Transformers: Escalation (2005 IDW G1 Comics Retrospective: Phase One, Part Five)
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- My IDW Transformers comics retrospective continues with Transformers: Escalation! This six-part series began releasing monthly in November of 2006 as a direct follow-up to Transformers: Infiltration, bringing writer Simon Furman and artist E.J. Su together again to tell the next big story in IDW's 2005 continuity. Megatron has taken control of Starscream's command post on Earth, initiating a clandestine operation to instigate geopolitical crisis and outright war, but Optimus Prime has arrived to contain and repel the threat. However, the Decepticons have an edge: the mysterious Ore-13, seeded on Earth long ago by Shockwave. As if that wasn't enough, the Autobots also have to contend with the rising threat of the Machination and their devastating attack on Sunstreaker and Hunter O'Nion. In this video, I break down where Escalation fits into the Transformers universe Furman was building in the early IDW years and why it's one of the greats.
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00:00 - Introduction
01:12 - Synopsis
13:19 - Notes of Interest
17:51 - Review & Analysis
Transformers: Escalation 1-6
Written by Simon Furman
Art by E.J. Su
Colors by John Rauch and Zac Atkinson
Letters by Neil Uyetake, Chris Mowry and Robbie Robbins
Edited by Chris Ryall and Dan Taylor
Published by IDW - Zábava
That two armed punch Optimus uses is called a "Double Axe Handle" and it's an old school wrestling strike.
Thanks - I had no idea! Good to know there's a much better name for it than what I came up with.
Megs uses something like that twice in his origin series.
Escalation is basically my ideal Transformers comic. It has an all-star line-up of Autobots and Decepticons, fantastic action, a great politics based plot, and top shelf writing/art. We basically see everything good from Infiltration brought over and improved, as a good sequel should do.
I love how both factions are made up of the best and most iconic 84/85 characters, now with the additions of some fan favorites and oddballs to mix it up. My two favorite Autobots, Wheeljack and Jazz, even get to have a scene together, although of course it does end in embarrassing failure (on brand for Wheeljack).
The action here is some of the best of Phase 1, especially the stuff in Brasnya with Optimus & Megatron. The first fight between the two is so important in any continuity, since it’s really going to set the expectations for fans going forward.
I really enjoyed the plot as well, again more so the stuff in Brasnya. Especially for the time, this is a pretty decent attempt at a politically relevant Transformers story, even though there were a few small headscratching moments.
Once again the art is some of the best in the franchise, and I really want to pay special tribute to the colorists on this one. The colors are all so rich, they really bring Su’s work to life here.
I can definitely see what you’re saying about immersion, when I read the break-in with Ironhide, Ratchet, & the humans I can feel the tension, like one wrong move and the party is over; or the fight between Optimus & Megatron where I cannot help but hear Peter Cullen & Frank Welker engaged in mortal combat in the harsh winds and snows.
In any case, wonderful work as always! Also I can’t believe you’re almost at a thousand subs!!! I feel like every time I see your videos in my feed you’ve jumped another hundred subscribers, absolutely incredible!
Yeah, I feel like a lot of the cloak and dagger geopolitical angles in this book are timeless, playing off the historical period of the Cold War when the original Transformers launched as well as the War on Terror which was a bit closer time-frame wise to the original release of Escalation, and probably many, many more examples that I didn't mention.
And hey, things may not go well for Jazz and Wheeljack at the impound lot, but they hold their own against Skywarp and Astrotrain later on, which is nothing to sneeze at!
And thank you for the compliments! I'm really surprised that I'm creeping up on 1K already - but very grateful. The response to the channel has been unreal to me, and I have folks like yourself to thank - people who have stuck with me and engaged, helping to build a cool little community to discuss these comics. So, thank you for your part in that, dude! I appreciate you!
Escalation is the perfect sequel to Infiltration. Anything the latter set up, Escalation follows up and builds on.
The dropped Senator is so weird you think Barber would have followed up on it with Optimus Prime book.
And the panels of Prime transforming are some of my favorite in the brand’s comic history
Heck yeah, those panels of Prime are so awesome! Su knocked it out of the park with these books he worked on during phase one.
As for Senator Holt, it seems like the concept of facsimiles in general was just quietly shelved once All Hail Megatron hit, which does make some sense as there would be no need for subterfuge anymore by that point. Maybe Barber assumed that all Earth facsimiles were decomissioned/destroyed during or after the events of All Hail Megatron? It is strange that it was never addressed, even in passing.
From what I know about the facsimiles the Deceptions make and use is that they have a short run time on them you can see and hear about this in the Soundwave and Ramjet spotlight issues(Bludgeon addressing his facsimiles against and Ramjet noting his facsimile is about to die) when the Shane McCarthy did All Hail Megatron, the Deceptions must have let facsimile run its courses and die while the they tour the talent a new a$$ hole.
@@mr.end-game711 That's what I'm thinking, too. They just didn't need them anymore, so their either just aged out or were directly decomissioned by the Decepticons.
19:18, Titans return Hardhead was the first deluxe toy I bought with my own money,funny after maybe a few months I read this comic and he showed up just put a big smile on my face.
It took me a while to get that figure...I ended up picking him up for that Walmart exclusive retro release or whatever it was, but I haven't brought myself to remove it from the packaging yet. But I did buy Titans Return Quake and opened that one, and I can say that I enjoy the mold quite a bit.
I have no idea how, but i only realized while watching this that Megatron's gun mode is a more modern gun and not his original gun mode
Solid episode bud 👍 Prowl is essential the Autobot equivalent to Starscream, the key difference being he does evil things for the greater good while ol Starscream does evil for his own self interest.
Thanks, I appreciate that! And yeah, I think you have a point with your comparison between Prowl and Starscream.
And Starscream is obcessed with sitting on a throne with followers praising his very existence. Meanwhile Prowl would prefer to remain in the shadow and flip over every table in sight lol
This is probably my favorite of the stories Furman wrote for IDW. it's got it all for me. Not only did it feature my favorite Transformer of all time Hot Rod but it also helped me discover new favorites. You mentioned how you weren't sure if you liked Hardhead as much as you did or if IDW helped you like him more. In my case, it was definitely the IDW continuity that made me like him more and he's since become my favorite of the Autobot headmasters.
And of course one of the big highlights of the mini-series is the fight between Optimus and Megatron. It's my favorite Optimus vs Megatron fight in the entire brand. I know I'm just repeating what you already said but E.J. Su nailed everything about it. I just love the panel of Megatron ripping off his fusion cannon and tossing it aside.
I'm not sure what else to say besides what you've said already. This story arc was awesome!
You know, I think I agree about Hardhead. I definitely came to like Chromedome and Brainstorm when they began to be featured more during phase 2, but there's something about Hardhead in this continuity that I really love. And it's obviously subjective, but as far as the G1 iterations go, I think he has the coolest design, deco and alt-mode of the original Autobot Headmasters.
@@Moonbase3 I think part of the reason Hardhead stands out so much is because he's a tank and that's fairly uncommon among the Autobots. Off the top of my head(Hah) the only other tank-based Autobots are Warpath and Guzzle. So it gives Hardhead a bit more of a unique signature.
@@tomhur1 Good point! And not only is he a tank, but he's a cool sci-fi/Cybertronian tank. :)
I can easily see why Escalation makes for a go-to pick up and read. The slow-burn set up of Infiltration is done and while the seeds of Furman's larger universe are sewn all around (the Machinations, Skywatch, Sixshot and the Reapers) the core of the mini series is the Autobot/Decepticon conflict and the dynamism of the fight with Megatron. Due to Furman attempting to make everything more grounded (at least at this stage) we get to see SO MUCH vehicular combat because both sides are still straining, to varying degrees, to maintain cover on Earth.
Escalation strikes a good balance between bombastic action and quiet character moments before the IDW-verse grew exponentially with Devastation and Revelations.
Well said!
Optimus stopping that truck with his shin was brutal and hilarious, he's like "Wtf was that an R.C car or sumn?"
Loved the analysis, I hope you can cover the entire continuity someday!
Thank you, covering the entire continuity is definitely something I'd like to do!
32:07 This is also one of two justified explanations (other than parts compression) as to why certain characters (especially with Broadside or the gestalts) either shrink or enlarge when they transform.
As a Sunstreaker simp,this comic hurt😥
Never call yourself a simp, dude. Have more self-respect; you're better than that. Just say "fan" or something
That being said, I agree
They definitely sidelined him very early in this book. But at least he gets more stuff after this!
He survives, but does eventually die I believe
That was sideswipe @@jamief1263
29:19 And this is coming from a bot who would throw off temper tantrums and storm off every time he disagrees with something.
the trade was my first comic book ever. I was 8 and it was the summer the 2007 movie came out. my sister was flipping through pages and told me hotrod was in the book and I instantly grabbed it. I watched the 86 movie for the first time that year and hot rod and bumblebee both became my favorites so anything that had them was something I had to own.
That's awesome! Love hearing stories like this!
17:17 He does say that phrase quite a bit in media.
Not to mention that 17:21 would become an official comic title & storyline.
I appreciate you so much for this retrospective, i love the IDW comics (especially the Furman stuff, Infiltration should be a movie), and seeing someone cover this series makes me happy.
Thank you! I appreciate you watching the videos and I'm glad you're enjoying them! That makes it all worth it for me. :)
Really glad to someone covering the IDW universe as the "-Ations" run along with the collage image from Chaos Theory being the major things reeling me into that continuity
Glad you're enjoying the videos! Thanks for the support! I'm really looking forward to eventually getting to Chaos Theory!
Love this series man, it takes me back to the good ol days when I was reading these for the first time
Awesome, that's what I like to hear. Thank you!
Yo, i just want to take this chance to say ive been waiting for a YT channel dedicated to IDW comics, and i want to say thanks for being exactly that, i hope you grow big and everything goes well
Nice vid btw
Thank you! That means a lot to me, I'm glad you're enjoying the videos so far! :)
I really liked this storyline as well and any comic that has Optimus Prime, Hot Rod/ Rodimus Prime and Prowl in one story is win for me. But, if only it could have included Bumblebee, Arcee, Cliffjumper and Grimlock. Yeah, I would love a story that features my top 7 Autobots.
That's a good top 7!
@@Moonbase3 thanks!
16:47 I kinda wish that Optimus' holo avatar was similar to his Movieverse self (where it's based on his VA, Peter Cullen), you can thank Alex Milne for that.
I wish so, too!
These videos have made me want to get trade backs for the Simon Furman era. Thank you for introducing me to this crazy new world of Transformers.
Thanks for checking out my videos! It's definitely a crazy world of Transformers, but it's a fun one, so I can definitely recommend the trades. Hopefully Skybound will reprint some of the IDW stuff to make it easier for you and others to pick them up.
@@Moonbase3just got the trade today! Looking forward to a fun read!
Sweet! Hope you enjoy it, man. Let me know what you think when you read it!
@@Moonbase3 ok so overall review
The book feels like an more serious and expansive G1 episode. The art is really pleasing to me seeing all the details and wiring in the panel lines. After reading the overly serious Dreamwave comics with their dodgy art, this book was nice change of pace. Simon Furman also brings flavorful dialogue between the boys with the highlight being as you said, Prime and Megatron. I was surprised with how much I didn’t hate the bots fighting in vehicle mode as much as I thought I would. Keeping the focus on Prime in Megatron helps makes their fight more grander. Overall, Escalation is a fun read and moves a quick pace and is enjoyable. 9.5/10
Nice review! Thanks for letting me know how it went - glad you enjoyed it! Vehicular combat is tricky...you need it in this franchise, but it can be a challenge to make it exciting in a medium like comics. I think Su did a fantastic job with it here.
23:01/23:04 Followed by his famous "I'll crush you with my bare hands" quote.
23:14 Autocracy #12 would complete the package with Megs begging for mercy & Hot Rod intervening (which he thankfully doesn't do here).
You know, I never thought about it before, but I wonder if Furman brought Hot Rod into this skirmish to playfully trick readers into expecting him to intervene in the fight...!
Another cool video can’t wait to see your personal reading order for this era. Are there any classic story arc from the Marvel or Dreamwave eras you’d love to cover.
I'm still working on putting something together for the reading order - I've got something in mind for it, specifically, and I'll post an update when it's closer to being done.
As for Marvel/Dreamwave - an emphatic YES to both! Someday, I'd really love to cover some of my favorite Marvel stories like Furman's first clutch of issues for Marvel US (56-61), pretty much all of the Marvel UK stuff, Generation 2, as well as Budiansky stories like 'Showdown!,' 'The Smelting Pool!,' 'TheBridge to Nowhere!,' and 'The Flames of Boltax!' - and I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting right now.
And for Dreamwave...someday I hope to cover the whole thing. ;)
I feel like IDW just completely knocked it out of the park with their 2005 continuity, from beginning to end its just f--g brilliant. Every issue that I haven't managed to acquire, Ive gone on TF Wiki and read the synopsis. I mean I can't get enough. I think the whole damn thing was amazing. Less so the post-reboot stuff, but thats a moot point now isnt it? Anyway its cool as hell to hear and see this intelligent, well-thought out analysis of it and I like and appreciate what youre doing on this channel. And while I'm at it, the same goes for your videos on what Image has been doing; I've been following that thru your reviews and im stoked as hell about what theyve done so far. I feel like the "Void Rivals/Energon Universe" is the start of something Epic, and it kinda feels like the spiritual successor to the 2005 IDW-verse.
Awesome, thank you! And I'm right there with you, the 05 IDW continuity is really something special...there are some of the best Transformers comics ever in that continuity as far as I'm concerned. I also think you're onto something with the Energon Universe - I agree that it feels like the start of something epic. Can't wait to see where it goes!
You basically summed up my thoughts on the 2005 run. I'm really interested to see where this new Energon Universe is gonna go, since both that and the beginnings of IDW were more Earth-based realistic/classic stories with new twists. Who knows, we might get something crazy like MTMTE in a few years from the Energon Universe. I doubt people who first read the IDW continuity expected half of the stuff in phase 2
@jayc6894 Very good point. Who knows where the series will be a few years from now - I'm hoping that it lasts long enough that we get to find out, though!
Hearing you pronounce facsimile made me relislise I've been calling them the wrong thing all this time. I called them "face smiles" LOL
😂
16:24 If you don't count his appearance in the cover of Stormbringer #4.
Personally speaking, I assume he and his fellow 87 Headmasters took part in the final battle against Thunderwing before he went aboard Ark 32 sometime after Optimus departed for Earth.
That could be!
16:38 I know from MTMTE (especially around the Shadowplay arc), it would explain where they got their names from.
Just letting you know, I did hear the narrator voice in "It is the year 2007" 👍
Haha, yes! That's what I was going for! :)
Really loving these! I hope you do a retrospective on the movie IDW comics and maybe the Dreamwave G1/Armada/Energon comics sometime?
Thank you, I appreciate that! I'm hoping to get to all of those (and more) someday, but we'll see how it goes. As much as I really want to dig into the Dreamwave era right now, I'd like to get through the 05 IDW retrospective before starting any new ones.
is the next episode going to be about New Avengers/Transformers?
it's the single greatest story ever put to paper
as always, great work with these videos, seeing someone take a close look into some of my favourite stories makes me reflect on how rich these comics are in both artistic and writing variety
Thank you! As for New Avengers/Transformers, it's either in the next retrospective episode or the one right after - I'm still deciding if I want to do one longer video or break it into two smaller ones for the next crop, so that'll determine whether it's next or not.
19:55 - 19:58 I'm more concerned about this staredown between Prowl & Ironhide, since I assume this might be a bit foreshadowing regarding what will happen in All Hail Megatron (and with Prowl's logistical mindset).
28:52 See what I mean, just you wait until he starts table flipping (29:10 as you can see) or when he becomes someone's punching bag.
Nice, I probably never would have connected that moment to All Hail Megatron!
24:17 - 24:23 Which IDW would show their version of during the Chaos Theory story of the Mike Costa run (where Optimus does reference their Brasnya fight).
Hey Moon do you think you can tackle the IDW G.I. Joe comics especially the Chuck Dixon run.
I would like to someday, it's just a matter of finding the time. I'm glad you said something, though, as that shows me there's interest! :)
Awesome content man! Always loved this '-ations' era of IDW. Do you have any plans on covering any of the Dreamwave stories? I recently just read The Prime Directive and surprisingly really enjoyed it despite all the flaws.
Thank you, I appreciate the compliment! I would love to cover Dreamwave (and others), but for the time being, I'm focused on getting through the IDW continuity. Hoping to get to it someday, though!
32:34 - 32:39 Which really makes me question the concept of Transform-ups (or mode drills) from Animated (or is another case of Sentinel Prime being an absolute jerk)?
Funnily enough, this is something Roadbuster would reveal in Sins of the Wreckers #4.
I also know from an Ask Vector Prime post on Tumblr that maintaining one transformation per solar cycle is necessary for exercise and functionality (hence why he also said that Transform-ups are required).
That's right, I forgot about Transform-ups! I really need to watch Animated again.
This video was so much fun because I don’t know much about Escalation but have always wanted to read it anyway will Sideswipe be introduced in the next phase
Sideswipe is introduced in phase one, actually, so you're in luck there. He'll be showing up in the retrospective very soon. ;)
@@Moonbase3 looking forward to it anyway will Sideswipe and Sunstreaker will be reunited in the next phase?
@@ashleywimmers6481 If I remember correctly, they're reunited for All Hail Megatron in Phase One.
@@Moonbase3 thank you I appreciate your comment keep up the good work
@@ashleywimmers6481 You're welcome! And thank you for the support! :)
1:41 Isn't this a bit too out-of-place for Megs, due to his famous "hatred-of-organics" thing?
Not really they are fake organic copies that Megatron is simply using make for his silent takeover of alien worlds much easier.
Interesting - to be honest, I never put that together! That is worth thinking about, though I think the explanation offered by @JohnWilliams-wl9px makes sense.
15:43 According to TFWiki, it's meant to be IDW's version of the Russian Republic of Chechnya, with its name being a reference to its capital, Grozny.
Also, is it just me, or does Georgi Koska look like a certain someone?
I'm blanking on the Koska comparison...help me out here!
@@Moonbase3 Appearance wise, he reminds me of a certain actor from Predator & Terminator.
@@robrice7246 OH MAN! I see it now, you're right!! 😂
13:55 Now I'm not sure if this is the same one shown in his Spotlight issue or not?
The dialogue for Magnus, you mean? The text is the same, there's just more tacked on at the end in his Spotlight. I suppose he could be using the same wording for another individual he arrested!
@@Moonbase3 I was referring to Optimus since his Spotlight features a similar scene (whether it's the same one or not, even though it's meant to take place after Escalation).
@@robrice7246 Ah, gotcha. Yeah, it's similar, but the transmissions are all different.
4:49 did Optimus just kill a human?
I think it's unclear. We see him in rough shape but still alive...but yeah, good point...TFWiki seems to think he died, but I'm not so sure there's solid evidence of that, so it may be open to the reader's interpretation.
How did Scorponok lose his entire body?
They never state his original body was totally destroy. So odds are it was severely damaged from his fight with Magnus, and needed to be repaired. And Machination did use the orignal body as a base for his new one/base for their prototypes.
I've wondered this as well. Unfortunately, there's no solid answer, but I think @JohnWilliams-wl9x has some decent ideas for possibilities!
Wait they’re not pronounced face smiles, maybe I’m stupid
🤣