Transformers vs. G.I. Joe: Difference between revisions
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
The | {{ongoing}} | ||
[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has been banished from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and the [[Decepticon]]s rule the metal planet under their god-emperor [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. The Transformers' homeworld arrives in [[Earth]]'s solar system, where Decepticon representatives are sent to accept the surrender of Earth's representatives, [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], who are in the process of mopping up the remnants of the [[Cobra]] terrorist organization following the apparent death of the [[Cobra Commander]]. Naturally, the Joes do not take kindly to the aliens' aggression, and war breaks out between the two planets. | |||
A Joe team is sent as an advance unit to Cybertron, where they first clash, then ally, with a group of [[Autobot]] rebels. Simultaneously, Cobra's new leaders, [[Destro]] and the [[Baroness|Serpentress]] make contact with the Decepticons, learning that the ancient snake-cult from which Cobra grew is actually intertwined with Cybertronian activity on Earth going back centuries. Realizing that they are "related" much more closely than they realized, Cobra and the Decepticons begin working together to create the perfect hybrid of human and Cybertronian—but not before they crush the Autobot/Joe resistance, and Megatron slays the Autobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. A small Joe/Autobot unit flees into the depths of the planet, following the dreams of the Joe [[Bazooka (G.I. Joe)|Bazooka]] in an attempt to find and break the hold Megatron has placed over their creator [[Primus]] that has allowed him to dominate Cybertron. | |||
Meanwhile, former Joe ninja-commando [[Snake-Eyes|Snake Eyes]] goes undercover within Cobra for reasons of his own. Believing him to be a traitor, Joe field leader [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] hunts Snake-Eyes down, resulting in a fight that send the pair tumbling through Destro's [[M.A.S.S. Device]]. Set adrift in [[transwarp|interdimensional space]], they discover the lost Optimus Prime, and help him escape the clutches of the eldritch [[Quintesson]]s and return to reality. Optimus rallies the scattered Autobots and Joes under his leadership, but when he faces down Megatron, he loses—dramatically. Worse yet, at the moment of Prime's defeat, Cybertron collides with Earth, destroying the humans' homeworld utterly. | |||
==Production== | |||
IDW senior Transformers editor [[John Barber]] co-writes the series with artist [[Tom Scioli]]. Scioli's artwork is heavily inspired by comic book legend {{w|Jack Kirby}}, and the artist previously made his name emulating Kirby on the Image Comics series ''[[Wikipedia:Gødland|Gødland]]''. While Kirby's kinetic artistic style is the primary influence on the look of title, it is not carbon-copied; many other artistic influences shape the book, including {{w|Jim Steranko}}, [[Herb Trimpe]], and [[Frank Miller]]. In terms of writing and tone, the cast is populated with bombastic Silver Age characters and over-the-top dialogue, while the plots are a steady flow of Kirby-style wild, outlandish cosmic sci-fi ideas delivered at a hypercompressed pace, with potentially multiple dozen characters appearing on a single page. This storytelling technique was designed in emulation of film adaptation comics (such as Kirby's own adaptation of ''2001: A Space Odyssey'') and chosen as a way of compensating for the book's huge cast and limited page-count; an adaptation, Scioli calls it, "of a movie that doesn't exist."<ref>[http://comicsalliance.com/tom-scioli-transformers-vs-gi-joe-part-one/ Tom Scioli On ‘Transformers vs. GI Joe,’ Part 1]</ref> | |||
Though both the Transformers and the Joes and Cobras are all very much recognizable as their classic selves, ''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe'' presents perhaps one of the most radical reimaginings of their world yet. Characters are reinvented by stripping them of their fictional history and examining them as toys to find new takes on old concepts—Soundwave's opening chest, for example, is used as a prison to hold Joes, while Destro's metal mask becomes indicative of his being a cyborg, and Optimus Prime is given a "optimal" mode for survival between dimensions that is simply a half-transformed version of his toy that reinterprets his fist-less arms as eyestalks. In addition to this from-the-ground-up reworking, however, Scioli also heavily researched Transformers and G.I. Joe lore during production and includes multiple references to both in the book, often remixed into something very new. For instance, the series blends together the creation stories of [[Primus]] and the [[Quintesson]]s and connects the result to the {{w|Ancient astronaut hypothesis}}. That is in turn interlaced with the [[Cobra-La]] backstory from ''G.I. Joe: The Movie'', which is itself merged with the ideas of ancient gods seen in the ''G.I. Joe'' episode "Sins of the Fathers" to create the concept of the ancient and terrible [[Koh-Buru-Lah (creature)|Koh-Buru-Lah]]. Scioli crafted a "very long outline" before producing the first issue, but the book is full of ideas created on the fly. He describes his goal with the series as to create "the most important universe there is,"<ref>[http://comicsalliance.com/tom-scioli-transformers-vs-gi-joe-part-two/ Tom Scioli On ‘Transformers vs. GI Joe,’ Part 2]</ref> and describes that universe as being "the central hub that all universes originate from like spokes in the cosmic wheel."<ref>[https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/684871960677974017 Scioli's Twitter]</ref> | |||
The series has carved out an identity for itself as one with a visual style entirely unlike past Transformers and G.I. Joe comics; in-keeping with that, a variety of atypical artists provide variant covers for the series, including noted [[Wikipedia:Alternative comics|alternative comics]] artist [[Ed Piskor]] and 1990s trend-setter [[Rob Liefeld]]. | |||
==Collections== | ==Collections== | ||
* '''''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''''' Volume 1 TPB <small>([[December 24]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1631401904 / ISBN 978-1631401909</small> | * '''''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''''' Volume 1 TPB <small>([[December 24]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1631401904 / ISBN 978-1631401909</small> | ||
:* Extra content includes...? | :* Extra content includes...? | ||
==References== | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
[[Category: Generation 1 comic series]] | [[Category: Generation 1 comic series]] | ||
[[Category: IDW titles]] | [[Category: IDW titles]] | ||
[[Category: Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issues| ]] | [[Category: Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issues| ]] | ||
Revision as of 17:55, 7 January 2016
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe is an ongoing comic book series published by IDW Publishing. It represents the first crossover between the two brands since IDW gained control of both licenses, and takes place in a separate continuity unrelated to either of the "main" universes the company has developed for the 'bots and Joes. The series is distinguished by its retro-styled artwork and storytelling, emulating the look and feel of the Silver Age of Comic Books.
| Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issues | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overview
Optimus Prime has been banished from Cybertron, and the Decepticons rule the metal planet under their god-emperor Megatron. The Transformers' homeworld arrives in Earth's solar system, where Decepticon representatives are sent to accept the surrender of Earth's representatives, G.I. Joe, who are in the process of mopping up the remnants of the Cobra terrorist organization following the apparent death of the Cobra Commander. Naturally, the Joes do not take kindly to the aliens' aggression, and war breaks out between the two planets.
A Joe team is sent as an advance unit to Cybertron, where they first clash, then ally, with a group of Autobot rebels. Simultaneously, Cobra's new leaders, Destro and the Serpentress make contact with the Decepticons, learning that the ancient snake-cult from which Cobra grew is actually intertwined with Cybertronian activity on Earth going back centuries. Realizing that they are "related" much more closely than they realized, Cobra and the Decepticons begin working together to create the perfect hybrid of human and Cybertronian—but not before they crush the Autobot/Joe resistance, and Megatron slays the Autobot leader Grimlock. A small Joe/Autobot unit flees into the depths of the planet, following the dreams of the Joe Bazooka in an attempt to find and break the hold Megatron has placed over their creator Primus that has allowed him to dominate Cybertron.
Meanwhile, former Joe ninja-commando Snake Eyes goes undercover within Cobra for reasons of his own. Believing him to be a traitor, Joe field leader Duke hunts Snake-Eyes down, resulting in a fight that send the pair tumbling through Destro's M.A.S.S. Device. Set adrift in interdimensional space, they discover the lost Optimus Prime, and help him escape the clutches of the eldritch Quintessons and return to reality. Optimus rallies the scattered Autobots and Joes under his leadership, but when he faces down Megatron, he loses—dramatically. Worse yet, at the moment of Prime's defeat, Cybertron collides with Earth, destroying the humans' homeworld utterly.
Production
IDW senior Transformers editor John Barber co-writes the series with artist Tom Scioli. Scioli's artwork is heavily inspired by comic book legend Jack Kirby, and the artist previously made his name emulating Kirby on the Image Comics series Gødland. While Kirby's kinetic artistic style is the primary influence on the look of title, it is not carbon-copied; many other artistic influences shape the book, including Jim Steranko, Herb Trimpe, and Frank Miller. In terms of writing and tone, the cast is populated with bombastic Silver Age characters and over-the-top dialogue, while the plots are a steady flow of Kirby-style wild, outlandish cosmic sci-fi ideas delivered at a hypercompressed pace, with potentially multiple dozen characters appearing on a single page. This storytelling technique was designed in emulation of film adaptation comics (such as Kirby's own adaptation of 2001: A Space Odyssey) and chosen as a way of compensating for the book's huge cast and limited page-count; an adaptation, Scioli calls it, "of a movie that doesn't exist."[1]
Though both the Transformers and the Joes and Cobras are all very much recognizable as their classic selves, Transformers vs. G.I. Joe presents perhaps one of the most radical reimaginings of their world yet. Characters are reinvented by stripping them of their fictional history and examining them as toys to find new takes on old concepts—Soundwave's opening chest, for example, is used as a prison to hold Joes, while Destro's metal mask becomes indicative of his being a cyborg, and Optimus Prime is given a "optimal" mode for survival between dimensions that is simply a half-transformed version of his toy that reinterprets his fist-less arms as eyestalks. In addition to this from-the-ground-up reworking, however, Scioli also heavily researched Transformers and G.I. Joe lore during production and includes multiple references to both in the book, often remixed into something very new. For instance, the series blends together the creation stories of Primus and the Quintessons and connects the result to the Ancient astronaut hypothesis. That is in turn interlaced with the Cobra-La backstory from G.I. Joe: The Movie, which is itself merged with the ideas of ancient gods seen in the G.I. Joe episode "Sins of the Fathers" to create the concept of the ancient and terrible Koh-Buru-Lah. Scioli crafted a "very long outline" before producing the first issue, but the book is full of ideas created on the fly. He describes his goal with the series as to create "the most important universe there is,"[2] and describes that universe as being "the central hub that all universes originate from like spokes in the cosmic wheel."[3]
The series has carved out an identity for itself as one with a visual style entirely unlike past Transformers and G.I. Joe comics; in-keeping with that, a variety of atypical artists provide variant covers for the series, including noted alternative comics artist Ed Piskor and 1990s trend-setter Rob Liefeld.
Collections
- Transformers vs. G.I. Joe Volume 1 TPB (December 24, 2014) ISBN 1631401904 / ISBN 978-1631401909
- Extra content includes...?
