The GHZ Forum

Is anyone else sick of this style?

What's this? 1999 all over again?! X-TREME Transformers!!
Even the new Japanese ones aren't that hot either. Oh well...

Check out this:

The show's supervising director will be Matt Youngberg (Teen Titans, The Batman), with Cartoon Network vice-president Sam Register as executive producer(...)

Now that's promising.

I just want to know how the hell they're going to translate this into an accurate toyline.

It's not like the toys have been especially accurate in the past. Remember Beast Machines?

I like the look of some of the robots in that picture, particularly Bumblebee (the yellow one) and the giant green guy, but there is something seriously wrong with Optimus' head.

Anyhoo, for those of you who don't already know, the producers are saying that this new version of the Autobots is going to be more like a team of super heroes, and they'll be focused more on battling human super villains than Decepticons. Given the folks involved (especially Register), I'd expect something similar to that Legion of Super Heroes show that's been running lately.

Could be interesting, I guess? I'm kind of tired of the endless anime rehashes of the original show that have been airing the last few years. But I'm not sure we need another one of THESE kinds of shows either, transformers or otherwise!

Esrever wrote:It's not like the toys have been especially accurate in the past. Remember Beast Machines?

I like the look of some of the robots in that picture, particularly Bumblebee (the yellow one) and the giant green guy, but there is something seriously wrong with Optimus' head.

Anyhoo, for those of you who don't already know, the producers are saying that this new version of the Autobots is going to be more like a team of super heroes, and they'll be focused more on battling human super villains than Decepticons. Given the folks involved (especially Register), I'd expect something similar to that Legion of Super Heroes show that's been running lately.

Could be interesting, I guess? I'm kind of tired of the endless anime rehashes of the original show that have been airing the last few years. But I'm not sure we need another one of THESE kinds of shows either, transformers or otherwise!

Is the Animaniacs nightmare, only with transformers...yuck!

But I'm not sure we need another one of THESE kinds of shows either, transformers or otherwise!

This was pretty much my reaction exactly--when you've already got The Batman and Teen Titans, why take a non-superhero property and make it into a superhero property? I had never even thought about how Transformers is "not a superhero show" and suddenly now I'm thinking "what a great thing, that it ISN'T a superhero show!" and they're like "yeah let's make it like everything else!"

I've really had no interest in new Transformers shows since I was like, 9--even the collectathon "mini-con" ones I am indifferent to--so I'm really more offended on principle than anything else.

At first glance at that art I mistook the Yellow One's hand for his foot. And then I was all excited thinking "OH COOL, MONKEY BOT."

But then I took a second look and now I'm just gosh darn disappointed.

But yeah, the art style- it is overdone these days. It reminds me of that ... Loonatics thing that came out whenever when. Angular-ness and such can be awesome... it just... well. This is one of those examples where the looks of the characters are pre-established and changing the 'formula' tends to cause what seems to be completely unnecessary waves, if that makes sense. Then again, considering the age of who they're most likely aiming at it probably doesn't matter- they wouldn't remember the 'original' designs.

I wonder how far it'll get off the ground, in terms of success.

So, let's recap. Old franchises being "reimagined" in this style, or a similar style:

Transformers
Spider-man
WOLVERINEand the x-men

Am I missing anything?

This looks incredibly mediocre. The shapes, the linework, the angles and perspective are just awkward and well, shit.


especially that hamtastic fist of Optimus Prime

That Optimus Prime looks more like an ape than Optimus Primal. Wow.

Why doesn't someone just say it; That is fugly as hell.

Actually besides Prime, who is pretty much everything Prime should not ever, ever be (maybe it's just a funny angle), I like the other characters and some sort of FLCL-esque super-carnage action sequences with these guys would be really something. I don't imagine the show will ever pull off something like that but it would be neat.

Seriously though, Optimus Prime is a BRICK. Reliable. Tiny head. This guy's just ridiculous.

G.Silver wrote:I like the other characters and some sort of FLCL-esque super-carnage action sequences with these guys would be really something.

Then I hope they do a yellow Piaggio Vespa transformer thing that attacks with a Rickenbacker, or at least make young'un Optimus ride and use one, respectively.

I just realized Optimus has one of those buttchins.

I'm quite amused now, really.

Speaking of Transformers:

http://www.youtube.com/v/kckakj8sH8I

Needs moar King, but Cullen still made me laugh.

So, I hear they're making a movie of this stuff.

Interesting that they've kept them from talking in the trailers but the first voice sample I've heard comes from a Burger King ad.

The designs are a disservice to the basic premise of Transformers, they don't look like they'd actually be able to fold up into their vehicle forms like the toys do. Not that I particularly understand the appeal of Transformers as anything other than an excellent children's toy line anyway.

As far as I can tell, the only other appealing thing about Transformers is the thrill of being able to watch vehicles turn into giant robots and smash stuff up. That seems pretty appealing to me.

Black Rook wrote:WOLVERINEand the x-men

With Steve Blum doing the voice of Wolverine, I might add.

Eh, I liked Mark Hamill better than Blum.

Yes, he voiced Wolverine. For a single game.

Mark Hamill's greatest role will forever be the Joker.

I guess Luke Skywalker, too.

Heroic One wrote:Mark Hamill's greatest role will forever be the Joker.

I guess Luke Skywalker, too.

QFT

Steve Blum... for a while, I thought you were talking about Scott McNeil, the guy who did Wolverine in <i>X-Men Evolution</i> (and Picollo in <i>DBZ</i>, Hohenheim of Light in <i>FMA</i>, and a few other roles which don't immediately come to mind...). Which had me somewhat enthusiastic, because his Wolverine was pretty much spot-on. Looking it over, though, it seems the only acting of his I've explicitly seen would be the G-Men from <i>Psychonauts</i>, which isn't much to go on at all... Oh well, I'm going to assume his Wolverine was good; apparently he already played the role in at least <i>X-Men Legends 2</i>?

Yeah, both Legends games, and probably Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

The problem I have with Blum's Wolverine is... well, he basically sounds like an angry TOM, and doesn't have the same toughness that Cal Dodd, Mark Hamill, and Scott McNeil brought to the character.

It could be worse, I guess. They could've gotten the guy who does the German fish on American Dad to play Nightcrawler (which he has in the past). Hopefully they don't get the wussy-sounding Magneto from Legends 2.

Shadow Hog wrote:Looking it over, though, it seems the only acting of his I've explicitly seen would be the G-Men from <i>Psychonauts</i>, which isn't much to go on at all...

IMDb says he was the English VA of Spike Spiegel. I was confused for a moment, because apparently he's also known as David Lucas.