Optimus Prime Volume 5 Review

Hi, this is John Barber from IDW Publishing.

You are listening to The Pull Bag. You've just

jumped inside The Pull Bag. Join TFG1 Mike and

the rest of the comic reading crew here at the

GCRN as they make their great escape into comics.

From DC, Marvel, IDW, Boom Studios, Xenoscope

and more, we have everything you want to read

right here. Transformers comics? Yeah, we cover

that. He -Man? Yeah, sure. DC superheroes like

Batman, Batgirl, Nightwing, and Batman Beyond?

Yup, we have those too. How about TMNT from IDW

and I Hate Fair Land from Image Comics? Yeah,

we have all that here. Plus, so much more. It's

all inside the pull bag here on the Geekcast

Radio Network. So without any further ado, it's

time to talk about the comics we are reading

right now here inside the pull bag. Hello and

welcome to The Pullback. This is episode 370

.5. That's right, another .5 episode. And we

are going to be ending the IDW Transformers universe

for good, at least for now. I'm of course TFU

and Mike. Joining me is Ryan the sad, uneven

-flomerically - Hello, sir. Boo. Hey, it's not

my fault they ended their own universe, but at

least it has an end. Yeah, it's nice You know

most serious talked about a few times most series

don't get the chance to end on their own terms

Be a television comics, whatever it's nice that

they ended it they ended it when it was still

going strong as well it wasn't as though to a

finish line and You know for anyone if by some

miracle somebody's listening to this they haven't

read into any of these or Haven't gotten into

the Transformers series, you know at the very

least give kind of the phase three a shot That

essentially being last standard start with last

name of the records then go straight into more

than meets the eye volume one and Robots in disguise

volume one. Gee, it's been so long that Forgot

the name of that. Okay serious, but anyway Like

he said, start with Last Day of the Wreckers.

Death of Optimus Prime is how I... Death of Optimus

Prime is contained within More Than Meets the

Eye Volume 1. Oh, okay. So that's why I always

say start with that and RID. It's been so long

since I've actually looked at More Than Meets

the Eye Volume 1 that I didn't even remember

that. Optimus Prime volume 5 creative on this

John Barber on writing also Genevieve Frank right?

Yeah, yes Genevieve Frank also helps out on Issue

25 I believe Even though she's not listed here

like what whatever anyway Art by Sarah Peter

de Roche on 22 and 24. Priscilla Tremontano on

23 and annual. Andrew Griffith on 24 and annual.

And then Kay Zama does the art on issue 25. Colors

by Josh Bertram. Additional colors by John Paul

Bovay on the annual. And letters by Tommy Long

and Sean Lee both. Oh wow, cool. So turtles and

transformers at the same time. A series that

is done by David Mariette. And okay, so Optimus

Prime Volume 5 first cover starts out with Starscream.

Of course it does, because it's all about Starscream.

The trade is all about kind of getting everyone

into position for Unibron, so it should be duly

the denouement to Unibron. And really to the

series as a whole. So the last issue of this...

Chronologically is actually the second -class

issue of IDW universe 1 .0. Whatever you want

to call it. Yeah But the rest is We start off

before Unicron has hit everything But there and

then we go to when the Unicron is destroying

everything Yeah, so in the process of but really

the story here is getting things into place Seeing

what's happened to a lot of our earthbound transformers

be it slide in his little group of guys the Dinobots

jazz see yes, so don't kind of is Getting the

bands back together and getting them back into

the fold Yeah, I dig this I thought it was interesting

but it was fun It's been a while since I've seen

a really really good seeker like original seeker

story kind of thing and I love learning the history

of why They aren't the original see like they

aren't the three seekers anymore and how that

all you know played out Which is why it works

well in unicorn so we can't really talk about

this without talking about stuff that happens

in Unicron. But anyway, it's one of the reasons

why it works well when we finally see them together

for the first time since really early in the

IDW universe. And not to mention we get after

Starscream's sacrifice, actually really just

before, but we only find out they're alive later

on. Thundercracker trying to, he sacrifices the

mission to try to save Skywarp. And in the end,

he's successful and they're both okay. But for

a good chunk of it, we don't know that. But yes,

they're what's shown here builds into that and

makes it matter that much more. And that's kind

of the story of a lot of these be it's a slides.

I mentioned it's in the Unicron issue slides

redemption kind of arc from being a whiny douchebag

who He's not wrong i mean i'm trying but he's

gonna kill this partner. Which is understandable

that he's annoyed however. I didn't like his

character and it bugs me mostly because for a

significantly long amount of time we had somebody

who quite frankly has just as much. Reason to

be upset slash down on optimus for quite some

time In terms, uh, and i'm of course talking

about pyra magna And she saw the light during

the finale when with shockwave It's kind of revealed

that shockwave is equally responsible for all

the terrible things The primes have done and

for all the bad things optimus has done Slide

doesn't get there and doesn't get any sort of

redemption or that kind of thing and no unicorn

but here Yeah, I really liked the stuff that

happened at Mount Rushmore Yeah, and that's between

slide in his group in the dino box and I like

it because slide confronts Someone who is equally

disliking optimus prime and his orders and everything

else but unlike slide slag in the dinobots or

slug whatever anyway slug in the dinobots have

been consumed by the war and it's really all

they know. And yeah it kills one of them which

oops who had earlier killed mainframe the GI

Joe mainframe not the one on the lost light right.

and just send Soundwave into a frenzy as well.

Wow, that's a terrible pun when you realize one

of his cassettes is frenzy, but anyway. That's

no rumble, it's frenzy. Yeah, oops. Yeah, I love

all of the art in this. I love the way each of

these characters look. I guess every now and

then you have to take optimus's faceplate off.

So I think that's kind of cool Well, as he mentions

in Unicron all the masks are down and it's not

just It's metaphorical. Yeah, he doesn't have

it in that as well. Oh, he gives it to RC just

before his Sue is what he knows is gonna be a

suicide run Yeah, this might be the last time

we get to talk about it. So yes, the character

designs and this are amazing the character design

and From IDW in general are the only the only

thing that I think will be remembered More fondly

are the character arcs and the characterization

but number two and probably close second is gonna

be some of the care Through designs that have

already seeped into Not just the third parties

who have heavily leaned on them, but Hasbro itself

with a lot of the siege design and Some of the

new care, you know, we're getting a wrong character

figure for the first time ever as part of siege

Oh wrong as a character who came from the IDW

books So there's gonna be a lot of this stuff

not so much when you have flywheels for the first

time in forever since Think the original g1 figure

got a reissue and he got a or not a reissue but

a new figure in the siege line you got a figure

that It's because you know, he was featured as

part of the scavengers. So The designs and the

artwork have influenced transformers Probably

forever. So like I said, if this is the last

time I get to gush about how great the artwork

was And yeah keys almost stuff Wow. She's been

a revelation coming out of Transformers fan art

to be absolutely perfectly paired with Barber

for Optimus Prime. I absolutely love the way

she does Optimus. I love the way she does up

Shockwave, especially with all the colorists

that work on this. There's a background shot

of I think it's one of the planets. It's where,

it's right before we see Optimus's mask, his

mask, wow. God, I'm horrible. His faceplate come

off where he's doing his speech. You know, solitude,

serenity, freedom. This was the life of Orion

Pax. It's that whole part. And just... The way,

you know, Earth and Cybertron needed me. Just

the whole thing right there. Where that entire

page looks so good. It's just so much interesting

art and the way they end the story is just...

Well, yeah, you can't talk about this without...

So that last issue... I think I had said when

we did it, the issue that featured side swipes

death was one of the best issues of Transformers

up to that point. This might be the best issue

in the series individually. Yeah, I love it.

You mentioned the speech Optimus Prime slash

Orion Pax gives. It's. The speech in this to

win blades eulogy of prime is perfect the speeches

in this trade are amazing and some of the best

in all of transformers and Yeah, the final issue.

So the eulogy optimus remembering key key moments

from his life as a very young Orion backs It

is perfect it to You know sound waves kind of

eulogy, which was buzzsaw rescuing the elephant

elephants Was just perfect it just Everything

about it RC's finale teaching the younger generation

and Everyone I'm really trying to teach the younger

generation to be better than they were Just the

Everything clicked for me this symbolism the

story the dialogue the arts. Yeah so This is

another true That's gonna get a five out of five,

but even if the first four issues Yes, first

four issues area of it That were contained in

this we're not good I'd still be giving a five

just based on the finale. Oh, yeah, absolutely

It is Matt It's definitely well done and it is

a fitting I Don't know a perfectly Just a fitting

almost perfect ending to everything I was so

surprised that in the end this was kind of what

I Liked this finale a little bit better than

the lost light one. I think overall I prefer

the more than meets the eye LL run but Jeez,

did Barber stick the landing? Barber? John did

an amazing job here. He really did. Like you

said, like we've said before, the Lost Light

ending was our favorite, and it still is. But,

you know, you take a character that we've been,

not just the two of us, but the entire world.

Has been exposed to for 35 years In this story

you give him this thing and Again reading this

and guided view I I'm gonna say I highly suggest

if people want to basically cry like I am kind

of right now Reading guided view on comics ology

because that final panel of when optimists, you

know when the The eulogy is freedom and unity

have battled since the dawn of time, but they

are not opposites. Each part of the panel, he

fades. And then, you know, you know, we have,

but how do you know that's what he said? I mean,

you weren't there, RC. Nobody was. Yeah, you

couldn't hear what he said when he died. And

RC's exclamation before the end of the book is,

I heard what he said when he was alive. That's

what matters. This was great. And I haven't talked

a lot about this, but I legitimately feel bad

for everybody who is working on the volume 2

of IDW's universe so Brian Brockley and And all

because I also think they're very good and they're

very good at what they do But Jesus they're gonna

get compared to what Scott Roberts and Barbara

did to end this one and honestly each of the

three of them have The best runs I've ever read

in the history of Transformers comics and it's

not even close You know the only other one the

only other one that people mention a lot is the.

UK g1 run right but even the best of that be

a time war space pirates whatever. It's not even

close. And yeah anyone who's gonna follow this

up has their work cut out for them and it really

stinks cuz they've. We've also been tasked with

well, they're starting over a universe. Yeah,

and so you kind of got to start with the slow

part versus we just Saw everything, you know

ramps up to a thousand and ending. So yeah, they've

a really lousy Job ahead of them. I have yet

to to pick up the new universe. I Want to and

I will I think I've read maybe The first two

issues, um, they were okay. But again, like we

always say, it's much better red and trade than

it is in singles. Um, I want to pick it up. It's

also tough to start off to, you know, I've mentioned

this before that when your universe and world's

building, it's always a lot slow. Or, and I feel

like IDW might've done them at the service by

starting. So. Quickly after unicorn and everything

else it ended i would have you ideally given

it at least a year or so however of course having

said that i know it's not how money and business

and everything. So and it may not have been what

has wanted either and that's fine they all invested

interest in this and it all makes sense but.

Yeah just gonna think that. It got rebooted so

quickly after you look at movies, TV shows and

that kind of thing. And people will say, you

know, oh, this one just ended. They need to let

it wait. You know, and this is a comic series

and they did not. It started even sooner than

I'm trying to think. I think this is the quickest

I've seen anything kind of rebooted that just

ended. And this was something that didn't get

canceled. It wasn't something that just ended

abruptly. It was something that was allowed to

so maybe that makes a difference as well, but

Yeah, just It did not take much time I Mean because

they want to keep the license going like you

said it's all about Necessarily. Oh, yeah, it's

all about making the money or whatever keeping

it going because No, and ideally with Hasbro

as well, too. They have a toy line that's out.

Yeah So, you know, you want something to supplement

that. And they also have the trading card game

from Whizkit. Yeah. Oh, geez, not Whizkit. Anyway,

they have the trading card game that's done really,

really well for them. So that's other stuff,

not to mention they use the art potentially from

the comics as they have in the past. So there's

a lot of reasons for it. And like I said, it's.

Also might be a personal thing too. I'm sure

there's some people who were itching for more

transformers and don't mind it But personally,

yeah, I kind of wish they had one of a nice sir

or nice One of the nicer on the creators if they

had more time to breathe Yeah, cuz like you said

following up what just ended is That's gonna

be the toughest job in comics. I mean that's

like, you know ending 80 years of Batman restarting.

Optimus Prime Volume 5, yes, you're right. This

is absolutely a 5 out of 5. There is no if -ands

or buts about it. That last issue was near perfect

and kind of the perfect way to end the entire

universe off. And like I said before, for me,

even more so than Lost Light's finale. Yeah,

absolutely. Coming up inside the pull bag this

kicked off our September coverage We're gonna

take a break from Transformers. We're not gonna

just hey, here's the new universe Oh, you still

have plenty of them. I can keep you busy for

years No Yeah, kind of So we're gonna take a

break from Transformers for a little while Coming

up we've got hopefully Steve Megatron and I are

going to talk more Power Rangers stuff from Boom

Studios with Volume 6. I don't know, I'm not

sure if Ryan's joining JT and I on this, but

Batman Beyond Rebirth, the final joke, the fifth

volume in the DC Comics Rebirth Batman Beyond

series. And then Ryan and I will be doing Star

Trek versus Green Lantern volumes 1 and 2. from

IDW. So that's going to wrap up. It's going to

be the entirety of September and then Joe Reed

and I are going to come back with Superman Year

One Number Two in October. Steve, Ryan, and I

are going to do Star Trek Mirror Broken and then

Steve, Ryan, and I will do Star Trek versus Transformers

also from IDW. Superman Year One obviously from

DC. So that's what's going on between now and

now through the end of October. November is going

to be a little bit tricky. I don't know what's

going on there, but it might be a little tricky.

Anything else you want to say before we get the

heck out of here? No, same thing as before. Read

this series. I cannot recommend IDW, even if

you're not a Transformers fan, and I've dotten

people who aren't Transformers. and to read it

and really enjoy it. It's worth it no matter

what. Absolutely. Make your great escape into

comics and next time we will light our darkest

hour. And use the power of the Matrix to light

our darkest hour. You've just heard the latest

episode of The Pullback, the GCRN's first comic

review and discussion podcast. There are several

ways to get in touch with us and leave feedback

for the show. You can visit the website geekcastradio

.com where you can comment on the episode and

all of our different podcasts. You can rate and

leave a review for the show on iTunes. Be sure

to leave us feedback. Become a fan of us on Facebook,

facebook .com slash The Pullback. Send us an

email, feedback at geekcastradio .com, follow

us on twitter at ThePullBack and at GeekCastRadio.

So until next time, make your great escape into

comics and unleash the geek in you!