IDW - GI Joe vs Transformers #11

Title: Escape from Primus

Written by: Tom Scioli and John Barber

Art, Colours and Lettering by: Tom Scioli

Production by: Chris Mowry

Edits by: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Megatron uses the Matrix to command Primus to transform the planet Cybertron into his robot mode, Rodimus and his team manage to escape from the bowels of the planet (why did they even go there again!?!?) and the Keeper is killed by the rubble and devoured by the creator god. Along the way, Mirage is trapped under rubble, and Duke tries to help him out.

Rodimus and the others get to Metroplex, where Rodimus sends out Springer to rescue Springer and Duke. He manages to do so, but Duke loses his grip and falls, one of the Joes, Duke's half brother Falcon jumps from Springer, with a bungee rope, and rescues Duke from death.

Using the power of family or whatever we are shown a flashback of Duke giving a speech to some new Joe recruits, getting ready for the upcoming mission to Cybertron. Whilst there, he notices his brother in the crowd and begins hazing him by forcing him to cut his long hair short, despite there being no regulations for it.

During one of the training sessions, Falcon almost beats his brother's record, but he stops to help out one of the slower troops, which annoys Duke, and he punishes him by putting him on guard duty.

Later, whilst on guard duty, Falcon starts to make out with fellow recruit, Quarrel, but they are attacked by Duke, disguised as a Cobra Trooper, and Duke berates him more for his screwing up

Duke drags Falcon to a boxing ring (seriously, he drags him by the ear like Misty used to do to Brock in Pokémon when he was being too horny around the ladies). The two brothers start to fight, and Falcon starts to get some good punches in, but Duke manages to easily defeat his brother. He tells him to just give up, and reveals that he never earned his military medals as he was always protected from danger by Duke in secret, however Falcon refuses to give up.

Later, Falcon and his team prepare to depart for Cybertron, and Duke sees his brother off, asking him to prove him wrong about all the bad things he's said over the years.

Back in the present, the Autobots and Joes escape from the innards of Cybertron just as the planet fully transforms to robot mode. The remaining dust and debris from Earth's destruction starts to dissipate, and Primus starts heading towards his next meal...the Sun!

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Sports Car

Brawn - SUV

Mirage - Race Car

Springer - Helicopter

Goldbug - Sports Car

Metroplex - Slug Thing

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex Dead, Head attached to Megatron

Wreckers (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Gun

Trypticon - Battle Platform

Scorponok - Scorpion

Insecticon Swarm

Soundwave (Flashback - Replica)

Starscream (Flashback - Replica)

Ravage (Flashback - Replica)

Laserbeak (Flashback - Replica)

Cybertronian

Primus - Planet Cybertron

Keeper Crushed in Primus' conversion, and devoured

GI Joe

Duke

Falcon

Cover Girl

Tripwire

Bazooka

General Flagg (Flashback)

Cutter (Flashback)

Outback (Flashback)

Muskrat (Flashback)

Big Lob (Flashback)

Quarrel (Flashback)

Budo (Flashback)

Other Joes

Other Human

Duke and Falcon's Mother (Flashback)

Duke's Dad (Mentioned)

Mr Falcone (Mentioned)

Falcon's Past Enemies (Flashback) Killed by Duke

Notes

• Oh...another backstory issue....yay....
• "Jotobots"....why?
• In a bit of confusing scale, Metroplex is shown covering up the hole that Primus' head is coming out of, but the head should be MUCH bigger than Metroplex.
• Why do so many of the Joes have creepy, heavily shadowed, dead faces in this issue? Oh I hope this is purgatory or something!
• Duke apparently wears his bandolier with grenades on it during non-battle situations...
• Some scenes in this issue are made to emulate the GI Joe animated movie, with Falcon being a recruit the same time as Big Lob, going through dangerous looking training (just with no Sgt, Slaughter here) and even getting caught trying to make out with a female cadet whilst failing at his guard duties.
• Primus' robot mode is based on his unused Dreamwave design, but with the energon tentacle thingies added.
• Why is Primus going straight after the sun? Aren't there more planets between Earth and there?
• Please let Primus eat the sun and end this mess....
• It really doesn't help that the previously "worse" GI Joe/Transformers crossover from Dreamwave got a TPB release this month....it just makes this thing look even worse!

IDW - Transformers vs G.I. Joe #5

Title: Everybody Hates Metroplex

Written by: Tom Scioli and John Barber

Art, Colours and Lettering by: Tom Scioli

Production by: Chris Mowry

Edits by: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Optimus, Snake Eyes and Duke are being held by the Quintessons and are placed on trial for their theft of their own lives (they're delusional). Their minds are probed by the Quintessons and learn some of their darkest moments, and what made them who they are today. Optimus and the others manage to escape their captives (HOW?!) and start to drive back to normal space (....yeah...they drive back....)

On Cybertron, the Autobots and Joes, who have now teamed up are being attacked from the outside by the Decepticons and Cobra, by also burning away the terraformed area around Iacon. Some of the Autobots leave Metroplex to combat Fortress Maximus, who appears to have joined the Decepticon's side for unknown reasons. During the battle, Wild Bill is released from the infirmary, where he goes and opens the gates for Cobra to break in, revealing that he is actually Zartan in disguise.

Meanwhile, on Earth Cobra attack Blackwater Prison and free several captured Cobra agents, whilst Hawk is attacked at how by Storm Shadow, who is trying to steal his tomahawk, an old family heirloom.

Back on Cybertron, Tunnel Rat and several other Joes, along with Arcee enter Fort Max, fight past the Oktober Guard and manage to find Clyde (the pig....). Inside Max's brain Arcee and some Joes find Blackarachnia, who has implanted mines into Max's brain to make him essentially a zombie under her control. Meanwhile, the other Joe animals, also seemingly under her control attack their owners.

Rodimus returns to Metroplex with Blaster and his human "captives" and hands them over to the others for repairs etc.

On Earth, Destro and Serpentress visit the comatose body of Cobra Commander, planning to kill him off once and for all, but discover that it is in fact a replacement body, and not his own, meaning that he is out there somewhere!

Rodimus tries to make Metroplex transform to robot mode to help with the fight, but Grimlock stops him, declaring himself as king, and the two start to fight over leadership. However within a few seconds Grimlock jumps up into Trypticon's mouth and attacks Megatron head on.

Fortress Maximus rejoins the fight as an Autobot (we don't see how this happens, but let's assume Blackarachnia was defeated). Trypticon bites off Fortress Maximus' head, but the head changes to it's Cerebros mode, allows the Joes and Autobots to escape, along with his own head, Galen.

Megatron is victorious in his battle with Grimlock, and now has his head and tail added to his body.

All of a sudden Snake Eyes and Duke arrive on Cybertron and join the fight thanks to Optimus, who remains anonymous for some reason. Megatron decides to call a retreat, and leaves with a few Joes as prisoners. In the cells, Raptor offers the prisoners food, and an occult book to read.

Optimus arrives in Earth's orbit in killer butterfly mode, destroys the Colton Bolt WMD and begins to head down towards the PIT (to rescue Bumblebee's body I'd guess)

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Rodimus - Car

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex Killed by Megatron

Fortress Maximus

Cerebros - Fortress Maximus' Head

Galen - Cerebros' Head

Metroplex - Giant Slug Thing

Ratchet

Wheeljack - Car

Perceptor - Tank

Arcee - Car

Inferno - Fire Truck

Seaspray - Hovercraft

Ironhide - Treaded Vehicle

Jazz - Car

Sunstreaker

Trailbreaker

Hoist

Powerglide

Slag - Triceratops

Swoop - Pteranodon

Brawn - Van

Blaster Injured

Random Autobots

Bumblebee Head around Megatron's neck

Alpha Trion (Memory)

Ultra Magnus (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron

Trypticon

Blackarachnis Maybe dead?

Spectro

Spyglass

Viewfinder

Mixmaster

Scavenger

Bonecrusher

Flamefeather

Ruckus

Straxus

Random Decepticons

G.I. Joe

Duke

Hawk

Scarlett

Spirit

Shipwreck

Doc

Sci-Fi

Gung-Ho

Cutter

Spearhead

Stalker

Cover Girl

Beachhead

Roadblock

Mutt

Dusty

Alpine

Clutch

Lift-Ticket

Tunnel Rat

Breaker

Jinx

Lt. Falcon

Sandstorm

Mainframe

Chuckles

Barbecue

Psych Out

Frostbite

Steeler

Rock 'n Roll

Snow Job

Ace

Order

Clyde

Polly/Seasick

Max

Freedom

Junkyard

Wild Bill (Disguise used by Zartan)

General Flagg (Voice)

Cobra

Snake Eyes

Serpentress

Destro

Zartan

Raptor

Storm Shadow

Firefly

Zartan

Major Bludd

Tomax

Xamot

Cobra Troops

"Fake Cobra Commander"/Fred Comatose

Cobra Commander (Mentioned) Missing

Oktober Guard

Colonel Breakoff

Dragun

Munchnik

Other

Quintessons

Allicons - Alligators

Hawk's Ancestors (Flashback)

Duke's Mother (Memory)

Duke's Stepfather (Memory)

Blind Master (Memory)

Notes

• Ugh...it's back....
• The Quintessons are redesigned as Eldritch looking monsters here, who appear to believe they are the creators over all.
• I wonder if the Sharkticons inside Metroplex are anything to do with the Quintessons as well?
• It looks like Cybertron is now close to Earth....when did that happen?!
• It appears that Wild Bill didn't actually survive his earlier incident, as he was replaced by Zartan.
• Why is Wild Bill/Zartan sweeping in the medical bay? Also, why did the Joes bring a broom to Cybertron with them?
• Hawk's Tomahawk was hinted as being magical or something back in issue one when he used it to cleave into Ravage's skull
• Blackarachnia can only be identified here because she is name dropped...at least the other characters have some passing resemblance to who they are meant to be!
• It's unclear why the GI Joe pets are turned evil briefly, it's also not shown how they are returned to normal...nor how Fort Max is returned to normal....or what happened to Blackarachnia...or the Oktober Guard...
• So how did Optimus and the humans escape from the giant Quintessons?
• Cobra Commander is revealed to be thought to be in a coma since the incident with Snake Eyes, however it is also revealed that he was at some point replaced by a "Fred".
• Why did Grimlock randomly leave his battle with Rodimus just to attack Megatron?
• Galen is shown here to be a Cybertronian,, rather than a Nebulan as he normally is.
• Megatron with Grimlock's dino head and tail attached to his arms give him a pasing resemblance to Beast Era Megatron.
• WHY IS MEGATRON RETREATING?! HE IS WINNING THE FIGHT!!!
• When did Cobra capture the Joes?
• Optimus is using his trailer as a pair of wings....not in the cool way like in DOTM, Animated or Prime...it just looks like he's a robot butterfly....
• Despite his prominence on the cover, Tunnel Rat does basically nothing in this issue.

IDW - Transformers vs G.I. Joe #4

Title: Form Follows Function

Written by: Tom Scioli and John Barber

Art, Colours and Lettering by: Tom Scioli

Production by: Chris Mowry

Edits by: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Duke is discovered as a GI Joe spy, but he manages to defeat all the guys who confront him, on his way out of the base he runs into Snake Eyes and they start fighting next to the Space Bridge.

Elsewhere, Dr Venom is doing some voodoo looking stuff with Soundwave's body, a creepy book, some Joe soldiers and the Bumblecycle.

Elsewhere again, a Joe spaceship piloted by the Joe's pets (.....) is heading towards Cybertron with some more of their eco-terrorist weapons when they are stopped by a Cobra ship piloted by the Oktober Guard (no idea who they are). They start fighting, but are soon stopped by Fort Max grabs them and gobbles them up for fuel.

On Cybertron, Psyche-Out is leading a team to explore Cybertron, but are captured by Rodimus for some reason, and drives off with them towards the Decepticons, where he is met by Blaster, who attacks him as a traitor. Rodimus manages to defeat Blaster, and Apeface and Demolishor turn up and say that Megatron has been hoping someone would capture Blaster before long.

In Iacon, the Autobots and Joes get over their deadly illnesses, just in time for Metroplex to turn up, and Grimlock announces peace between the Joes and Autobots (presumably because of the Joes fighting the Sharkticons last issue). During the party that follows the unison, Bazooka decides to eat some of the Technorganic plants that are growing on the planet now and has a vision of Primus, but mis-translates it as "Prime Us", and asks Grimlock who Prime is. (meanwhile, Rodimus betrays the Decepticons and starts driving off with Blaster back to Metroplex) Grimlock explains that Optimus Prime was their leader, but he left because Megatron defeated him in a battle, and left Rodimus in charge, but Grimlock deposed him and took over.

Arcee counters that no one knows why Optimus left, and the others state that until they see otehrwise they believe Optimus is still alive out there somewhere, planning something.

Meanwhile Snake Eyes and Duke are fighting in Space-Time (yup) when they come across Optimus combined with his other modular parts, also stuck in space-time.

Characters

Autobot

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Rodimus - Hauling Truck

Blaster

Arcee

Brawn - Van

Wheeljack - Car

Mirage - Car

Perceptor - Tank

Slag - Triceratops

Swoop - Pteranodon

Fortress Maximus

Metroplex - Slug Thing

Optimus Prime - Truck

Omega Supreme - Rocket and Base (Drawing)

Bumblebee Corpse seen as Bumblecycle

Decepticon

Frenzy (Or Rumble) - Cassette Blown up by Duke

Apeface Dropped in Smelting Pool by Rodimus

Demolishor  Dropped in Smelting Pool by Rodimus

Soundwave Corpse shown with Joes

Megatron (Drawing)

GI Joe

Duke

Scarlett

Dr Venom

Shipwreck

Psyche Out

Frostbite

Barbecue

Chuckles

Mainframe

Lt. Falcon

Bazooka

Tripwire

Cover Girl

Jinx

Dusty

Order

Seasick

Junkyard

Max

Clyde

Sandstorm

Freedom

Too Many Generic Joes

Joe Colton (Mentioned)

Cobra

Snake Eyes

Big Boa Killed by Duke

Cobra Troops

Oktober Guard

S.H.R.I.E.K.

Colonel Breakoff

Horrorshow

Denia

Dragun

Munchnik

Other

Notes

• Ugh
• Why does Frenzy (or Rumble?) just let Duke put a bomb in his mouth?
• And why does Duke have a shirt under his UNDERCOVER disguise saying his name on it?!
• ...there is literally a scene with animal soldiers fighting Halloween reject soldiers....and yet it's still a meh issue...
• Fortress Maximus's "function" as "The Living Prison" may be a reference to his former role in IDW's main comics as the prison warden at Garrus-9...thought he wasn't eating the Joe's pets in that series....
• Blaster's role as a "Freedom Fighter" is likely a nod to his origins in the Marvel comics in the same way.
• One of Rodimus' Decepticon "friends" is Armada Demolishor
• The dialogue in the past has indicted that the Terraformed part of Cybertron is Iacon, but it's shown here to be on the southern side of Cybertron, despite Iacon normally being the very north-point of the planet.
• The whole scene with Grimlock leaving Metroplex and the Autobots and Joes having a random dance party are lifted from the 80's animated movie.
• ...The bit with Bazooka getting high on the Technorganic leaves is new though...
• Its revealed here that Grimlock deposed Rodimus as the Autobot's "King" after Optimus left for some undisclosed reason, and then Rodimus went rogue and started hunting or working with the Decepticons or something.
• So Duke and Snake Eyes somehow end up in the Space/Time void, and run into Optimus in a weird semi-transformed mode.
• Why is Duke now wearing Boa's helmet? That seems a bit strange....
• What am I saying? This whole series is strange!

IDW - Transformers vs G.I. Joe #3

Title: Funeral for a Friend

Written by: Tom Scioli and John Barber

Art, Colours and Lettering by: Tom Scioli

Production by: Chris Mowry

Edits by: Carlos Guzman

Plot

The Joes have their prisoner Dr. Venom working on building the Joes some B.A.T.'s to fight Cobra with, whilst the rest of the troops are attending a funeral for Hawk, who has apparently died from gangrene (though not really,,, as everyone, including Venom knows it's a trap for Cobra).

During the "funeral" Cobra arrives and attacks the funeral, and within a few seconds Hawk appears from his coffin and joins the fight (.....yeah). During the battle Starscream and Shockwave emerge from the water to reveal that they somehow survived being hit by the Joe's death ray, and joined forces with Cobra.

Meanwhile on Cybertron, Perceptor and his team bring the captured Joes to see Grimlock, who decides to throw them to the Sharkticons. Arcee throws them some of their ammuniion to give them a fighting chance, and Jinx manages to kill the Sharkticons with bombs (without killing herself or the others in the process of course)

Back on Earth, the Decepticons tear into the ship and let Cobra troops in, they're looking for Soundwave and Venom, but cannot find the former, they manage to find Venom, and shoot his guards to not-death, and try to take him with them. However Venom turns sides officially and kills Buzzer with his own gun, staying the Joes.

Meanwhile, Duke infiltrates the retreating Cobras by wearing one of their uniforms and coming back to their back with them (great security guys!). When at the Cobra base he sees Snake-Eyes randomly there, and assumes he's jumped sides, and witnesses as Destro and some of his guards head through a portal...

Destro arrives on Cybertron through the protal, but all his human troops have died in the process, with him surviving due to him being a cyborg. Megatron is impressed by the human who has perfected "real life" (ie being a robot) and agrees to work with Cobra in exchange for help ridding Cybertron of the Creeper-Vines.

At the Joe's base in Iacon, the team are dissecting Wheeljack, despite his protests, but after he plays a message from the President Scarlett calls for the procedure to stop. Suddenly Brawn and the others turn up and start fighting the Joes, until both sides are knocked out (or hopefully killed) by their opposing weapons.

Back on Earth, Venom is given the mission to rebuild Soundwave as a Joe-controlled robot (sure...nothing can go wrong there right?)

Characters

Autobot

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Slag - Triceratops

Swoop - Pteranodon

Arcee

Wheeljack - Car

Brawn - Van

Mirage - Car

Perceptor - Tank

Metroplex - Moving Battle Platform/Slug Thing?

Bumblebee - VW Beetle Dead - Head with Megatron, Body with Joes as Battle Suit

Decepticon

Megatron - Gun

Shockwave

Starscream

Laserbeak

Cyclonus

Darkwing

Straxus

Scorponok - Scorpion

Trypticon - Battle Platform

A Conehead

Soundwave Dead, being rebuilt by G.I. Joe

Sharkticons - Sharks Killed by Jinx

G.I. Joe

General Flagg

General Austin

Dr. Venom

Hawk

Breaker

Clutch

Jinx

Cover Girl

Spirit

Duke

Scarlet

Lady Jaye

Torpedo

Dial-Tone Shot by Cobra

Shipwreck Shot by Cobra

Shipwreck's Birdie Shot by Cobra

B.A.T.'s Under Construction

Far, far too many to even care about

Cobra

Serpentress
Destro
Snake-Eyes
Buzzer Killed by Dr. Venom

Cobra Troopers

Other

Notes

• UGH! More of this tripe!
• The BAT's that Venom is working on, despite being made for the Joes clearly have Cobra insignias on their chests (with even space for a Decepticon insignia inside too)
• So Hawk is dead? Who cares!
• Oh wait he's alive actually....wow....
• Shockwave and Starscream somehow survived the attack from the Colton Bolt...how did the Joes not notice that their bodies went missing?!
• Metroplex is a giant slug it seems....(my guess is that he is a mobile city as the Decepticons run the whole planet, but from the art it looks like a weird large slug...
• Despite most of the other Autobots looking like they are based on their toys, Grimlock seems to have a random robot mode design.
• One of the Sharkticons has a Decepticcon logo on his fin, whilst this was true for the toy line, there's no need for it here.
• How did the humans survive the explosions that killed the Sharkticons exactly?
• Dial-Tone, Shipwreck and his birdie all get badly shot up here by Cobra...yet they all seem fine by the end of the scene....wonder if Buzzer will turn up after surviving his head exploding too?
• So Snake-Eyes has randomly joined Cobra? Despite their former leader being the reason his face is destroyed, him attacking their new allies and there being no evidence of this before this issue...right....
• Why is Darkwing randomly hanging out with the high ranking Decepticons?
• The Joes are literally tearing Wheeljack apart to see how he works, despite him screaming and pleading for help....THESE ARE THE HEROES?!?!
• Also, Flagg has a battle suit made out of Bumblebee's corpse....remember that Megatron also has his head around his neck...any similarities here guys?
• I so hope that that explosion caused by the Energon Bomb and Green Arrow (helpfully named on panel as there's no way we could tell what they were supposed to be otherwise) killed all the characters assembled...
• Wow the scale and perspective in this thing is messed up!

IDW - Transformers vs GI Joe #0

Title: The Golden Boys

Written by: Tom Scioli and John Barber

Art, Colours and Lettering by: Tom Scioli

Production by: Chris Mowry

Edits by: Carlos Guzman

Cover Art by: Tom Scioli

Cover Colours by: Josh Burcham and Tom Scioli

Plot

Bumblebee is being chased by Starscream through space,, and Bumblebee is forced to crash his "ARK" into the planet Earth to hide out.

Nearby, GI Joe have begun an attack on a Cobra facility, but have to deal with some Creeper vines Cobra have developed. Scarlett tells the team that whoever brings her Cobra Commander's helmet, she'll marry (as he killed Snake Eyes' sister, and her parents). Duke and Snake Eyes take her up on her offer.

The team manage to track down Doctor Venom and Major Bludd, and find boxes full of Creeper products. The team split up to investigate the rest of the base to find the Commander.

Snake Eyes ends up in the car pool and finds Starscream wandering around, assuming he's just a BAT he tries to blow him up with a grenade, but it just gets swatted away. Bumblebee however decides to break his cover and takes Snake Eyes away in his car mode, to save him from the explosion and Starscream.

Scarlett and Duke find Cobra Commander and Baroness, but they manage t escape in a jet. Scarlett and the others follow in some stolen jets as well.

Bumblebee lets Snake Eyes out and begins fighting with Starscream. Snake Eyes manages to get onto the Commander's jet and whilst Scarlett throws some of the Creepers onto the jet, which begins to destroy it. Snake Eyes stabs Cobra Commander in the chest, however Commander manages to shoot Snake Eyes in the face as well.

The Joes destroy the Commander's jet as Snake Eyes is rescued by Duke and Scarlett. Everyone escapes the area, even Starscream, albeit missing a wing, Bumblebee however is taken in by the Creepers and is lost.

Later in the PIT, Snake Eyes is on bed rest, and has his face fully bandaged.Scarlett visits him, and says all they found was Cobra Commander's helmet, then asks him if he's thought about a date for their wedding yet...

Even later on, deep in space Starscream has returned to the Decepticons with Bumblebee's head, which Soundwave is now scanning for any information they can use against the Autobots. Megatron is pleased with Starscream for his work today, and offers him anything he desires.

Characters

Autobot

Bumblebee - VW Beetle Decapitated by Starscream

Optimus Prime (Hologram)

Decepticon

Starscream - F15 Jet (Formerly Nemesis-type Shuttle)

Megatron

Soundwave

Straxus

GI Joe

Snake Eyes Badly burned by Cobra Commander

Scarlett

Duke

Hawk

Roadblock

Doc

Stalker

Rock N Roll

Bazooka

Breaker

Wild Bill

Ace

Zap Killed by Cobra Commander

Short-Fuze Killed by Cobra Commander

Shooter Killed by Cobra Commander

Other Rookie Joe Killed by Cobra Commander

Cover Girl (Mentioned)

Other Joes

Cobra

Cobra Commander Skewered by Snake Eyes

Baroness

Doctor Venom

Major Bludd

Cobra Troopers

Notes

• This comic was released as part of Free Comic Book Day 2014 as the preview for the upcoming Transformers vs GI Joe series. This was previously done in 2012 for Regeneration One as well.
• The Transformer's language is shown as electronic signal which are usually translated for the audience.
• The comic is given as ageing effect to make it look like it's from the 80's.
• Starscream seems to actually be loyal to Megatron in this continuity, and even seems to see him as a "god"...this scares me.... 
• Bumblebee similarly refers to Optimus as "Lord Optimus" here...this seems a little more formal than Optimus would usually like.
• Bumblebee's ARK (Autobot Resistance Karrier) crashes into Earth in a similar fashion to the Ark in the G1 cartoon and Marvel comic.
• Snake Eyes actually has no facial scars for the majority of this story, and chatters away like mad...this is quite unusual!
• No-one paying attention to the 2 Transformers fighting in the skies during the battle is most likely due to Cobra's over-usage of robotic BATS through their adventures.
• Straxus sure does look a bit upset in the corner of the Decepticon base huh? Wonder if Megatron has just usurped him of his power or something?
• This comic also features some commentary, letters from the crew and a battlefield report talking about some weapons shown.
• Just a quick guess...I think the Autobots will arrive on Earth and find Bumblebee's headless body in GI Joe's custody...problems ensue!