John Barber

Cobra Commander's Back For The Final Issue Of Transformers vs GI Joe
Cobra Commander's Back For The Final Issue Of Transformers vs GI Joe
Cobra Commander's Back For The Final Issue Of Transformers vs GI Joe
Way back in 2014 when the zero issue hit stands on Free Comic Book Day, Transformers vs. GI Joe kicked off with the death of Cobra Commander. And folks, it was a death - that dude was stabbed straight through the heart by Snake Eyes and then immediately crashed the fighter jet he was flying. So naturally, it only makes sense that he'd return from the dead in the grandest possible fashion.
The Greatest Crossover Ends With 'Transformers vs GI Joe' #13
The Greatest Crossover Ends With 'Transformers vs GI Joe' #13
The Greatest Crossover Ends With 'Transformers vs GI Joe' #13
The one thing that I've always said about Tom Scioli and John Barber's Transformers vs. GI Joe is that it feels like a comic that shouldn't be allowed to happen. From the zero issue that came out on Free Comic Book Day and gave us Snake-Eyes stabbing Cobra Commander in the heart while Cobra Commander blew his face off, it felt like we were dealing with something that went way beyond a crossover between toy properties, and ended up somewhere that was equal parts subversive and surreal. Now, it seems like reality is finally catching up with us. When Transformers vs. GI Joe #13 hits shelves in June, it'll be an extra-sized 48-page final issue that ends the series --- and possibly the entire universe.
A Crash Course In Jet-Hook-Fu In 'Transformers vs. GI Joe'
A Crash Course In Jet-Hook-Fu In 'Transformers vs. GI Joe'
A Crash Course In Jet-Hook-Fu In 'Transformers vs. GI Joe'
If you've been reading Tom Scioli and John Barber's Transformers vs. GI Joe, then it will not surprise you for even a second that there is a scene in the next issue where Duke stands in front of a gigantic American flag, Patton-style, and has a very serious discussion about jet-hook-fu, the art of battling giant killer robots with a jetpack and a grappling hook. And if you haven't been reading Transformers vs. GI Joe, well, in the next issue, there's a scene where Duke has a very serious discussion about jet-hook-fu, the art of battling giant killer robots with a jetpack and a grappling hook. I don't think there's any better way to get you on board than that. Check out a preview.
The Transformed Man: The Transformers Holiday Special
The Transformed Man: The Transformers Holiday Special
The Transformed Man: The Transformers Holiday Special
Earlier this year, after decades --- literal, actual decades --- of rolling my eyes dismissively whenever anyone brought up the franchise, I agreed to sit down with a complete run of IDW's current Transformers comics and write about the experience of reading them. By the end of it, I wasn't just a fan, but I had to admit that they were, bar none, some of the best comic books I have ever read in my life. Now I'm a dude who got really excited about paying fifty bucks to buy an Ultra Magnus figure that included Minimus Ambus. The system works. The only way I could've liked it more is if they'd somehow combined what they were doing on those titles with something that I already loved, like, say, Christmas. This week, they did that very thing, so in order to talk about it, I'm reviving The Transformed Man for a very special look at this year's Transformers Holiday Special, in which presents are given, trees are decorated, and Thundercracker tries to kill Santa Claus.
Destro Throws A Dinner Party In 'Transformers vs. GI Joe' #10
Destro Throws A Dinner Party In 'Transformers vs. GI Joe' #10
Destro Throws A Dinner Party In 'Transformers vs. GI Joe' #10
Given the events of the previous nine issues, you could be forgiven for thinking that Tom Scioli and John Barber's Transformers vs. GI Joe had gotten as wild as it was going to get. I mean, eventually there has to be a point where things just can't get weirder, and you'd think that Scarlett going into a Prisoner-esque world where she explained that GI Joe and Transformers were just toys created by Hasbro before burning everything down would probably be it. But you would be wrong. Witness next week's Transformers vs. GI Joe #10, in which Earth has fallen, Optimus Prime is dead, and the Oktober Guard, the horror-themed Russian counterpart to GI Joe, has claimed an alien planet as New Transylvania --- and that's all just page one. The rest of it is taken up with Destro's dinner party, and before you read on, be warned: It gets real bloody real fast. Check out a preview that includes an amazing variant cover by Ulises Farinas.
The Transformed Man, Act 22: Combiner Wars
The Transformed Man, Act 22: Combiner Wars
The Transformed Man, Act 22: Combiner Wars
I've never liked the Transformers. The franchise didn't get its hooks into me as a kid, and while I've tried to give it a shot as an adult, it never really clicked. But now, with a recommendation from almost everyone I know and a well-timed Humble Bundle sale that left me with three years worth (and counting) of IDW's More Than Meets The Eye and Robots In Disguise comics, I'm going on a quest to see if these comics can turn me from someone who has never cared at all about Optimus Prime into someone who uses words like "Cybertron" and "alt-mode" with alarming regularity. And Primus help me, it's working. This week, Windblade returns and we get the most toyetic crossover of the year!
The Transformed Man, Act 21: Onyx Interface
The Transformed Man, Act 21: Onyx Interface
The Transformed Man, Act 21: Onyx Interface
I've never liked the Transformers. The franchise didn't get its hooks into me as a kid, and while I've tried to give it a shot as an adult, it never really clicked. But now, with a recommendation from almost everyone I know and a well-timed Humble Bundle sale that left me with three years worth (and counting) of IDW's More Than Meets The Eye and Robots In Disguise comics, I'm going on a quest to see if these comics can turn me from someone who has never cared at all about Optimus Prime into someone who uses words like "Cybertron" and "alt-mode" with alarming regularity. And Primus help me, it's working. This week, everyone hates Prowl.
The Transformed Man, Act 19: Earthfall
The Transformed Man, Act 19: Earthfall
The Transformed Man, Act 19: Earthfall
I've never liked the Transformers. The franchise didn't get its hooks into me as a kid, and while I've tried to give it a shot as an adult, it never really clicked. But now, with a recommendation from almost everyone I know and a well-timed Humble Bundle sale that left me with three years worth (and counting) of IDW's More Than Meets The Eye and Robots In Disguise comics, I'm going on a quest to see if these comics can turn me from someone who has never cared at all about Optimus Prime into someone who uses words like "Cybertron" and "alt-mode" with alarming regularity. And Primus help me, it's working. This week, the Transformers return to Earth and Prowl just keeps heckin' up.
The Transformed Man, Act 15: Dark Cybertron, Part Two
The Transformed Man, Act 15: Dark Cybertron, Part Two
The Transformed Man, Act 15: Dark Cybertron, Part Two
I've never liked the Transformers. The franchise didn't get its hooks into me as a kid, and while I've tried to give it a shot as an adult, it never really clicked. But now, with a recommendation from almost everyone I know and a well-timed Humble Bundle sale that left me with three years worth (and counting) of IDW's More Than Meets The Eye and Robots In Disguise comics, I'm going on a quest to see if these comics can turn me from someone who has never cared at all about Optimus Prime into someone who uses words like "Cybertron" and "alt-mode" with alarming regularity. And Primus help me, it's working. This week, "Dark Cybertron" comes to a thundering conclusion and Megatron makes a change!
The Transformed Man, Act 14: Dark Cybertron, Part One
The Transformed Man, Act 14: Dark Cybertron, Part One
The Transformed Man, Act 14: Dark Cybertron, Part One
I've never liked the Transformers. The franchise didn't get its hooks into me as a kid, and while I've tried to give it a shot as an adult, it never really clicked. But now, with a recommendation from almost everyone I know and a well-timed Humble Bundle sale that left me with three years worth (and counting) of IDW's More Than Meets The Eye and Robots In Disguise comics, I'm going on a quest to see if these comics can turn me from someone who has never cared at all about Optimus Prime into someone who uses words like "Cybertron" and "alt-mode" with alarming regularity. And Primus help me, it's working. This week, our two stories collide for "Dark Cybertron," a title that I can actually say without laughing. What is happening to me?

Load More Articles