Back to Earth: Robots in Disguise # 28

I’ll be honest with you, I’m a bit of a Cybertron snob. I have always been fascinated by the Transformers’ adventures in space. Even when I watched the first episodes of the classic Sunbow “Transformers” show, I was enthralled by the out-of-this world forms of Wheeljack, Bumblebee and those Seekers. The result was that I was always kind of bored with the adventures on Earth. The on-planet escapades always felt too melodramatic and contrived, save for the destructive shuffle that was “Transformers: The Movie.” I mean, I was OK with the Earth tales, but the Cybertron stories were more diverting. My favorite issue of the original Marvel Comics G1 series was “The Transformers” # 17, also known as “The Smelting Pool!,” where, after so many issues set on Earth, it swtiches to a Cybertron running out of Energon, where Blaster—and the rest of Perceptor’s Autobot cohorts—battle Straxus’ Decepticons while a space bridge is being built. It was so different, so refreshing to see that setting with those characters. The comics have a somewhat of a mixed attitude about the Earth-against-Cybertron setting. The IDW continuity began with a weighty, spy-like feel on Earth, then later kind of grew space wings up to the “Dark Cybertron” crossover. By the time “Dark Cybertron” ended, readers had been away from Earth for months.