IDW - Optimus Prime #24

Title: A Sunrise Dark

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith & Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Six hours ago, Prowl and his team have followed Unicron to Earth, but are unsure as to why the planet eater hasn't attacked the world yet, but Stardrive suggests that it's because he is waiting for everyone to arrive there to take out all his enemies at once.

At Mount Rusmore, the press start to arrive at the site to find out what is happening with Unicron, the Joes and Jazz allow them in, despite Jazz's history with the reporter, Sofia Orozco, who led him to a trap earlier in her career. Marissa is talking to the President about what is happening, when she learns about the survivors of Cybertron arriving in Africa.

In Africa, Windblade is trying to determine how many Cybertronians have arrived on Earth, when Soundwave picks up chatter from Mount Rushmore.

Within an hour, Arcee, Soundwave and Rom arrive at Rushmore where they find Gimlet dead, and they learn about the brief battle and Slug killing him. Jazz finds Rom and learns what Unicron is from him, but also relays the news that Cybettron, Elonia and all of the colony worlds, bar Earth, have all been destroyed by Unicron, disturbing everyone there.

Soon, Flint starts questioning Soundwave about where Optimus is during this event, when it comes to Soundwave's knowledge that his friend, Mainframe was also killed in the battle, he takes his body and emits a sonic scream in mourning. Sofia, despite the screech, records this, which gets sent out everywhere, showing the humans that Cybertronians DO have emotions after all

A little later, Prowl and his team orbital jump their shuttle under the surface of the area, due to Goldbug not understanding the organic structure of the planet. Jazz is untrusting of Prowl at first, since the last time he saw him he was trying to start a coup against Optimus, but Prowl points out that they need to work together to deal with Unicron.

Later, Thundercracker is putting some extra work on his new film, about the GI Joe operative Chuckles, when Buster starts barking at something outside the window...Unicron's gravitational pull is starting to drag Hollywood into the sky... Thundercracker heads out to help the innocents outside...

In Africa, Optimus is speaking with Slide about what happened at Mount Rushmore earlier, Optimus believes that Soundwave's emotions being broadcasted will help them in the long run, and will allow the humans to believe him in the future. Slide dismisses that, with Optimus just not caring about others and using others for his own goals, even sending others to deal with awkward situations like they had at Rushmore, and storms off.

Jazz appears and relates that they need to make the world they leave behind them better for those that come later, ie their "kids"

Optimus goes to speak with Arcee, and asks if they took them down a bad path, since they seem to only be able to fight and destroy, but Arcee comments that they could try love for a change, and even if it can't change the outcome of the fight, it cannot hurt either.

The Cybertronians, humans and colonists spend what could be their last moments with their friends and families, burying their dead and reconciling, whilst Optimus just stares up at Unicron, anticipating the final battle that is fast approaching....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Prowl - Police Vehicle

Bumblebee - Hatchback

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Arcee - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Jazz - Sports Car

Slide - Part of Oil Tanker

Roulette - Muscle Car

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Bump - Armadillo

Gimlet - Lobster Dead

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Goldbug - Car

Beachcomber - Dune Buggy

Seaspray - Hovercraft

Sandstorm - Dune Buggy/Helicopter

Slug - Triceratops

Swoop - Pteranodon

Snarl - Stegosaurus

Sludge - Apatosaurus

Metroplex - Cybertronian City

Oiler - Prat of Oil Tanker (Hologram Only) Dead

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Junkion

Wreck-Gar (Living Head Only)

Rum-Maj

Sharkticons - Sharks

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Trypticon - Earth Embassy 

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Stardrive - Jet/Car

Strafe - Two Headed Dragon/Car

G2 Sideswipe - Car

Next Generation Cybertronians Still being Formed

Centurion - Luxury Car

Swift - Helicopter

Tigatron - Tiger

Airazor - Falcon

D.O.C.

Turbo Foxes

Other Cybertronian/Colony Survivors

Titan Swarm (Mentioned)

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

The "False" Primes (Mentioned)

Solstar Order

Rom

Livia

Elonian Survivors

GI Joe

Flint

Hi-Tech

Spike

Talon

Mainframe Dead

Scarlett (Mentioned)

Scarlett's Team (Mentioned)

Other Human

Marissa Faireborn

Sofia Orozco

Sofia's Cameraman

Officer Reggie Winslow

Winslow's Partner

L.A. Civilians

Chuckles Actor (Footage Only)

Jinx Actor (Footage Only)

Xamot Actor (Footage Only)

Madame President (Voice Only)

J.J. Hackensack (Mentioned)

Other

Unicron

Buster the Dog

Garnak

The Visionaries (Mentioned)

Notes

• Sorry this review is SO late, I've been busy with some real world stuff (and Yugioh Duel Links) and I am using a new laptop for this article, so fun! I figured I should get this up before the finale issues begin to get released this week!
• This issue follows the events of Optimus Prime #23, but is also set during the events of Unicron #5, showing a few scenes mentioned in that issue, but not shown at the time.
• Apparently in the actual events being shown in Thundercracker's Chuckles movie, Chuckles wound up killing Jinx, instead of saving her...guess he prefers the happy ending approach to historical documents!
• Um...I know people can get immersed when they are doing work, but I find it hard to believe that Thundercracker didn't notice Unicron attacking Hollywood before Buster started barking at him!
• The President claims that a billion and a half Transformers have arrived in Africa. Due to her phrasing, we can eliminate the Elonians and animals from that number...I REALLY doubt that's an accurate number considering the area they are inhabiting.
• A small correction here from what was shown in Unicron #4, they DID save some of the Turbofoxes!!! I guess this just means the few we saw being killed with Cybertron were just the stragglers?
• D.O.C. is shown with a puppy face whilst Bumblebee is petting his head...n'awwww...I wonder if he knows Cosmos is dead yet?
• Aileron is mentioned as being a "part-time cityspeaker"....um....WHAT?!?! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!
• Jazz refers to Unicron as a "ginormous thing", much like how he did in the original Movie.
• This issue confirms the suggestion from Unicron #5 that the new generation of Cybertronians being grown inside Trypticon are still being formed, despite a few being seen, such as the new Sideswipe.
• Prowl mentions how he stopped a bunch of Titans in the past...this is of course inaccurate as all he did was cause their trip to Cybertron to take longer than originally planned, they still arrived and caused a lot of havoc.
• Stardrive suggests that Unicron is not attacking Earth because he wants all his enemies to arrive there before he takes them all out. We actually learn in Unicron #5 that he is holding back until the Talisman can be removed, so it won't kill him.