When I started this article series my intention was just to review each Transformers cartoon intro like I do every other TV intro in the “Many Intros” or “My Favorite/Not-So-Favorite Intro” series. However, as this has gone on I’ve ended up discussing what went on behind the scenes or during the show itself. Transformers is my favorite fictional multiverse (IDW’s take isn’t to my taste and the Michael Bay movies got worse with each incarnation) and I just really like talking about it, as evidenced by it’s constantly being a topic on both websites I run I guess. And when it comes to the Aligned continuity, research led me to realize there’s a lot to talk about, to the point that Transformers Prime is getting a two-part article not because of the intros–there are only two in the US run and four in the Japanese dub–but the other interesting things went into its creation, because there’s a lot to talk about here.
As I mentioned last night, Hasbro had decided to create a singular continuity among its various media presences–the cartoon, video games, and comics. IDW would offer a few side comics since they were in the middle of a long continuity of their own (although they rebooted early this year, long after the Aligned project fell apart.) To that end a 364 page production bible lovingly referred to as the Binder Of Revelation set up this new universe, taking some of the most beloved parts of previous franchises and forming one joint continuity and style (minus the movies and comics as both were too far along). The video games would cover the history, I’m guessing the comics would fill in where it could with side comics apart from its own continuity, and Transformers Prime, the show created for Hasbro and Discovery’s joint venture The Hub, would be the flagship of the new project. However it would run into a number of problems on the creative side that would doom the whole project. The show itself turned out to be good, as were the intros, and that’s mainly what we’re here for. The rest is flavor, so let’s get cooking.
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