I grew up on beast wars. Although I loved the transformers animated movie. But this idw series is great. A great example of what American comics can be .
When Dimond Distribution went on their 9 week pandemic closing I began scraping up as much of the IDW universe as possible, bar in mind IDW was doing the second continuity at the time.and I will say Simon's run is the beast part and I re-read it every now and then. Simon is that good a Transformers writer, his one shotes are a testament of how much you can do in one issue where so many comic issues take 6 or more issues to tell. I'm looking forward to your reviews on the other works.
Thank you for the comment and support! I've always enjoyed Furman's work on this continuity, but my appreciation for it continues to grow over the years. You're right about the Spotlight issues, he definitely loaded each of those with a ton of story content. I wish we had gotten more by him before the soft reboot for sure.
0:43 I was born in 84', beast wars is really pulled me in and dreamwave/IDW comics locked me into my love for the transformers story's,art and figures. Great video🤙
Awesome to hear, thanks! I had some of the Beast Wars toys from that first year of the line, but never actually saw much of the show until much, much later. But I loved it when I finally sat down to watch it.
Love this man, IDW really cemented my love of the Transformers. I got in with the Unicron Trilogy and Animated as a kid, but these comics made me a now life long fan. Can't wait to see what you do next
That's awesome to hear! I think it's cool that so many people from different ages have the potential to grow up with and connect with so many iterations of the Transformers. I'm not as familiar with the Unicron Trilogy, but I loved Animated. Thanks for the comment and for the support!
The slow pacing of the early comics are a bit of a hard read for me personally, but around the time of More Than Meets the Eye is where a lot of build up finally gets some good pay off and it retroactively makes the slower start of IDW much more exciting.
That's definitely something I like about the IDW run - after phase 2, it really starts tying back into what came before and fleshing it out further. It's not perfect, but it is cool how many pay offs and call backs there were.
I'm the flipside, I really like the feel of the earlier issues. The "sitcom-ness" of MTMTE was funny for a bit, but I kinda lost interest after a while. This, though? I enjoyed this take on the war, and the whole idea of Infiltration Protocol as a concept. It was what got kid me reading comics.
Honestly despite my gripes with the rest of IDW's run especially with crowbarring the joes and mask in at the latter end, infiltration was a good jumping off point.
This is a fantastic series. You stick to the subject matter without veering on tangents, a flaw amongst many TF Podcasters. You taught me a few things I missed on my read throughs. You're a breath of fresh air sir.
EJ Su is one of my favorite transformers artist, he managed to perfectly blend the classic Cartoon look with a more modern detail. And it's kind of funny detail that despite the franchise taglike being 'Robots in Disguise' rarely are the transformers actually in hiding, it didn't dawn on me until i first read Infiltration.
That blend of cartoon and modern touches is something I really like about Su's work, as well. He's definitely an outstanding artist! And you're right about the whole Robots in Disguise thing. I don't know if it's hard to keep up writing scenarios around that premise or what, but it never seems to last very long, unfortunately. The concept is put to good use in Infiltration, though!
Thanks. It was lovely to go down memory lane with this again. I collected the firsr 3 arcs as they came out. I enjoyed the humans, they did not dominate the stories as they often do in the movies and I think that was the fear at the time.
Frankly I think it's insane to start reading it with anything other than Infiltration as a new reader. Megatron: Origins and Autocracy and such give *absolutely* no fucks about whether you're familiar with Transformers or not and give the reader absolutely no grounding in place or time. They work better as flashbacks. Flashbacks also work because reading it in that fractured timeline, it deepens the length of time that these characters have lived for. Whereas if you read it in chronological order it all seems to happen one thing after another.
I remember the arguments about human characters back in the day and I *think* mostly, it was just a relic of the time. A *lot* of people got into Transformers through Beast Wars and Beast Machines which featured no humans at all, and the Unicron Trilogy mainly including them as annoying kid sidekicks if they were on screen at all. Oddly enough I think it was the 2007 movie that made this sentiment die down a big, getting people used to the idea of Transformers being on Earth again.
That's an interesting perspective about the human characters. Makes sense. I may have incorrectly assumed that the complaints were coming from G1 fans who just wanted to see more of the Transformers, but what you laid out may explain some of the hate directed towards the humans from Infiltration. 👍🏻
Thanks for these videos. I collected these as they came out. Fan of furmans marvel UK and USA runs. The return to a sense of mystery and smaller cast was welcome here, mystery being key to Transformers core appeal. I can't remember the human characters as well but I recall bit being that interested in them. You do a good job noting their value to the story, as the people looking up and reacting as we open up the world of Transformers. EJ Su art is really rock solid, and something you really notice years later is the time and expense they went to in the highly rendered coloring. It has a painted look to it especially on the covers but even some interior shots. You don't get that much these days it shows they planned and gave the artist time here.
Thank you for the comment! Always great to see a fan from the Marvel days! I completely agree about the sense of mystery and the smaller cast. It's tricky, because the brand has so many characters and I often want to see a lot of them (especially the less common ones), but there's just stronger storytelling potential with a smaller, more fleshed out cast.
Awesome video. I can’t wait to continue on this journey with you~ Verity is also my all time favourite human character in all of Transformers, so I can’t wait to track her journey too~
Thank you! Welcome aboard - glad to have you here! Also, good to hear that someone else likes Verity. I was happy that Nick Roche kept her story going throughout the continuity.
@@Moonbase3 me too, I’m so glad because it would be so easy for her to just be completely forgotten but knowing how much Barber loves his continuity, so I’m sure we may have seen her again if nick didn’t continue her story with the wreckers saga, but I loved those occasional check ins and where she is next in her life
Good point about Barber - seeing as how he brought back Spike and Jimmy, I'm sure you're right and that he would have done something with Verity as well. Still, I'm glad it worked out the way it did, as Roche gave her a satisfying character arc.
Thank you for doing this! I’ve been doing a reread of the IDW comics recently and have been dying to hear someone else analyze them. As far as I’m concerned, Infiltration is the perfect introduction to the Transformers. Better than the movies, better than even the G1 cartoon and comics in a lot of ways. There’s a sense of mystery and intrigue present that you lose when you start with Optimus & co. on Cybertron. With this everything is built up, and the leaders aren’t introduced until the very end. Also I must say the art is absolutely fantastic, the colors are especially beautiful. I find good coloring can make E.J. Su’s art sing, and this? This is a full opera.
Thank you for watching! Glad to have you with us. :) I agree with you, I think Infiltration is a great introduction to the franchise as a whole. I would be very curious to see the reaction of somebody with little to no experience with Transformers reading this for the first time. You're spot on about the mystery, intrigue, and the gradual building of the world. That's something Furman did really well during his entire run on IDW - slowly revealing more and more, using every issue to add a new detail to the tapestry he was making in a way that felt very calculated and deliberate. And, of course, Su is the man! I've been very happy to see support and praise for his work in the comments, along with the unique color work. Appreciate the comment!
Alright my bot!!! Let's GO!!!! I was born in 71 and I've been a fan of TF and G I Joe since I first laid eyes on them. Who was your 1st TF in real life? Who is your favorite? First Sideswipe. Favorite Skyfire/Jetfire. When he sacrificed himself that SHOOK me as a kid and cemented him in my mind and soul, forever. As for G.I. Joe, I became an Artilleryman, later a Medic and finally a Nurse. I was also Airborne and I earned the Expert Field Medical badge. I went in to be all I could be and did. And I met SOOOOOOO many Joe and TF fans while I was in in was nuts. One of my favorite days was playing with GI Joes with my Staff Sergeant boss on Rhine Luzon drop site while we waited to provide medical support on a jump later that day.
Good questions! I don't remember for sure which was my first Transformer, but I'm pretty sure it was Ultra Magnus. If not him, he was one of the first. Skyfire is definitely up there for me, due largely to that episode you're describing, which is one of, if not THE, best episodes of the G1 cartoon, in my opinion. But as much as I love Skyfire/Jetfire, I'm going to have to give the top slot to Galvatron. I love a good villain, and I really liked what they did with him in the animated movie. Also, very cool to get some details about you and your time in the military. I don't have a military background and I'm not a fan of heights, so your experience is doubly impressive to me! Your post led me to look up some quick details on the Expert Field Medical Badge - sounds like it's very prestigious and rare. That's got to feel good to have earned it. I bet you've got some interesting stories, to put it mildly. :) Appreciate the comment, good sir!
Really enjoy this video,kinda remind of kurotheartist Ben10 breakdowns but Transformers which I always wanted,u good sir just earned a sub and I hope ur channel grow
Thank you! I should whip up an image or something for the reading order I'm using someday and post it so everyone can see what it is. Hmm...might have to work that in. Thanks for the suggestion!
Loved everything about Infiltration except it dropped the ball in the final issue. Felt like such an improvement over Dreamwave, though. Looking forward for once.
i Love IDW its Such a Shame there are other masterpieces that people doesnt understand about like the crossovers the other story that doesnt involve a bit of crossover and ETC im looking forward to any of these IDWS vids of yours
@@Moonbase3 Your Welcome and Either Way im Looking Forward to the Crossovers that This Transformers Has Been Involved with Since im a slut to crossovers but yea continue your cover on phase one to all way to the end take your time tho no need to rush
Right on! I dig the crossovers as well. Really looking forward to getting to the ones in phase 3 and - hopefully - others that are outside of the 05 continuity. Which one is your favorite crossover?
Honestly It was Either Revolution or First Strike But Somehow The Final Event of the Story TF Unicron has feautured all of them in some ways either way its revolution or others couldnt pick since like i said im a slut to crossovers @@Moonbase3
When I heard they we're losing the license, I jumped on, picking up what I knew is gold (LSotW, Shadowplay, Chaos Theory and MTMTE needs no mention) and a curiousity to know if the weakpoints I heard were correct (RiD and following successor series written by Barber being compromised by toyline tie-in mandates, phase 3 inserting more blatant/modern wokeness). So far, reached Phase 2 Vol. 6 of the omnibus, so fresh off the hype of an Avengers level threat and cooling off to the political wits between Screamer and Windblade, hopeful to more in MTMTE Season 2
I'm of the opinion that there's good stuff all the way to the end, but things start to go in some wild directions after Dark Cybertron. Not all of it landed for me, but then again, not all of the material before Dark Cybertron landed for me either. I can appreciate and respect the creators telling the stories they wanted to tell, though, even if they did have to occasionally navigate some intrusive toyline tie-ins. I'm looking forward to getting there in the retrospective because I think there's a lot to talk about, good and bad.
I find it hilarious most of the human characters that were hated before were from the Japanese Transformers media. I did not see that much hate over Spike who literally created more trouble then help. It had many racist undertones there.
I grew up on beast wars. Although I loved the transformers animated movie. But this idw series is great. A great example of what American comics can be .
Great to see more idw coverage since it's been extremely absent on UA-cam. Looking forward for more
Thanks for the comment! More is on the way. I definitely agree that there could always be more IDW TF content on UA-cam.
When Dimond Distribution went on their 9 week pandemic closing I began scraping up as much of the IDW universe as possible, bar in mind IDW was doing the second continuity at the time.and I will say Simon's run is the beast part and I re-read it every now and then. Simon is that good a Transformers writer, his one shotes are a testament of how much you can do in one issue where so many comic issues take 6 or more issues to tell. I'm looking forward to your reviews on the other works.
Thank you for the comment and support! I've always enjoyed Furman's work on this continuity, but my appreciation for it continues to grow over the years. You're right about the Spotlight issues, he definitely loaded each of those with a ton of story content. I wish we had gotten more by him before the soft reboot for sure.
0:43 I was born in 84', beast wars is really pulled me in and dreamwave/IDW comics locked me into my love for the transformers story's,art and figures. Great video🤙
Awesome to hear, thanks! I had some of the Beast Wars toys from that first year of the line, but never actually saw much of the show until much, much later. But I loved it when I finally sat down to watch it.
I've been looking for a channel like this! Thank you!
Glad to hear it! Thank you!
Love this man, IDW really cemented my love of the Transformers. I got in with the Unicron Trilogy and Animated as a kid, but these comics made me a now life long fan. Can't wait to see what you do next
That's awesome to hear! I think it's cool that so many people from different ages have the potential to grow up with and connect with so many iterations of the Transformers. I'm not as familiar with the Unicron Trilogy, but I loved Animated. Thanks for the comment and for the support!
The slow pacing of the early comics are a bit of a hard read for me personally, but around the time of More Than Meets the Eye is where a lot of build up finally gets some good pay off and it retroactively makes the slower start of IDW much more exciting.
That's definitely something I like about the IDW run - after phase 2, it really starts tying back into what came before and fleshing it out further. It's not perfect, but it is cool how many pay offs and call backs there were.
I'm the flipside, I really like the feel of the earlier issues. The "sitcom-ness" of MTMTE was funny for a bit, but I kinda lost interest after a while. This, though? I enjoyed this take on the war, and the whole idea of Infiltration Protocol as a concept. It was what got kid me reading comics.
Both eras are different, but I appreciate and enjoy them both in their own ways. I do wish we had gotten more Furman in phase one, though.
@@Moonbase3 Same.
Honestly despite my gripes with the rest of IDW's run especially with crowbarring the joes and mask in at the latter end, infiltration was a good jumping off point.
Finally a IDW retrospective can't wait for the next part very excited
Thanks, appreciate the comment and the support! If all goes well, part 2 will be up on Sunday.
This is a fantastic series. You stick to the subject matter without veering on tangents, a flaw amongst many TF Podcasters. You taught me a few things I missed on my read throughs. You're a breath of fresh air sir.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I appreciate the comment!
EJ Su is one of my favorite transformers artist, he managed to perfectly blend the classic Cartoon look with a more modern detail.
And it's kind of funny detail that despite the franchise taglike being 'Robots in Disguise' rarely are the transformers actually in hiding, it didn't dawn on me until i first read Infiltration.
That blend of cartoon and modern touches is something I really like about Su's work, as well. He's definitely an outstanding artist!
And you're right about the whole Robots in Disguise thing. I don't know if it's hard to keep up writing scenarios around that premise or what, but it never seems to last very long, unfortunately. The concept is put to good use in Infiltration, though!
Keep at it! I’ve been looking for something like this on UA-cam for a long time now
Glad to hear it and thanks for the support! More on the way!
Just got into Transformers again, this surely helps.
Awesome, glad to hear. Thank you!
Thanks. It was lovely to go down memory lane with this again. I collected the firsr 3 arcs as they came out.
I enjoyed the humans, they did not dominate the stories as they often do in the movies and I think that was the fear at the time.
Thanks for the comment! Great to hear from people who were collecting these comics as they were being released!
Frankly I think it's insane to start reading it with anything other than Infiltration as a new reader. Megatron: Origins and Autocracy and such give *absolutely* no fucks about whether you're familiar with Transformers or not and give the reader absolutely no grounding in place or time. They work better as flashbacks.
Flashbacks also work because reading it in that fractured timeline, it deepens the length of time that these characters have lived for. Whereas if you read it in chronological order it all seems to happen one thing after another.
I remember the arguments about human characters back in the day and I *think* mostly, it was just a relic of the time. A *lot* of people got into Transformers through Beast Wars and Beast Machines which featured no humans at all, and the Unicron Trilogy mainly including them as annoying kid sidekicks if they were on screen at all.
Oddly enough I think it was the 2007 movie that made this sentiment die down a big, getting people used to the idea of Transformers being on Earth again.
That's an interesting perspective about the human characters. Makes sense. I may have incorrectly assumed that the complaints were coming from G1 fans who just wanted to see more of the Transformers, but what you laid out may explain some of the hate directed towards the humans from Infiltration. 👍🏻
13:27 and so, prowl being a pain in the ass beginns😅
Indeed it does! 🤣
Moonbase three this is one probably my favorite era of idws transformers run the line up of 16 transformers the time period and even the humans
Right on! Glad to see people like the human characters. I love this era of comics as well - it's so good!
Thanks for these videos. I collected these as they came out. Fan of furmans marvel UK and USA runs. The return to a sense of mystery and smaller cast was welcome here, mystery being key to Transformers core appeal.
I can't remember the human characters as well but I recall bit being that interested in them. You do a good job noting their value to the story, as the people looking up and reacting as we open up the world of Transformers.
EJ Su art is really rock solid, and something you really notice years later is the time and expense they went to in the highly rendered coloring. It has a painted look to it especially on the covers but even some interior shots. You don't get that much these days it shows they planned and gave the artist time here.
Thank you for the comment! Always great to see a fan from the Marvel days! I completely agree about the sense of mystery and the smaller cast. It's tricky, because the brand has so many characters and I often want to see a lot of them (especially the less common ones), but there's just stronger storytelling potential with a smaller, more fleshed out cast.
I'm not willing to shell out 1000 bucks for the books, thank God for your videos
🤣 Yeah, I hope some of this stuff gets reprinted so it can be affordable again.
Awesome video. I can’t wait to continue on this journey with you~
Verity is also my all time favourite human character in all of Transformers, so I can’t wait to track her journey too~
Thank you! Welcome aboard - glad to have you here! Also, good to hear that someone else likes Verity. I was happy that Nick Roche kept her story going throughout the continuity.
@@Moonbase3 me too, I’m so glad because it would be so easy for her to just be completely forgotten but knowing how much Barber loves his continuity, so I’m sure we may have seen her again if nick didn’t continue her story with the wreckers saga, but I loved those occasional check ins and where she is next in her life
Good point about Barber - seeing as how he brought back Spike and Jimmy, I'm sure you're right and that he would have done something with Verity as well. Still, I'm glad it worked out the way it did, as Roche gave her a satisfying character arc.
Thank you for doing this! I’ve been doing a reread of the IDW comics recently and have been dying to hear someone else analyze them.
As far as I’m concerned, Infiltration is the perfect introduction to the Transformers. Better than the movies, better than even the G1 cartoon and comics in a lot of ways. There’s a sense of mystery and intrigue present that you lose when you start with Optimus & co. on Cybertron. With this everything is built up, and the leaders aren’t introduced until the very end.
Also I must say the art is absolutely fantastic, the colors are especially beautiful. I find good coloring can make E.J. Su’s art sing, and this? This is a full opera.
Thank you for watching! Glad to have you with us. :) I agree with you, I think Infiltration is a great introduction to the franchise as a whole. I would be very curious to see the reaction of somebody with little to no experience with Transformers reading this for the first time.
You're spot on about the mystery, intrigue, and the gradual building of the world. That's something Furman did really well during his entire run on IDW - slowly revealing more and more, using every issue to add a new detail to the tapestry he was making in a way that felt very calculated and deliberate.
And, of course, Su is the man! I've been very happy to see support and praise for his work in the comments, along with the unique color work.
Appreciate the comment!
Alright my bot!!!
Let's GO!!!!
I was born in 71 and I've been a fan of TF and G I Joe since I first laid eyes on them.
Who was your 1st TF in real life? Who is your favorite?
First Sideswipe.
Favorite Skyfire/Jetfire.
When he sacrificed himself that SHOOK me as a kid and cemented him in my mind and soul, forever.
As for G.I. Joe, I became an Artilleryman, later a Medic and finally a Nurse. I was also Airborne and I earned the Expert Field Medical badge. I went in to be all I could be and did.
And I met SOOOOOOO many Joe and TF fans while I was in in was nuts.
One of my favorite days was playing with GI Joes with my Staff Sergeant boss on Rhine Luzon drop site while we waited to provide medical support on a jump later that day.
Good questions! I don't remember for sure which was my first Transformer, but I'm pretty sure it was Ultra Magnus. If not him, he was one of the first.
Skyfire is definitely up there for me, due largely to that episode you're describing, which is one of, if not THE, best episodes of the G1 cartoon, in my opinion. But as much as I love Skyfire/Jetfire, I'm going to have to give the top slot to Galvatron. I love a good villain, and I really liked what they did with him in the animated movie.
Also, very cool to get some details about you and your time in the military. I don't have a military background and I'm not a fan of heights, so your experience is doubly impressive to me! Your post led me to look up some quick details on the Expert Field Medical Badge - sounds like it's very prestigious and rare. That's got to feel good to have earned it. I bet you've got some interesting stories, to put it mildly. :)
Appreciate the comment, good sir!
07 (it's a salute)
I enjoyed this video .looking forward to your next one 💯🔥
Thanks! Much appreciated! I'm working on the next one, so stay tuned.
Really enjoy this video,kinda remind of kurotheartist Ben10 breakdowns but Transformers which I always wanted,u good sir just earned a sub and I hope ur channel grow
Thank you! I appreciate the kind words and support.
The villain's lair could be anywhere! The villan's lair: 14:26
🤣
Okay, maybe Ratchet just drives very. . . . VERY slowly. (Actually, it was probably just 9.3 hours)
Great opening video, would love to see your reading order for the phases
Thank you!
I should whip up an image or something for the reading order I'm using someday and post it so everyone can see what it is. Hmm...might have to work that in. Thanks for the suggestion!
Loved everything about Infiltration except it dropped the ball in the final issue. Felt like such an improvement over Dreamwave, though. Looking forward for once.
Yeah, although there were things I liked about Dreamwave, I definitely think Infiltration was stronger and more well-executed in just about every way.
We'll be watching your career with great interest.
🤣 Thank you!
Can’t wait for when you get to LSOTW
There's so much material that I'm excited to get to... and Last Stand is pretty high on that list! :)
i Love IDW its Such a Shame there are other masterpieces that people doesnt understand about like the crossovers the other story that doesnt involve a bit of crossover and ETC im looking forward to any of these IDWS vids of yours
Thank you for the support! Much appreciated!
@@Moonbase3 Your Welcome and Either Way im Looking Forward to the Crossovers that This Transformers Has Been Involved with Since im a slut to crossovers but yea continue your cover on phase one to all way to the end take your time tho no need to rush
Right on! I dig the crossovers as well. Really looking forward to getting to the ones in phase 3 and - hopefully - others that are outside of the 05 continuity. Which one is your favorite crossover?
Honestly It was Either Revolution or First Strike But Somehow The Final Event of the Story TF Unicron has feautured all of them in some ways either way its revolution or others couldnt pick since like i said im a slut to crossovers @@Moonbase3
Fair enough. Well, I hope to get to all of them eventually. :)
Michael Bay; G1 Transformers will look lame in live action
The entire TF fandom: yeets infiltration at him
🤣
This was fun because I don’t much about phase one or phase two
Glad you enjoyed! I enjoy both phases.
@@Moonbase3 I like the vibe of your channel
@@ashleywimmers6481 That's awesome to hear, thanks! Glad you're enjoying the videos.😁
Very Cool
Thanks! Much appreciated!
24:22 I think it’s black because of shading. Light and or lack of it can make blue things look black and vice versa.
Could be!
@@Moonbase3 also happy holidays
Thanks! Happy holidays to you as well, and have a happy New Year!
When I heard they we're losing the license, I jumped on, picking up what I knew is gold (LSotW, Shadowplay, Chaos Theory and MTMTE needs no mention) and a curiousity to know if the weakpoints I heard were correct (RiD and following successor series written by Barber being compromised by toyline tie-in mandates, phase 3 inserting more blatant/modern wokeness). So far, reached Phase 2 Vol. 6 of the omnibus, so fresh off the hype of an Avengers level threat and cooling off to the political wits between Screamer and Windblade, hopeful to more in MTMTE Season 2
I'm of the opinion that there's good stuff all the way to the end, but things start to go in some wild directions after Dark Cybertron. Not all of it landed for me, but then again, not all of the material before Dark Cybertron landed for me either. I can appreciate and respect the creators telling the stories they wanted to tell, though, even if they did have to occasionally navigate some intrusive toyline tie-ins. I'm looking forward to getting there in the retrospective because I think there's a lot to talk about, good and bad.
I find it hilarious most of the human characters that were hated before were from the Japanese Transformers media. I did not see that much hate over Spike who literally created more trouble then help. It had many racist undertones there.
I swear this voice is familiar. Yoshi, is this you from Transmissions fame and glory?
Sorry, but I think you've got me mixed up with someone else. :)
I need to talk to Simon. 😅
🤣
Ah yes IDW Transformers. A prime example of Sturgeon’s Law.
I enjoy most of it, but it's definitely not for everybody.
Can't wait for The next Video, IDW is by far the best Transformers Lore ever Imo.
Yeah, I'm a pretty big fan of the IDW continuity - it has some of my favorite Transformers stories of all time. Thanks for watching!