IDW - Robots in Disguise #8

Staff

Title: Dinobot Hunt

Writer: John Barber

Art: Andrew Griffith

Colours: Josh Perez and Joana Lafuente

Letters: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

After receiving a distress signal, Ironhide has gathered up a team to look for the Aerialbots, who walked into the Cybertronian Wilds some time ago, this team includes himself, the 4 active Dinobots and Sky Lynx, all of them are basically outsiders and don't feel fine staying in the city with everyone else.

Bumblebee and Prowl watch the team leave inside Sky Lynx to find Starscream and Metalhawk talking about free elections again, much to the annoyance of Bumblebee.

Above the Wilds, Sky Lynx begins to feel disorientated, and drops off Ironhide and the Dinobots to investigate the area, whilst he heads home to recuperate, upon landing, the team are attacked by a feral Turbofox, who seems stronger than the regular sorts of Cybertron's past, but nonetheless the Dinobots make short work of it, but then Ironhide finds a piece of Silverbolt's wing and gets worried. The group start to worry about a low hum they're all hearing and think it might be something bad.

Back in Iacon Bumblebee is shocked that Prowl wants the Free Elections to happen, but Prowl says that after all that's happened the population would have to vote for him after all the Decepticons have done in the past, and because Bumblebee is in fact a war hero.

In the wastes, Ironhide starts talking about his vision and the Dinobots seem to believe him.

In the Decepticon Pen, Swindle and the fugitive Dirge have come to see Shockwave and tell him all about what Prowl's been doing recently, and want to know what he can do about it.

Later, in the Wilds the Dinobots and Ironhide have built a shelter for the night to recharge, and Ironhide talks more about his vision, and how it seems like the Autobots eventually took on Nova Prime and Megatron's goals of Universal Expansion and Colonization, which upsets Ironhide.

Snarl takes the first watch that night whilst the others recharge, but Ironhide can't sleep, especially after hearing some gun fire outside. He goes to find out what happened, but has Snarl's body thrown at him (with a huge hole in his chest) and then sees Sludge's decapitated beast mode head on the ground, before getting ambushed and skewered through the chest by a crazed Swoop and Slag.....

Characters

Autobot

Ironhide - Van Skewered by Swoop and Slag

Sludge - Apatosaurus Beheaded by Swoop

Slag - Triceratops

Swoop - Pteranodon

Snarl - Stegosaurus Hole Blasted through Chest by Swoop

Sky Lynx

Bumblebee - Car

Prowl - Car

Jetfire

Broadside

Aerialbots (Mentioned) Missing, presumed dead

Silverbolt - Jet (Mentioned) Missing, presumed dead

Arcee (Mentioned)

Grimlock (Mentioned)

Zeta Prime (Flashback) Killed by Megatron

Sentinel Prime (Flashback) Killed by Megatron

Optimus Prime (Flashback)

Decepticon

Starscream - Jet

Dirge - Jet

Shockwave

Swindle

Other Decepticons

Megatron (Flashback) Missing

Ratbat (Mentioned) Dead

Bombshell (Mentioned) Dead

Constructicons (Mentioned) Dead

NAIL

Metalhawk - Jet

Other

Monstrous Turbofox Killed by Dinobots

Ardurian Rocs (Mentioned)

The Old Senate (Mentioned) Defunct

Nova Prime (Mentioned) Dead

Nominus Prime (Mentioned) Dead

Notes

• The Dinobots have changed their team spelling from Dynobot to Dinobot
• The Dinobots seem to be very comfortable in their dinosaur alternate modes, especially Sludge who stays in his all the time in this issue. It has been noted that they refused to take on new modes better suited for the planet, and have only just returned to the planet.
• The Cybertronian Wilds appear to look more organized than last time we saw them, now resembling the hive-design from Dark of the Moon. There's also a sound that can be heard the further from the city they go, telling travelers to turn back
• Shockwave actually seems a little interested in Dirge and Swindle's information about Prowl
• Ironhide and the Dinobots believe that Megatron might be out in the Wilds somewhere.
• Including Grimlock, who is off on another world, the only Dinobots who seem to be active by the end of this story are those with counterparts from Transformers: Animated...coincidence?
• Sky Lynx doesn't transform in this issue, despite carrying passengers...wonder why?