Transformers: Spotlight Vol. 2 (2005 IDW G1 Comics Retrospective: Phase One, Part Six)

[@robrice7246]

5:00 - 5:03 Which, going by its Notes section on the TFWiki page, is meant to be their version of Mount Hood, which is located east of Portland, Oregon.

[@sophieprime4669]

Ah, spotlight kup... Gave us our best boy and wielder of the best spotlight, Trailbreaker!

[@Moonbase3]

Heck yeah!

[@Worldsbestchocolate]

Looking back at the 05 IDW comics I wonder mote about what Furman's initial intentions were for the IDE universe.

[@destronlaserwave9566]

I think out of all of the spotlights from Vol. 2, Kup is definitely my favorite. It being I Am Legend with Transformers definitely helps, plus its fun Trailbreaker was used simply because the team wanted to give him some love.

[@Moonbase3]

That's a good one, for sure. Plus, it sets up future stories and character dynamics for the Wreckers comics!

[@robrice7246]

9:37 Although Spotlight: Wheelie would reveal IDW's equivalent of the alien monster associated with that G1 episode.

[@Moonbase3]

Indeed!

[@martin-multiplex4036]

I liked the horror/losing your mind elements in Spotlight Kup, also RIP leadfoot cool character design

[@R.J.Productions616]

Something that I love about G1 Optimus is when artists add different spins on the design. Specifically E.J. Su, Don Figueroa, & DWJ's depictions. They're pretty much how you imagined your figures looking like when you were playing with them 😂

[@Moonbase3]

Most definitely! I always like seeing what a different artist will bring to the table with an established character.

[@jonathonholifield3166]

Awesome video, as always. I am supposed to be getting ready for my giant family to come over one hour from now but I couldn't tear myself away until I finished watching the whole thing.....and I've already READ all these comics over and over. Hearing your analysis of the "nuts and bolts" of how the artists create this shit makes me almost want to consider trying to change careers at 42 years old and start sending sketches to Image/Skybound.....not that I could EVER approach the level of genius of Don Figueroa or James Roberts

[@Moonbase3]

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words! And sorry to distract you from getting ready for family! 😁 I can totally relate to wanting to make comics - it's something I've dreamed about doing for most of my life. Not sure I would be any good at it, though! Obviously, we all have to do what we have to for our survival, but I definitely encourage everyone to make time for creative endeavors and to put themselves out there, no matter what their day job or experience level is - you never know where it might take you! And in the end, just making time to do that stuff can be its own reward.

[@rick151]

You can't spit these things out fast enough. Love it

[@Moonbase3]

Thank you! :)

[@Its_Eli-s3i]

Bludgeon becomes a real sunovabitch throughout IDW, I feel so bad for Kup throughout the entire series. I'm surprised how strong he stays despite the circumstances to come. I don't know if I can call it a problem but the issue I have with IDW is what you said about how these spotlight issues feel like essential reading, it makes it very hard to keep up at times especially when making reading orders. Those spinoffs very often are extremely essential reading to the plotlines.

[@Moonbase3]

Kup is continuously dealt a bad hand in this continuity...which is fine as long as it goes somewhere, which it arguably didn't. I wish Roche had been able to get the final say in how that character's arc would end. Judging by how he handled Verity and Springer in Requiem of the Wreckers, I think there's a good chance it would have ended up being more satisfying than what ended up happening. Very true about the Spotlights and reading orders! It's also complicated by the fact that what should be the easiest way to read everything - the IDW Collection hardcovers - has some odd choices as far as the reading order goes.

[@JohnWilliams-wl9px]

Your points of paneling is exactly why I love the Grendel comics to much. As that series is constantly experimenting with panel and layouts to tell its story in a new unique way. Soundwave’s spotlight was definitely created to remind readers of those earlier hints that Infiltration had hidden in the background. Effectively asking readers to go back to those issues and ask what else could have already happened, that the autobots are in the dark about. Kup spotlight really hurts especially as someone who had a love one who suffering from Alzheimer’s. Spotlight Optimus is comedic gold because of all those flashbacks depicting Optimus fighting against corruption, yet is shocked to find out the Primes were corrupt. Galvatron’s much like how his covers depict him is an evil Conan the Barbarian. In my AU I combined IDW with Devestation game lore, pretty much Galvatron was an ancient Cybertronian that went with Nova crew to explore the galaxy of his the latter’s reign as Prime ended. To the public simply vanished without a trace, when in reality they encountered Unicron who killed them and trapped their sparks. So when the 86 movie events came around Unicron ‘frankstein’ Megatron with Galvatron’s spark. Thus when Unicron is destroyed Galvatron goes nuts because it’s 2 souls fighting for control over the same body, as Unicron is no longer there to keep the 2 at bay.

[@Moonbase3]

Interesting! I know of Grendel, but haven't read any, I don't think. I should check it out! I like your take on Galvatron, definitely has some interesting story potential! And I appreciate your perspective on Spotlight: Kup - that was an angle that didn't occur to me, but really sheds a totally different light on the issue and is pretty meaningful, I'd say.

[@madhousestudiosdevious]

I remember borrowing a copy of spotlight Optimus from my library. That, spotlight Soundwave, Ramjet, Soundwave, Shockwave, Sixshot, and Ultra magnus were my first real introduction to transformers comics. It’s only recently I figured out what was going on in those comics

[@Moonbase3]

I would definitely be confused if I started with those - confused, but intrigued and interested in figuring out what was going on! Definitely some good stories there for new readers to get sucked into the IDW universe.

[@trence5]

I remember being awestruck how Monstructor was trashing Omega - and at that ARTWORK!

[@thetannershow2350]

Your take on paneling is something I heavily agree with. Comics are one of my favorite art forms and I believe paneling and gutters are just as important as the art for getting a reader immersed into the story.

[@Moonbase3]

Yeah, that stuff can have a pretty big impact on the reader experience, I think!

[@MrYeet270]

I’ve only recently gotten into reading transformers comics, starting with the mtmte because I didn’t know where to start. But I’ve stopped reading before the dark cybertron event to go back to the beginning. I restarted at infiltration and made my way to the middle of all hail Megatron. I’ve been desperately searching for people online expressing their feelings and opinions on early idw, and have stumbled open your channel after searching. I just have to say this series is very well made, and that channel is VERY underrated and deserves way more subscribers. That’s all I wanted to say other than that you should keep up the good work, because smaller creators like yourself are my favorites to watch. Thank you for the great content😁

[@Moonbase3]

Wow, thank you! That means a lot to me. Glad to have you here, and I appreciate the comment! I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the videos, and that's awesome that you're getting into early IDW - it's a great continuity throughout. I think you made the right choice going back to the beginning - there's a lot of payoff for the early stuff in Dark Cybertron!

[@robrice7246]

2:34 - 2:53/2:54 Why else would Megatron have his own secret police/hitmen force in the form of the infamous Justice Division? (Although Shockwave, during his battle with the Dinobots, thought he sent the Predacons to subdue him, which was part of Furman's original plan before James Roberts introduced the DJD.)

[@Moonbase3]

Totally! The DJD's existence makes a lot of sense as an outgrowth of Decepticon culture. As much as I like the DJD, I definitely would have liked to have seen the Predacons given more to do during the Furman years...

[@derekgreen7319]

Ive been waiting. I was wanting to reread this series but unfortunately I sold my idw hardcover collections a while back and of course theyre out of print now. You can't even read them digitally.

[@Moonbase3]

I know, it's a bummer. I'm really hoping Skybound will bring these stories back into print so people have an easy way to read this stuff again.

[@datamag2018]

Just found your channel today and man this retrospective is spectacular! I read (and own) nearly every issue of this continuity and I loved every second of it. It's my preferred continuity in my older more sophisticated view of the TF franchise. I loved the corruption and political intrigue of the pre-war Cybertron and its ancient history as they portrayed it in this continuity. Looking forward to the next one! Great work!!

[@Moonbase3]

Thank you, that means a lot! Glad to have you here. You've really touched on a lot of what I think makes this continuity special. The pre-war and antiquity stuff was definitely a highlight for me as well. To be honest, I would have been fine with a mini series set completely in the ancient past...

[@Gaming_Helm]

I really appreciate how u put the timeline together to keep things coherent 👍 great vid bro 👍

[@Moonbase3]

Thank you! Much appreciated, man!

[@TheAnimationStationTAS]

Spoilers for Optimus Prime I find it somewhat humorous that Outbacks first appearance as a corpse in the IDW continuity, originally intended as a tragic and unexpected death, would later be retroactively established as Karma for his actions in Optimus Prime, which presumably happened because Outback was not just a blank slate, but a character whose problematic actions and alignment with the autobots wouldn't be much of a concern in the present day since he was already dead and gone.

[@Moonbase3]

Yeah, that one was surprising - Barber could have picked any unused character or made up a new one for that role, but deliberately went with Outback. Although they didn't always land for me (the retcon involving Galvatron I mention in the video, for example), overall, I appreciate those little touches he'd add that would flesh out a character or add new perspective to what happened earlier in the continuity.

[@mr.end-game711]

Nick Roche is a dame good Transformers writer, further case in point Last Stand Of The Wreakers. Galvatron is nice and I think one of the only times we see him in his cannon mode. Soundwave and Optimus Prime are just god works in general moving and building upon the story Furman was cooking.

[@Moonbase3]

I would definitely like to see Roche write some more Transformers stories in the future!

[@prince_dogboy]

I still have my Wildfly figure from my childhood and he has a permanent spot on my desk. I always loved playing with Wildfly because he was a monster, but wait, he's a robot too!!! That always made him fit whatever scenario my childhood mind came up with so he made appearances alongside all other toylines I had.

[@Moonbase3]

That's awesome! I wish I still had my Pretender Monsters.

[@freddieiseton512]

These videos always make my day. Keep em up man

[@Moonbase3]

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that! Much appreciated!

[@albernardi8]

Happy (half-belated) holidays MB3! I’ve been eagerly awaiting this batch of Spotlights, some of which are the best in the series. The character selection isn’t as varied (not enough second stringers this round), but there are enough weirdos in the books to make up for that. - Soundwave: Solid issue. Great showcase of the character with fantastic art, and who can resist a 1984 story? I’m not a fan of how this took Soundwave off the board immediately, and for so long, but as a stand alone it’s quite good. 8.5/10 - Kup: Devastating. This had my friend in tears when he read it, not knowing if Kup ever recovered. It’s Nick Roche, so I love the art, especially love how he contrasts Kup’s vision with reality. This is one of the best Spotlights because not only is it an immaculate showcase of Kup as a character, it also shows us how much he means to the other Autobots. Also the setting reminds me of one of my favorite arcs of the “Tales of the Jedi” comics, The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, where Jedi Padawan Nomi Sunrider must cleanse a dark side nexus surrounding a lake, which much later became the site of a great lightsaber duel in the Darth Bane Trilogy. Total aside but Ambria and this planet Kup is on look very similar to me. Anyway, 9.5/10 - Galvatron: Galvatron is one of my favorites (also mostly because of Nimoy) as well! I must say Galvatron’s design in this book is peak, possibly my favorite look of his ever. I’ve slowly come around to the idea of Galvatron and Megatron being totally separate characters, at first I hated it. Thought it was a horrible mistake. Then I actually read the book, and while I didn’t like it necessarily I felt the story was interesting enough to accept it for this continuity. After rereading Phase 1 this year, I’m actually quite keen on seeing the idea explored further. I put a post asking people about it on Reddit, and got a pretty varied response. Hopefully someone will take another crack at it. Loved the issue overall, especially the interactions between the Autobots. For some reason this comic made Road Rocket one of my favorite underrated Autobots. Great art, great reinvention of the character, moves the story along, it’s right up there with Kup at 9.5/10. - Optimus Prime: Interesting but imo the weakest of the bunch, carried by the gorgeous artwork. Prime is more in line with his Sunbow counterpart which is nice, but I’ve always felt the plot with Omega was a bit off. It’s nice to see Omega, but I think I’d have liked to see their friendship built up a bit more before it was knocked down. That said the Monstructor stuff was ace, and raised my opinion of the character exponentially since I read it. I’d say 8/10, mostly because of the art and Monstructor. Anyway, 10/10 video, exceptional analysis as always!

[@Moonbase3]

Thanks, dude! Always appreciate seeing your comments on the channel. And you raise some good points about Spotlight: Optimus. I think you're right about the friendship between OP and Omega...it would have been nice to get more there. As for Optimus' depiction...well, I'm planning on talking a bit more about Furman's iteration of Prime in the Devastation video, and that will probably include touching on his appearances up to that point, so this Spotlight may come up again in the future... ;) The Kup Spotlight really is something special, for sure. It's been great reading comments from people regarding their experiences with that story - it's cool to see that it had such an impact! It's absolutely instrumental in launching Roche's stellar output for IDW and deserves all the love it gets! Speaking of, glad to see Galvatron getting some love! I think I was a little reticent at first about the separation between him and Megatron, too, but I got on board with the idea very quickly once I saw how Furman executed the idea. Happy belated holidays to you as well, and hope you have a Happy New Year!

[@robrice7246]

30:46 - 31:00 Do you know what Alex Milne & Josh Perez were thinking when doing this cover in terms of contextual relevance to this story or Galvatron's history in IDW 05 as a whole?

[@Moonbase3]

I can't speak to their thought process, but the only relevance I can think of is that Galvatron is an unstoppable, one-man army in this issue, and I think that vibe is reflected in the alternate cover. Because the specifics of the image are tied to G1 Galvatron, Megatron, or just a non-existent G1 Galvatron in some cases - Starscream makes sense as an opponent, but his Pretender shell!? And why is Sunstorm among Galvatron's foes? None of the stuff on this cover is related to the story or Galvatron's IDW history, really. I would speculate that Milne wanted to create an image with a lot of Easter eggs, regardless if they were relevant to the character or not. Maybe also something of a nod to Marvel UK #205, with the cover showing Galvatron standing on a mountain of corpses declaring "I beat them all!" ?

[@robrice7246]

32:11 - 32:17 What are your thoughts on Transformers: Mosaic (as there are a few stories that are set within IDW's 2005 continuity, some of which were printed in issues as backup strips)?

[@Moonbase3]

I like them - I think it's always cool seeing stuff like the Mosaic strips produced by fans or even professionals, and it's cool that it opened the door for some artists and writers to contribute to the franchise professionally. The strongest one set in the 05 continuity is, I think, the only canon one: Dead Man's Boots - due to how well it bridges the gap between Roche's Spotlight: Kup and Last Stand. Furman's story is interesting, and I honestly would have liked to have gotten more Mosaic stories from him, but maybe it's for the best if they would have all been rendered non-canon like the one that was produced. The one with Prime bumping Prowl out of high command was fairly decent as well. Really, I wish the series had gone on longer!

[@SheerAntAttack]

Been quite the hot minute since you're last video, glad for this new video, happy holidays and new year btw

[@Moonbase3]

Thank you! Happy holidays and new year!

[@karanseraph]

I've been watching both the IDW retrospective series and the Energon Universe videos and I do like the style and tone in which the review/analysis portions are given. It's just really clear when there's criticism that it's not hate or trash talking. It's clear when the takes are opinion and subjective, like others may differ or there's probably some real world reason for apparent continuity errors. There's so often praise woven in as well. It's good, like the kind of feedback I think a creator could appreciate.

[@Moonbase3]

Thank you! I appreciate the thoughtful comment...I'm grateful for such kind and encouraging words. Glad you're enjoying the videos - I'm having a lot of fun making them!

[@KirkWilliamsIsBroken]

Soundwave: + It seems weird to me that Soundwave would keep anything from Megatron + It's always good to see Bludgeon & his Thunderwing Cult + That weapon Iguanus used on Soundwave SHOULD have been a much bigger deal than it was. Think about it's implications if mass-produced by either side... Kup: + I absolutely love this Spotlight + I want a "Crystal Addicted" Kup toy with a severed arm weapon Hasbro! DO IT NOW! + Poor Outback...as an Aussie myself it was horrifying and somewhat disappointing to see his fate in this continuity + Has anyone else ever noticed that Prowl is basically the Autobots version of Shockwave in this continuity? + TRAILBREAKER! (Behold) Galvatron!: + I like this version of Sideswipe + THUNDERWING! Optimus Prime: + It's always great to see Omega Supreme...who by the way has the best name ever ~ So Nova was basically G1 Megatron in a Prime body? ~ Monstructor! ~ While "Theoretical Strategist" Jhiaxus is pretty cool...G2 Warlord Jhiaxus will always be better ~ Robot Kaiju Battle!

[@Moonbase3]

Great write-up! It is kinda weird that the mode-lock gun never shows up again. Maybe it was destroyed or confiscated as part of Prowl's outlawed weaponry cache? I never thought about Nova Prime that way before, but you're not wrong! And I agree with you about Jhiaxus - the IDW version is decent, but he was substantially cooler (and more of a threat) in the G2 comics.

[@JohnWilliams-wl9px]

Soundwave portrayal is based on how he was marvel comics. Which was based off his character bio as someone who would regularly blackmail others to get favors. A lot of the Decepticons were backstabbers in those comics, and wanted to rule. The cartoon for some reason didn’t used it and instead made him a loyalist. Likely to make Starscream standout more as being the unloyal solider who wanted to rule.

[@Moonbase3]

That's true, but cartoon Soundwave kinda showed his true colors when Starscream went to toss Megatron out of Astrotrain in the 86 movie. It is funny that both he and Shockwave were much more loyal to Megatron in the cartoon than they were in the comics, though.

[@KirkWilliamsIsBroken]

@@JohnWilliams-wl9px See I read the original 80 issue Marvel run & I don't remember Soundwave doing much of anything. Granted I read those comics a few years ago now. I do remember Shockwave being a "Logical Beast" Ratbat being a "Fuel Auditor" Grimlock becoming a "Crown Wearing Tyrant" & Blaster nearly becoming Autobot Leader...but I don't remember anything Soundwave ever did.

[@KirkWilliamsIsBroken]

@@Moonbase3 But Starscream tossing Megatron out of Astrotrain had to happen...there were new toys they wanted to sell and old toys that were being discontinued.😆

[@robrice7246]

33:37 Well what about his other famous/infamous moment that Flint Dille would later reference in Issue 10 of IDW's Monstrosity (the first thing Galvatron did after being reformatted)?

[@Moonbase3]

Such a cool moment! "Here's a hint!" Definitely set up Galvatron as a force to be reckoned with.

[@Ethan-AndrewCupido]

Happy Holidays Ray🎉🎁, hope you're having a Merry Xmas 👋🏼

[@Moonbase3]

I appreciate that, good sir! Happy holidays to you as well - and have a happy new year!

[@robrice7246]

32:30 Although I would like to know what his other cassette minions were doing at this point in time and throughout Furman's run (aside from Squawkbox's appearance in Spotlight: Sixshot)?

[@Moonbase3]

An excellent question! One that I'm surprised John Barber didn't explain somewhere...

[@allzpark]

bro rip leadfoot

[@MartymarMcFly]

You don’t need an introduction.

[@tylermorgan5230]

Armmada was my first and second was transformers

[@tomhibbert6486]

Any more idw content?

[@Moonbase3]

More on the way! I've been working on the next video, but it still needs more time. Hope to have an update soon. Sorry for the wait!