Studio Series discussion

[lastmaximal]

At least his fusion cannon looks better than SS86 Megatrons'.

This is probably going to help sell it to at least a few. I really like that brightly colored everything. Although for Skybound it needs a crapton of lines and shading to get that gritty vibe across.

That price for no trailer is absurd. And here I thought the Armada Nemesis Prime was steep.

 

[The Phazer]

The colours on Skybound Op are terrible and don't fit his appearances at all. He's not supposed to be that vivid and they made the windows look even worse, and skipped the defining dinged up look he has.

But hey, turns out the terrible head sculpt on the original wasn't necessary for engineering reasons!

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

Eh. I'm not a fan of the Skybound comics, so this does nothing for me.

 

[lastmaximal]

I'm not the target audience for this either as frankly I'm burnt out on this particular visual at this point. The first time it was an interesting and fresh idea, and I dug how there were other narrative effects beyond just the shocking visual. Nice writing. But then everyone and their mother customized various OPs into it, there were four dozen upgrade kits, and so on... It's still a cool concept, I can just stand to not see it again for a good long while.

But I'm also making my peace with it having become as notable as the 86 movie jump pose (also everywhere now), and again not without good reason. It'll find its way into everything. I can just pass it by.

I just wish they'd bothered to add some detailing to approximate the art style for this release. It's so half-baked without that.

 

[Sabrblade]

Make enough noise and Hasbro will eventually make another one only slightly better.

 

[Magnusblitz]

I'm not the target audience for this either as frankly I'm burnt out on this particular visual at this point. The first time it was an interesting and fresh idea, and I dug how there were other narrative effects beyond just the shocking visual. Nice writing. But then everyone and their mother customized various OPs into it, there were four dozen upgrade kits, and so on... It's still a cool concept, I can just stand to not see it again for a good long while.

Right? It was a decently cool moment at first, but after seeing all the reposts, recreations and customs it got tiresome reeeeeeal quick.

Also a little late after how it resolved in the comics.

 

[Sabrblade]

"Go on the offensive" Optimus is the new TFTM quote/homage.

 

[unluckiness]

It took the comics too long to do anything of value with the arm that it just sort of faded into the background.

apart from the hokey mind-control plot point which honestly didn’t even need the arm, all it amounted to was a splash page of Optimus with the arm and a splash page of him tearing off the arm.

This looks okay, if a bit too clean for Skybound Optimus. The antennae also seem to be attached a bit too high up. He also isn’t supposed to have colored shin vents is strange. Did he have them colored in in some issues or something?

 

[LordGigaIce]

Y'all are haters

Right? It was a decently cool moment at first, but after seeing all the reposts, recreations and customs it got tiresome reeeeeeal quick.

I don't think you can blame the comics- or even Hasbro- that fans latched onto it and reproduced it through art, add-on kits, and the like.
It may effect this release in unfortunate ways- late to the party after everyone's had their fill- but like... the comics did a thing that resonated with people.

"But it's too popular "
Miss me with that hipster take.

"Go on the offensive" Optimus is the new TFTM quote/homage.

In the comics thread there was much kvetching that in the final throwdown between Megs and Optimus in the first arc of Skybound a line from TFTM was used. Not even one of the really overused lines, just a line. And that was enough to get people upset because how dare a new thing reference '86 its overdone never mind that it's one of the most accessible touchstones in the fandom... yadda yadda.

Well ok. Optimus bolting Megatron's arm to his body and deciding to "go on the offensive" while being unaware the arm is corrupting him is certainly not a retread of anything that happened in TFTM.

It all comes off as "1986? Again? Can't this franchise try new things?"

does a new thing

"Not like that!"/"The new thing is too popular now!"

We as a fandom really are impossible to please.

 

[lastmaximal]

People can like what they like without being simps. People can not like what they don't like without being haters.

Did anyone you're responding to actually post any of those strawmen you're tilting at? Why are you lashing out like any of this was a personal slight against people who did like the thing, complete with lamenting the fandom is "impossible to please" because a grand total of three posters didn't like this thing you like?

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Man, where was this team when IDW 1.0 was around?

 

[lastmaximal]

T30 felt very gratifying but it hasn't all aged well; a lot of it's worth a do-over. And to this day we're still kinda missing some of it... if and when this team gets around to Aileron, Arcee, Nickel, Velocity, MTMTE Rodimus, Megatron, it'll be great. They've done some great takes on Miner/Gladiator Megs, Tarn (would prefer no clear plastic, but oh well), and Supercop Orion.

Early IDW 1.0 would have been kinda fun too. Lot of neat designs there from the -ations to the Ongoing just before the Barberts phase. THUNDERWING.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Nautica.

 

[LordGigaIce]

Did anyone you're responding to actually post any of those strawmen you're tilting at? Why are you lashing out like any of this was a personal slight against people who did like the thing, complete with lamenting the fandom is "impossible to please" because a grand total of three posters didn't like this thing you like?

There's so much I could say, but they all boil down to two things.
One- I'm not lashing out. I'm stating an opinion.
Two- you're very defensive and I have no idea why. I'm certainly not keen to start an argument with you.

Man, where was this team when IDW 1.0 was around?

The good news is that they've talked a lot about using Studio Series to do a wide range of comic stuff.
It wouldn't shock me if some Studio Series "comics" line ends being where future Marvel, IDW, and Skybound stuff ends up.

We've already gotten an IDW Bludgeon and five separate online exclusive releases that very specifically reference IDW-
Nova Prime, the sniper v sniper set, Orion Pax and Gladiator Megs, Ratbat and Miner Megs, and Orion Pax and Senator Shockwave.

So the interest is there. Hopefully a dedicated comic subline of SS gives them more freedom to do stuff like that more regularly.

T30 felt very gratifying but it hasn't all aged well; a lot of it's worth a do-over.

I'm unsure how hot this take may be... but T30 was not a good line, at all. So many figures didn't work, even if it was clear what they were trying to do.

Of the T30 figures... Jetfire is my clear favourite. So much so that I still use him (well the TT version that doesn't have the chrome) as my Jetfire.
But everything else is various degrees of "meh" and "ugh" to me.

Even Springer, who's by far one of the more solid figures in the line, is a bit too involved in places.