IDW Publishing – Transformers: Beast Wars #15

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Hello and welcome to The Pull Bag. This is episode

486. That's right, folks, 486. 86 is a Transformers

number and we are here to talk about Transformers

Beast Wars issue number 15 from IDW Publishing.

I am, of course, TF2 and Mike. Joining me is

Steve Megatron. Yo. Yo. And we're gonna get to

the comic right after this. We've waited a long

time for this. Yes. Let us be close enough to

enjoy it. Steve Megatron, are you ready? Ready

for what? Ready to get your ass kicked by the

Valk. No. I can't get him to... some voice actors,

man, you just can't direct them. Anyway, we are

here to talk about IDW Publishing Transformers

Beast Wars issue 15. The main cover is Megatron

with all of the Valk around him. Megatron and

Primal with all of the Valk around them. As you

know, written by Eric Burnham, art by Winston

Chan on this, with colors by Ellie Wright, letters

done by Nathan Widwick, and Jake Wood. So Jake,

it's interesting. Jake dropped his M, his middle

initial. It used to be Jake M. Wood. Assistant

editor is Riley Farmer, editor is Jasmine Joiner,

supervising editor David Marriott. We get the

story so far, catching us up from issue 14. We

get the roll call featuring Optimus Primal, Megatron,

Saberback. Saberback. What is that? Razor, not

Razor Claw. Polar Claw. There you go. Tigatron,

Air Razor, and Inferno, who are all the children

of the Valk. And then you have... Which I find

that very funny. Mm -hmm. And then you have Tonrar.

Tikar and Pekak as the Valk people. And yeah,

we start this off with Optimus Primal wondering

where they are and he and Megatron are trapped

in some really powerful stasis electro fields.

I love on the Comixology app on on every smart

device out there like mobile phones and things

like that on the guided view it zooms in because

primal is kneeling and Megatron says well if

nothing else I got to see that and like the the

panel in the guided view is like super zoomed

in on his heels like he has like like his his

feet are actual heels I think that's that's hilarious

So Primal and Megatron are trying to figure out

where they are and how they can get out, and

they come up against the children of the Vok,

which, as you said, is interesting to see which

characters are children of the Vok. That's one

way to introduce them, a new and different way

to introduce them. So there's that. I do like

how Megatron's basically talking to his dinosaur

head in the cell. I also like the fact that we're,

and I like Josh Bircham's art. No, this is Winston

Chan. I do. Yeah, I like his art, but I'm saying

I also like this. Yeah. Because I get Megatron

in a different look. Yeah, Josh draws Megatron

more show accurate kind of. He's but yes well

josh's is more the block you look and what which

i have no issue with i think it's kind of cool

i would if there was a figure of it i would do

that too but. I know that people have three printed

it but besides that i am liking this. This look

yeah it's just more realistic yeah. It's kind

of like going from and When I say this, it's

not an insult Okay, it's kind of like going from

Batman forever. It's too well, it's apples orange

rights, but I'm saying like it's kind of like

going from Val Kilmer in Batman forever to Christian

Bale in Batman begins where like you said, this

is more a realistic look of of Megatron than

an actual cartoony look of what he would look

like when Josh is doing it. I will say the backgrounds

are pretty simplistic. Yeah, I was listening

to the transmissions and Charles and Daryl and

Dr. Pants and everybody. And that's the thing

about this comic. It's character driven. It's

been character driven since the first issue.

Although, I will say it's easier to cut the background

out because the background is one color. Yeah,

and that's what I like about it. I like that

the backgrounds are so simple and they are just

either one or two colors or just a solid color.

We still haven't figured out, they have not stated

if this is earth or not. I don't think it's earth.

Because I think if they really wanted to get

the Beast Wars fans in at some point, they would

have had Optimus and Dinobot figure out, oh,

or Optimus, Dinobot, and Waspman, one moon now.

Like, you know, they would have done something.

I cannot wait to see if they state if it is earth

I don't think they actually ever do because I

have read to the end of the series and I don't

think it's ever said but the basic like one color

like I'm looking at the panel where where primal

gets out of the the force field here and Megatron

says impossible it's just a like pinkish purplish

color And then Megatron is his purple and Optimus

is his blue, at least for this part of that first

panel there on that page. This is page 13 out

of 32. And I don't mind that this is a character

driven comic. I don't mind that the backgrounds

are simple. Like I said already, I know I'm repeating

myself. I like that because it makes you focus

more on what's going on, whether it's action

or whether it's them having a discussion. calm

of the grumps and You know a razor and in all

of them are like, you know, we're more of the

of the planet not of of you and Megatron arguing

with them and I think it's funny that inferno

throws in Queen's Well, he has to because he's

a child of the Valk at this point. He's not Megatron's

lackey, which Megatron basically just takes him

up and like demolishes him. Poor Inferno. He

just can never catch a break. And the Valk finally

reveal their true selves to Megatron and Primal.

Primal. And, yeah. They have to figure out how

to defeat the Valk. And the last panel is...

Megatron says... Very last panel, bottom of the

page. Of which page? Very last page. Of the comic?

Megatron says... I'm getting there. Because I

was skimming other parts of it. Is it the part

where he says we're doomed? We're doomed. There

is no chance for us. You surprised me, Megatron.

I figured if anyone would be up for a fight against

a powerful enemy of pure spite, it would be you.

Besides, there's always a chance, and we're going

to make this one count. Next, it's almost the

end. Yeah. Despite Megatron's irritation and

being scanned. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And the

Vok are learning from Optimus and Megatron because,

you know, there's this whole page here where

Megatron murders a couple of bots and the Vok

are like, don't you want him to be killed because

he just, you know, and Optimus goes on and says,

you know, They were attacking us so they got

killed. He's, you know, we're not going to straight

up murder somebody. You know, he's going to have

his day in court kind of thing. I like that.

I like that they're, that they're teaching the

Vox something. It's kind of like, uh, any of

those, uh, versions of it's a wonderful life.

And I know this is so stupid to compare this

to that, but The one I can think of is the episode

of Beverly Hills 90210 when it's the man and

the woman star people angel thing, but they're

shown as stars in the sky and they're arguing

back and forth, back and forth. And then they

see what Jason Brandon and Brenda and all of

them do to, to come together to fix an issue

or something. It's the same thing here where

the Vodka are like, why would you do that? Why

would you. And it's because it's the right thing

to do. One of the things I absolutely love, and

we always absolutely love the alternate covers,

but the cover art for this on the pull bag will

be Megatron, close up on his face. This is done

by James Marsh with him holding an Optimus Primal

plushie, basically crushing it in his fist. I

love that. I do like that one. So awesome. So

very awesome. Is there anything you didn't say

about issue 15? Is there anything else you want

to say about it? I really like the art and the

hair on Tigatron and Airazor. I like the fact

that Primal figures out how to get out by watching

them. Yeah, that was cool. Because he transforms

into beast mode, touches it, and he's like, and

then Megatron's like, impossible. And then they

both escape. And, you know, the Valk are kind

of watching and waiting as they put them through

the paces. And I think it's funny how Megatron

takes them all out, but Primal's doing it, like,

smacking them. Yes. Like, very calmly. But Megatron,

when he's in beast mode and he takes out Polar

Claw. Yeah. And Polar Claw's like, oh, this is

less fair a fight off the ground. Release me

and fight more honorably. And Megatron's like,

no. And Inferno's like, you killed him. That

should be obvious. Yes. Ashenwood comes next.

And then gets into the fight. I think it's funny

how Primal and Megatron have to work together

to take them out, and then he finds them both

cloaked, Saberback and Inferno, and how he basically

wipes them out. It doesn't show him kill Inferno,

though. Yeah, no, it doesn't show him kill Inferno.

Which leads me to believe that the Valk will

release Tigatron and Airazor for the Maximals

and Inferno for the Predacons. But again, I haven't

read the final issue so I have no idea I have

read through the end and oh man, I Feel so So

so we're gonna get to it faster than you think

folks here inside the pull bag and on all things

transformers even though The next two episodes

of all things transformers. We have the guy from

is it How many people is it from Toy Robot? Two.

We got the people from Toy Robot next on All

Things Transformers. And then I've got Mike from

Transmissions for an Origins. After that, we

will get to the Beast Wars Annual and then issues

16 and 17 for the finale. So it's going to be

coming up this summer. Well, we're already in

the middle of summer. It's after June 21st, but

it'll be sooner than you think. God I I Wish

this was I wish IDW was not losing the license

because I Just feel like they just started Like

they didn't get Seventeen issues is not enough

like we've enjoyed if we had little nitpicks

about this series. Yes. Sure, but overall we've

enjoyed the hell out of this because it's a completely

different way to show us the Beast Wars characters,

and they're doing different things with them,

and it's interesting, and it's fun, and damn

it, I'm going to miss it. What would you rate

issue 15, zero to five? I'll probably give it

a five. I really enjoyed the banter between the

two leaders and the fact that they took out the

VOC, and you get to see a brand new plethora

of... You know, auto or maximal Predacon variants.

Yeah, absolutely. I am also going to give it

a five. There wasn't anything in here that I

didn't really super enjoy. And like you said,

it's all about the character and how Primal and

Megatron eventually decide to team up. At least

for now, kind of thing. So so much fun. Alright

folks, that's gonna do it for us here inside

the pull bag and also on All Things Transformers.

For the pull bag, you've just heard the comic

review, but over on All Things Transformers,

everyone heard our news catch -up coverage. Where

can the people find you online, sir? Well, they

can find me on the Twitter's at scp21 you can

also follow at geek cast radio for all the other

network updates at the pull bag for our Updates

here on this podcast at all. Thanks tfv3 for

that show. I am at TFG one Mike make your great

escape into comics and Join the Transformers

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Excellent, yes.