IDW Transformers comic (2019 onwards)

[Andy Turnbull]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}It's not as interesting as introducing death as an actual concept. I find the lack of playing up the fact the Transformers could be immortal more or less and you are introducing mortality into it.

The fact they can remember war is also far less interesting. Oh look we are marching towards that thing we did before and swore we never would again. I get it has real life resonance at the moment but it's not as interesting.

The book feels like it could still be a prequel to the previous continuity and that's the problem.

Also, what has been the seismic impact of this death. Next to nothing.

Also the art on the book is very flat and uninspiring.

I don't want to rag on the book, I want to like it but it's not giving me much.

[manmiles]

I'm probably going to give it one more issue before deciding whether or not to continue it. There are some good bits, but this might read a lot better as a trade than a bi-weekly comic.

[The Doctor]

Well. Um. I've generally been supportive of this series until now but nothing happened in this issue, did it? The intriguing cliffhanger to #3 seems to have been ignored: it wasn't even in the recap!

-Ralph

[manmiles]

The bit with Cyclonus was interesting. But I honestly think I’m done with this until the trade or someone tells me otherwise that Peaks my interest.

[Benn]

Do we have any idea how well this is doing sales-wise yet?

[Andy Turnbull]

Nope.

None at all.

[inflatabledalek]

They've just made a thing of 3 and 4 selling out, though of course, that depends on how many they printed originally.

[primenova]

TFW2005 say sales where 5000 for lost light

then #1 22000 #2 13000 #3 11358

[blueshift]

May 15, 2019 11:44:44 GMT primenova said:

TFW2005 say sales where 5000 for lost light

then #1 22000 #2 13000 #3 11358

Ooof, 5000?

[Benn]

That's about where I'd heard it at, but not taking digital into account.

[Andy Turnbull]

Issue 5

Much happier with this issue.

Things are starting to happen. Felt like there was some energy about things.

[primenova]

Also was that just cover A or all 3 covers? (note it doesn't say)

[Benn]

Issue 5

Agreed. It's nice to have some actual stakes appear!

[Jaymz]

As a retailer, sales are settling to similar to what Barber's Optimus Prime was at by the end of its run. I'm not seeing people outside the TF fandom picking it up, which I had with MTMTE/LL.

[Fortmax2020]

So no big rise from the big relaunch?

[Jaymz]

May 18, 2019 21:34:40 GMT Fortmax2020 said:

So no big rise from the big relaunch?

Not for me, and I didn't expect one.

The series doesn't have much appeal to people outside the TF fandom and was a perfect jumping off point for those fed up with the previous iteration.

The first collection of the new series being a $50 hardcover is not going to help sales figures.

[Benn]

I'm sorry, the first collection is what?

Seriously?

[Pinwig]

WHAT.

www.amazon.co.uk/Transformers-Vol-World-Your-Eyes/dp/1684055318

November!? Aw man. That's two counts of ridiculous. I thought now we had five issues out there'd be a trade imminently. £40 and six months away!?!?

Mind you, 288 pages - the listing says it has issues 1-12. That isn't *too* bad if it's a nice hardcover and they keep up that format. It's a bit like getting IDW collection hardbacks from the off instead of buying a paperback trade and then buying a hardback again a year later for a nicer version.

[The Doctor]

Sure but it will put a lot of readers off who would otherwise read in trades but balk at high entry fee.

-Ralph

[Pinwig]

You're right. It's an odd approach. It specifically suits fans who would read a digital copy initially rather than buying a print edition, knowing that for posterity they'll buy a nice hardback edition instead later down the line. If that's IDW's intention, then they must see that in the way their sales are going. But it does cut out the trade-waiters who might buy a five issue book off the tail end of the relaunch hype. Very odd. November will also be around the time the next line after Siege will launch, if that means anything.

[Andy Turnbull]

I know the old mainstream publishing model for certain authors was always HB first and then softcover later, but that's seldom been a thing in comics. Typically it's the other way around.

It's a curious choice, but again we don't really know enough about how their sales perform, I mean I know several trades (early MTMTE and LSOTW) have gone through multiple printings, but maybe the HB's are their biggest sellers.

Andy

[Philip Ayres]

Marvel did it for a few years with their bigger titles but have backed off from that somewhat now

[The Doctor]

I believe they encountered what is known as "consumer resistance".

-Ralph

[KnightBeat]

A £40 hardcover offers a saving in comparison to the individual issues, but still feels about £10 too expensive. I really want to like the new series but it's taking such a long, long, long time to establish the new world order and get to the main event (or maybe I have the attention span of a gnat).

[Benn]

Yeah, I went back into comixology fora reread the other day and was amazed we’d hit five issues! It doesn’t feel like five issues worth of story had happened.

[Fortmax2020]

I have read #1-4 this last week. It is neither good or bad. I have no particular interest either way in reading more though.

[Benn]

I read #6 I couldn't believe it when I got to the end, it felt like I'd just read a Marvel UK 5 pager. I don't think that's a good thing.

[Benn]

I guess we're not finding much to discuss in this series now?

[Andy Turnbull]

I haven't picked up the latest issue yet.

Been too busy/ill to do so.

Will grab it later in the week. The reactions online suggest it's not been a winner. Going to take an exec decision and roll all the individual posts into this thread as well. I don't think there will be enough activity going forward to justify seperate threads.

Andy

[The Doctor]

#7 is a FREE GIFT issue!

-Ralph