The Transformers Continuum

2010-10-28T00:42:04Z

172.130.17.88: http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=209982#209982

{{disambig2|the barely-researched IDW recap comic|the extensively-researched TFWiki.net chronology|IDW timeline}}
{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''The Transformers Continuum: The Definitive Chronology''
|title=
|image=Continuum.jpg
|caption=If IDW won't even read their own material when ''they're'' getting ''paid'' for it, why should ''we'' give ''them'' money to read it?
|next=
|prev=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|written by=[[Andy Schmidt]]
|date=[[November 11]], [[2009]]
|illustrated by=Please see individual issues for credits.
|pagecount=32
|ISBN=
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity]]
}}

'''''The Transformers Continuum: The Definitive Chronology''''' is a one-shot comic book set in the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity]] chronicling the history of the Transformers. In theory.

{{quote|I think a lot of people wanted the book to do something it was never intended to do and a lot of people read the book not realizing for whom it was intended.|IDW writer/editor Andy Schmidt does not want your money|3=[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=12679 TFormers interview with Andy Schmidt]}}

==Summary==
Take the [[IDW timeline]], put it in a blender, add some spelling errors, and you've got ''Transformers Continuum''. New descriptive prose accompanying reused art from appropriate moments leaps wildly between truncated generalization of long arcs with many important plot points left out and over-detailed recollections of irrelevant minutiae. At the very end is what is intended to be a chronological listing of IDW's ''Transformers'' comic books and promotion for their ''Transformers'' trade paperbacks.

==Errors==
Unfortunately, instead of correcting errors, ''Continuum'' presents the reader with ''new'' ones, such as:

* Pre-[[Decepticon]] [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is said to be a slave, when in actuality, he was a paid [[energon crystal]] miner who lost his job. Apparently, Megatron objected to being freed.

* The [[Autobot]]s' stand against [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] is said to be on [[Nebulos]], when it was actually on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

* It's implied that Thunderwing was still alive (rather than a reanimated corpse), and no mention is made that he was a puppet under [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s control.

* [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] is misspelled on page 7. Also, it seems to imply that he learned [[Pretender]] technology from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], when it was actually Thunderwing who discovered it. It's also said that Bludgeon acquired the technology ''during'' the events in ''[[Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer]]'', when it was actually before it.

* The Autobots befriended "two young humans". [[Jimmy Pink]] no longer exists, even though we see him show up on the page detailing the end of ''[[Maximum Dinobots]]''.

* It is said that the "Autobots believed [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Hunter O'Nion|Hunter]] were dead, and thus did not search for them", despite the immediate discovery that Sunstreaker's "body" was a decoy and the subsequent rescue attempt being half the plot of ''[[Escalation (IDW)|Escalation]]''.

* The [[Machination]] and [[Skywatch]] are treated as the same group. In fact, the Machination itself is never mentioned; instead, everything that either organization did is credited to Skywatch.

* [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s fight with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] on Nebulos (''Continuum'' remains vague on the actual location of this encounter) in "[[Spotlight: Ultra Magnus]]" is placed chronologically ''after'' the beginning of Scorponok's involvement with "Skywatch" (in actuality, the Machination), even though a caption points out that "The ensuing carnage led Scorponok to Earth", ''despite the previous page having already placed him there''. (The Reading Chronology in the back orders this correctly.) Worse, the same caption claims that "Ultra Magnus, ever fearless, was not far behind", even though the events of "Spotlight: Ultra Magnus" occurred about 20 years before the events of ''Infiltration'' etc., and Magnus wouldn't arrive on Earth until picking up a distress call from [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] in ''[[Maximum Dinobots]]'' [[Maximum Dinobots issue 4|#4]].

* The entirety of "[[Spotlight: Wheelie]]" seems to take place before ''All Hail Megatron'', even though [[Viewfinder]] dies in it (he's fine in ''All Hail Megatron'') and the events of the issue take place over a very long period of time.

* There's even chronology problems ''within the issue itself'': Page 14 highlights the discovery of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and the other [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] by Skywatch, when they were already revealed to be in Skywatch's custody ''three pages earlier''!

* Megatron is said to have died when [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] shot him at the end of ''All Hail Megatron'', despite this never being the case and him being shown to be on life support in [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|''All Hail Megatron'' # 13]].

* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] "fired into <nowiki>[Thundercracker's]</nowiki> back", yet [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] was shot in the face.

* On page 23, there should be a space between "every" and "day" ("everyday" is an adjective, "every day" an adverb).

==Notes==
* Events in the past are said to be "legend" and "unknown" when ''almost everyone who experienced those events are still '''alive and on active duty to this day'''''.

* Unfathomably, despite covering "Spotlight: Wheelie"—one of the most stand-alone ''[[Spotlight (comics)|Spotlight]]'' stories, almost entirely unconnected to ''anything'' else going on in the IDW universe—no coverage is given to highly important, relevant, tied-in ''Spotlight'' stories like [[Spotlight: Nightbeat|Nightbeat]], [[Spotlight: Hot Rod|Hot Rod]], [[Spotlight: Sixshot|Sixshot]], [[Spotlight: Kup|Kup]], [[Spotlight: Soundwave|Soundwave]], [[Spotlight: Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]...

* [[Nova Prime]]'s matrix-like "[[Darkness (G1)|Darkness]]" is now the "Heart of Darkness".

* Any reference to ''[[New Avengers / Transformers]]'' is omitted from the issue, but then, that's because of [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s hand in it. Crossovers are complicated like that!

* One of IDW's forum (fan) moderators quit over the reaction to this issue, calling people on the board a "festering cesspool" and giving the two-finger salute:<ref name="idwdrama">[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=157345#157345 Drama at the IDW forums]</ref> Soon after, the more argumentative posts (including the moderator's outburst and the subsequent replies) were deleted.

* In an interview with TFormers,<ref name="tformersint">[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=12679 TFormers interview with Andy Schmidt]</ref> Andy Schmidt revealed that all of these changes were ''intentional'', in order to ''simplify'' things, because he hopes to attract new, younger readers who can relate to the concept of slavery more easily than blue-collar workers being laid off, and who would be confused by the presence of two different organizations with mostly human members. Uh.

* To his credit, Andy Schmidt formally admitted to the poor quality of this book. Five months after it was released. He also states that [[Denton J. Tipton]] and [[Carlos Magno]] make fun of him at the office for it.<ref name="Schmidtapologizes">[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=175715& Continuum "apology"]</ref>

==Cover==
* Various classic [[1985]]-style Autobots and Decepticons (though with some mild heavier tech detailing) surrounding [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], by [[Ken Christiansen]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://tformers.com/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=1099 Critical review at Tformers.com]
* [http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=6933&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=63 Another review pointing out each error]
* Five-part video review/rant: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBuS3MeKA_o Part 1], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BczDbKw0nyY Part 2], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEJkXrcPnOk Part 3], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRGkxH4_djo Part 4], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12NcmtjPajE&feature=related Part 5] (46 minutes)
* [http://www.shortpacked.com/blog/comic/book-10/02-i-am-also-batman/continuum/ David Willis making fun of The <s>Half-Assed</s> Definitive Chronology.]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Continuum: The Definitive Chronology}}
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 issues]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]
[[Category:Reference texts]]

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The Transformers Continuum