Animated Movie #1-4/TPB

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Denyer
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Talkback for Animated Movie Adaptation #1-4

Post by Denyer »

Issue one's due on October 25th, apparently.

Preview pages here: http://tfarchive.com/comics/idw/preview ... =1986movie
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Post by DrSpengler »

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Post by artemisrex »

I can't disagree with the comment about the letterer - there definitely are a few goofs- but i have to say this is an excellent adaptation. The art work is inspired and the dialogue stays very true to that of the movie. A few *tiny* ommissions in the dialogue are sorely missed (i.e. "Such heroic nonsense"). All in all, this is something for every fans collection.
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Post by Halfshell »

It's not one for my collection to be blunt.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Originally posted by artemisrex
I A few *tiny* ommissions in the dialogue are sorely missed (i.e. "Such heroic nonsense").


Good grief. I had noticed in the preview that there seemed to be a real effort to change each line at least slightly (Bob trying to earn his fee?) but I'd have thought all the "No...Not the mind probe!!!" style join in at home stuff would have been left intact.
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Post by StoneCold Skywarp »

rubicon - now known with the guy who's sig is WAY over guidelines.

I'm in agreeance (is that a proper word?) with Spengs and Brend, the art's superb, but the glaring errors with the lettering and speech-bubbles are too much.

I picked it up on a whim, but won't go beyond issue 1.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Well, I've read this now, tis a lot naff. Even Don's art isn't at it's best (look at Bombshell's comedy oversized antena thing).

My favorite misplaced speechbubble was the was that had Hot Rod proclaming Prime's wounds fatal.

And I adored how "Perceptor in his observation post"= "Perceptor siting about on the floor in microscope mode".

The loss of the "I'll crush you with my bare hands" line seems odd as it's recurance latter on helps emphasise Megs and Galvy are indeed the same person.

I'll knock a quick review out for it latter on...
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Post by Denyer »

Curiosity got the better of me... I've just gone and "found" this.

Not sure what people are complaining about, really, other than elementary mistakes should be spotted pre-press. Didn't detract whilst reading -- it's a different experience page-by-page than looking at panels that've been cropped out to illustrate the balloon tail mix-ups. Which I didn't actually notice first time through... very weird feeling, but seeing the text provides the voice (surprisingly, coming to bits that are different from the script that are different the voice adapts for it -- Bob's got a good ear, or maybe I'm in a minority for reading comics with film and TV character doing the narration in my head, or both... it certainly helps if the dialogue feels in-character, and this generally does. Megs is a bit more family-friendly with the "heh heh" and the deaths don't seem as final, somehow. But I can hear music whilst reading. It's a touch disconcerting. Yes, pun intended.)

(Aside: Don, in the panel where Magnus tells them to transform Autobot City, why does Arcee have buttock cleavage in one panel? She loses it by the last one. Continuing the tradition of art insertions such as Sludge's eyes popping out of his head? Very impressed with the number of key framings you've adapted directly from the video reel, BTW.)

On the other hand, there doesn't seem to be any extra scenes or other newness here, just a few dialogue tweaks for clarification and space. Been and bought a copy from OneShallStand (fair's fair, after all -- and for some reason Steve's selling them slightly cheaper on eBay than on the main site) but I think I'll stick with that, my favourite twenty minutes or so of the movie.

If all you've seen about this online is complaints about what got left out or layout errors, it's definitely worth a look first-hand. Unfortunately seeing the complaints is going to be the extent to which a lot of people investigate. The only line I'd really liked to have seen included extra to those that were is Megatron's "heroic nonsense" one.

Ah well. Having bought the thing, I'll feel less guilty about photoshopping "Youhre naht steahlin' mah pawhn..." over Ironhide's last stand.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Originally posted by Denyer

and the deaths don't seem as final, somehow.


Yes, I noticed that Brawn in particular gets of lightly with a small ickle shoulder wound rather than the big gasping hole through his back.

Of course, the fact the first panel we see Ratchet (and possibly Brawn) is where they die doesn't help. Instead of OMG!! Ratchet's dead!" I wound up going "Where'd he come from?". As with the Transformation of Autobot City a familiarity with the source material seems to be assumed- Whilst that's more than likely it does stop the comic working to its best.

I agree with that being the best bit of the Movie as well. In fact, if I'd been Bob I'd have ended the issue with the start of the Optimus/Megatron fight to give it all a bit more space to breath. There's enough stuff that can be shaven from the Junkion/Quintesson bits if space was a premiuim...
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Post by Cunning Ravage »

I had hoped that BB would have taken the opportunity to have Prime die from more then a hole in his side oh well. (Or at least show Perceptor delivering the death blow, seriously he's the Autobots' Tarantulas.:D) Oh! I know he could of had Prime and Megatron realize they both want what's left of Autobot city so they decide to do their battle in a video game and the loser dies in real life!:D
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Post by Lambda prime »

None of it makes sense now that I think about it
How exactly did the Decepticons creep up onto the shuttle without detection?
Why wasn't the shuttle being tracked?
Where there any more Autobots aboard?
I take it Prowl was commander of the voyage, Ironhide security chief and Brawn some added muscle but why Ratchet?

All that aside Don has done a god job working with what he had to.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Originally posted by Lambda prime

How exactly did the Decepticons creep up onto the shuttle without detection?


There was at some dialouge in the script that got cut explaining that one at least... Asteroids had buggered the radar or somesuch.
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Post by Denyer »

Originally posted by Lambda prime
How exactly did the Decepticons creep up onto the shuttle without detection?
Soundwave?
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Originally posted by Denyer
Soundwave?


Though really, if the astro radar was being jammed they should have noticed that as well "Hey Prowl, where have all the planets gone?".

Then again, they hardly needed super space detection gear when they had advanced scout Brawn on board...
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Post by Denyer »

I'd assume Soundwave has the capacity to send fake signals as well as block.
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Post by Halfshell »

Surely those are problems with the original movie? Criticising the adaptation for retaining the same sense of senselessness is a little... well, senseless, to be fair...

I mean if they inserted actual plot coherence then people would doubtless be complaining that it's different.
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Post by Nevermore »

Man, was that disappointing. Here's the biggest complaints I have in addition to "speech bubbles assigned to the wrong characters":

1) Story - Bob didn't even TRY to do anything remotely new. No new scenes (such as the ones from the original storyboard), and there were some really unnecessary things such as the "MY FOOT!" scene that could have very well been left out.

2) Dialogue - 95% was a direct cut-and-paste job from the movie itself, the rest was Bob's same old over-exposition style ("Kranix, here are the chemicals you requested." - "Thank you, Arblus."), particularly annoying in the captions.

3) Look of the characters and general art style - Don aims for a more "cartoony" style, which goes horribly wrong. Guido already proved that he can do this better.

4) Storytelling - Don apparently aimed to show every single scene from a radically different perspective/angle than the movie itself did. This results in scenes where we would see characters from BEHIND in key scenes, or another character in the foreground covering most of the scene's central character's body, with the panel borders cutting off half the action in the weirdest places.

Speaking of, the battle of Autobot City rather seems like a choreographed dance than a giant battle. Add to that the overly rushed pacing and the weird perspectives that often wouldn't even SHOW what's supposed to be going on in those scenes, and you'll get a story you probably wouldn't even understand if you hadn't already seen the movie itself before.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Originally posted by Nevermore
Story - Bob didn't even TRY to do anything remotely new. No new scenes (such as the ones from the original storyboard), and there were some really unnecessary things such as the "MY FOOT!" scene that could have very well been left out.


Look, Bob's only been writing comics for about 30 years, he's got to feel his way in very carefully. And he's got that horrible neck injury. You know, the one that's come from those patronising head-pats IDW have been giving him.

Considering fans are finally giving Bob the credit he's deserved, for the character profiles if not for his original run, the way IDW have treated him to date is little short of insulting. I look forward to IDW offering Joss Whedon the chance to write captions for the Angel Colouring Book...
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Post by Denyer »

He did pick the movie anniversary thing from the options that were talked about internally -- can't remember what the other things that were on the table at the time were, or whether he went into more detail. Was in one of the interviews from the last few months.

I like the exposition in small doses, personally. It's classic Marvel, which after reading around comics blogs I'm starting to gain some grudging appreciation for.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

I just think they could have given him more scope when they're commissioning a hack like Chuck Dixon to to The Cyberadventures of Mark Twain, is all.

Classic Marvel's fun once you realise it isn't ever going to be especially good.
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