How do you fix Transformers? How do you fix a staple in culture and life for the last 30 years? The simple answer is just going back to the beginning. Really the universe and transformer stories need to simplified again. There are just too many damn options of Transformers currently. First look how many options of books and TV shows are out there. Let’s just focus on the comics there is at least four titles I can think of. Let’s please bring this back down to one ongoing with a micro series here and there. This has worked for Ninja Turtles and I think it would work with Transformers as well. The main reason it would work is because in the micro series you can pick one certain character which can add depth to the character and story, but not take away from the ongoing series.
The other thing that needs done is one story, one leader. Let’s bring it back to Autobots vs Decepiticons; back to the civil war and the search for energon. I know that there has been a search to expand the history on Cybertron and the primes, but go back to core characters we all know. The Autobots side is really simply Optimus, Wheel Jack, Jazz, Ironhide, Ratchet, Hot Rod, Blaster and Prowl. Decepticons side should be Megatron, Starscream, Thundercraker, Skywarp, Soundwave, and Shockwave. Sure you can add more here and there but we need familiar characters and not too many. After all, the comic isn’t selling action figures like the cartoons are. The advantages of having Blaster and Soudwave in there you get their secondary character like Ravage, Laserbeak and so on. Noticed I took out Bumble Bee because I’ve had enough of him, don’t tell my boy though. Bumble Bee is a good character if you are focusing on kids but not us who are watching our childhood destroyed and milked for everything its worth.
Now we are rebooting let’s start the story right after Optimus becomes Prime and fights in the civil war before launch from Cybertron. I would like to see some Cybertron battles jump to a few planets before they hit earth. This would keep it interesting and shows the actual journey to earth and how import the resources on earth are. Now one thing I think that needs avoiding is getting right to the Unicron story from the 1986 movie. Back in 2001 Gen-One transformer were rebooted and damn it was awesome in the way that they were back, but moved way too quickly to Armada and the Unicron story. Let the stuff build and get out of that box.
If we are going art style, stay away from the movies and Beast wars. I don’t want my robots to look humanoid. I prefer the Gen-One style of “know what vehicle” they are. Also use the vehicle mode because they are Transformers damnit. The whole change on how they transformer from the movie pissed me off. You couldn’t tell what vehicle they were and it looked like a bunch of scrap metal and wire making the robot form. The only thing that came out well was Ironhide because he finally looked like a badass solider of which he is.
I know this doesn’t change everything, but it might just bring back the ones who are pissed off with the franchise because there is nothing they enjoy anymore. You can ask anyone how much of a Transformers fan I am, hell I’ve been playing with the toys since I was three. It was the only thing that distracted me from the dog bite when I was three on our way to the hospital. I’m going back to my Soundwave, Thrust and Jetfire toys to make a real story.