IDW - Shattered Glass #5

Written by: Danny Lore

Art by: Guido Guidi

Inks by: Matt Froese

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Letters by: Neil Uyetake

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Design by: Jake Wood & Johanna Nattalie

Plot

The Decepticons, led by Megatron, have started their assault on Gold City to try and usurp it from Goldbug, and rescue Starscream from his clutches.

Inside the lab, Goldbug tries to force Starscream to give him access to the Titan codes within his spark, but he refuses, and Jetfire continues to try and defend his old friend from his current boss.

Eventually however, Starscream gets shot in the back by Goldbug, and his his spark ripped out through his back by the warlord.

Goldbug leaves, clutching the Seeker's spark casing, intending to use it to control the dormant Titans, and conquer Cybertron for himself. Jetfire is left behind, mourning over his dead friend, blaming himself for forcing him into this war, since he knew Starscream only ever wanted to live in peace.

Jetfire takes out Goldbug's guards, and once the Decepticons break into the building, he leaves, cradling Starscream's corpse.

Megatron sees this, and stops him, mistaking him for trying to do something to the body, but Jetfire soon breaks down, blaming himself for everything. Megatron soon manages to calm him down, and offers to help him take revenge on Goldbug for what he's done, which Jetfire considers...

Slicer makes his way into a sewer tunnel, where he makes contact with his real boss, Ultra Magnus, who isnt concerned with Goldbug having the Titan-control coded spark, as he's sure Optimus and Prowl allowed him to go this far, as they plan to take him out themselves so they can get the Titans instead...

At the Titan excavation site, Goldbug starts to reactivate the long dormant Metroplex....

Characters

Decepticon

Megatron - Jet

Starscream - Jet Spark Torn out by Goldbug

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Barricade - Police Car

Dirge - Jet

Refraktor - Hovercraft

Astrotrain - Train/Space Shuttle

Random Decepticons

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Goldbug - Hatchback

Prowl - Police Car

Jetfire - Jet

Slicer - Race Car

Blaster - Boom Box

Jazz - Car

Chromedome - Car

Ratchet - Ambulance

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Holo-Communicator Only)

Gold City Security Team - Hatchbacks Killed by Jetfire

Random Autobots

Other Cybertronian

Metroplex - Titan Ship Awakening

Notes

• Just as an update, in the sheer amount of time since I actually received this comic (with Jetfire) Hasbro have finally released issue 3 with Starscream, so the collection is now complete (so far)
• It's kind of hilarious, now I have the Jetfire figure, how out of scale the characters are in this series, in terms of the toys they are being used to promote.
• Refraktor was last seen as a victim of the Autobot Bodyscrappers, so seeing him here either means that was just one aspect of him (like Viewfinder or Spectro etc) or he managed to escape them.
• Jetfire's possible defection at the end of this issue is most likely a reference to the faction-switch feature on the toy, carried over from his Siege counterpart.
• Slicer working for Ultra Magnus, against Optimus, is likely a reference to his role in the Invasion comic, where Ultra Magnus is aided by Wheeljack to destroy another Universe...hopefully this doesn't happen again though...that was a mess to clean up!
• Metroplex is shown awakening at the end of this issue. However he appears to have been buried up to his head again, unlike how we saw him in issue one...

IDW - Transformers: Shattered Glass #1

Written by: Danny Lore

Art by: Guido Guidi

Inks by: John Wycough

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Colour Assists by: Ed Pirrie

Letters by: Lettersquids

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Design by: Jake Wood & Johanna Nattalie

Plot

The bodyscrapper Blurr brings in the remains of his recent bounty, Sixshot, to Gold City, where he delivers himnto his middlebot, Ratchet, who is currently experimenting on a new patient...

While there, Blurr is informed of a new bounty from Goldbug himself, he wants the Devepticon Starscream brought to him, alive, as he wants the information he holds.

Elsewhere, Starscream is struggling against two more Bodyscrappers, Chromedome and Hardhead, but managed to injure the latter, while the former is suddenly attacked by Blurr, who feigns switching sides.

Starscream and Blurr make it to the Static Zone, outside the city where Starscream confronts the Evil Autobot on why he would help him. Blurr tries to tell him that he only joined the Autobots out of necessity originally, and points out that if Goldbug is looking for him, then the other higher up Autobots like Optimus and Prowl must be after him too for his information...the location of Megatron.

Starscream agrees, and tells Blurr the direction to take to reach the Decepticon leader, and the duo head through the active volcanic fields...

Along the way, Blurr monologues to himself about how he's going to lead Starscream to Goldbug and will then bring in Megatron himself, when suddenly Starscream attacks the Autobot, revealing that he knew his plan all along, and just needed him to keep him safe while he gets through the Static Zone.

The two fight, with Blurr using his super speed to outpace the Decepticon, but his speed ends up being his outdoing, when Starscream tricks him into stepping in the path of a volcanic eruption, trapping him and encasing him in lava, as he screams revenge on the Seeker...

The next morning, Starscream thanks Blurr for his unintended help, explaining that he stayed with him in case he somehow survived, and heads out to meet with Megatron at his hiding place....

Characters

Autobot

Blurr - Race Car Smelted in Volcanic Eruption

Ratchet - Ambulance

Hardhead - Tank

Chromedome - Car

Gold City Denizens

Ratchet's "Patient"

Metroplex - Titan Ship/City Dead/Immersant

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Flashback Only)

Goldbug - Car (Flashback Only)

Prowl - Police Car (Flashback Only)

Fortress Maximus - Titan Ship/City (Flashback Only)

Brainstorm - Jet (Flashback Only)

Highbrow - Helicopter (Flashback Only)

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Flashback Only)

Springer - Helicopter/Car (Flashback Only)

Roadbuster - Jeep (Flashback Only)

Kup - Pick-up Truck (Flashback Only)

Optimus Prime's Enforcer (Flashback Only)

Flashback Autobots (Flashback Only)

Ratchet's Fallen Comrade (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Starscream - Tetrajet 

Sixshot - Tank/Jet/Gun/Winged Wolf/Car Killed by Blurr

Refraktor - Hovercraft (Flashback Only) Captured by Headmasters

Flashback Decepticons (Flashback Only)

Megatron - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Notes

• Unusually for a comic, this issue came with a full sized Blurr figure. There is a mass release version that doesn't have the toy, but who would want that? :P 
• Beyond the cover and the adverts (which were likely made when the comic was produced in the Pulse version as theybare all of things from several months ago) there's no differences between the versions, unlike when we previously had pack-in comics, where they were censored in various ways. I guess in this case it's different due to this only being sent with the figure, and not placed in the packaging.
• This version of Shattered Glass is not connected to the previous Shattered Glass continuity made by Fun Publications, other than being in the same multiverse of course...
• This marks the first mainstream, successful reboot to the Shattered Glass concept, with the previous attempts either being concepts or just one-offs.
• It's likely, that just like how the original version was the mirror universe counterpart to the Classics universe, that this version is a counterpart to the current IDW continuity, due to the use of current toy moulds, whether as virtual retools or using the new Shattered Glass collection figures. Also the appearance of Metroplex, seemingly being Immersant, adds to the possibility.
• Unlike in the previous Shattered Glass universe, most of the secondary characters colourschemes in this story aren't based on another colourscheme, they just used what looked best.
• Ratchet holds up the Data fob for Blurr holding the information in his next target, but the speech bubble is covering it up, making the next few panels a little confusing.
• Hardhead refers to Chromedome as "Chromey", likely a corruption on his nickname from Rewind in IDW Version 1 of "Domey".
• The dialogue in this issue tells us that this is set after the Transformers have been to Earth, and even that a version of the Headmasters storyline has happened too.
• It's left unclear at the end if Blurr somehow survived being melted in place by the volcano (face it, we've seen Transformers survive literal atomisation in the past). But it would be weird to kill off a character that is sold with the comic he's killed in....

TFCC - Issue 61 Another Light: Falling into Place

Plot

Classics Blaster and SG Straxus are walking through the streets discussing Straxus' evil counterpart when suddenly a light suddenly shines and some strange Transformers with beast modes come through. The group recognizes Blaster as being from the Classics Universe too, and they regroup, and are introduced to the SG Universe.

The new arrivals are debriefed by Galvatron and Aquarius, saying that the Origin Matrix that Ultra Mammoth now holds is the ORIGINAL Matrix that Prima wielded, and forms the hilt of the Star Saber. Mammoth says he'll hold onto the Matrix until Nexus Prime returns, as he promised to it guardian, which Galvatron agrees to.

Cliffjumper gives the new arrivals to cliff notes to this new universe, and learns that Treadshot has a lead on the native Ultra Magnus on Earth. Galvatron says they can use the Stellar Spanner to go to Earth and help in the search.

The group leave the Decepticon's HQ where they find SG Spinister and Needlenose, who offer them new bodies, allowing them to not scare the native Humans with their giant beast modes.

Suddenly Cyclonus arrives and passes on a message from Soundwave to Galvatron, saying that the Autobots are attacking Decepticon City on Earth (SG Earth). Galvatron has Blast Off set up a shuttle to take them there for the battle....

Characters

SG Decepticon

Galvatron - Rescue Helicopter

Cyclonus - Jet

Spinister - Helicopter

Needlenose - Jet

Straxus - Tank

Soundwave - Cassette Player (Voice)

Megatron - Jet (Mentioned) Killed, turned into Galvatron

Starscream - Jet (Mentioned)

Treadshot - Sports Car (Mentioned)

Blast Off - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Stonecruncher - Crane (Mentioned)

Excavator - Crane (Mentioned)

SG Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Ultra Magnus - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Ironhide - Van (Mentioned) Dead

Scrounges - Battle Wheels (Mentioned)

Autobot

Ultra Mammoth - Mammoth

Grimlock - Velociraptor

Ironhide - Elephant

Prowl - Lion

Silverbolt - Eagle

Cliffjumper - Sports Car

Blaster - Boom Box

Nexus Prime - Gestalt (Mentioned)

Scrounge - Wheel (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Straxus - Flying Cannon (Mentioned)

Other

Aquarius

Beta Maxx - Jet

Depth Charge - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Origin Matrix's Guardian (Mentioned)

Side Burn - Muscle Car (Mentioned)

Demolishor - Battle Tank (Mentioned)

Unicron (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

The Thirteen (Mentioned)

Prima (Mentioned)

Notes

• Ultra Mammoth and the other "Maximals" are sent to the Shattered Glass universe now, after their adventures on the prehistoric SG Earth.....where are the "Predacons" exactly though?
• Grimlock attacked Blaster, despite knowing he was the "real" one, most likely due to their rivalry during the Marvel run.
• Aquarius has returned to the SG universe after his time on Axiom Nexus
• Grimlock is absent from the debriefing of the new arrivals, and the measurements scene..wonder where he went to?
• Out of Silverbolt, Prowl and Ironhide, only Silverbolt has a new toy out, so we can probably guess that he'll have his Combiner Wars character model, but what about Prowl and Ironhide? Will they take on their Prime counterpart's forms?
• Also, Ultra "Mammoth" is keeping his prehistoric body...strange that the only TFCC exclusive of the bunch would do that huh?
• The end of this story shows that a counterpart to the Battle of Autobot City (Decepticon City here) from the 80's Movie is about to happen. This was hinted at last issue with the prologue showing the Autobots defeated and returning to space.
• I'm assuming that Soundwave is still in his Cassette Player body from Solar Requiem since he's still on Earth.
• The Recordicons comic was most likely written when Rewind was still "dead" in MTMTE. I know it's most likely going to be explained away as being because this ISN'T set in the IDW universe, but it's still most likely the reason.
• Side Burn and Demolishor are mentioned in reference to the Underbase storyline...which has yet to be resolved for us in the real world as it's story keeps getting delayed/cancelled.

Other Features

Rubber Soul - Article on Decoy figures and their follow ups
Toy Fair 2015 - Advert (though it arrived AFTER the event for me....
Lio Convoy Advert - Recruitment drive for the Club!
Cliffjumper's Cliff Notes! - Cliffjumper summarizes what's happened to him in this universe
Fun Pub Creative Team bios - Meet the creative team for the magazine this year.
Lio Convoy Profile
Broken Windshields Preview
Hot Shot's Thoughts - Armada Hot Shot interviews other Transformers
Bot on the Street - Random characters are asked what they would change their alt mode to
Recordicons - Mini-comic with Brainstorm setting Chromedome up with Eject.