Transformers: Movie Adaptation

Transformers: Movie Adaptation
Publication information
Publisher	IDW Publishing
Schedule	Weekly
Format	Limited
Publication date	June 2007
No. of issues	4
Creative team
Created by	Hasbro
Written by	Kris Oprisko, Roberto Orci
Artist(s)	Alex Milne

Transformers: Movie Adaptation, published by IDW Publishing, is a 2007 comic book limited series that serves as an adaptation of the 2007 film Transformers.

After the close of the prequel comic series, IDW also published a 4-issue adaptation of the film itself to tie-in with the film's release, written by Kris Oprisko and drawn by Alex Milne. It was released weekly in June 2007; on the 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th. It also featured concept art and interviews.^[1]

Differences with the film

Although telling the same basic story, there are some differences with the plot of the comic and film. Besides removing many minor scenes, some complete changes were made.

• At the beginning of issue #1, Captain Witwicky, instead of accidentally activating Megatron's navigation system by touching one of Megatron's digit gears, uses a pick axe to break off the ice covering the frozen Megatron's face, thus suggesting Megatron intentionally imprinted a map to the All Spark on Witwicky's glasses, anticipating one of the Decepticons would find it soon enough.
• In issue #1 Bumblebee doesn't trash the other cars at the used car lot.
• Also in Issue 1, Sam is never seen going to school to give his family genealogy report on his great-great grandfather.
• In issue #2 Sam's parents have a greatly reduced role. Mojo only appears barking in one panel. Sam's username is "HodStud217" as opposed to "LadiesMan217". Mikaela cuts off Frenzy's head with a circular saw, not a reciprocating saw. Frenzy reformats himself as Mikela's PDA, not a cell phone. Bumblebee reformats himself into a newer Camaro by scanning files for its design over the internet, not by scanning another car.
• Issue #2 includes the scene deleted from the film where Sam and Ron are leaving the Police Station and Sam discusses his great-great grandfather's insanity with Ron and wonders if it may have passed down to him [Sam].
• In issue #3 Mikaela comes up with the name "Autobot". Jazz runs into the power lines by Sam's house, not Ratchet. There are no jokes about masturbation or urination. There is no mention of Mikaela's criminal record. Simmons isn't forced to strip. Maggie only appears in the helicopter ride to Hoover Dam and speaks once, then is not seen after arriving at the Sector 7 headquarters. The character of Glenn does not appear, even though he can be seen in cover of the Issue #1.

Megatron greets his "brother" Optimus Prime in their final battle

• In issue #4 Maggie's cell phone is brought to life, not Glenn's [as he did not appear in the comic]. Frenzy's body is not regenerated by the Allspark Cube; he asks the Decepticons to bring the body so he can re-attach it. He never gets it back and does not appear afterwards.
• With the exception of Optimus Prime, and only a few short lines from Jazz and Ratchet, none of the Autobots spoke.
• The animated cell phone is destroyed by a sabot round from a pistol, not an electrical blast. Optimus Prime kills Bonecrusher with a shot to the chest from a retractable gun in his hand, not a retractable blade. He then kills Barricade by throwing him into an overpass column.
• Other than the cell phone in Hoover Dam, no other objects are brought to life with the Allspark energy, unlike the film in which a Steering Wheel, Xbox 360 and a Mountain Dew dispenser come alive. Megatron rips Jazz's spark out, not ripping him in two to kill him. Megatron's right arm turns into a cannon on the roof top, not a flail. Optimus Prime urges Sam to kill Megatron with the Allspark, mainly because the opportunity to push the cube into Prime's spark was not open as it was blocked by Megatron's claw, contrary to the film, which Optimus urges Sam to not kill him. After the Decepticon remains are dumped in the Laurentian Abyss, a nuclear device is used to destroy them.
• Starscream was not seen escaping into space.
• Megatron was unfrozen due to the Decepticons' attack, not because of Frenzy.

Easter eggs

The movie adaptation featured several intentional Easter eggs.^[2] These include the posters on Sam's bedroom wall - one of which reads TFW2005 (a reference to the Transformers collectors web page ) and another for G.I. Joe (another 1980s Hasbro line which has crossed over with Transformers on numerous occasions.) A box decorated with a G.I. Joe logo is seen in a pawn shop. A small Kremzeek model appears in Sam's bedroom. Sam bikes past an "IDW Comics" shop. Among the cars who appeared in the background were ones identical in make and color to Generation 1 Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Sideswipe, Trailbreaker, Wheeljack and Brawn, as well as Skids from the Transformers: Alternators toy line. Barricade stands in front of a car whose license plate is ALXMLN, a reference to artist Alex Milne.

References