 25th Anniversary of TRANSFORMERS!

MAXIMUM..?

Since I gave out the info at the IDW panel at Botcon Cincinnati this AM, here’s the confirmation: my next IDW/Transformers series after the Revelation quartet of Spotlights will be… Maximum Dinobots! Spotlight Grimlock sets the scene and Max Dinos is the payoff, the long awaited, fully fledged modern day debut of the Dinobots (last seen in any functional form in Spotlight Shockwave). But it’s far from a happy reunion, and out to spoil the party further is Scorponok and his Machination/Headmaster army. But that’s not all. For the Grimlock and the Dinobots there’s worse to come. Much worse. If it’s all-out battle action you’re after, look no further! More teases as and when I get to the script (w)raps for the respective issues. Artist: TBC!

TF-UK A-GO-GO #11

Also out this week, but only in the UK, on Thursday 24th, is issue #11 of Titan’s Transformers comic/magazine, featuring (in amongst more comic strip, features and competitions) the third part of the apocalyptic Twilight’s Last Gleaming. If you remember, TLG takes an alternate look at post live-action movie events, exploring a near-future in the which Decepticons are the victors and Autobots are an endangered species. Starscream continues his machinations this episode, throwing a spanner in the Autobots’ carefully laid plans to further his own diabolical agenda. Forced into desperate action the moon-based Autobots head for Earth and their respective dates with destiny. And Bumblebee takes on Megatron (no prizes for guessing how that one turns out) and Mikaela takes on Frenzy (not as one-sided as you might think) and Ironhide and Ratchet come up against… well, that’d be telling! Art this issue comes from Paul Ridgon, and it rocks!

GRIMLOCK A-GO-GO!

Out this week, in store 23rd April in the US (just in time for Botcon)/24th in the UK, is the long-awaited (by me at least) Transformers Spotlight: Grimlock. It had to happen, I suppose. Ever since his supporting role in Spotlight: Shockwave, it’s only ever been a matter of time before the Dinobot commander (an established favourite of mine) got his star turn. And what a turn it is! Not only is it something of a sequel to Spotlight: Shockwave, it’s also something of a prequel (not saying yet to what, but maybe I’ll get to spill the beans at Botcon), and it even ties into the ongoing Escalation/Devastation storyline, featuring, as it does, a certain Scorponok! Oh, and rest assured that despite this after- and fore- shadowing, it’s pretty much a standalone story in its own right too. Reawakened by government alien-spotters Skywatch, Grimlock is not in the best of moods, especially as he soon realises his actions may have doomed his fellow Dinobots… even if they survived their molten end in Spotlight: Shockwave. Enter Scorponok, with an offer that Grimlock may just not be able to refuse! Story is by me, art by Marcelo Matere. For details of all IDW’s Transformers titles, check out their website here.

SCRIPT (W)RAP

Here we go with a post-script autopsy of Transformers Spotlight: Hardhead, the second part of the “Revelation” quartet. As spoiler-free as possible but there are some wicked teases. Be warned. Once again, the challenge here was to both create a rounded (complete in one issue) character focus and maintain the breathless, headlong forward pace of the main Revelation/Dead Universe arc (begun in earnest in Spotlight: Cyclonus). Heaps going on, and much of it centres on Nightbeat and Gorlam Prime (the planet from Spotlight: Nightbeat). In many ways, this turned into something of a sequel to Spotlight: Nightbeat (just as part 3, Doubledealer, became a sequel of sorts to Spotlight: Hot Rod), furthering/concluding much of the stuff set up therein. How does Hardhead fit in? Well let’s just say that who he is and what he does within the framework of the IDW/TF-verse makes him the perfect foil for Nightbeat as he investigates his missing memories. Hardhead is, for want of a better expression, a “problem solver.” How that plays into Nightbeat’s predicament provides one of the TF/IDW-verse’s most gobsmacking, heartstopping payoffs to date! Plus, a whole host of Micromasters (how many? Ask Nick Roche. He had to draw all the little beggars). And more on the Autobots’ BIG problem, the furtherance of Arcee’s quest, all-out action from The Wreckers and, of course, Nova/Nemesis Prime (and the rest of the Dead Universe cast). Spotlight: Hardhead ships in July.

TORCHWOOD — RIFT WAR

Next week (April 17th to be precise) sees the release of issue #4 of Titan’s totally official and highly exclusive Torchwood magazine, which (as well as all the usual interviews and features on the hit show) contains all-new comic strip. This issue we kick off Torchwood’s first big story arc, “Rift War,” a ten-part epic (broken up into smaller, self-contained stories amidst the main thrust) that sees the team face an alien race led by the dread Sanctified, who have declared all-out war on humankind. Why? Because Torchwood, apparently, are to blame for a catastrophic future event, centered around the time and space spanning Rift, one that wipes out an entire civilization. Can it be? Check out “Rift War” for the answers over the coming months. “Rift War part 1″ is written by me, with art by none other than Paul Grist (Jack Staff, Kane). To view some of Paul’s simply amazing pages, click on the thumbnails below. Superlative colour is by Kris Carter.

SCRIPT (W)RAP

It’s the turn of Spotlight Cyclonus (part 1 of Revelation, the next main arc, in chronological terms at least, of the ‘ongoing’) to get the post-script treatment. As usual, expect spoilery stuff but as always I aim to tease rather than give away the real nuts and bolts of the issue. Anyhow, here was a challenge: tell the Revelation arc in four issues and lace a character strand (worthy of the Spotlight branding) into the mix. It was an invigorating exercise, necessitating four characters (over the course of the four issues) that a) hadn’t been a Spotlight character already and b) would propel the main story onwards in some way, shape or form. So, first job was to sort out the four characters. Cyclonus I already had in mind for one of the Dead Universe cast, so he seemed the ideal choice to kick things off. Next job was decide what sort of character he was, and how that played into the larger demands of what the issue needed to accomplish, namely alert Optimus Prime and the Autobots to the impending threat, one that’s really been well in the background so far. Things had to snowball rapidly, so that by the end of this first issue the scale of the threat was evident and a response was needed urgently. The challenge was to take Cyclonus’s ‘mission’ and somehow (believably) make it less than straightforward enough so that, instead of just coming and going without a ripple, he draws unwanted attention. But why would he deviate from his there and back? There had to be something about him, a character quirk, that made him add in a detour (to Cybertron) and then lose sight of what’s important (for a brief but telling time). This wasn’t going to be the animated movie Cyclonus. By recreating Galvatron as a new character we’d effectively recreated Cyclonus too. So who was this Cyclonus? What made him tick? What draws him, at the outset of the issue, back to the ruin of Cybertron? And then, the supporting cast: Hound’s crew (Sideswipe, Road Rocket, Skram and Warpath) and Ultra Magnus were pulled into the mix. Then, in separate but interconnected strands, Arcee, Nightbeat, Optimus Prime, Jetfire and others. All enmeshed in the same mystery but unaware (yet) of the connections, the bigger picture. Oh and there’s our first look at the full Dead Universe cast and the big (and I do mean BIG) reveal at the end of the issue. Hoo boy… that should leave no one in any doubt just how bad things are going to get and how high the stakes are! Spotlight Cyclonus ships in June with E.J Su on art. Don’t dare miss it!