Spotlight Blaster

[MissingSea]

Looks like the next Spotlight after Ramjet is Blaster

forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=2472

Some nice looking pencils in this one, looks like we may get more insight into Silverbolt as well I also spot Tracks in there, the rest of the bots I dunno

Also looks like Dev #3 will be drawn by Nick Roche:

forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=2470

I must say that Nick's style is growing on me, but it will be mighty wierd seeing it in the main continuity

[Omega Steve]

I like Nick's stuff in spotlights but would prefer EJ to do the ongoing if for no other reason than consistency. However I think Ryall said something about EJ needing time out for a new baby.

Spotlight Blaster will be interesting. I don't like how Santalucia has drawn the visor but Blaster in space, and the frames with the alien race looks good. Silverbolt's in it too eh? Double interesting. If he is part of the Aerialbots I doubt they will be combiners at this stage.

[chrisp500]

Silverbolt looks like he's wearing lipstick in that last panel, glad to see IDW putting the "Trans" back into Transformers

[Omega Steve]

Here's what Simon says about Spotlight Blaster in his blog.

The news is out, the next Transformers Spotlight (the first in what is effectively vol 3) is to feature… Blaster. Now already there’s been speculation (on various website forums) as to exactly which Blaster this will be. The rock ‘n’ roll fixated, amped-up version from the cartoon series or the harder edged but compassionate warrior from Bob Budiansky’s Marvel Comics run.

The answer is neither, or maybe an amalgam of the two with a new twist, however you want to look at it. The whole point with these character Spotlights (and the IDW TF-verse in general) is that you don’t ever get quite what you were expecting. If it’s been done before, the rule of thumb is, don’t do it again (or don’t do it the same way).

So in Spotlight Blaster we meet not one but two new versions of Blaster, a before and after. Before/after what, you might ask. Well, let’s just say there’s an element of murder/mystery (without the murder per se) about this particular Spotlight, as a killer (and perhaps even a traitor) stalks the Autobot Command Hub, out finish something they started a while ago.

But what about Blaster himself? Well, he’s certainly loud and bombastic, and his ‘voice’ is pretty much what defines him and his role in the larger scheme of things. But, as the story opens, circumstances have left him a shellshocked shadow of his former self, initiating an exploration of who, once you strip away the larger-than-life bluff and bluster, the real Blaster is.

Expect a host of cool cameos, a link to one of the other existing Spotlights and a dramatic new direction for the focal character that will (eventually) affect the ‘ongoing.’ For those of you who felt Galvatron and Optimus Prime maybe weren’t self-contained enough for the Spotlight format, hopefully Blaster will fulfil all the criteria. Transformers Spotlight Blaster ships in January 08, and you can check out some advance art (cover and interior pages) in this thread on the IDW forums.

[rb]

Sounds like we´ll get more info on Doubledealer in here.

[Omega Steve]

Hey, I found a colour version of the Alex Milne cover. It's a lot easier to decipher what's going on in this version - and there are even the lesser known cassettes jamming top right.

[shockwaveuk]

missingsea said:

Looks like the next Spotlight after Ramjet is Blaster

forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=2472

Some nice looking pencils in this one, looks like we may get more insight into Silverbolt as well I also spot Tracks in there, the rest of the bots I dunno

I think you mean Downshift, not Tracks. There's Searchlight in that pic too, the others look like they maybe micromasters?
I love Roche's style, it reminds me of the styles I grew up with, more fun and dynamic than most of the comics we get nowadays where things have to look realistic and true to life.
I do love that Alex Milne cover. ;D

[rb]

chrisp500 said:

Silverbolt looks like he's wearing lipstick in that last panel

Looks like serious silicone to me Seriously though, the Doubledealer aspect is one I ´ve always wanted to see forked out more in detail.

[sandhog]

Surely this must be due out soon, including this there are now four confirmed spotlights in the pipeline... On that note I see Devestation 4 is finally out

[Omega Steve]

According to the IDW boards Spotlight Blaster is out on January 24th. There are four spotlights coming because they've decided to release these one (or two in the case of March) per month for at least the start of 2008. My guess is that there's two in March because we've got no main 'ation title.

Chris Ryall also said the comics are all printed in Korea at the moment and come to the US by boat. Therefore there's problems at sea and customs issues all slowing things up. He said its creating unforeseen delays but assures fans the info IDW gives is always the best it has at the time. I'm glad he posted that because the delays were starting to unsettle me. That's what happened to Dreamwave in its final throws. Happily that's not the case this time.

What I'm wondering is where are all the Decepticon spotlights? There's usually an even mix but the first four of 08 have been Autobots. Maybe we'll get five 'cons for later in the year. Either that or the Focus on Decepticons comic is there to even things up.

[s2h6]

mind you we did have four issues for the origin of megatron

[chrisp500]

I thought the rumour was that one of the Spotlights was going to be Ratbat's?

[sandhog]

chrisp500 said:

I thought the rumour was that one of the Spotlights was going to be Ratbat's?

I also heard this rumour though can't remember where, it would be good to see how he ended up being a bat. Perhaps Starcream played a trick on him to put him in a bats body then blew up his real humanoid shell hence trapping him in batform ;D Or maybe Megatron downgraded him to show him who is boss.

On the note of Blaster I got to say I am disappointed with IDW classifying the 2nd cover colour RI rather than cover B... (I remember this happening with Nightbeat Spotlight). I hope we will go back to normal with the forthcoming spotlights and the cover A/B set-up

[Omega Steve]

Agreed. I had about 25 orders for that cover B (and probably would have been more if it had been on the site as long as cover A). I've had to send people cover A instead or there wouldn't be enough to go around. It's a shame.

What did you think of the story? There were a couple of concepts that seemed to be blatantly nicked from elsewhere, like Good Morning Vietnam for the premise, and Blaster getting shot and dumped in space brought to mind Megatron in the original TF Movie. Overall though another enjoyable spotlight.

A word of warning for those who haven't read it. Don't do what I did and flick through the comic before reading or it'll spoil the surprise of who tried to kill Blaster.