Skybound - Transformers #2

Writer, Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson 

Colourist: Mike Spicer

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Editors: Sean Mackiewicz & Jonathan Manning

Publication Design: Andres Juarez

Plot

Optimus explores the woods near the Autobot's current Quarry base, when he accidentally crushes a deer, a apologizes to it. Spike approaches him, and tells him it was just an accident, but Optimus is still distraught, forgetting how fragile life on Earth is compared to his home world.

Optimus and Spike tell each other a little about their homes, with Spike talking about his parents, and Optimus talks about Cybertron, including it's war, and how his actions led to the Ark's crash on Earth, and the war being brought here now...

Soon, a newly recovered Cliffjumper arrives, who gets scared by Spike, and a newly arrived Carly, before returning to the Quarry with Optimus.

Wheeljack is being repaired using Optimus' trailer, but Ratchet admits that they don't have enough to rebuild everyone quick enough to counter the Decepticons, or to keep them active without Energon.

Rescue workers have arrived at the power plant, where the workers try to explain about the giant robot attacks, but no-one believes them...until Skywarp and the others arrive, and start a new rampage, with Soundwave even using an Energon converter from the Ark to steal the energy from the plant for their use.

A military jet is called to the plant, but they are attacked by Starscream, who knocks the jet out of the air, and kills the pilot with his bare hands, the co-pilot, Duke, manages to escape after shooting Starscream in the eye.

Spike amanges to steal a police car, whilst the military jet falls on Skywarp and Soundwave, causing a noticeable explosion.

The Autobots hear the noise, and the humans get worried about their parents nearby. Optimus heads off to investigate, knowing the Decepticons are involved, and he feels immense guilt for bringing them to Earth in the first place.

Ratchet remains at the base to continue fixing their allies, with Cliffjumper to protect him. Spike convinces Prime to let him come with him, so he can protect his family, along with Optimus.

Carly drives back home, unaware than Laserbeak is following her, noticing the Optimus Prime added to her van's mural.

Upon returning home, she finds Sparkplug, who has gathered her father's weapons, and explains that the robots have killed her father, Davey.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Ratchet - Ambulance

Cliffjumper - Car

Wheeljack Under Repairs 

Roller - Buggy Drone 

Brawn Stasis Locked

Jazz Stasis Locked 

Ironhide Stasis Locked 

Other Autobots Stasis Locked 

Beachcomber (Flashback) Shot by Decepticons

Beachcomber's Teammate (Flashback) Shot by Decepticons 

Bumblebee (Mentioned) Dead 

Previous Autobot Leader (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Skywarp - Fighter Jet

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Rumble - Cassette

Laserbeak - Cassette

Megatron (Flashback) Missing

Human

Spike

Carly

Sparkplug

Duke

Jordie

Frosting Killed by Starscream 

Plant Workers

Rescue Workers

Davey (Picture) Dead

Air Force Central Command Operator (Voice)

Spike's Mother (Mentioned) Dead

Jimmy (Mentioned) Dead

Other Cybertronian

Jetfire - Jet (Mentioned) Dead

Turborats (Mentioned)

Other

Cute Deer Accidentally Crushes by Optimus

Cute Wild Animals

Notes

• I can't help but think that the opening pages of Optimus accidentally killing a deer is a parody of the image of Optimus from the "Meet the Autobots" book for the 2007 Movie, where he is shown delicately interacting with butterflies and birds. See Here.
• Spike implies that his name is just a nickname given to him by his mother, before she died.
• Optimus states he and the Autobots left Cybertron after two centuries of war, meaning this incarnation of the Great War is a lot shorter than most others. (Though they also crashed on Earth a long time ago, since that war date)
• Megatron is shown to have been on the Ark before it crashed, fighting Optimus, and even causing his eye injury that he spotted before he was reformatted.
• Optimus' trailer is confirmed be include his combat deck, and even Roller! Yay! 
• The police cars seen this issue are designed like G1 Prowl, most likely to give his future alternate mode a basis, but this is a bit odd, since they are based on Japanese police cars...
• Duke makes his debut this issue, but seemingly pre-G.I. Joe, though he still seems to have some special tools.
• The two where the human characters are based is named as "Farmingham" here.
• Davey, from last issue is revealed to have been Carly's father.
• Just saying, we don't see Jetfire's body this issue...did Ratchet use him for spare parts for the Autobots?

Skybound - Transformers #1

Writer, Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson

Colourist: Mike Spicer

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Editor: Sean Mackiewicz

Publication Design: Andres Juarez

Plot

Sparkplug is in a bar, drinking away his troubles, following the death of his son, Jimmy, during a rocket launch. His surviving son, Spike, wakes him up, but upsets him when his dad notices his last son with Jimmy's telescope. Sparkplug is picked up by his friend to take him to work, while Spike goes off stargazing with his girlfriend, Carly.

Spike and Carly hike up a mountain and start to set up, when an earthquake hits, and the two tumble into a new crevasse, landing inside a long lost Spacecraft, the Ark, filled with seemingly dead, giant robots.

Soon, another robot, Jetfire, flies in, and plants a cartridge into Teletraan-1, the ship's computer, which gives it information about Earth vehicles, and starts repairing the other robots...

The first to wake up is Starscream, who immediately shoots the nearby Bumblebee in the head, killing him, whilst thanking the shocked Jetfire. The latter tries to stop Starscream from continuing his slaughter, but is shot by his old friend in the torso.

Before he can finish off their saviour, Starscream is stopped by the newly revived Optimus Prime, who also soon notices his human voyeurs and works to protect them.

Ratchet is soon revived too, along with Skywarp, clueing Starscream to Teletraan reviving them at random, prompting him to start dragging the other Decepticons closer to the computer.

Optimus realises they will be outnumbered soon, so orders Ratchet to load as many of their fellow Autobots into his new trailer as he can, for them to escape.

Soundwave is revived next, attacking Optimus, who is distracted when he finds the body of Bumblebee, and mourns for his friend, bringing back memories for Spike...

Starscream ambushes Optimus when he is distracted, and Soundwave deploys Ravage to assist him, but the humans manage to push Optimus' Ion Blaster to him, allowing him to blast Ravage and avoid the other Decepticons. Knowing he'll be too outnumbered if he doesn't stop the revival process, Optimus shoots and badly damages Teletraan-1, before escaping with Ratchet, the downed Autobots and the humans.

Starscream and Skywarp give chase, but Skywarp is quickly depleted of his energy, forcing them to return to the Ark, but not before Jetfire tries to repent by defeating Starscream, only to be fatally injured by his old friend.

Spike directs the Autobots to an old quarry for them to hide out in, where Jetfire apologizes for his rash actions, and believes their planet, and species itself is doomed to death now...as he dies himself...

At the Ark, Soundwave reveals that Teletraan-1 is beyond their current repair capabilities, but if they have materials and Energon, they may be able to repair it, and revive the rest of the Decepticons. Starscream is pressured into doing a solo resource run, due to the others being energy-depleted, and him being their leader now

The Decepticon leader soon finds a power plant, where Sparkplug happens to be working, where he attacks the electrical pylons, he soon notices Sparkplug's scared friend, whom the Decepticon picks up, and crushes to death, laughing about how pathetic the life on this planet was...

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Ratchet - Ambulance

Bumblebee Stasis Locked, Head blasted out by Starscream

Jazz Stasis Locked 

Cliffjumper Stasis Locked 

Prowl Stasis Locked 

Hound Stasis Locked 

Wheeljack Stasis Locked 

Windcharger Stasis Locked 

Other Autobots (Mentioned) Stasis Locked 

Decepticon

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Skywarp - Fighter Jet

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Ravage - Cassette Badly Injured by Optimus 

Thundercracker Stasis Locked

Reflector Stasis Locked 

Laserbeak - Cassette (Mentioned)

Megatron (Mentioned)

Other Decepticons (Mentioned) Stasis Locked 

Other Cybertronian

Jetfire - Cybertronian Jet Killed by Starscream

Teletraan-1 Destroyed by Optimus 

Human

Spike 

Carly

Sparkplug

Davey Killed by Starscream 

Danny

Jerry

Army Guy (Flashback) Likely Dead

Jimmy (Mentioned) Killed in Shuttle Explosion

Carly's Dad (Mentioned)

Notes

• This series follows on from Jetfire's departure in Void Rivals #1, with him making his way to Earth to wake up the Transformers (though I'm sure we'll learn how he found them and why he didn't go to Cybertron as he planned later)
• Of the characters on the Autobot cover of this issue, only Optimus and Ratchet are actually shown active this issue
• The Transformer character designs are based on the original designs of the characters from the 80s, unlike previous series where some level of toy synergy has been noted in recent years.
• Along with this, the series appears to be set around the 80s as well, with imagery of the Vietnam war and the (potential) Challenger explosion.
• Sparkplug is shown to be an ex-army guy, who lost a friend in war. I wonder if he'll be connected to GI Joe in this continuity?
• Spike is revealed to have had a brother named Jimmy, who died in a spacecraft explosion (who wants to bet that it'll be revealed to have been caused by a Cybertronian somehow?)
• The Cybertronians in this issue appear to be speaking in English, since the human characters don't need any translations.
• So...how do we think Bumblebee's going to be revived? GI Joe? Junkions? Something else?
• In the Marvel comics Teletraan believed that vehicles were the dominate form of life on Earth, here Jetfire knew the humans were, most likely due to his knowledge of other species (like the Aggorians and Zertonians)
• Optimus is shown to hold the Matrix in his chest at the moment, and reveals it has the power to heal, but not (seemingly) to revive the dead.
• Megatron is partially mentioned, but Starscream interrupts pointing out that HE is the leader now...what did you do to him Starscream?
• Sparkplug's friend is squished in front of him by Starscream...I think this version of the character will be anti-Cybertronian, like his Marvel counterpart.
• Jetfire knows Optimus' name, but didn't know he was the Prime yet, implying this version of the character was never known by an earlier name (like Orion Pax or Optronix)

IDW - Transformers: Shattered Glass II #5

Written by: Danny Lore

Art by: Guido Guidi

Inks by: Matt Froese

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Plot

The battle under Metroplex's shadow is in full force, Megatron relays the information of Magnus' plans to use the Titan, powered by Starscream's spark, to conquer the world, and about how Optimus has been held captive for a mystery operation too...

Soundwave finds the injured Slicer on his way to enter the Titan, where the two decide to team up to take down the Autobots, since he has grown a distaste for Magnus and his methods, and he wants to rescue his friend, Ratchet.

Soon after entering the Titan, the duo encounter Magnus' body, screaming in silence, but Soundwave's mind reading abilities tell him that it is Optimus' mind inside that body.

The real Magnus, now in Optimus' body, so he can lead the Autobots easier, and flanked by his Wreckers, and a captive Jetfire, arrive, with them still believing Slicer to be on his side, and that Soundwave is his captive too.

Slicer soon reveals his true nature, and attacks the Wreckers, intent to save his friend Ratchet and help his new ally Soundwave.

Before long, Jetfire is freed and Soundwave leads him to the spark chamber, where he frees Starscream's spark, and escapes from Metroplex with it, causing the Titan to collapse.

Magnus storms into the chamber and fights with Soundwave, for him ruining his plans, but the new Tyrant is shot from the Titans, to his apparent death, by Slicer. Soundwave is rescued from the Titan before his crashes, and is reunited with the other Deceptions.

In the aftermath, Jetfire has gone into hiding with Starscream's spark, while Slicer and Rachet are also hiding out, presumably to avoid further attacks from the remaining Wreckers. Meanwhile Prowl is the last Autobot Warlord still in power...

Characters

Autobot

Ultra Magnus - Truck Cab Killed by Slicer

Optimus Prime - Vehicle Transport Likely Killed in Metroplex Collapse

Jetfire - Jet

Slicer - Car

Ratchet - Ambulance

Rodimus - Car Killed by Soundwave

Drift - Car Shot in Gut by Soundwave

Springer - Helicopter/Car Killed by Slicer

Tailgate - Car

Jazz - Car

Ricochet - Car

Cosmos - Orbiter 

Prowl - Police Car

Blaster - Boombox (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Megatron - Jet

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Laserbeak - Cassette

Ravage - Cassette

Rumble - Cassette

Frenzy - Cassette 

Flamewar - Motorcycle

Slipstream - Jet

Hotlink - Jet

Starscream - Jet Spark and Ghost Only

Other

Metroplex - Titan Ship Disconnected from Starscream's Spark, Collapsed 

Notes

• Sorry I'm very late getting this review up, I guess it being the final issue of IDW's run got me to delaying it. Plus I've been busy.
• Like the rest of the series, the Hasbro Pulse release of this comic came with a figure of Soundwave with Ravage and Laserbeak. So that was nice :) 
• The issue starts with Megatron injured from the fight, but also knowing what Flamewar discovered last issue, showing at least a brief time skip between the issues.
• Metroplex has returned to not having his Autobot insignia again...
• Slicer is shown to have survived his fall from Metroplex.
• The inner robot gimmick from Ultra Magnus' toy is referenced this issue, with him replacing Optimus by swapping bodies with him. However, the physical toy of Magnus uses the Siege version of the mould, meaning the inner robot is very different. It also doesn't explain the new blue colour scheme either...
• Despite him still technically being alive when we last saw him, I can't see Optimus surviving Metroplex's crash, which everyone else was desperate to escape from.
• Once again, like the other ongoing series from IDW, this series ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, with Prowl as a potential big villain, after manipulating the other Warlords in the first two storylines.

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 #3

Written by: Danny Lore 

Art by: Guido Guidi

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Letters by: Neil Uyetake

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Design by: Jake Wood & Johanna Nattalie

Plot

Long ago, Starscream and his colleague Jetfire meet with Orion Pax to try and ask for funding in their Titan excavation project, which he seems interested in, but Starscream doesn't trust the Senator due to his shady nature, and walks off from the meeting...

Later, Starscream and Jetfire have managed to gather funds themselves and have managed to uncover the entire head of a sleeping Titan, Metroplex. Jetfire starts to worry about their finds running out before they can complete their work, but Starscream still refuses to even meet with Orion Pax due to his mistrust of him.

However, Jetfire goes against Starscream's wishes, and does go to Pax, and even joins the Autobot cause, with Jetfire even disavowing his friend when he refuses to join them. Starscream escapes from the Autobots and heads to the Titan site, where he destroys their research, while partially coding it to his own spark...

Much later, following the war's conclusion, Starscream returns to the long-abandoned Titan, where he completes the transfer, thus turning his spark into the key to awaking the Titans for the Decepticons to take back Cybertron...

In the present, Megatron and Starscream arrive in the Autobot-controlled Gold City, where they quickly find Soundwave, who is running a Decepticon Radio service for relating information to their scattered resistance fighters to ask him to help them relay their new plan to their forces.

Later, Megatron and Starscream meet in a bar, where they soon discover they are being spied on by Blaster and his minions, who quickly attack the Decepticons.

Megatron and Starscream put up a good fight, but Megatron is forced to restrain Blaster, allowing Starscream to fly to safety, as his spark is needed for their plans.

Starscream is shot out of the sky, but is found by Goldbug and his old friend Jetfire, who capture the Seeker...

Characters

Autobot

Goldbug/Bumblebee - Car

Jetfire - Jet

Blaster - Boom Box

Rewind - Cassette

Steeljaw - Cassette

Ramhorn - Cassette

Playback - Cassette Killed by Starscream

Gold City Denizens

Bar Patrons

Orion Pax - Truck (Flashback)

Prowl - Police Vehicle (Flashback)

Ironhide - Van (Flashback)

Jazz - Car (Flashback)

Chromedome - Car (Flashback)

Decepticon

Megatron - Jet

Starscream - Jet Captured by Goldbug

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Ravage - Cassette

Laserbeak - Cassette

Decepticon Soldiers (Mentioned)

Seekers (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Metroplex -Titan Ship (Flashback) Dormant

Scavenger - Excavator (Flashback)

Hook - Crane (Flashback)

Other Excavation Bots (Flashback)

Bots on Monitor (Images)

Notes

• You might notice that this issue's cover is in a different style to the other ones so far, that is because this is not the version that comes with the Starscream toy, since the toy has been (currently) delayed until early January. Incidentally, the next issue and the Goldbug figure have already been dispatched by Hasbro Pulse.
• Following the trend with this series, the returning characters from the Timelines continuity have been mostly reinterpreted with new personality quirks such as Ravage being overly talkative, but not speaking in 1337 speak.
• I can't really tell who the characters on Soundeave's screen are, die to them being just line arts, but I believe they use the Refraktor, Astrotrain and Fortress moulds, but they could still be anyone to be honest.
• Soundwave mentions that he's called the other Seekers to aide them, so we can assume they'll be making a reappearance soon, following their flashback cameos last issue (I know this happens with Skywarp next issue anyway, for the aforementioned reasons)
• This issue confirms that Metroplex, seen in the previous issues, is not actually an Autobot (yet) as he hasn't been awoken from his Titan sleep yet.
• Among the Cassettes deployed by Blaster is Playback, a character who appeared on Paradron in the G1 cartoon, and was named after a hi-and-die character from the Marvel comics of the same name.He doesn't last long...
• Starscream's unique spark is revealed here to be due to him reprogramming the Titan awakening system to be attuned to his spark signature, and later merging the programs fully to make him fully required for Metroplex and the others to wake up, essentially turning him into a Titan Master or Cityspeaker.
• The grid effects inside Starscream when he links up to the Titan system looks quite similar to the effects on him from merging with the Underbase in the Marvel continuity.
• The two bots that Starscream sees as he wakes up at the end of this issue are Goldbug and Jetfire, who are also the cover characters of the last two issues of this series. Nice touch! 

IDW - Transformers Shattered Glass #2

Written by: Danny Lore

Art by: Daniel Khanna

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Letters by: Neil Uyetake

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Design by: Jake Wood & Johanna Nattalie

Plot

Megatron's life of solitude past the Rust Sea is interrupted by the arrival of Starscream, who collapses after arriving from his injuries from both the Bodyscrappers and the Sea itself, forcing the reclusive Decepticon to help his loyal lieutenant.

Inside his hideout, Megatron patches up Starscream, and complains about his follower seeking him out, since he is no longer his leader, since losing the war, but Starscream counters that they haven't lost yet, and they still have a chance to save their planet from the Autobots.

Starscream reminisces over the first time he saw Megatron, he was at a protest, protecting Ratbat's right to protest from Prowl, and ended up getting arrested for attacking the officer.

Megatron was later released from prison by Orion Pax, due to their friendship, but the two get into an argument, after Orion threatens him with Empurata to try and fix his wild ways. The fight was soon broken up, but the two didn't speak again, until the war started...

Some time later, the war enndednup on Earth, with the final battle taking place in Hollywood, Megatron orders the other Decepticons to retreat, knowing they can't win, and takes on the Autobots alone, behind eventually beaten down by Megatron, but not before dealing some major damage to the Autobots, and saving multiple Decepticons from their enemies, allowing most of their forces to escape.

After Megatron awoke, following the battle, he escaped the remains of Earth on a shuttle, and returned to Cyberton, where he discovered the Autobots had conquered the planet in his absence, leading to his exile.

Back in the presence, Starscream continues to try and prove their potential to win the war still, when he reveals that he's continued to examine his unique spark, and believes he has found a way to use it to reawaken the sleeping Titans, and use them to take back the planet...

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck (Flashback)

Prowl - Police Car (Flashback)

Jetfire - Jet (Flashback)

Bumblebee - Car (Flashback) Blasted by Megatron, Reformatted into Goldbug

Ironhide - Van (Flashback)

Ratchet - Ambulance (Flashback)

Blurr - Race Car (Flashback)

Jazz - Car (Flashback)

Blaster - Boom Box (Flashback)

Windcharger - Car (Flashback)

Brawn - SUV (Flashback)

Downshift - Car (Flashback) Possibly Dead

Sunstreaker - Car (Flashback)

Sideswipe - Car (Flashback) Injured

Hot Rod - Car (Flashback) Injured 

Other Autobots (Flashback)

Dinobots (Mentioned)

Bodyscrappers (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Space Shuttle

Starscream - Jet

Shockwave - Flying Artillery (Flashback)

Thundercracker - Jet (Flashback)

Skywarp - Jet (Flashback)

Soundwave - Cassette Player (Flashback)

Rumble - Cassette (Flashback)

Frenzy - Cassette (Flashback)

Ravage - Cassette (Flashback)

Refraktor - Hovercraft (Flashback)

Scrapper - Front End Loader (Flashback)

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer (Flashback)

Kickback - Locust (Flashback)

Bombshell - Bill Weevil (Flashback)

Other Decepticons (Flashback)

Other Cybertronian

Ratbat - Cassette (Flashback)

Chromedome - Car (Flashback)

Miners (Flashback)

Empurata Protesters (Flashback)

A Titan (Hologram Only)

Whirl - Helicopter (Poster Only)

The Senate (Mentioned)

Drillers (Mentioned)

Other

Humans (Mentioned) Possibly killed by Autobots

Notes

• This issue, again, came with a free figure, this time of Shattered Glass Megatron! (The price was a lot higher, though there is a cheaper option without the toy if you'd prefer)
• Megatron's Cape in the present setting appears to be based on the one worn by Optimus and Megatron in their G2 Cybertronian Alliance design.
• Laste issue Prowl was shown in shadows, seemingly to hide his design, possibly for a future toy reveal...but we see him in all his glory this issue!
• Whirl is shown on a pro-Empurata poster in the background of this issue, the old IDW continuity had Whirl as a stern hater of Empurata, following his own punishment.
• Optimus Prime/Orion Pax's windscreen crack is revealed to be an injury caused from his first fight with Megatron, pre-war.
• It's unclear what happened after Megatron was defeated, but from the ground looking pretty torn up, we can assume the Autobots probably raized Hollywood, if not more of Earth.
• Among the injured Autobots seen laying around are Downshift, Sideswipe and Hot Rod, the latter two being important characters in the previous continuity, but who knows with this one.
• Bumblebee is seen this issue during th flashback, where he is coloured like Bug Bite. We also see here that his injuries, that led to him being rebuilt as Goldbug were caused by Megatron shooting him with his fusion cannon.
• Starscream having an unusual spark is a recurring theme in Transformers fiction, with him usually being shown as being unable to permanently die.
• Earth having "Rarified Energon" is likely in reference to the Classics Universe from Fun Publications, which was the "positive" counterpart to the original Shattered Glass continuity. In that version the Energon was because Earth was actually a giant Transformers called Gaia, but I doubt they're doing that here again...

IDW - Transformers Halloween

Written by: Dan Watters

Art by: Beth McGuire-Smith

Colours by: Nahuel Ruiz

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Plot

Word has been spread that the Autobots are roaming in the area outside of Iacon, plotting to retake it from the Decepticons, so Megatron is planning a hunting party.

Initially, he plans to have Starscream lead the team, but after Sixshot questions his loyalty, he relents and appoints Soundwave instead.

Starscream, having overheard this conversation storms outside, where he encounters the Battlechargers, who say they have heard a strange howl in the wastelands.

Determined to prove his skills, he decides to investigate himself, having explored the area when he was newly forged with his mentor, Cryak.

Eventually, Starscream finds the source of the sound, an enslaved-organic that has been separated from his Voin master, but is trapped by a cable. 

Starscream intends to put the creature out of its misery, but as soon as he stabs the cable with his blade, he is electrocuted, and knocked out.

Starscream wakes up inside the organic, trapped, but soon encounters another spark inside the organic, Cryak, who was trapped in there when her spark was accidentally caught in the organic's cable and trapped her inside it.

Cryak soon shows Starscream how to manifest a "physical" form inside the organic, to make it easier to communicate, but she reveals that her time inside the organic has warped her mind, and driven her to hate the concept of Cybertronians emulating organics in several ways, and intends to use Starscream's body to "liberate" every Cybertronian she can, and reduce them to their true spark forms.

Starscream draws a line at genocide however, and fights off his former mentor, resulting in him escaping the organic, and returning to his body.

As punishment for her actions, he leaves the organic alive, thus condemning Cryak to his body as a prison...

Characters

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Sixshot - Tank/Jet/Car/Fun/Winged Beast

Starscream - Jet

Runabout - Car

Runamuck - Car

Soundwave - Hovercraft (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Cryak - Buggy Spark Trapped Inside "Ook"

The Autobots (Mentioned)

The Unaligned (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Other

"Ook" Ensnared by Control Wire

Voin

Other Enslaved-Organics

Notes

• This issue shows us that the organic aliens are still in Iacon...I wonder how long it'll take for the Decepticons to start using them for target practice.
• Starscream is revealed to have joined the Decepticons this issue, but it's not clear if he is truly loyal to Megatron yet. He is still mentioned as being the head of intelligence though, so I guess Megatron trusts him at least a little bit.
• This issue shows us at least part of the process of a character going Immersant, with Cryak laying down, allowing cables to enter Cybertron and pass her spark into the planet and her body to be recycled into it too.
• Cryak's beliefs that Cybertron is Primus' body are reminiscent of Reversionist beliefs, implying that she was probably one before she died.

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....

IDW - Transformers/My Little Pony: The Magic of Cybertron #2

Stunt Flying

Writer: Ian Flynn

Artist: Priscilla Tramontano

Colours: Joana LaFuente

Letterer: Jake M. Wood

One-Trick Pony

Writer: Sam Maggs

Artist: Trish Forstner

Colours: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Neil Uyetake

Editor: Megan Brown

Consulting Editor: David Mariotte

"Stunt Flying" Plot

The Seekers and Wonderbolts have teamed up to attack a group of Sombra-Controlled bots and Equestrians in a Cybertronian city. The controlled bots and horses fire lasers on the fliers, and the two groups are at odds at how to take restrain them, until Rainbow Dash comes up with the idea to have the Wonderbolts use their Pegasus powers to create a rainstorm, and she creates a Sonic Rainboom and disorient then controlled crowd, allowing the Decepticons to fire missiles loaded with Energon nets to capture them.

The Decepticons consider killing the captured Autobots in the batch, but decide against it in case they need the forces to take on Sombra and his hoard. Starscream tries to take credit for their victory, but the rest of the team celebrate Rainbow instead, much to Starscream's annoyance.

"One-Trick Pony" Plot

Applejack wanders around a Cybertronian desert, until she encounters Wild Wheel, who claims the area belongs to him. The two get into a stare down, but is ends after they both knock out the Sombra-controlled Quickstrike and Skids, with each earning the other's respect. The two walk off into the sunset, discussing how Equestria has magic all the time, and Applejack says that she has a friend who can make them matching hats. 

Characters

Autobot

Ironhide - Van Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Jazz - Car Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Hound - Jeep Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Skids - Van Controlled by Sombra, Defeated by Wild Wheel

Decepticon

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Skywarp - Fighter Jet

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Wild Wheel - Car

Swindle - Jeep Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Brawl - Tank Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Motormaster - Truck Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Quickstrike - Scorpion-Snake Fuzor Controlled by Sombra, Defeated by Applejack and Wild Wheel

Equestrian

Applejack

Rainbow Dash

Spitfire

Wave Chill

Blaze

Surprise

Soarin

High Winds

Possessed Ponies Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Sombra (Mentioned)

Rarity (Mentioned)

Notes

• I can understand there being more Cybertronians under Sombra's control than the ones we saw in issue one, since he's been "recruiting" them...but where did the extra Ponies come from?
• It shouldn't need to be said, but Starscream's fantasy form is based on his "Emperor Starscream" form from the original movie.
• Rainbow Dash mentions how Starscream was defeated by her, and his own cape in the previous crossover.
• For some reason, Rainbow Dash isn't in her Wonderbolts uniform (and don't say "she didn't bring it with her", Applejack didn't bring her cowboy outfit with her either, yet she's wearing it this issue!)
• It's not stated in the issue, but the location where Applejack is wandering is most likely the Sea of Rust, but re-designed to better resemble the "Old West".
• Wild Wheel is a straight transfer of his character from Cyberverse, right down to his status of being a former Autobot, current Decepticon.
• The two mind controlled bots during the second story are Quickstrike and Skids, the former having a strong western theme to him in Beast Wars, and the latter having had a story from the Marvel days with a western theme too (I guess they needed another cowboy-type from somewhere).
• It's not stated here, but we can assume that Quickstrike is a Decepticon. Though, since he was originally a Maximal protoform who just joined the Predacons of his own will in Beast Wars, he could be an Autobot?