Wow, they didn't waste any time:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23587

Update: These are actually FROM NEAR THE END OF THE ISSUE. Read at your own risk!

Christ on a hugging pancake, those new designs actually get uglier and uglier. I mean, I wasn't FOND of them before, but I wasn't outrighting hating on them, and I don't think I've really posted my opinion on them before... but JESUS. Closeups are not these things' friends. I really don't think Bumblebee should look that *ferocious*. I realize that negativity can seem magnified on the internet and that artists have to develop a thick skin to move through blind ranting criticism to carry on with what they're doing (I hear EJ Su is quite sensitive), but by all appearances, given how shockingly unanimous the dislike for these designs is (seriously, we are talking "Shattered Expectations" levels of unanimous, here, as far as I can see), this is a time when Don should really, REALLY listen to what EVERYONE is saying.

I have to agree on the art; thought I really do like the Cover.

Also, This seems to be a twist people werent expecting.

Interest going... going... gone.

I'm sorry but Movie-Verse style transformations just don't work with blocky, G1 style robot modes.

Wuh-Oh. According to Josh at TFW, these are actually the *last 3 Pages*.

Updating to reflect that!

Shouldn't this be in the Comics Forum?

In any case, words cannot express how repulsed I am by Don's "style."

Nice to see all that time they spent establishing Ironhide and Primes friendship was pointless.

I'm torn on the art. I've actually gotten used to the bodies redesigns, and rather like them here, even if I do think they need to loose some of the detailing, but by gods those are disgustingly ugly faces. They just ruins the entire image, and only seem to have two expressions, angry and good old 'dull surprise', the fact that they all' seem identical, down to that awful beard they look to all have, really doesn't help either. I seriously wouldn't want to read an entire issue that looks like this, they're just too monstrously ugly.

Add to that the fact that this pretty much puts the last nail in the coffin for the story sticking with the same cheap shock tactics and grim dark immaturity that turned me off AHM, and there's pretty much zero chance of me ever wanting to own this.

I really just cannot comprehend how badly this comic has nosedived in story quality since Furman got kicked off it, I really can't.

I think I'm just going to co-sign Total Biscuit's post here, although IMHO even the bodies are ugly-looking.

The designs are actually growing on me. I don't like the faces, but I also expect that by the end of the first TPB or so of this Don will have either made them work or revamped them.

So is the premise here a war between Autobots and humans? That's... actually interesting. I don't know enough yet to know if I like it, but it's something new.

Boy, I hadn't seen the art, just read about it. It really does look like crap doesn't it?

Oh don't get me wrong, I'd still rather these never existed and we had something more like Nick Roches wonderful art, but, most likely due to the initial shock wearing off and the sudden glut of ROTF prototypes we've had recently, these don't seem to stick out as wrong to me anymore, or at least as much as they used to. Frankly that soldier freaking out on the third page weirds me out way more.

They're still totally wrong for this comic though, and I seriously can't understand why IDW went with it for their main title.

Sigh... I just don't feel that this art matches up with that Universe. Oh well.

I really like the art, except how they all have mustaches. I think I might pick this up, a first since DW went under.

Hm. So the new designs are so horrible, they kill people.

Terrible art? Check.

Terrible death spectacle to show how grim-and-gritty we (still) are? Check.

Yep, that fits my comic book s*** list criteria. Not touching this garbage with a ten foot poll.

Glad to see the movie story still going on in comics. I don't understand why they had to geewunnify the alt. modes, but I guess I'd be a hypocrite for liking the movieverse, but being adverse to change. Interesting to see that the distrust of the Autobots by the humans hinted at in RotF has escalated to a full-on conflict, and-- what's that? This isn't a movie comic?

We're fast approaching Beast Machines quality of Ugly.

Seriously, what the hell is up with the quad-split on Prowl's door wings? I'm used to freaky faces in close ups (the original Marvel Run seemed to do that a lot in the beginning, when we got a tight shot of a TF's face), but gah.


Also, even for the last three pages the prose is really stinted and jarring. It doesn't flow like Narration nor does it fit with an inner monologue.

So canceling all of my TF subscriptions was a smart move after all, that's a relief.

Is that guy on page 3 pulling a Superman Issue 1?

Like so many things from this franchise anymore: PASS!

Yep I'm done.

I'll get the issues I already ordered but after that I'm out.

Quoted for truth!

Seriously, what the hell?! While I'm not what you'd call a fan of the movie-verse designs, I've come to accept them. Except when they invade my G1 comics!!
If I wanted to look at TFs that look like they've been through a shredder I'd watch the movies or read the movie-verse comics.

G1 comics = G1 style. I'm not saying that there isn't some wiggle room for an artists personal style, but basically what I'm saying is I wouldn't go into the movies-verse comics and try to draw them all in Animated style.

I hugging HATE killing a character for no good damn reason than just for the sake of drama. Ok sure, it looks like Ironhide threw himself in front of Hot Rod and Prowl to save them so it wasn't a dishonorable death, but the character deserved better.

Once again, the designs themselves look fine - it's just that the faces are so bad that it makes the rest hard to look at.

I have been avoiding this, as I'd rather have fond memories of Don's earlier style. From what people are saying, I guess that this is the ugliest the art has been. Boy, is it terrible. I know Don does good work, but this look is just plain bad. Please ask Don to go back to his earlier style. I like his previous work. I want him to continue working on TF comics just... not like this. I can't give this my money. I hate the movieverse designs, and they sting even more in the TF comic, where I would hope to take refuge.

This is garbage!

Okay, I'm in the minority on this...but I don't mind the artwork at all. Prowl's apparent quad-wing...I don't have proper context, but odds are that wing was simply damaged.

And I'll wait until the issue is out and available for consumption before I decide on Ironhide's death being done simply for the purposes of drama. Odds are it was, but again, I'll wait and see.

Agreed. HATE these designs. The movie aesthetic is infecting the rest of the multiverse.....

Considering the damage Starscream took in Infiltration, I'm pretty sure Ironhide should be able to get better.
Either way, I don't mind, Ironhide's gotten _TONS_ of spotlight in the past. And it was a reasonable context for him to be offed.

now to hop on the bankwagon:
I tried to be optimistic about the art, but this just looks silly. Don's rendering is nice as always but the inexplicable change in character model just turns Hot Rod's "oh no" into "Oh nfhjdhkjhakjbnkjb".

Yeah I'm done with this series. I like the movie designs....but I'm not liking this.

I'm out.

Sorry Don, this just ain't doing it for me.

Minority here as well. Although the preview being the LAST 3 PAGES makes it a bit difficult for me to judge how Costa will take things in future issues, art design aside (I've gotten over it).

You know what concerns me that this "death" is setup with...

Out with the old ironhide, in with a new weapon specialist Ironhide...

After all, I don't recall Transformers dealing directly with the effect of Transformers having the same name-different character. This would be an interesting way to go about it from a writing standpoint.

The elephant standing constantly in the room...

I can't judge the story yet.

Otherwise... good God, I don't mind the bodies so much but the faces are really off-putting. Especially on Bumblebee.

GAH.
That close-up of Hot Rod's face in the third page is even more horrible than the worst example of Dull Surprise.

Don should be very, very, very ashamed of himself.
Is it too late to ask for Rob Ruffolo back?

And good lord, the storytelling feels so generic... I knew it was bad news that we were getting Costa after reading Jason Bourne G.I.Joe: Cobra.

What the hell did he write that was critically acclaimed?

Nope, can't deal with those faces. I need relatable, likeable faces in order to gel with thegood guy characters, and when these aren't looking downright evil, they look like confusing jumbles of parts that I have trouble visually distinguishing from one another.

As for the Ironhide death, not all that shocking to me. Not at all actually, as I'd been expecting him to bite it in AHM itself. He does the classic Ironhide thing and let's face it - he's not an essential character, role-wise. I'm somewhat interested in why the Autobots are actively attacking humans (I guess it's all about those 'kill switch' things), but this, combined with the other solicits I've read, point toward a continuing downward spiral of Autobot conduct. I guess we're supposed to sympathise with them over the humans.

Except he's been one of the most solidly characterized figures of the IDW run. Indeed, up until now, he was a fairly essential character, even in AHM where he was the vehicle used to show the desperate state of mind of the Autobots.


Also, the first posted page highlights one of my biggest complaints specifically with the faces... They're all exactly the same f***ing face. Bumblebee has exactly the same face as Hot Rod as Prowl as Ironhide. The bodies are just irritating butcheries of E. J. Su's great designs and the Universe toys.

Agreed, I'm warming up to the body designs. But the faces, especially Bumblebee's.

I think I like Iron Hide's the best, since he's also one of my favorite Movie designs.... So yeah, that's just great.


Also Hot Rods, but I'd rather he just be Movie Hot Rod and not G1 in Movie style Hot Rod.


And we still haven't seen any Decepticons in this style yet have we? I actually think I could really like them. Could be totally wrong of course.

Guess I'm just looking for something to still like.

Wow.
I feel conflicted. Don's technique is still exquisite, but those designs are just terrible.
I feel EJ Su's work was a better take on more "realistic" Transformer designs. They struck a nice balance between boxy/man-in-suit and mechanical... and just gelled well with the comic book format.

Although Don's designs might look cool in an alternate reality setting... like say, a live action movie!
( > u < )

Oh, and maybe it's too much time on the net looking at emoticons but when I look at Hot Rod's face...
Click to view attachment

Well, that's...great. Just...bloody...great.

Reminds me of Timshin's fanart of "G1 designs can totally work movie style", which many loved but drove straight down the uncanny valley for me.

Link? I missed that.

This link should work.

I don't dislike the art. I assumed it was the first three pages and that Ironhide would be rebuilt by the end.

I can't judge the story without watching. Watching the Autobots rampage over the humans after they killed Ironhide was quite satisfying.

I honestly can't make sense of Hot Rod's face in the closeup.
I mean, the area which I suspect to be the inside of his mouth doesn't make sense to me. There are those underlying gray lines and there's the layer going above that. What is all that junk? The latter layer is where one would suspect teeth, but these look more like lonely braces. What would be the function of that? And the former gray lines? Do they pull all the way through? Are those wires, tensed by the wide-open mouth? And what's with the light-gray highlight even below all that? What's that? Did he swallow his headlights?

It's funny how in the old cartoons the status quo was unbreakable for two seasons straight. You pretty much have EVERYTHING the same every single episode -- Decepticons vs. Autobots for fuel or science or to stop Megatron's latest whacky plan. Looking back it's a little frustrating and boring how things NEVER CHANGED.

Meanwhile over in the Marvel comics there was never a completely steady status quo -- things moved from one plot to another, often failing to fully resolve story arcs. But GENERALLY things flowed, and characters did manage to get to be revisited -- and there were even over-arching plots revolving around major characters that lasted quite a few issues (Blaster's run in the series -- Megatron vs. Ratchet, etc.)

Now... now there's nothing to hold onto. The transitions just aren't organic.

IDW started out evolving organically under Furman. Things changed -- the focus of the series expanded or evolved and became less down-to-earth and more cosmic. But the evolution was fairly natural, as these things go.

Then suddenly it was "ONE YEAR LATER!" and we were supposed to relate to the comic still, even though they'd just dropped EVERYTHING from the aesthetic to the character choices to... well... EVERYTHING. And the fandom reacted BADLY -- we got PISSED OFF.

So what did IDW do?

"THREE YEARS LATER!" They PULLED THAT SAME CRAP AGAIN!?

SERIOUSLY?!?

What the HELL, IDW.

--Boltax.
(What the hell?)

My word, those designs are horrible.

I'll be curious to see the sales figures for the books with this brave new aesthetic.

... not buying

A few months old but still relevant.



This still scares me. And these three pages are my fears made reality. Don is just so out of touch with the online fanbase its not even funny.



Oh, and who is the blue-grey robot in the background of the third page - the one who looks like he has Sunstreaker's head.

yeah you'd think the guys upstairs at IDW would have told him... um yeah DON this IS G1... its 'our' g1 but yeah shut up and justify us bringing you on board by doing the art that relaunched the franchise ...

not this 'Akira+Gundom lol lol lol rocksorz!" jive

That would require IDW to be something other than the "We know better than you do about what you'll like, and dark and edgy is good, and if you don't like it it's just because you're afraid of change and need to get with the program" company it's become.