John Barber

The Transformed Man, Act 13: Dark Prelude
The Transformed Man, Act 13: Dark Prelude
The Transformed Man, Act 13: Dark Prelude
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, it's the last stop before Dark Cybertron as Swerve continues to be better than everyone.
Bob Gale Goes Back to 'Back to the Future' with Comics Series
Bob Gale Goes Back to 'Back to the Future' with Comics Series
Bob Gale Goes Back to 'Back to the Future' with Comics Series
IDW is going where they don't need roads. In a press release that is apparently from the future, the publisher announced Wednesday it'll be publishing a new Back to the Future anthology comic starting in October. Subtitled Untold Tales and Alternate Timelines, the series will follow alternate versions of events from the movies, fill in the gaps between them, and offer up prequel stories. (Maybe we'll see Doc Brown's college years!)
The Transformed Man, Act 10: City On Fire
The Transformed Man, Act 10: City On Fire
The Transformed Man, Act 10: City On Fire
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, Megatron returns to launch a... devastating master plan. Get it? Get it?
The Transformed Man, Act 7: Primus
The Transformed Man, Act 7: Primus
The Transformed Man, Act 7: Primus
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, Arcee. Kills. Everyone.
Tom Scioli On 'Transformers vs. GI Joe,' Part Two
Tom Scioli On 'Transformers vs. GI Joe,' Part Two
Tom Scioli On 'Transformers vs. GI Joe,' Part Two
To say that Tom Scioli and John Barber‘s Transformers vs. GI Joe is an unusual comic is underselling things quite a bit. On paper, it’s a natural fit, an ongoing series that follows in the footsteps of earlier books that have combined the two toy lines into one massive interplanetary battle. In practice, though, it’s something a lot bigger, a comic that almost assaults the reader by cramming in as much big, wild stuff as it possibly can — a toy comic so weird, and so great, that it almost feels like it shouldn’t exist. With the book's second storyline well under way, throwing in everything from vikings to old gods to Dinobots (and a new printing of his amazing American Barbarian on the way this summer), I talked to cowriter, artist and occasional ComicsAlliance guest contributor Tom Scioli about the series. Today, he talks about building a history for a universe that's even more important than our own, the two-page Free Comic Book Day story, and why his book isn't a paean to Snake Eyes.
The Transformed Man, Act 5: Interference Patterns
The Transformed Man, Act 5: Interference Patterns
The Transformed Man, Act 5: Interference Patterns
I’ve never liked the Transformers. The franchise never really got its hooks into me when I was a kid, and while I’ve tried to give it a shot as an adult, it’s never really clicked. But now, with the recommendations of almost everyone I know and a well-timed Humble Bundle sale, I’ve found myself in possession of three years worth (and counting) of IDW’s More Than Meets The Eye and Robots In Disguise comics. I’m working my way through a story arc every week, and if I have to read about these robots, you’re coming with me. This week, the Decepticons have a time machine. So, you know. That's not good.
Scioli And Barber's Great FCBD 'Transformers vs. GI Joe' Strip
Scioli And Barber's Great FCBD 'Transformers vs. GI Joe' Strip
Scioli And Barber's Great FCBD 'Transformers vs. GI Joe' Strip
If you were just going by what was on the covers when you grabbed your Free Comic Book Day titles on Saturday, you might have missed one of the best comics on the stands. I almost did --- as much as I've been enjoying IDW's Transformers comics now that I'm finally reading them, I haven't had much of a chance to watch the new cartoon, and as a result, I skipped over the FCBD tie-in comic when I picked mine up. It wasn't until I flipped through it later that I realized there was a short story from Tom Scioli and John Barber in there, tying into their GI Joe vs. Transformers ongoing series. And it's amazing.
The Transformed Man, Act 3: The Autonomy Lesson
The Transformed Man, Act 3: The Autonomy Lesson
The Transformed Man, Act 3: The Autonomy Lesson
I’ve never liked the Transformers. The franchise never really got its hooks into me when I was a kid, and while I’ve tried to give it a shot as an adult, it’s never really clicked. But now, with the recommendations of almost everyone I know and a well-timed Humble Bundle sale, I’ve found myself in possession of three years worth (and counting) of IDW’s More Than Meets The Eye and Robots In Disguise comics. I’m working my way through a story arc every week, and if I have to read about these robots, you’re coming with me. This week, the Cybertronian Provisional Government gears up to rebuild society. So basically it's House of Cards if Kevin Spacey could turn into a truck.
Preview: Things Go Nuclear In 'Transformers vs. G.I. Joe' #6
Preview: Things Go Nuclear In 'Transformers vs. G.I. Joe' #6
Preview: Things Go Nuclear In 'Transformers vs. G.I. Joe' #6
If you haven't been reading Tom Scioli and John Barber's Transformers vs. G.I. Joe series from IDW, you may be somewhat confused by the images you're about to see. The series is a beautiful, weird thing of beauty that does virtually nothing that a longtime comics reader might expect from a licensed comic book featuring two of the biggest franchises in movies, cartoons and comics. Instead of focusing on years and years of continuity, Scioli and Barber take these toys out of the toybox and play with them as if that's what they are, filtered through a lens of Jack Kirby, Jim Steranko and lots of other Silver Age artists. It opens up incredible avenues for storytelling. That's what makes it great.
The Transformed Man Act 1: 'The Death Of Optimus Prime'
The Transformed Man Act 1: 'The Death Of Optimus Prime'
The Transformed Man Act 1: 'The Death Of Optimus Prime'
I've never liked the Transformers. The franchise never really got its hooks into me when I was a kid, and while I've tried to give it a shot as an adult, it's never really clicked. But now, with the recommendations of almost everyone I know and a well-timed Humble Bundle sale, I've found myself in possession of three years (and counting) worth of IDW's More Than Meets The Eye and Robots In Disguise comics. I'm working my way through a story arc every week, and if I have to read about these robots, you're coming with me. This week, it's The Death Of Optimus Prime, in which Optimus Prime does not actually die. Spoiler warning?

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