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THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

Marvel Comics
(1984-1994)
Japanese
Manga
Other Books
and Titles
Titan Books
(2001-2010)
Club/Con
(2001-2016)
Dreamwave
(2002-2004)
Devil's Due
(2003-2007)
IDW Publishing
(2005-now)

CURRENT TRANSFORMERS COMICS FROM IDW PUBLISHING

Transformers: Mosaic

| Rain | Reason | Ghost In The Machine | The Curse | Hail And Farewell | Feeling Yellow |

Mosaic: Rain

Original story by Linda Cormack.

Art and colour by Kris Carter.

Project by Josh van Reyk and Shaun Knowler.

Newsarama interview explaining the Mosaic project

Synopsis: On Earth, Hound is amazed at how rain on the planet differs from the acid rain found on Cybertron. He takes a few moments just to stand in it and enjoy the experience of water falling on him.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]:
Hound, Jazz.

This mosaic was printed in The Transformers: Devastation #2 [IDW].

Notes: Transformer Mosaic was originally a fan fiction project put up on the IDW website forums. The idea was to tell stories in one page that could be in any continuity. They were rapidly well received, and starting with this issue, selected ones will be reprinted across IDW titles. Appropriately, Rain was the first.

Though republished by IDW, the copyright blurb is keen to point out this is still a unlicensed comic not affiliated with either the publisher or Hasbro.

This is set in a generic G1 continuity - Hound is either leaving the Ark or a parked spaceship, seemingly in the desert.

Linda Cormack has the distinction of being the first woman to write a published Transformers comic.

Review: Slight, but very lovely. Hound gets more character in this page than he has in twenty three years of stories, and it's rather sweet to see a Autobot relaxing rather than fighting. IDW reprinting these is a fantastic step, and the forthcoming ones will not only provide great entertainment, but give a wider range of writers the chance to show what they could do if given a full issue to play with. Good stuff.

Mosaic: Reason

Written by Josh Van Reyk.

Art by Shaun Knowler.

Letters and colour by Kris Carter.

Synopsis: As they sit on a alien moon, Warpath asks Beachcomber why a pacifist like him fights. Beachcomber explains it's because he doesn't want to see other planets suffer like Cybertron, nor people who can't fight themselves be hurt. But mostly he fights because that's the only way to end the War so he can go back to peace.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]:
Warpath, Beachcomber, Shockwave [Flashback].

This mosaic was printed in The Transformers: Devastation #3 [IDW].

Notes: As with Rain, this is set in a non-specific G1 continuity. Though Warpath does use his TV speech patterns. The story takes place on an unspecified moon orbiting a Saturn-like gas giant.

Beachcomber's memories of war include Iacon's dome burning, Shockwave killing a defenseless Autobot, and having to protect a human from an explosion. The final panel of him relaxing by a lake where the sunset makes it appear golden is a reference to the cartoon episode The Golden Lagoon.

Review: A nice quick bit of character work for an often overlooked Minibot. Whilst it loses some points for giving Warpath his deeply irritating TV WHAM! speech BAM! style, it's brief enough not to irritate hugely and is a good fast read.

Josh Van Reyk officially has the greatest name of anyone to work on Transformers.

Mosaic: Ghost In The Machine

By George Smrekar and Eric Allard.

Synopsis: Punch recovers from a period of amnesia to find himself standing over a dead Autobot, and it's not the first time this has happened. As he disposes of the body he recalls how his life was saved on the battlefield by First Aid performing a spark transplant from a nearby Decepticon body. Realising the Decepticon essence is still active and taking control of him, but unable to commit suicide as he knows the force will stop him he instead sets himself for an internal systems "fry", and brings his gun to his head so that when the Decepticon takes over he will be burnt out. Their spark ain't big enough for the both of them...

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]:
Punch, First Aid [Flashback]. The Decepticon goes unnamed but is based on Counterpunch.

This mosaic was printed in The Transformers: Devastation #4 [IDW].

Notes: Again, this is based in a generic G1 continuity, though the origin of the Punch/Counterpunch divide is different from the character's portrayal in other fiction. There Counterpunch was the disguise of Punch the deep cover spy.

Review: Another little fun Mosaic that gives a underused character focus in a different way. The art is too bright and cheerful for such a dark story, but otherwise another fine addition to the line.

Mosaic: The Curse

By Carlos Oliveros and Ivan Mas.

Synopsis: Blur is the fastest Transformer of all, but the lack of good quality Energon is affecting him, and his speed is now draining away his very lifeforce. Unable to carry on, he goes into a Energy filled cave and triggers an explosion.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]:
Blur, Kup [Flashback], Huffer. Bluestreak appears just off camera.

This mosaic was printed in The Transformers: Devastation #5 [IDW].

Notes: Again this is a generic G1 continuity, though the mention of energon depletion means it could easily fit in the IDW Universe before Kup went missing.

Blur is part of a team led by Bluestreak stationed on a alien planet, seemingly looking for energon.

Review: A very nice and rare serious look at a normally comic supporting character, this shows exactly what's so great about the Mosaic format. An entire issue of Emo Blur would get dull very fast, but here it doesn't outstay its welcome. Very well done.

Mosaic: Hail And Farewell [Official Continuity]

Released February 15th 2008.

Note: text contains spoilers for plot past the end of Devastation #6.

http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/mosaic-a-go-go/

"The question will be asked, inevitably, if ‘Hail and Farewell’ (click on the thumbnail below) is ‘canon’ in terms of the in-progress Infiltration/Escalation/Devastation series. And the answer is emphatically ‘YES.”"


Update:
http://idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4270&start=60

Mosaic: Feeling Yellow

Written by Luke Barnett.

Art by Robby Musso.

Colours by John-Paul Bove.

Lettering by Kris Carter.

Edits by Mary Canada.

Synopsis: On Ark-19 Sunstreaker is annoyed at the humans being given his room. Going for a drive he is even more annoyed at running down a deer and damaging his paintwork. But, unknown to him, the entry and exit from the Ark is witnessed by the Machination, who scan his body in order for a duplicate to be made. The next time he leaves the ship he's in for a world of trouble...

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]:
Jimmy, Hunter, Verity, Sunstreaker, Ironhide, Mr. Drake, Deer Parts [Deceased].

This mosaic was printed in The Transformers: Devastation #6 [IDW].

Notes: This is the first published Mosaic to be firmly set in a specific continuity. This occurs prior to the events of Escalation issue #1. It reveals exactly when the Machination had the chance to get a good look at Sunstreaker in order to duplicate him, and also that the Autobots have their own rooms on the ship.

Whilst this fits into IDW's canon fine it's still not officially regarded as such by the company. However, until something happens to contradict the events seen here the strip's canonicity is entirely up to the reader.

Robby Musso has drawn several full length comics for IDW, starting with Spotlight: Ultra Magnus.

Notes: Again, another charming little character study that sums up Sunstreaker: Deer Killer perfectly. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, from a professional artist we also have the most accomplished artwork for a Mosaic to date as well.

 

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