The Combiner Wars Continue: Transformers # 40!

AFTER the “Opening Salvo” and Part 1 of the first two issues in IDW’s Combiner Wars crossover, “Transformers” # 40 shows the readers the pieces of the puzzle. And there’s a lot of moving pieces. The issue begins by showing a shuttle on its way to Cybertron. The shuttle is commanded by Jetfire, and is manned by the OG Protectobots. In this continuity, they’ve never been a team, much less a combiner. Despite the fact that the Protectobot Rook was introduced in the Combiner Wars toyline, here you have Hot Spot, Groove, Blades Streetwise and First Aid, who has arrived after spending a lot of time on the ship The Lost Light of “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye” fame. Streetwise even jokingly themselves “Protectobots,” because they are composed of “a doctor, a cop, a firefighter, an infiltration expert and a fire.” Guess that team name is in continuity now. Interestingly enough, First Aid is here due to his capacity as doctor of Patient 619, who is being ferried to Cybertron for treatment. Patient 619 happens to be Mirage, who is experiencing nasty visions of a burning Cybertron. In his vision, he says “I must help them choose,” to Ironhide—who also happens to be having the same visions on Cybertron.

Little Changes: The Saga of Q-Transformers!

THE great Japanese tendency to take the usual and transform them into smaller, cuter iterations is easily encapsulated by eye-popping, aww-inspiring world of Super Deformed (SD) toys. Being one of the great toy lines of the world, Transformers have seen several different manifestations of the SD effect, but the newest, most multi-faceted iteration is the new Q Transformers line of tiny transforming figures.

            The long story of the Q TFs begins with another toy altogether, Takara’s Choro-Q line in 1978 (the company is now known as TakaraTomy). The Choro-Q toys were 3-4 inch cars boasting oversize rubber back wheels and pullback motors.; they were officially licensed. These toy cars were a hit in Japan and in the United States, where they were known as Penny Racers.

            When Takara was building its Microman line, they decided to include robots that transformed into tiny toy cars. Take note: The cars were toy-sized, so the robots were supposed to be tiny. Takara called them MicroChange robots. These toys were the fat, short versions of cars like the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 924 Turbo, keeping the same big back wheel but dropping the pullback motor. When Takara and Hasbro put together the Generation 1 Transformers, they included these two MicroChange robots—which are now instantly recognizable as the original Bumblebee and Cliffjumper toys.

            Through the years, Takara has paid tribute to the idea of Choro-Q, but never fully committed to an actual, mainstream toyline until 2014, when they began releasing the Q-Transformers. Take note that the line’s name includes the (listen carefully) word “Cute,” so you know what they were aiming for.

A Whole New World: Windblade (2015) # 1!

FROM the very first time that Windblade, Chromia and Nautica first appeared in the IDW continuity, readers have been wondering exactly where they came from. The three fembots spoke about their home, the lost Cybertronian colony Caminus, and how their home planet was running out of resources. Out of caution, Optimus Prime and the Autobots had stayed clear of Caminus. Combiners can change so many things. After the events of “Transformers # 39,” the Combiner Wars are on. At the end of that issue, the devious Starscream, after taking possession of the fabled Engima of Combination, fooled Swindle and Menasor—the combined form of the Stunticons—to travel to Caminus via the new-operational space bridge to rob the planet. The Combiner Wars continue, with its first full chapter in the second “Windblade” mini-series, which we will refer to as “Windblade (2015).” At the issue’s beginning, we get a quick look at Caminus and its inhabitants. They are clearly Cybertronians but possess what appear to be more ornate forms and a seemingly medieval form of society. There are also a lot of fembots here—but, it is important to note, not all the Camiens are female.

Let the War Begin: Transformers # 39!

After all the build-up, the Combiner Wars are finally here. The Combiners War arc will run through the ongoing “Transformers” series and the new “Transformers: Windblade” mini-series (we’ll refer to it as “Windblade (2015)” for clarity. The other ongoing, “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye,” will run completely apart from Combiner Wars.

            “Transformers” # 39 is technically the prelude to the Combiner Wars itself: The cover bills the issue as “Combiner Wars: Opening Salvo,” but a cursory evaluation of the issue’s contents reveals it to be the actual first shot to be fired in this war.

            After the end of the seemingly never-ending Onyx Interface story arc, the Enigma of Combination (which allows for the creation of non-insane gestalts) has been stolen by Scoop to be brought back to Cybertron and into the hands of the chosen ruler of the planet, the ever-devious Starscream. It becomes clear that this is the only real development of importance from the Onyx Interface story arc, leading credence to the observation that those issues were merely spinning their wheels in preparation for Combiner Wars.

            In fact, “Transformers” # 39 is actually the continuation of the events in the one-shot “Transformers: Punishment.” Optimus Prime is back on Cybertron to celebrate the anniversary of receiving the Matrix of Leadership. This issue is also a spiritual continuation of the first “Transformers: Windblade” mini, as the Autobots from Caminus, Windblade and Chromia, are heavily involved—as is Caminus itself.

            The issue begins with Optimus Prime and his Autobots still fighting off the Decepticon rabble in Decepticon territory as shown in “Punishment.” A closer look reveals that the ‘bots Prime and company beats down promise to play a bigger role: Swindle and Motor Master.

           

Quick Switch: The Transformers # 38!

After spinning its wheels for so long, “The Transformers” # 38 amounts to an intense conclusion where all the loose ends writer John Barber has laid out need to be definitively tied up because the next issue, # 39, is the first chapter of the much anticipated Combiner Wars storyarc. Thus everything that happens in “TF” # 38 has a purpose, and the issue marches along grimly going about its business. Over Bikini Atoll, Thundercracker sees that the humans’ secret weapon—an armada of automatons based on the corpses of Ramjet and Thurst—is heading towards civilian territory. Thundercracker wants to stop this at all costs, so he strikes a deal with Soundwave, who is busy setting up the Decepticon sanctuary in Tanzania. Soundwave can shut the clones down, but can’t find a reason to do so, considering the humans built the drones without informing the Decepticons, their so-called allies. Whether he is convinced by Thundercracker’s plea or because he is just sick of listening, Soundwave effectively turns the clones off. “Please Thundercracker, I care not for screenplays or Earthlings. Do not contact me again. Our relationship ends here,” Soundwave warns.

Galaxy Shuffle: More Than Meet The Eye # 38!

IT may not seem like it at first, but “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye” (“TF:MTMTE”) # 38 is one of the most important TF comic books ever made. That’s because the timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly plot that writer James Roberts has been laying out—with its alternative timelines and time travel bot-hunt—all come to fruition as well as a definitive conclusion in this very issue. Amid the burst of excellent issues, “TF:MTMTE” # 38 is a worthy way of ending the affair. As Rodimus’ team chases him back in time, the Decepticon double-agent Brainstom has finally arrived at his target. And it turns out, everyone was wrong. He didn’t travel back in time to kill Orion Pax so he never becomes Optimus Prime. He traveled back in time to kill Megatron before he becomes, well, Megatron. The double-agent turned out to be a triple-agent. The issue begins on the Lost Light, where Perceptor and Ultra Magnus are trying to stop Megatron from trying to travel back in time so save himself. It turns out that there isn’t enough energy left in the time machine to do it anyway. Rodimus’ team arrives just in time to see Brainstrom aiming a gun at an inert Megatron—a grenade takes him down.

Insignificant Other: Drift Empire of Stone # 4!

THE best thing you can say about the mini-series “Transformers Drift: Empire of Stone” is that it is finally over. The four-issue series from Shane McCarthy (who wrote Autobot Drift into continuity) and artist Guido Guidi had all kinds of problems from the get-go, which is a shame considering that the previous Drift minis were pretty good. Perhaps the worst aspect of “Empire” is the prevalent feeling that there would only be one thing in the series that would stick: that Drift would be convinced to return to the Lost Light crew that he had left in “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye.” After all, Ratchet had come all the way to wherever Drift was to convince the sword-wielding warrior to come back. That element aside, everything about “Empire” essentially doesn’t matter. After the events of “Empire” # 3, there were three things that would predictably happen in the fourth and final issue. 1) Gigatron would eventually betray Drift after agreeing to an alliance to battle former sidekick Hellbat and the titular Empire 2) The Decepticon Grit would die...

Twin Twist: More Than Meets The Eye # 37!

FOR a change, I’m going to keep things as short as I can—to encourage readers to actually pick up IDW Publishing’s “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye” (“TF: MTMTE”) # 37 because writer James Roberts and artist Alex Milne continue to produce one superlative issue after another. Last issue was a mind-blowing issue, and this one starts off seeming like it’s going nowhere, begins to turn towards a different direction, and then plunges right into a shock ending.

            There is so much going on in this issue that I will just keep to the most important bits (since it can be argued that every little and big thing here is really important). After missing the time-traveling Decepticon double agent Brainstorm, Rodimus’ own time-traveling squad has arrived in the City of Rodion in the past. It’s the time of the Clampdown, when the oppressive Senate has enforced curfews and the functionist movement is gaining strength—just as the Decepticon movement is growing. Cyclonus is shocked by how beautiful Rodion is. Back in the present, Perceptor and Rodimus realize that time itself seems to be starting to re-write itself, because the very act of Brainstorm traveling back in time has already created a new timeline even if he hasn’t succeeded yet in assassinating Orion Pax, the future Optimus Prime. The funniest scene is the Maccadam’s Oil House in the past, where Rung, distracted by seeing his past self, misses Brainstorm completely. We get an insightful conversation between Nightbeat and his partner Quark about the oppressive nature of the Clampdown. “The dirtier your job, the greater your chances of survival,” says Quark of the coming Decepticon revolution.

           

Nothing Much: Drift Empire of Stone # 3!

THIS review’s title isn’t really a statement about what happens in “Transformers Drift: Empire of Stone” # 3. Quite the contrary; more stuff happens in this issue that an any other previous issue of the mini-series.

            After Hellbat reveals that he has control over the titular stone warriors, Drift, Grit and Ratchet are in the fight of their lives when attacked by the stone soldiers. It turns out that Hellbat had gained control over the stone warriors by transplanting parts from captured Transformers. All this Hellbat did under the nose of his Decepticon boss Gigatron, who had been futilely searching for the same stone warriors. It turns out that Hellbat is really Hellbat-sh_t crazy and wants use the empire of stone to destroy, in his words, everything. “What is the point of us,” Hellbat monologues. “Kill. Our own kind. Others… That is why we’re here. Machines of war, of death.”

            The back story is that Drift, under his former name the Decepticon Deadlock, and his partner in crime Turmoil, had discovered the empire of stone  previously and killed all the peaceful monks who had been protecting the stone warriors. “I kind of feel like this is all my fault,” Drift says, referring to both what happened in the past and the present.

            In the middle of the fight, Drift manages to lead the stone warriors away to Gigatron’s throne room and reveals Hellbat’s duplicity. Gagtron singehandedly disposes of the stone warriors chasing Drift. Drift then says: “What is going to happen is you and I joining forces… We’re both going to put an end to (Hellbat’s) madness forever.”

Optimus Time: Transformers Punishment!

ONE of the best things about manga and anime is the openness to doing stories which run parallel to the main story. They even have a great term for it: side stories. These in-continuity tales enable creators to fit in characters and plotlines that would be obscured by the weight of the main narrative.

            And that’s exactly what we’ve got with the new “Transformers: Punishment” one-shot. This extra-sized one-shot is actually a print version of a comic book originally created for the interactive Madefire platform. Reading it, it’s hard to believe this wasn’t originally scheduled for a release from IDW Publishing considering how good it is.

            Fans of writer John Barber and artist Livio Ramondelli will get a thrill because they get an extra helping of the two this month. “Punishment” is the kind of side story you get when the characters aren’t all trying to save planets.

            That being said, this is still Optimus Prime’s show. In “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye” and “The Transformers,” Prime bids the Autobots farewell seemingly on a lark to go back to Cybertron. He doesn’t tell anyone why he’s going back right now, only that he must and that he will be back.

            “Punishment” details what happens on his trip to Cybertron. The book begins with the death of three Decepticons—Wilder, Treadshot and Brisko—at the hands of an unknown assailant.  This is apparently not an isolated incident, and Cybertron’s supreme leader Starscream soon arrives on the scene with Decepticon detective Barricade at his side. There’s someone killing Decepticons in what is called a Decepticon ghetto.

A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On: Transformers # 37!

AFTER the freakish weather in the real-life United States caused a delay in the delivery of IDW Publishing’s Transformers titles, the Cybertronian comic books are back, and we begin with “Transformers” # 37.

            Once the series received its new streamlined title, writer John Barber ironically has packed so much material into “Transformers” that entire splashes are left to exposition. This is because Barber has decided to go whole hog into the mythology of this continuity. Thundercracker has been circling Bikini Atoll and its secret armada of Earth-made Conehead (Ramjet and Thrust) clones. In Tokyo, Arcee and the human Jimmy Pink face off against a determined Galvatron and the Decepticons. Galvatron seems to be playing some mind tricks on Arcee, trying to convince the Autobot assassin to change her mind about her loyalty to Prowl.

            Speaking of Prowl, he and Spike have a long discussion. Spike is taken aback when Prowl reveals it was Galvatron who killed Spike’s father Gen. Witwicky (we know this to be true; Galvatron is peddling the convenient lie that it was Prowl’s doing instead). In Shanghai, we get the big one: G.B. Blackrock (that’s who he is and I’m sticking with that) explains the entire story behind how humans found the elusive Enigma of Combination and built civilization around it. Blackrock now has the Enigma, and has profited handsomely from it. Now, of course, the Cybertronians on both sides want it back.

            There’s a lot of double talk going on here. “No one should have the Enigma,” Galvatron says (don’t quite believe him) but returns to the Decepticons at Mount Fuji (who are playing a stupid game with Pink to kill time) with a surprisingly quiet Arcee in tow.

Past Perfect: More Than Meets the Eye # 36!

THE start of the New Year is an auspicious time to read one of the best Transformers issues—ever. Already known as the best-written IDW continuity series, “Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye” (“TF: MTMTE”) gives writer James Roberts the space and opportunity to do whatever he wants. This issue is an example of why that is always a good thing.

            “TF: MTMTE” # 36 begins on Cybertron four million years ago, with a group of Autobot outlaws, led by Orion Pax, are protecting the Alyon region from attack. Then, they are interrupted by the sudden appearance literally out of nowhere by a group of Transformers readers will recognize as members of the crew of the Lost Light: Rodimus, Chromedome, Whirl, Tailgate, Cyclonus, Rung, Rewind and Sky Byte. They have clearly traveled back in time. “’Sup,” Rodimus says.

            Then we get a flashback—or a flash-forward in this case—on the Lost Light. They’ve figured out that Decepticon double agent Brainstorm has gone back in time to the time frame of 1^st Cycle 502 to assassinate Pax—who would later become Optimus Prime—and win the war for the Decepticons. Led by an uncomfortable Megatron, they agree that the only way to stop Brainstorm is to send their own team back in time. They also have to be careful, as they can’t change the events of the past either. “Chromedome’s got it covered,” Rodimus says.

Cast of Characters: Drift Empire of Stone # 2

AFTER leaving the Lost Light as part of a ruse, the Autobot Drift has traveled the universe trying to fight for justice as kind of robotic ronin. “Transformers Drift: Empire of Stone” # 1 showed the sword-wielding former Decepticon being found by Ratchet, who tries to convince him to return to the Autobots. But the two—together with a mercenary Decepticon named Grit—are captured by some isolated Decepticons led by Gigatron. Remembering Drift’s considerable past as Deadlock, Gigatron, flanked by his lieutenant Hellbat, asks him to rejoin their cause so they can conquer the system.

           

Busy Bodies: The Transformers # 36!

The comic book series formerly known as “Transformers: Robots in Disguise” has apparently leapt at the opportunity to rebrand itself by adopting a far busier approach. From the story lines begun last issue, “Transformers” # 36 furiously moves its set pieces forward. Writer John Barber has obviously embraced the idea that more is indeed merrier, as he also brings into play bits and pieces he’d been putting in place for a while now.

            This is officially called “Onyx Interface: Part Two.” At the issue’s beginning, we find out what exactly Soundwave’s “personal errand” was. He has teleported to where Thundercracker has been holed up with his dog Buster and rewriting his screenplay in his head. Soundwave is trying to recruit Thundercracker to his new, feel-good Decepticon cause. Thundercracker isn’t buying in just yet, and there is a limit to Soundwave’s group dynamic: “I said all will be welcome… but those who align themselves with a Prime… they shall always be enemies.”

            We get a better understanding of the two-man army that’s vexing both the humans and the Decepticons. It’s Spike Witwicky and his spec ops buddy Jimmy Pink, and we get an earful from Spike about why he’s fighting this fight. Unfortunately, he exits the café and recognize Prowl and the Constructicons waiting outside and a chase ensues. The Constructicons know that Spike executed their former leader Scrapper, after all. Arcee winds up holding Prowl back because she’s worried Prowl is endangering humans. It’s kind of dumb of Spike and Jimmy to coincidentally find high-tech motorcycles and try to use them to escape his pursuers.

Alternate Reality: More Than Meets The Eye # 35!

This is a very, very complex issue from the fantastic “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye” (“TF: MTMTE”) team of writer James Roberts and penciller Alex Milne. Perhaps a bit too complex. But then Roberts has made himself the best TF writer right now by taking chances—this is a big chance taken here—and Milne has shown he can draw anything that Roberts asks him to. “TF: MTMTE” # 35 starts of on a completely unusual scene. It is set on Cybertron, but not one we are familiar with. Rewind is accompanying Minimus (we know him as the guy inside the Ultra Magnus armor) who has just come back from serving in the now-obsolete Primal Vanguard. It’s a peaceful Cybertron but one oppressed by the functionalist faction, which values Cybertronians based on the usefulness of their alt modes. The functionists control the population by cutting down dissenting ‘bots immediately through the detonation of their obsolescence (Obs) chips. Rewind and Minimus are witness to one of the obsolete Lunabots—rendered insane by a malfunctioning Obs chip—being executed by the functionary security officer. Is it a flashback?

Shift Code: Drift Empire of Stone # 1!

ASIDE from the original fembot Arcee, there is no Transformer as controversial as the Autobot Drift. Created by writer Shane McCarthy and first appearing in the 2009 IDW Publishing series “All Hail Megatron,” Drift was criticized as being a fan’s fever dream. He was a former Decepticon named Deadlock who had seen the error of his ways and switched sides. More than the back story, it was his character, a samurai-like robot with ridiculously large swords that rubbed some fans the wrong way. But just like Arcee, many fans embraced Drift, turning him into, ironically, a fan-favorite character who would go on to appear in not one, but two mini-series as well as his own Spotlight issue. Back when it was still very uncommon, Drift got a comic-accurate toy from Hasbro. Drift proved so popular that he even appeared in the Michael Bay-directed film “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” as a triple-changer voiced by Ken Watanabe. In the comics, Drift had shifted from being a samurai to more of a crusading knight character when he joined the crew of the Lost Light in “Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye.” In the aftermath of the Overlord fiasco, Drift had elected to take the blame and was stripped of his Autobot status, leaving the ship afterwards. Where is he now?

War is Over: Transformers Primacy # 4!

IT’S always a great thing to see the Autobots and the Decepticons desperately throw down, and that is exactly what you get throughout “Transformers: Primacy # 4,” the final issue of the flashback mini-series from the “Autocracy/Monstrosity” team of Chris Metzen, Flint Dille and Livio Ramondelli. After taking down Metroplex and Omega Supreme, the Decepticons have swooped in with the Seekers and their special teams in an attempt to destroy the Autobots who are trying to defend Iacon and its inhabitants. The Seekers had struck with a vicious dose of acid rain, and Megatron realizes that he has been corrupted by the spark of bad guy Pentius. This is the beginning of some rather head-scratching developments for the Decepticons. First—and this has been pointed out by many observers online—didn’t the Decepticons realize that the acid storm would be as bad for their Seekers (if not worse) than it would be for the Autobots? The Seekers literally drop out of the air, done for this round. Meanwhile, in another case of Decepticon miscalculation, Omega Supreme is “merely singed” not dead, and he joins with Autobots in a mighty fightback.

The First Issue: The Transformers # 35!

This of course is technically just the continuation of IDW Publishing’s “The Transformers: Robots in Disguise” series under the new, streamlined title “The Transformers,” but it also heralds what amounts to a fresh start for the series particularly its creative team of writer John Barber and artist Andrew Griffith. After spinning its transformed wheels with some flashback and cutaway stories for the last two issues, “The Transformers” # 35 bring readers back to the main dramatic issue: the tricky relationship between humans and Cybertronians. To dot this, it reintroduces some people we’ve known for a while, as well as tying in what has emerged from the memories of the rescued Alpha Trion. The issue begins in Tokyo, where the IDW’s version of the industrialist G.B. Blackrock is introducing to the world his new operating system Onyx. “See, living in post-Cybertronian world… it’s not all bad,” he tells his audience. At the same time, we see a robot being hunted down by armed men. Then the transmission is hijacked by Spike Witwicky, who is leading the group that has captured the aforementioned robot. He reveals that Blackrock’s company has been supplying Cybertronian weapons to the Earth Defense Command, before executing the robot.

Death in the Family: More Than Meets The Eye # 34!

THIS is the last issue of IDW’s “Transformers: Robots in Disguise”—technically speaking. But it’s not going away, it’s just changing titles next month to just plain “The Transformers” # 35. Read into that what you will, but “TF: RID,” though well-written and well-illustrated, still somewhat remains overshadowed by its even-better-written and better-illustrated sibling title, “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye.” That is not helped by the fact that “TF:RID” is now jumping all over the place. Originally, the series seemed focused on the Earth-bound adventures of Optimus Prime and the remaining Autobots, but it’s since jumped back to life on a bittersweet Cybertron and then back to Earth now that the humans have aligned themselves with the Decepticons. But now, it’s going back in time with some surprising and defining back stories. That’s a lot of moving parts and it speaks to writer John Barber’s ambition that he even dares to juggle so many ideas in one book. Last issue leads into this one, as Barber tells a tale from Cybertron’s history ten million years ago, one that speaks of a heretofore unknown alliance between the unstoppably barbarian Galvatron and the Autobot sage Alpha Trion. Trion tells Prime this story after they leave the Ark-7 in Earth’s lunar orbit without telling anyone where they’re going.

The Last Issue: Transformers Robots in Disguise # 34!

THIS is the last issue of IDW’s “Transformers: Robots in Disguise”—technically speaking. But it’s not going away, it’s just changing titles next month to just plain “The Transformers” # 35. Read into that what you will, but “TF: RID,” though well-written and well-illustrated, still somewhat remains overshadowed by its even-better-written and better-illustrated sibling title, “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye.” That is not helped by the fact that “TF:RID” is now jumping all over the place. Originally, the series seemed focused on the Earth-bound adventures of Optimus Prime and the remaining Autobots, but it’s since jumped back to life on a bittersweet Cybertron and then back to Earth now that the humans have aligned themselves with the Decepticons. But now, it’s going back in time with some surprising and defining back stories.