Yup, another great issue! Beautifully drawn by Alex! This has been excellent, and a shame it's ending with the next issue.
As far as I'm concerned this deserves a sequel or a Stardrive spinoff...anything!

Can't wait for the probable ending where

Spoiler

Bumblebee is relieved to see Ultra Magnus somehow surviving this ordeal, being none the wiser  

 

I like Livia, both here and in regular ROM issues.

Usually when you have a female hero who's going to be aggressive they're just angry grrrllls and often borderline bat***t insane (Hello, IDW Murdercee...).

Livia's just ruthless.

She's genuinely trying to get rid of Wraiths and everything else what gets in her way of doing so.

 

This isn't just good for a crossover, this is good for a TF book in general. More of this, IDW. Semi-gritty, sci-fi, adventure, and action are the words. That's what a standard book should be.

 

A fantastic book =)

 

This is easily my favorite crossover, because it's....well, it just jives in a really natural way. That said, wasn't really as into this issue because of Stardrive going back and forth, some more, but man they've done a lot to make the Dire Wraith's feel like a threat. Gurren Monster Formers.

 

I found it funny how the Free Digital Ashcan of ROM: First Strike in this book contradicts the event of the book which is was added to. Saying Dire Wraiths could not bond to machines  

 

God Milne is amazing. Can’t wait for LL 13 and whatever he does after.

 

I stopped caring about Stardrive's plight with this issue. I'm more interested in Ultra Magnus', despite we all know that's not Minimus Ambus.

 

Milne draws the best robo-Cronenbergs. I'd like to see Ultra Vekktrus somehow get a toy.

 

Are we sure it's not him? I've got a theory that it could actually be Minimus and that he ejected at the last minute, leaving the wraiths to take over the Magnus armor.

All the same, it could just as easily have been a previous dude and he could be super-dead right now.

 

He's a completely different character... gung-ho, jokey, and uncaring towards organics. This is not minimus.

Glorious art and story though. Glorious.

 

How many of us are surprised at how good john barber is with this series.? I've always been a fan but a lot of folk have criticised him in the past. He's nailing this story helped of course by the brilliant Alex Milne who proves once again that a good comic book story needs a good artist to make the most of it. Top marks for me

 

Part of that might be Gage, he's certainly fairgodmothered other IDW books he was cowriter on in the past (Cobra).

But Barber released this, OP 9 and Revolutionaries at the same time, so I agree that he seems to be hitting a stride that I didn't expect from him before

 

I read barbers movie verse stuff in the past and knew he was capable of doing a good mini series. I liked both foundation and rising storm which were good reads all things considered.

 

It's important to chew thoroughly for proper digestion.

And with how evil and dangerous the Wraiths are it's not that it comes across as her just being nuts. Once you get a Wraith infestation really going, burning the planet becomes the most merciful thing you can do for the inhabitants, and the most effecient way to stop the Wraiths.

Eh character doesn't seem to match up too well. Though I'm wondering if Tyrest isn't going to have to make a whole new set of armor. I don't see how you'd get anyone in it after that even if it gets recovered.

 

I've been a Barber fan since Day 1, so I'm not surprised at all. He has his "Barberisms," but he's proven to be a much more versatile writer than almost any other TF writer. Of course, he's also co-writing this with Christos Gage, who is a fantastic writer in his own right.

 

Its a great writing combination. Its just a pity its ending with the next issue. I wonder will we see this combination again. I have no idea who is writing visionaries v transformers but i can't see it being as good as this was lol.

 

I'm starting to wonder if Stardrive is going to end up inside the Magnus armour once they get rid of the possession...

 

So Stardrive will die?  

I hope not.

 

I started thinking this might not be the series where this Magnus dies. As we've now seen in other books,

Spoiler

it's possible to reverse the effects of a Dire Wraith,

correct? Maybe this a-hole version of Magnus will live to see another day.

really enjoying this series too!