Cover for Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 2nd printing + Springer quote poster

Woot woot Last Stand of the Wreckers gets a second printing! Inevitable though...

Posted by Fanbot at 8:13 pm, TUESDAY 2 February

IDW Transformers solicits for Feb. 2010

The start of another month marks the time when BSC reminds you Transfans out there of what to expect for the coming month. Here's what IDW has to offer this February:


THE TRANSFORMERS #4

Written by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

His ambivalence cost him his allegiance. His betrayal set the stage for Autobot victory. His name is Thundercracker, and this issue reveals what he's been doing these past three years after his brutal expulsion from the Deceptiocons in All Hail Megatron! Costa and Figueroa show you perhaps the most unique transformation of all...

32 pages, USD$3.99.


TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #2

Written by NICK ROCHE and JAMES ROBERTS
Art by NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

The Autobots' finest begin their descent into hell, and all bets are off. The true nature of the Wreckers' mission is revealed and the reappearance of an old enemy drastically reduces the chances of anyone making it back alive.

32 pages, USD$3.99.


TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #3

Written by ZANDER CANNON
Art by CHEE YANG ONG
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

"Things Fall Apart," Part 3: After leaving a decoy for the Skywatch colonel, Bumblebee embarks on a solo quest to find the device that will free the Autobots. He befriends the child of the one man who holds the device they need, and finally has to ask himself if what he's doing is right.

32 pages, USD$3.99.


Fanbot highly recommends  Nick Roche's Last Stand of the Wreckers #2, as the art and story surpass anything else (including Mike Costa and Don Figueroa's ongoing) IDW has to offer. Expect to see these comics reviewed here at Big Small Comix very soon, so stay tuned!

Posted by Fanbot at 10:53 pm, MONDAY 1 February

Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 review

Sorry for the lateness on this one; been on holiday. But finally, here's the deal on Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers #1...

SYNOPSIS: Garrus-9 penitentiary, 3 years ago. The prison is being overrun by the Decepticons. Kick-Off smells an inside job, while Fortress Maximus handles the situation efficiently. Meanwhile, Skyquake and some other Cons witness Overlord’s arrival. Overlord tries to take control of the situation but Skyquake’s having none of it. Overlord blasts Skyquake in the back and proceeds to lead the Cons to victory, proclaiming he’ll liberate and entertain the Cons on Garrus-9. Fort Max is thrown to the Con hordes. Time jump to eight months ago. New Wreckers Pyro, Ironfist, Guzzle and Rotorstorm are scolded by a superior for blowing up a fuel depot. They’re picked up by Ultra Magnus’ ship, and greeted by none other than Verity Carlo of Earth. They’re dubious as to her being a Wrecker, but Springer walks in (with Twin Twist, Kup, Perceptor and Topspin) and informs them that none of them are, yet. The situation on Garrus-9 is explained; it’s been overrun by the Cons, but any attempt by other Cons to get in has been blown out of orbit. The new Wreckers are there to investigate. Springer explains to the new guys the dangers of Wreckership. Back on Garrus-9, Overlord and some Cons chase an Autobot for sport.

A purple Con subdues the Autobot, but his cockiness catches him off guard and the Autobot leaps at his throat. Overlord kills the Autobot and then the purple Con, explaining to the others that he was careless and so wasting Overlord’s time. Elsewhere, on Magnus’ ship, Ironfist feels hyperspace-sick. It’s revealed he was a journalist who wrote extensive datalogs on the Wreckers, under the alias Fisitron. Wreckers old and new talk, while Springer notices Ironfist may be hiding something. He seems burdened by the danger of Wreckership. Kup remarks that Springer can’t stop thinking about Impactor. Springer replies that it’s hard but not impossible. Time jump to one month ago. Con Borehole and now-crazy Autobot Kick-Off are in a pit fight. Kick-Off brutally beats and rips Borehole’s head off. Overlord is pleased and invites Kick-Off into his quarters for a reward. Back on Magnus’ ship, the Wreckers go to a Con ship that sent a distress signal, where is promptly blows up. But a shadowy figure approaches the ship, riding on the explosion. Everyone’s stunned to see that it is…

…IMPACTOR.

THE ART: Four words can sum up this issue perfectly well; NICK. ROCHE. JOSH. BURCHAM. A creative team made in Transfandom nirvana. Take a look at the interior images on this review and see for yourself the amazing job Roche does on this issue. Elegantly drawn bots, Kirby-esque smoke and explosions and simple backgrounds culminate into one beauty of a comic. The only downside to his artwork is the thick, clunky lines of assistant inker John Wycough; his inks detract from the art and look extremely unprofessional. But the gold medal definitely goes to colorist Josh Burcham. As you can see from the pages around, his coloring has no equal. The warm, vibrant palette enhances and complements the artwork perfectly, expertly rendering everything from the bloody-red sunset of Garrus-9 to the lurid magenta body fluid and explosions that splash across the pages. He also does a crafty subtle difference in coloring style between Garrus-9 and the rest of the scenes. Whereas the scenes with the Wreckers are clean and smooth, Garrus-9 has a gritty, pastel-like texture to the colors that emphasizes the chaotic, dirty mood on the prison planet.

THE STORY: Where do I start with this one? The plot is not what would have been expected from one such as Roche (and James Roberts). Interestingly, most of the issue consists of exposition - outlining what has happened on Garrus-9 in the past 3 years, introducing new characters and old, and only in the last few pages or so does the bombshell of Wrecker leader Impactor's appearance come. And what a bombshell that was. I'm sure that in Roche and Robert's interview at One Shall Stand.com, they said Impactor wouldn't be making an appearance. But this is a good thing! Roche fills out the story with a stellar cast of obscure characters from the UK and Europe - Pyro, Ironfist, Guzzle, Rotorstorm - as well as wild cards like Overlord from Masterforce and Kick-Off from the Action Masters toyline. This shows that Roche/Roberts can deliver quality characters without resorting to mainstream bots like Prime and Bumblebee. The story has good pace and the time jumps are smooth and not at all jarring. And no-one can write dialogue like Roche. The  quirky, idiosyncratic way the bots (and Verity - interesting choice to bring her back as a Wrecker) talk with each other; Pyro's calm and desire to sort out problems, Verity's brash cheeriness, Twin Twist and Topspin's ribbing each other. And Overlord's breaking away from the rest of the Decepticons is very interesting and will no doubt affect the rest of the series. Woo! So much coolness! Roche, Roberts, you rock! The results:

TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #1
Written by NICK ROCHE and JAMES ROBERTS
Script by NICK ROCHE
Art by NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

ART RATING: 8.5 out of 10
STORY RATING: 10 out of 10
OVERALL RATING: 9.5 out of 10

FAVE QUOTE: Pyro: "We'll be seeing you, sir."

Dipstick: "Hah! You think so? You're joining the Wreckers... what makes you think you're coming back?"[Pyro doesn't know what being a Wrecker means yet. Poor guy.]

VERDICT: Beautiful. Wonderful. An exquisitely executed issue on every front imaginable. I couldn't be more happier (well, OK. Roche could have inked the whole issue.). If you haven't yet got this issue then get off your computer and get it! Go now!

Posted by Fanbot at 12:39 pm, SATURDAY 30 January

Last Stand of the Wreckers banners

The trouser-shatteringly awesome TF artist Nick Roche has updated his blog with some banners of the hit series Last Stand of the Wreckers, done by some of his colleagues. Not really that important but they look cool so I thought I'd post them anyway.

BELOW: by Rycochet.
BELOW THAT: by Shaun Knowler.

ABOVE: by Kris Carter. Spot the trouser-shattering joke.

ABOVE THAT: by Matthew C. Adams.

Hope you enjoyed that. I know I'm stalling, yes. My review of Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 will be up very, very soon. See you then!

Posted by Fanbot at 11:57 am, SATURDAY 30 January

EXTRA! Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 images

Before I give you my review of Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers #1, I thought you'd like some images from the comic. Be warned, there are spoilers, so don't scroll down if you haven't got it yet. The spoiler-ey ones are at the bottom for your convenience.

ABOVE: Overlord and the 'Cons have some fun with an Autobot. Wingblazer thinks he's very cool (even though he ain't doing anything!).

ABOVE: Ironfist makes gestures with his enormous Roche-hands.

ABOVE: Kick-Off goes crazy on a Decepticon while Overlord gloats like a typical villain.

ABOVE: Springer explains the situation to new Wreckers (clockwise from left) Ironfist, Pyro, Rotorstorm, Guzzle and Verity.

ABOVE: Only geeks read Last Stand of the Wreckers for the robots.


Hope you enjoyed those images. Nick Roche and Josh Burcham are a creative team made in heaven. The review will be posted as soon as I'm finished. Go now!

Posted by Fanbot at 10:17 pm, FRIDAY 29 January

Transformers: Last Stand of the Weckers preview

It came! It finally came! The Stormbringer-esque miniseries by demi-gods Nick Roche and Josh Burcham! We find out what happened to the Transformers death row on Garrus-9 in the three years between AHM #12 and ongoing #1. Here you go!

TRANSFORMERS:LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #1 (IDW)
Written by NICK ROCHE
Art by NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

The AUTOBOT special ops crew, THE WRECKERS, are sent to investigate Garrus-9, a prison that fell to the DECEPTICONS three years ago with no communication in or out since. Who’s really behind the prison siege, and what dark secret awaits SPRINGER there? Writer/artist Nick Roche (Maximum Dinobots) does all the dirty work.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

Posted by Fanbot at 4:18 pm, TUESDAY 26 January

IDW Transformers solicits for Jan 2010

Sorry these are a bit late, but I reckoned that these might be wanted anyway. Enjoy.


THE TRANSFORMERS #3

Written by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

HOT ROD’s desire to get off-planet leads to some desperate measures, OPTIMUS PRIME and Spike sit down for an unpleasant conversation, and a new arrival to the AUTOBOT camp comes at their most vulnerable time possible. Costa and Figueroa continue to make history, bringing the AUTOBOTS to their (almost) darkest hour.

32 pages, USD$3.99.


TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #2

Written by ZANDER CANNON
Art by CHEE YANG ONG
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

“Things Fall Apart,” Part 2: BUMBLEBEE’s human-allied Skywatch team tracks down their latest target: the AUTOBOT BLURR. With this forced betrayal, the team’s morale takes a deep plunge until BUMBLEBEE and WHEELJACK devise a dangerous mission to free them all from the kill-switches that compel them to obey Col. Horiuchi’s commands.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #1

Written by NICK ROCHE
Art by  NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

The AUTOBOT special ops crew, THE WRECKERS, are sent to investigate Garrus-9, a prison that fell to the DECEPTICONS three years ago with no communication in or out since. Who’s really behind the prison siege, and what dark secret awaits SPRINGER there? Writer/artist Nick Roche (Maximum Dinobots) does all the dirty work.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: TALES OF THE FALLEN: ARCEE

Written by CHRIS MOWRY
Art by ALEX MILNE
Colors by JOSH PEREZ
Covers by Milne

Setting out in search of OPTIMUS PRIME and the AUTOBOTS, ARCEE is captured by the vicious THUNDERCRACKER. And what better punishment for this AUTOBOT warrior than being the catalyst for a new squad of DECEPTICONS? ARCEE must learn that a good leader conquers all, especially in war.

32 pages, USD$3.99.

Posted by Fanbot at 12:15 am, SATURDAY 16 January

Final cover for Last Stand of the Wreckers #1

It's finally here! The final, trouser-shatteringly awesome final for IDW's Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers #1. Here it is, in all its glory:

Posted by Fanbot at 12:21 pm, SATURDAY 2 January

IDW Transformers solicits for Mar. 2010

Comics Continuum has been updated with IDW's solicits for March 2010. And it looks like next year is shaping up to be a great year for the Transformers! The appearance of the Stunticons, Bumblebee saving a girl and the fate of Fortress Maximus and Garrus-9! Here:


THE TRANSFORMERS #5

Story by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

Optimus Prime and Spike Witwicky have a chat that could define the future of AUTOBOT and human relations! But lest you think it's all talky-talk, back at Rodimus' camp something big happens, something very big. A game-changing event in IDW's TRANSFORMERS, with a Don Figueroa double-page spread that has to be seen to be believed!


TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #4

Story by ZANDER CANNON

Art by CHEE YANG ONG

Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN

Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

When Bumblebee has a change of heart and goes back to help a little girl whom he had used to discover her father's secrets, he finds himself pursued by the terrifying and unstoppable Skywarp! Bumblebee's big adventure as leader of the Autobots comes to an explosive and thrilling conclusion!


TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #3

Story by NICK ROCHE & JAMES ROBERTS
Art by NICK ROCHE
Colors by JOSH BURCHAM
Covers by Roche, TREVOR HUTCHISON

Trapped inside a maximum-security prison, surrounded by Decepticons, and outgunned at every turn, it's time for the newest Wreckers to earn their stripes. But as the horrors of Garrus-9 are laid bare and the fate of Fortress Maximus is revealed, Springer realizes his team has bitten off more than it can chew.


TRANSFORMERS: NEFARIOUS #1

Story by SIMON FURMAN
Art by CARLOS MAGNO
Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN
Covers by Magno, BRIAN ROOD

The sequel to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen starts here! What is The Initiative? More to the point, why doesn't the all-seeing Soundwave know anything about it? How did they come to reanimate/control Ravage? Soundwave must find the answers, and he'll destroy anything in his path to get them!

Posted by Fanbot at 3:42 pm, TUESDAY 22 December

Last Stand of the Wreckers interview w. James Roberts & Nick Roche at OSH

The Transformers UK site One Shall Stand.com has been sent a beautiful gift from the publisher heavens; AN INTERVIEW WITH NICK ROCHE AND JAMES ROBERTS, CREATORS OF LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS!! This is just too awesome. Their interview delves deeply into the minds of the creators and hints at a significant body count. Here's the full interview (contains teasers but no spoilers) at this URL:

www.oneshallstand.com/articles/wreckers.html

There, go and chew on that my Transfans!  And, just because I'm generous, I've pasted below James Roberts' teaser on Last Stand of the Wreckers' plot:

OneShallStand: What can you tell us about the story[...]?

JR: Apart from the fact that it'll be one of those Transformers stories that defines the new century? Apart from confirming that it contains enough gloves-off, teeth-bared, spine-shattering robot violence to give even hardened TF fans palpitations? Apart from the hitherto unplumbed dramatic depths it, er, plumbs?
'Last Stand...' is firmly in the here-and-now, but it takes place far away form Earth and the mainstream TF storyline; and while it's absolutely rooted in the wider TF Universe, its remote, largely self-contained setting gives us a chance to do some unexpected things and hopefully pull the rug out from readers' feet now and then. Which is always good.

I think the story strikes a delicate balance between action and characterization, between widescreen set pieces and those intimate moments that maybe you don't get too often in the TF Universe. The prelude to the mission itself and certain 'catch-your-breath' sequences on G-9 lend themselves to quieter, dialogue-driven moments, and that gives us the opportunity to explore what it means to be a Wrecker. What sets them apart from their fellow Autobots? Why would somebody want to be join a glorified suicide squad? What happens once you've spent hundreds of years carrying out the kind of missions no-one else wants to touch? What does that do to you as a soldier - as a person?

We also had a chance to expand the Wrecker mythos - we've delved into their history a bit and gave them some sturdier roots. A proper backstory, with new characters and nemeses!

What I will say is that we've tried to push this story out in all directions. It's not just a then b then c then d; it's not a simple succession of events. There is mystery and intrigue and sustained delay. There are verbal asides and background details that become more significant as the series moves forward. I love it when seemingly innocuous comments or everyday events take on a new significance when considered in retrospect, and that's why we've aimed for in 'Last Stand...'. And besides, where's the fun in having everything laid out for you on a plate? Readers like to join the dots themselves. Guessing is good, and sometimes you can answer a question with another question - provided there's a pay-off at the end. And believe me, there's a hell of a pay off in issue 5.

You've gotta admit, that is pretty damn awesome. I just can't wait for this comic to start in January 2010. The rest of the interview basically says that James and Nick love working with each other and are a perfect team, that they're looking into what makes the Wreckers the Wreckers, they wanted to include Impactor (one-time Wreckers leader), and that the deaths will be significant to readers and have deep meaning. Looks to be a promising successor to Stormbringer. Here's that page by Roche and Burcham again:

Aaaand ... with that, Fanbot bids you farewell once more. See you soon!

Posted by Fanbot at 8:13 pm, THURSDAY 3 December

IDW Transformers solicits for Feb. 2010

A couple weeks back Transfans were provided with covers for Last Stand of the Wreckers #2 and Transformers #4. Now IDW has gone the whole cyber-hog and provided the full Transformers solicits for February 2010 -- that's slaggin' ages away, but you don't hear Fanbot complaining. Here's the full TF scoop for Feb:

THE TRANSFORMERS #4
Story by MIKE COSTA
Art by DON FIGUEROA
Colors by JAMES BROWN
Covers by Figueroa, ANDREW WILDMAN

His ambivalence cost him his allegiance. His unexpected betrayal set the stage for Autobot victory. His name is Thundercracker, and this issue reveals what he's been doing these past three years after his brutal expulsion from the Decepticons in All Hail Megatron! Costa and Figueroa show you perhaps the most unique transformation of all...

32 pages, $3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #3

Story by ZANDER CANNON

Art by CHEE YANG ONG

Colors by MOOSE BAUMANN

Covers by Chee, GUIDO GUIDI

"Things Fall Apart," Part 3: After leaving a decoy for the Skywatch colonel, Bumblebee embarks on a solo quest to find the device that will free the Autobots. He befriends the child of the one man who holds the device they need, and finally has to ask himself if what he's doing is right.

32 pages, $3.99.

TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #2

Story by NICK ROCHE & JAMES ROBERTS

Art by NICK ROCHE

Colors by JOSH BURCHAM

Covers by Roche, TREV HUTCHISON

The Autobots' finest begin their descent into hell, and all bets are off. The true nature of the Wreckers' mission is revealed and the reappearance of an old enemy drastically reduces the chances of anyone making it back alive.

32 pages, $3.99.

OK, that's it for another month, Watch this space for all the newest info on everything Transformers and comics, and if you missed out on your copy of Transformers #1, be sure to get the second printing, out on December 2nd.

Posted by Fanbot at 7:01 pm, WEDNESDAY 25 November

TF covers for February 2010

AWWWWESOME!!! Jubilation! In another spur of advance grace, IDW has gifted to the Transfans Andrew Wildman's variant cover for Transformers #4 and Trev Hutchison's variant cover for Last Stand of the Wreckers #2! BTW Thundercracker's appearance on this means that he survived getting blasted by Skywarp back in AHM #12. Also, Trev Hutchison pwns all with his cover! So cool that words are not worthy to describe it. Only grunts of surprise; "Guh..." and such.

Oh, and to refresh your memory, the covers for Transformers #3 and Last Stand of the Wreckers are viewable here and here respectively. See you next time!

Posted by Fanbot at 4:19 pm, WEDNESDAY 18 October

Last Stand of the Wreckers update! Final press release from IDW

Finally! IDW gives us their final, detailed press release for their extremely promising five issue mini, Last Stand of the Wreckers by Nick Roche, Nick Roche and Josh Burcham. Here's what IDW has to say on Last Stand (edited slightly for space:

Fan-favorite writer and artist Nick Roche helms this five-issue series, which spins out of IDW's new ongoing Transformers series. This story line gives fans a taste of what's been happening off of Earth as the Wreckers investigate a prison planet that fell to the evil Decepticons three years ago. "Transformers fans craving that outer-space action need look no further," said IDW editor Andy Schmidt. "Wreckers is straight science fiction and action-robots in space with the highest of stakes! But don't look for all cheery fun and games here. It's not called 'Last Stand' for nothing!"
Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers plots a course to a prison planet conquered by the Decepticons during the war on Earth. With no communication in three years, the Wreckers face an unknown foe, who just might tear Springer, Kup, and their cadre of Autobot heroes apart. Roche and All Hail Megatron's Trevor Hutchison will provide covers.
Wreckers rounds out IDW's new trifecta of Transformers comics, which starts with the new Transformers ongoing series on November 18th and includes Transformers: Bumblebee, coming in December. "While Transformers the ongoing series and Bumblebee are both firmly rooted on terra firma, Wreckers gives fans a good indication of the impact the end of the Autobot vs Decepticon war is having on the rest of the Transformers universe," added Schmidt. "There is something great for every Transformers fan right now in the IDW line-up of Transformers comics."

Now does that sound pretty cool or what? Lots of hardcore Transformer action, and zero organics! This is Stormbringer all over again - pure TF action by an extremely talented artist? Nothing to dislike, really. Last Stand of the Wreckers comes out in stores January 2010. Don't miss it. Oh, and here's that fully colored page from issue 1 I showed you guys a couple months back:

Posted by Fanbot at 7:58 am, THURSDAY 12 November

Last Stand of the Wreckers update! Colored page of issue 1

Hi, just saw this posted on Josh Burcham's deviantart page (dcjosh.deviantart.com), where apparently he is just finishing the colors for issue 1 of Last Stand of the Wreckers, due out in January 2010. Anyway, it looks absolutely awesome doncha think? The big guy is Masterforce fave Overlord and the center figure in panel 2 is Banzaitron I think. Keep watching this space for more info on this series as it happens.

Posted by Fanbot at 5:25 pm, TUESDAY 27 October

Trev Hutchison has Last Stand of the Wreckers "covered"

As we all know, Trev Hutchison did variant covers for the highly controversial Transformers series All Hail Megatron. By Primus, his propaganda styling was just slagging AWESOME. I'm hitting myself repeatedly for not getting AHM in his covers. No it seems he's jumped back on the TF bandwagon with the all-Nick Roche miniseries Last Stand of the Wreckers. Boy, I love this one. Perhaps not as symbolic as some of his previous covers, but amazingly done nonetheless. A bit of a militaristic color scheme seems to be present (this links into the Wreckers' purpose and status among the Autobots)). Can't wait for this one to come out in January 2010. Don't miss it! And also, here's some cropped interior images from the first issue:

Enjoy! Go to Trev's deviantart page to keep updated on this at trevhutch.deviantart.com. See ya!!

Posted by Fanbot at 6:34 pm, TUESDAY 15 September