The C3G Cave - Hangout

[Spidey'tilIDie]

Originally Posted by Soundwarp SG-1

You might want to start adding ‘G1 Cartoon’ in front of the Transformers characters you’re talking about. As that seems to be your only frame of reference and neither of the main comic Optimus Primes are like that at all.

What do you consider the "main comic Optimus Primes"? Because I would argue that though more complex, Marvel Optimus was pretty similar to Cartoon Optimus.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by MrNobody

Fwiw LO, I’m kind of in the same boat as you. My Transformers exposure growing up was mainly repeatedly renting the animated movie from Blockbuster. I also had 2 VHS tapes, but those were both from after the movie. (the Headmaster/Targetmaster arc and the one where Prime comes back to life) So while I do like the older characters (especially Soundwave) I also have a lot of affinity for the later ones like Kup and Arcee. Not Blurr though, I hate him. I think it makes sense to run the “classic” guys first but I’d be very interested in seeing the later ones hit the battlefield too.

Hmm... that's interesting. I never really liked Arcee - she never seemed to be given much personality. Personally, I was never a massive fan of the Autobots as characters (always seemed on the dull side) so I gravitate to the Autobots who make me smile, which are Grimlock, Wreck-Gar and Blurr (the only one I had a visceral 'I hate him' reaction to was Wheelie, that irritating little snot ). The only Autobots that I actually ended up genuinely liking as characters who weren't comic relief were Rodimus and Kup. I was generally more of a Decepticon person, though my preferences do shift to be a bit more balanced between them in the third series, thanks to a more interesting cast of Autobots and the best Decepticon (Starscream) being dead and the second best (Soundwave) marginalised. I do quite like Galvatron and Cyclonus though...

[Spidey'tilIDie]

Originally Posted by Soundwarp SG-1

If you feel like being ridiculously geeky about it you can also say Primax 984.17 Alpha Optimus Prime

You’d probably like Marvel or IDW Prime a lot more. Marvel Prime has a very ‘heavy is the head’ thing going on and IDW Prime straight up flirts with almost being a bad guy sometimes while also trying to cast off a legacy of millions of years of horrible primes.

OK, I can agree with your observations about Marvel Optimus, though I guess I don't think that is that different.
The IDW explanation has me very intrigued, sounds like an interesting read.

[Spidey'tilIDie]

Interestingly, I also like Kup. His role as the wise old veteran who advises Hot Rodimus was very well written and well used. I like Blur, but only because he was the last Transformer of the original line that I got and I liked his Flash-like character. Fro me, Arcee was welcome but also frustrating. Her animated body didn't seem to jibe with her automobile form and that always bothered me, though I did feel that a female Transformer was lone overdue by the time she arrived. Recent incarnations of Arcee (as a sleek motorcycle) and the imaginative other females have been much better. The one is Bumblebee was very good, IMO.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by Soundwarp SG-1

Oh no worries, I’m always down for discussing weird history stuff

If you feel like being ridiculously geeky about it you can also say Primax 984.17 Alpha Optimus Prime

You’d probably like Marvel or IDW Prime a lot more. Marvel Prime has a very ‘heavy is the head’ thing going on and IDW Prime straight up flirts with almost being a bad guy sometimes while also trying to cast off a legacy of millions of years of horrible primes.

I don't think 'borderline bad guy' Optimus really appeals. Admittedly it's going from a character I care a lot more about, but after growing up with 2003 Splinter hearing that he went in that direction in IDW felt... off to me.

I have heard from my brother that apparently the comic (I presume Marvel?) version of Optimus had a bit of a focus of being too noble and tentative - having the opportunity to finish the Decepticons off but failing to, resulting in greater strife for his people. That seems like an interesting direction, actually - the idea that sometimes a leader needs to be more ruthless than honourable for the good of their people, especially when facing an implacable enemy like the Decepticons.

Originally Posted by Spidey'tilIDie

Interestingly, I also like Kup. His role as the wise old veteran who advises Hot Rodimus was very well written and well used. I like Blur, but only because he was the last Transformer of the original line that I got and I liked his Flash-like character. Fro me, Arcee was welcome but also frustrating. Her animated body didn't seem to jibe with her automobile form and that always bothered me, though I did feel that a female Transformer was lone overdue by the time she arrived. Recent incarnations of Arcee (as a sleek motorcycle) and the imaginative other females have been much better. The one is Bumblebee was very good, IMO.

Honestly, adding a single, pink female transformer lacking in character only served to highlight the gender divide to me - had no female Transformers existed I could have just seen them as a mono-gender/genderless robotic race and shrugged it off - if female Transformers had had more presence they'd have felt like a natural part of the world and it would have worked better. Throwing Arcee in there and making 'female' a good 90% of her characterisation (when it should have barely been the start of it...) felt more condescending and tokenistic than anything, but then again it was the 80s.

[MrNobody]

Arcee was definitely given a generic “she’s the girl one” personality that I remember even bordering on sexual at times. Even as a kid I was kind of put off by just how excited she was to have Daniel inside her head in the Headmaster episodes. I imagine I’d like her a lot less now if I went back and rewatched it.

[IAmBatman]

Transformers were pretty much preschool/kindergarten fodder for me and, unlike Masters of the Universe, I never had too many of their toys to define my later play sessions and embed individual characters into my memory.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by IAmBatman

Transformers were pretty much preschool/kindergarten fodder for me and, unlike Masters of the Universe, I never had too many of their toys to define my later play sessions and embed individual characters into my memory.

I never had any toys and never actually watched it as a small child. I was introduced to the cartoons a little later on by my brother, who loved them when he was a kid. It's not that good, but it can be fun at times and even when it's crap, it's fun to make fun of.

[IAmBatman]

I'm trying to think of what my sister introduced me to ... The Babysitter's Club?

[Scapemage]

Originally Posted by Yodaking

I could see myself doing a Thomas Wayne Batman from the Flashpoint story arc, seeing Batman running around with a pair of pistols gunning down criminals makes for a interesting twist to the character.

I'm legitimately interested in this Batman and may already have the mini.


On another note, I didn't read fully YK's posts earlier but I just returned from Captain Marvel myself. I thought it was great! It was a nice change of pace from the latest few MCU movies that I really appreciated, and definitely recommend it without spoiling anything.

[Yodaking]

Originally Posted by Scapemage

I'm legitimately interested in this Batman and may already have the mini.


On another note, I didn't read fully YK's posts earlier but I just returned from Captain Marvel myself. I thought it was great! It was a nice change of pace from the latest few MCU movies that I really appreciated, and definitely recommend it without spoiling anything.

Which mini are you talking about?

[Spidey'tilIDie]

I also just got home from Captain Marvel. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought the Kree and there hoeworld were well done. Thank God for the Fox merger because Marvel knocked it out of the park with the Skrulls, IMO. Even more excited for Avengers:Endgame now. A couple of really cool Easter eggs in the movie too.