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Transformers: The IDW Collection #2.1
Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two, Volume 1
The war for Cybertron is over, but Bumblebee and his fellow Autobots struggle to maintain control of a world without Optimus Prime. The provisional government is struggling and Prowl will defend it against the Decepticons at seeminly all costs. Meanwhile, Hot Rod and a group of Autobots and Decepticons embark on an epic quest to the farthest reaches of the Universe. Collects the one-shot "Death of Optimus Prime," "More Than Meets The Eye" issues #1-5, and "Robots in Disguise" issues #1-6.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2014
22 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
James Roberts
536 books132 followersJames Roberts is a British comic book writer best known for his contributions to the Transformers franchise.
Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 16, 2021
This is the start of PHASE TWO of the Transformers series. James Roberts pens a rather strange volume. It is strange in that it starts off at about a 4-star level, reaches an apogee of 5-star writing during the middle portions, and then slinks down to a 3-star at the end.
The start of this new series is rather interesting. The Cybertronian War is over and the events from the final part of PHASE ONE has left the planet devastated and in a primal state. Yet, the remaining Autobots and Decepticons find themselves inundated with returning refugees. All the Cybertronians, especially the vast majority who were neutral in the Autobot/Decepticon wars have returned and the situation is complex. It results in some major changes for Bumblebee who is seeking to keep control in the wake of Optimus Prime's departure. As sides develop, Rodimus Prime takes the Autobots who have no desire to live on Cybertron, follow Bumblebee or deal with the disliked returning Cybertronians go off on a quest for the Knights of Cybertron. The art for this part was ok and the story was very interesting.
Then the middle part was truly good. The complex politics of the new Cybertron was very well done. From the issues with what to do with the Decepticons and how to deal with the new populace that seems to dislike both sides of the conflict. James Roberts really hits his stride in this great series covering the complex political situation and the violence that occurs as both Autobots and Decepticons struggle to find their place in this new world. The art is good in this and the writing is very good. Roberts' use of humor is similar to Brian Michael Bendis' work and it makes for a fun read, even though the story is very dark and grim.
Sadly the final third of the story covering the virus and the medics was not that good. Neither the art nor the overly long, and slightly boring in contrast to the previous arcs, story was that good. Was it terrible or even just mediocre? No it was good, but that is an adjective I give grudgingly.
The final "one-shot" at the end ties up the Optimus and Orion Pax story from the first part and leads us to a lot of questions which means I shall have to get volume two of this.
Phase TWO certainly takes the Transformers story to a different level. I, for one, enjoyed this new and interesting version of what politics may be like on Cybertron if the old concepts of Autobot and Decepticon don't mean anything. Also..where the hell is Megatron? I really doubt he's just gone.
The start of this new series is rather interesting. The Cybertronian War is over and the events from the final part of PHASE ONE has left the planet devastated and in a primal state. Yet, the remaining Autobots and Decepticons find themselves inundated with returning refugees. All the Cybertronians, especially the vast majority who were neutral in the Autobot/Decepticon wars have returned and the situation is complex. It results in some major changes for Bumblebee who is seeking to keep control in the wake of Optimus Prime's departure. As sides develop, Rodimus Prime takes the Autobots who have no desire to live on Cybertron, follow Bumblebee or deal with the disliked returning Cybertronians go off on a quest for the Knights of Cybertron. The art for this part was ok and the story was very interesting.
Then the middle part was truly good. The complex politics of the new Cybertron was very well done. From the issues with what to do with the Decepticons and how to deal with the new populace that seems to dislike both sides of the conflict. James Roberts really hits his stride in this great series covering the complex political situation and the violence that occurs as both Autobots and Decepticons struggle to find their place in this new world. The art is good in this and the writing is very good. Roberts' use of humor is similar to Brian Michael Bendis' work and it makes for a fun read, even though the story is very dark and grim.
Sadly the final third of the story covering the virus and the medics was not that good. Neither the art nor the overly long, and slightly boring in contrast to the previous arcs, story was that good. Was it terrible or even just mediocre? No it was good, but that is an adjective I give grudgingly.
The final "one-shot" at the end ties up the Optimus and Orion Pax story from the first part and leads us to a lot of questions which means I shall have to get volume two of this.
Phase TWO certainly takes the Transformers story to a different level. I, for one, enjoyed this new and interesting version of what politics may be like on Cybertron if the old concepts of Autobot and Decepticon don't mean anything. Also..where the hell is Megatron? I really doubt he's just gone.
July 17, 2024
Like many dudes my age, I watched the Transformers cartoons when they first aired in the 1980s and because I (really) like giant robots and have some affinity for some of the characters (esp. Starscream, Optimus Prime, and Soundwave), if not the stories in which they were placed, I even suffered through all of the Michael Bay movies. But my affinity was begat by the toys, the animated movie, and some deranged and powerful voice acting in the original cartoon (Chris Latta, Frank Welker, Peter Cullen, etc.), not the tales.
From my experiences with this intellectual property/universe, I've felt that the fiction has never landed nearly as well as the toys (and some of the third party deviants), but I haven't read many of the comics since the 80s. I decided to jump to this highly regarded Phase II IDW collection set after the decent tales I read in Phase I IDW comics (the Blurr one-shot was well done, but the many of the rest were only so-so).
This IP has conceptual problems at its core because it was designed to fit toys in different lines. Scale was always a big issue, as was the logic of giant robots from another world that turned into eighties Earth vehicles and appliances and handguns. The overwhelming numbers of similar looking characters confused narratives further, and "wars" in which characters rarely died was a very difficult parameter for any creator to deal with when crafting compelling fiction.
As this collection shows, writers James Roberts and John Barber were up to the task of telling very good stories about rich characters in this universe. This really smart, cleverly plotted, inventive, surprisingly scientific, and heartfelt collection ranks far above all of the other fiction I'd previously read and watched about this IP and stands alongside such thoughtful re-imaginings as New Frontier (Darwyn Cooke), Swamp Thing (Alan Moore), and Identity Crisis (Brad Meltzer).
Conflicted characters, moral dilemmas, and cool concepts abound. How about a setting in which the war between Autobots and Decepticons is over and they are both equally hated by a growing population of Cybertron civilians, a returning diaspora? How about the idea that the Decepticon prisoners of war are released with remotely accessed explosives in their brains? And how about the ideas that a robot transforms post mortem or that a virus can be transmitted to robots via sound waves?
The moral complexity and dramatic weight of the best stories herein certainly compares to those Cooke, Moore, and Meltzer series I earlier mentioned--there are a lot of "good" guys doing questionable things as well as the exact opposite. Also worth noting---the James Roberts stories (mostly culled from the comic, More Than Meets the Eye) are genuinely funny with dialogue that compares to the best stuff by Brian Michael Bendis. These are surprisingly three-dimensional reading experiences in a toyetic IP that most often just settles for "looking cool".
I do have a caveat for comic readers who might appreciate the storytelling, but have little interest in the Transformers universe. I did not know or recall 3/4s of these characters prior to reading and visibly distinguishing some them was sometimes difficult for me---most of the designs are busy and several are just too similar to make for an easy reading experience (such as medical peers Pharma and Ratchet [this also hampered Nick Drnaso's equally worthwhile Acting Class]), but the effort is not too significant and the rewards are many and rich for people who are open to returning to this IP with fresh eyes or exploring it for the first time.
(Note: Since first writing this review in 2018, I've read 10 of the 12 volumes in this series and found most the James Roberts tales do indeed maintain or exceed these earlier stories.)
From my experiences with this intellectual property/universe, I've felt that the fiction has never landed nearly as well as the toys (and some of the third party deviants), but I haven't read many of the comics since the 80s. I decided to jump to this highly regarded Phase II IDW collection set after the decent tales I read in Phase I IDW comics (the Blurr one-shot was well done, but the many of the rest were only so-so).
This IP has conceptual problems at its core because it was designed to fit toys in different lines. Scale was always a big issue, as was the logic of giant robots from another world that turned into eighties Earth vehicles and appliances and handguns. The overwhelming numbers of similar looking characters confused narratives further, and "wars" in which characters rarely died was a very difficult parameter for any creator to deal with when crafting compelling fiction.
As this collection shows, writers James Roberts and John Barber were up to the task of telling very good stories about rich characters in this universe. This really smart, cleverly plotted, inventive, surprisingly scientific, and heartfelt collection ranks far above all of the other fiction I'd previously read and watched about this IP and stands alongside such thoughtful re-imaginings as New Frontier (Darwyn Cooke), Swamp Thing (Alan Moore), and Identity Crisis (Brad Meltzer).
Conflicted characters, moral dilemmas, and cool concepts abound. How about a setting in which the war between Autobots and Decepticons is over and they are both equally hated by a growing population of Cybertron civilians, a returning diaspora? How about the idea that the Decepticon prisoners of war are released with remotely accessed explosives in their brains? And how about the ideas that a robot transforms post mortem or that a virus can be transmitted to robots via sound waves?
The moral complexity and dramatic weight of the best stories herein certainly compares to those Cooke, Moore, and Meltzer series I earlier mentioned--there are a lot of "good" guys doing questionable things as well as the exact opposite. Also worth noting---the James Roberts stories (mostly culled from the comic, More Than Meets the Eye) are genuinely funny with dialogue that compares to the best stuff by Brian Michael Bendis. These are surprisingly three-dimensional reading experiences in a toyetic IP that most often just settles for "looking cool".
I do have a caveat for comic readers who might appreciate the storytelling, but have little interest in the Transformers universe. I did not know or recall 3/4s of these characters prior to reading and visibly distinguishing some them was sometimes difficult for me---most of the designs are busy and several are just too similar to make for an easy reading experience (such as medical peers Pharma and Ratchet [this also hampered Nick Drnaso's equally worthwhile Acting Class]), but the effort is not too significant and the rewards are many and rich for people who are open to returning to this IP with fresh eyes or exploring it for the first time.
(Note: Since first writing this review in 2018, I've read 10 of the 12 volumes in this series and found most the James Roberts tales do indeed maintain or exceed these earlier stories.)
November 20, 2019
2.5
I had heard that the Transformers comic were actually good, so I figured I’d see what all the fuss was about. Maybe I’m just not familiar enough with the lore or whatever, but a lot of this was lost on me. Some of the banter was fun, I guess.
Maybe this stuff makes sense to longtime readers, but I had no idea who was who or what was going on most of the time. It doesn’t help that most of the characters have similar designs, which makes it even harder to tell them apart. I’m sure if I picked a few more Transformers titles at random I’d find one that’s easier to follow as a casual fan, but this didn’t do much to convince me to give the franchise another shot.
I had heard that the Transformers comic were actually good, so I figured I’d see what all the fuss was about. Maybe I’m just not familiar enough with the lore or whatever, but a lot of this was lost on me. Some of the banter was fun, I guess.
Maybe this stuff makes sense to longtime readers, but I had no idea who was who or what was going on most of the time. It doesn’t help that most of the characters have similar designs, which makes it even harder to tell them apart. I’m sure if I picked a few more Transformers titles at random I’d find one that’s easier to follow as a casual fan, but this didn’t do much to convince me to give the franchise another shot.
February 17, 2021
Incredibly, Optimus Prime did not die in this one. But the collection couldn't help making reference to a trope that has, ironically, been beaten to death, by referring to Optimus Prime relinquishing his role and suffering a metaphorical death.
I found this story, among all the other engaging ones, an amusing acknowledgment.
I found this story, among all the other engaging ones, an amusing acknowledgment.
April 29, 2020
interesting restart on cybertron
didn't like the death to optimus graphics but the story was really good.
Didn't likse some of teh graphics but fun read. Think Autocracy till has some of the better graphics.
didn't like the death to optimus graphics but the story was really good.
Didn't likse some of teh graphics but fun read. Think Autocracy till has some of the better graphics.
September 26, 2021
IDW solid series. Currently up to Phase 2 Vol. 9. Very happy all the way through.
November 21, 2022
Phase two starts off really strong. I think I enjoyed this more than almost all of Phase one and this is just the beginning.
July 8, 2024
Phase two literally had the best Megatron ever and Shockwave blowing up the universe. It would be peak if not for stupid fucking combiner wars. 8/10.
November 12, 2024
10/10 for when Ratchet got his hands back
August 28, 2025
#1 Rung glazer him and everyone else are just so silly except you cyclonus we have serious beef
February 21, 2017
mix bag. not sure i even want to read the rest...
November 4, 2015
The Transformer franchise is an old franchise with highs and deep lows. The IDW comics were one of the best things the franchise produced in years, certainly the best comics they ever produced. With the Phase Two volumes they dare to turn the story into a new direction. Blurring in the lines between Autobots and Decepticons, good and evil, they show that even the leaders make mistakes or rise to surprising heroics and that there are neutrals, and that said neutrals are not happy.
In this volume it is probably Starscream who shows the biggest character development, who breaks away from the old and known paths to start something new. But others also have strong character scenes, and moments where you feel that this is a new phase. My favourite one was the moment between Rung and Red Alert near the end.
The drawings themselves are beautiful, and clear-lined as ever. The story well thought out, and showing that they want to go *somewhere*. Whatever the writers have planned, I am certainly along for the ride.
In this volume it is probably Starscream who shows the biggest character development, who breaks away from the old and known paths to start something new. But others also have strong character scenes, and moments where you feel that this is a new phase. My favourite one was the moment between Rung and Red Alert near the end.
The drawings themselves are beautiful, and clear-lined as ever. The story well thought out, and showing that they want to go *somewhere*. Whatever the writers have planned, I am certainly along for the ride.
September 17, 2016
3.5 stars.
There were some dull parts, and I have a devil of a time trying to tell some of these guys apart. That caused quite a bit of confusion. On the whole, though, this was surprisingly enjoyable, especially the parts that followed Rodimus and his posse aboard the Lost Light. There was also a surprising amount of humor.
And I've read a couple things so far. In the old show, I didn't think this, but now--Starscream is just a wee bit hot.
There were some dull parts, and I have a devil of a time trying to tell some of these guys apart. That caused quite a bit of confusion. On the whole, though, this was surprisingly enjoyable, especially the parts that followed Rodimus and his posse aboard the Lost Light. There was also a surprising amount of humor.
And I've read a couple things so far. In the old show, I didn't think this, but now--Starscream is just a wee bit hot.
April 16, 2016
Well, that was a chore. I suppose not knowing the universe hurt my reading but the techno-babble and crazy similar artwork made it nearly impossible to get through. When I could figure out which character was talking I could not understand what it was about. Oh well. Maybe for fans only.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews