I passed over issue 5 without mentioning that amazing, iconic cover by Mark Bright, who would later go on to pencil G.I.Joe and even one more trip to the Transformers mythos with “Transformers Spotlight: Nightbeat.”

I may as well cram 5 and 6 together here. We meet Tony Star—I mean G.B. Blackrock. We also meet innocent Josie Beller. Who, thanks to Shockwave, suffers the injuries that will lead her to become Circuit Beeaker!
Shockwave, intelligent as he is, is no different than Megatron. Let’s blow up that which we covet. He did create GPS though, which is cool. “Decepticons! I dropped a pin.”
The scene where Megatron blasts Shockwave out of the volcano is great.
Though poor Megs, still can’t take this Dude out.
Buster gets mind invaded by Prime. That’s about all of the Autobot side of things, though it’s a major one. Makes me think they could of played more with this down the line. Maybe Buster could of took down Unicron.

 

I can talk about the art (and the errors), the coloring, and the story,. I can mention Shockwave attacking and conquering an oil platform, the comic again showing that outside of the jets none of the Decepticons can fly (save Shockwave, because), Buster getting the matrix (energy) and Ratchet learning he’s the last remaining functioning Autobot.

But this issue is known mostly for one thing: the Megatron-Shockwave fight.

What’s most interesting about this fight is that it continuous the theme for Megatron. Shockwave doesn’t win because he’s stronger than Megatron. That is undecided (but Megatron is without a doubt stronger). Nor does he win because he's a better fighter. No, Shockwave wins because Megatron is so convinced of his own physical strength, that he’s unable to see beyond it and thus fails to see ways he can loose.

For issue 3 it could be argued that this was the reason why he allowed Sparkplug to get away (albeit in an attempt to let him fall to his death – ignoring the possibility that he could be rescued) and in issue 4 this caused him to be blind to the possibility that Sparkplug could poison the fuel he made (and making Megs willing to kill other Decepticons just to get to Optimus). Here it’s the same again: he’s so convinced of his physical strength that he doesn’t take the time to properly heal. Had he done so, he most likely would’ve won. But by rushing in before his repairs were complete…well, as Shockwave summarised: simply moving caused him great pain, his reflexes were slow and all the cracks in his body gave Shockwave a deadly weapon in the shape of a bowl with water.


But in the end it was all to the benefit of the Marvel run. With Megatron out of the way as leader, Shockwave could be developed as a character and this was in no doubt to the benefit of the Marvel run.

 

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Art and colouring has remarkably improved: characters are actually the right colour (Soundwave is even actually blue-ish), the designs are correct (even with the background characters) and all looks a lot better than the previous issues.

Storywise everything moves forward. Josie Beller is clearly working on what will become Circuit Breaker. Meanwhile the energy that Optimus zapped Buster with, starts to act up giving its first inkling that it was more than just some random energy pulse, but Matrix (energy) showing that Optimus is taking steps to stop Shockwave.

Ratchet having learned from Buster the horrible news, returns to the Ark and starts his voyage to becoming (arguably) the central character of the Marvel TF storyline. His confrontation with Megatron shows how incredibly outmatched he is: not just because his own lack of strength, but also Megatron’s immense physical power. But a communication from Shockwave and Megatron’s frustrated response, gives him an opening tying into the report about the Dinobots in issue 3 (yay, continuity).

Elsewhere, Shockwave’s plan starts to take shape. It also shows he has an actual plan, unlike Megatron who was just thinking with his fists. And Soundwave’s attack and conquest is to me the best use of his altmode during actual G1. Unlike cartoon Spike, this employee finding a cassette player and taking it with him, makes sense.

All in all, it’s definitely going places with a clear plan behind the story.

 

Agree on all points.
I do also enjoy how Bobs opening arc is Ratchet V. Megatron and of course that becomes quite the callback/sequel several years later when Simon takes over and that ends up being HIS first arc.

 

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And now....The Dinobots!
Never realized this was also a Mark Bright cover (issue 5).
The artwork dazzles again, with returning art team of Johnson and Baker.
*this issue takes place before avengers #257. Yep, no one cares. Let that be the final Marvel Universe nod.
Not thing that IDW 1 captured in the beginning (Infiltration, et al) was the human reaction to giant transforming robots. However, this series is also showing the transformers reaction to Earth and it’s inhabitants. Ratchet does a great job throughout this issue, first here with the tubular carbon based life form (snake) and later with the humans skiing (“I would think it would cause them to rust!”)
A little bit of what seems like unnecessary exposition, but it doesn’t matter. This issue is packed with story, so it doesn’t take away anything.
The scene where Shockwave transforms and lands on approach to Megatron is just beautiful art.
As ratchet finds the Dinobots and enters Slags mind, I can’t help but feel a little cheated. All of this “how did they beat Shockwave” leaves you to believe they exploited an unknown weekness, but they didn’t. They just, you know, fought.
A little foreshadowing coloring mistake. As shockwave tumbles in the flashback, he’s colored to look like Megatron, who will fall at issues end. Oops. Yomtov was as confused as Megatron is later.
Another great scene with Shockwave in flight as he descends onto Blackrocks base. This is simply theaterical art. Johnson was not here to collect a paycheck. He cared, and it shows. A shame he didn’t stay longer.
Interlude: Josie Beller is about to emerge as something new and powerful.
Back to story A. Megatron twiddles his thumbs. When I reflect on this story, as good as I find it to be, it is nothing like the cartoon. In the sense that the cartoon had 22 minutes to get a team of Autobots fight a team of Decepticons and wrap things up every time. Here, in a comic, though successful, didn’t know if they would go another year or two. After all, it’s a licensed toy. Yet, they strung this story out for quite awhile. Megatron sitting could harken some thoughts to a lot of the “just talking” going on in IDW2 right now.
Anyway, so Ratchet tricks Megatron. I admit, I didn’t quite follow at first. I just thought he was showing footage of the Dinobots defeat of Shockwave 4 million years ago simply to show “how they did it.” Not to imply it happened today. But, even though it’s not clear to the read imo, it’s a clever move for Ratchet.
Again, I can’t say enough about this artwork. The scene where Grimlock faces Megatron head to head with the fire (?) behind them is amazing and iconic.
Megatron really shows how tough he is, here. Even though he couldn’t take down Shockwave (to be fair he wasn’t fully powered), he knocks the Dinobots around like the new toys we’re ....trying ....to sell are. Then Ratchet tries to take him down and he doesn’t budge. (Good thing Ratchet is a little tougher by 59).
But alas, a similar fate, that of Shockwaves from 4 million years ago, is now to succumb Megatron. The ice cracks, he transforms, and falls to his comfy snowy tomb. Snarl suggests they go down to check it out, Ratchet reminds them that’s simply not the Autobot way (as we learn in ReGen). Just assume all is good and leave.
Hip hip hooray! The Autobots are Free! Assuming Shockwave doesn’t come back....
Epilogue: Now it’s Circuit Breakin time!

 

Although it’s the same artist as the previous issue, I for some reason care little for the art. It seems to shaded, making it look rough. It still is very consistent and a definite improvement over the start of the series, though, because the character models are pretty accurate. Colouring is mostly right, although Ratchet who was coloured blue-ish quite often(probably in an attempt to not make him too white).

Storywise not a lot and a whole lot is happening. Josie Bellar her work moves forward and considering she has the ability to shoot something from her hands, there’s no doubt we’ll be seeing more of her in the next issues. Likewise, Shockwave’s plan moved forward by him bringing Optimus his head to the factory, but nothing else. (Note: something that didn’t bother me when I read this in the 80’s but does bother me now, is Shockwave’s ability to fly in both alt and robotmode. I very much appreciated only those with an aerial node, the seekers and the birds, being able to fly with the others being transported by them.)

The whole story is all about Ratchet and his plan to save the Autobots. We get introduced to the Dinobots, properly this time, and see what happened to them and Shockwave back then. And Ratchet using this to trick Megatron while at the same time being smart enough to know Megatron will kill him.

But for me the big surprise in all this is Megatron. First that he’s willing to return to a command position by having someone else do the killing for him. I feel this does not fit with the Marvel depiction of the character. What does fit is the rest. Although Megatron knows (Ratchet told him) that the Dinobots defeated Shockwave in the past, he’s easily tricked by the recording not questioning the surroundings or checking the result with the other Decepticons, showing once again that this Megatron is someone who thinks with his fists and not a great intellect.

This shows again in the final confrontation. First Megatron displays how immense powerful he is: the Dinobots are defeated by him and him alone, and with the exception of Swoop who he shoots down, all the other four he defeats with his bare hands in just a few strikes. Marvel Megatron is incredibly strong and again it is his undoing. So convinced is he of his strength and his ability to brush off Ratchet his attack (and rightfully so), that he doesn’t step aside (an easier victory) nor does he consider the possibily that the mountain edge might break off under the impact. And as a result Megatron plummets to the ground, showing once again that he can’t fly in this continuity, and transforming to smaller gun mode to lessen the impact.

And Ratchet and the Dinobots return to the Ark to free the others.

Did they retcon this in ReGen? I can't remember. Anyway, here it's not because of the Autobot code or way of conduct. Ratchet reasons that it's more important to restore their friends in the Ark. And his thought bubble makes clear he's not certain that this was enough to really defeat Megatron suggesting that he fears that if they go down to find Megatron, Megatron might still overpower them. ​

 

I was being a little sarcastic about it being Autobot code. When ReGen began, the point of the first arc was that the Autobots never returned to Earth to tidy up and Megatron laid waste to the world for 20 years.

 

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This cover is memorable, though maybe not in a good way. What is up with Starscreams face?
Though this does bring me back to those old comic packs you would find on the newsstands where there were maybe 3 comics in them and they were all random. Transformers #9, Punisher War Zone #13 and What If..? #27 or some such.

Splash page is pretty good. We open at Blackrock Speedway. Art is now by Mike Manley, who so far is looking good.
Apparently I was wrong in the previous issue about the final marvel universe mention. Here we see the daily bugle. Never caught that before.
We now enter the hospital room of Josie Beller. Blackrock says he would of been here dinner if not for the army brats. Ha! They took away his final 5 minutes of lap time! He would of been there at the same time no matter what.
We get about 5 pages in before we see transformers. But here come the Autobots! Finally back! And we see Ultra Magnus - I mean Optimus Prime (colored white. Oops).

Interesting line here that Ratchet is in command. Yes, he saved the Autobots. But wouldn’t Jazz, Prowl or Ironhide fill the leadership role now?
But then Prowl gives Jazz permission to strike a deal with Blackrock. Maybe I don’t have a clue what’s going on.
Starscreams plotting and ability to get into Shockwaves head is perfect here.
As Circuit Breaker creates technology to help with levitation, Buster does his own mechanical levitation thanks to the creation matrix. Could of been an interesting battle eventually. What could of been.....
Security Guard reading a play boy? Hey-O!
Blackrock: “Jazz? What’s a ....Jazz?” Really? That IS a word here on Earth ya know?
Well now we get the battle scene. The Deceps are in and out pretty quick. Circuit Breaker does what she does best. Trash Autobots.
But although she is the only one who emerged from the battle unscathed, she is the one who has truly lost.

 

Art and colouring continue and we get the inspiration for the old classics Ultra Magnus figure: a white Prime with blue legs (although the classics Magnus had a head).

It's incredible how slow everything is moving, and yet the story definitely moves forward. Very realistic. Also, it's nice to see a story being built up over so many issues. Possibly the greatest step forward is Josie using her brains to develop things while paralised that we're still not able to make: machines flying thanks to an electric field and chips that replace the nervous system. And even better, we get feminine power with her putting Blackrock in his place (she sabotages his big gun, but honestly I don't see it being useful anyway). Meanwhile our human hero, Buster, is been given it all on a platter: thanks to the matrix (energy) he can now understand machines and fix them with his mind.

Meanwhile while the previous issues displayed Megatron's big flaw, Shockwave here shows his own. Megatron was unable to fathom defeat because of his physical strength, but Shockwave is so convinced of his intellect and logic, that the doors are open for him to fail. He already isn't seeing the big picture allowing Starscream to plot behind his back and "destroy" the gun (which Starscream plans to use of course against Shockwave -- a nice twist from the cartoon depiction where he would just shoot, here he knows he needs some edge). The fight is interesting in light of the first four issues. There, the Decepticons were clearly superior, but here Jazz and Wheeljack seem to hold their ground against Starscream and Frenzy (who's properly blue). But Circuit Breaker changes the fight with more damage to the Autobots than the Decepticons.


But for two things I loved this issue in the 80's. First I tried my damnest best to name all the Autobot cars roling up on the first page and wondering who I missed. The next page(s) show the Autobots in robotmode, all about the same size, but sans Sunstreaker. A nice piece of continuity since it was Sunstreaker who was destroyed even furter all the way back in issue 5 or 6. (And thus I have no connection to Sunstreaker: he's the guy shot by Shockwave to make a point.)

But the biggest reason why this issue is special to me, is because it explained Jazz his function/role. He isn't command material. He's the guy when there's something special to be done. An unknown situation to be solved. Here the desperate fuel shortage is solved by him because he understand an Earth businessman and makes a deal: fuel for protection. But thinking further, it makes the Autobots less the pure noble creatures from the cartoon and with their own agenda. In the cartoon the Autobots would stop the Decepticons anyway, but here Jazz presents it as part of the deal: you give us fuel, we'll drive them off.

Yeah, the speech bubble is placed wrong. Prowl is in command. When the Autobots transform Prowl adresses Ratchet as Chief Medical Officer, and not commander. And as you said, it's Prowl who gives Jazz permission and calls him his special operations officer.

 

Ahhh thank you!

 

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I bought this in a three pack with, if I remember correctly, issues 8 and 9. I started reading Transformers around issue 29, so I was pretty well used to the human guest star of the month-type stories Uncle Bob would give us... but few are quite as strange as the appearance of Bomber Bill. I remember thinking it was pretty out there. Not bad, necessarily, but different. I guess this was an effective way to continue showing how "alien" the Transformers were. This is a storytelling engine that I did not ever particularly care for, but this one, as well as issue 13 certainly have their merits and charm. Love the idea of Soundwave being hooked up to a broadcast dish to boost his signal, and of course, our first taste of Devastator.

The aerospace factory subplot... eh.

 

It’s not often that I say this, but issue 10 is one issue where I think the general premise was done better in the cartoon.

The general premise being of course the introduction of the Constructicons and them merging to become Devastator. At least here there’s no confusion: the Constructicons are created on Earth. Their bodies made in the factory and life given to them by the matrix. But how and when? Were the Constructicons brought to life in the Ark back in issue 3 (and thus before Optimus passed on the Matrix energy) or did Optimus still have some left in him and did he allow Shockwave to use this? This wasn’t clear to me back in the 80’s upon first reading, and it’s not clear to me now. Also, Shockwave ranted earlier on about his body being made from nuclear hardened steel. Did they do the same for them and thus is this now technology present in this factory and watched by the workers?

Anyway, the appearance of Devastator is supposed to be something big, but it just doesn’t feel that way. His first appearance in the cartoon resulted in a much bigger impact Maybe it’s in part because the Marvel comics didn’t magically have the Constructicon grow when they merge, or maybe it’s just the visuals.

As for the art...yeah, it sucks again. From Shockwave’s double D chest in the opening shot, to the weird faces and strange proportions. Colouring is also again all over the chart, resulting in a very inconsistent Autobots vs Devastator fight. The text identifies them as Huffer, Hound, Ironhide, Bluestreak and Sideswipe (joining Bumblebee), but colouring also shows Prowl, a car coloured like Jazz, a Ratchet coloured van, a transforming car coloured like Sunstreaker, a green Ironhide (or a badly drawn Devastator).

Honestly, the only positive thing I took from this was a minor interest in Huffer. He gets some nice character development in this story: the homesick Autobot who makes a bad call because of it. Also, a MP Huffer figure should come definitely come with a Bomber Bill.

To give it another a few plusses: unlike the cartoon the Constructicons just drive (for cover or because they can’t fly?) with Soundwave as their passenger (and we know he can't fly here). Blackrock’s tour through the Ark shows the alienness of the TF’s (and him thinking of financial gain). And Sunstreaker’s absence in the previous issue is confirmed as the result of injuries sustained. Not just giving us continuity, but also driving home that (unlike the cartoon) this depiction of the TF war does have casualties that aren’t fixed at the end end of the episode/issue. Oh, and of course, this may be mostly a stand-alone story, but it is still part of the overarching plotline.

 

Yep the grandeur of the forming of Devastator was not given any space. That should of been a turn of the page splash, but instead, meh. Is he just another constructicon?
Jet fire is drawn horribly wrong. Maybe the artist didn’t have anything to go by.
I agree a Huffer MP figure with Bomber Bill would be amazing.

 

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Issue 11 Brainstorm…no connection, though.


Another new artist (they either couldn’t find someone or nobody wanted to stay for more than one issue) and he’s a definite improvement of the artist of the previous issue. Colouring is mostly good as well. (Note: in my old, translated issue, the colours of the fight with Jetfire were really wonky: all shades of green, but either my version was a misprint or it was corrected in the Titan TPB – although he’s very red coloured, but that kind of fits with his (armoured) toy and Marvel Universe look.)

The story moves forward with Buster coming to accept what exactly Optimus did to him, while related Shockwave concludes that Optimus no longer has the Matrix (energy?) and succeeds in determining where it went, while the Autobots with help from Buster are successful in saving Buster. Still, the issue ends with a threat: Shockwave will terminate Optimus because he’s no longer useful.


I wanted to write that this was very much a Buster centric story, but it really isn’t. He's important, but the story juggles multiple storylines with the focus on several characters. And it’s great. Buster coming to grips and confessing the truth to his father, with his father expressing animosity towards the Autobots (considering the damage they caused to his garage, him being kidnapped and tortured, and the heroes giving him a hard time and a heart attack, it makes a lot of sense and again hammers down the difference between the comics and the cartoon). Shockwave remaining his cold self and keeping tabs on everything and keep on planning. Also loved the use of Bluestreak here who in line with his bio is heavily (and widely) armed Autobot who easily deals with Laserbeak, but confronted with the large and machinelike efficient Jetfire, freezes on the battle field.


And holy smokes, Jessie a hottie. I was in my early teens when I read this and teen-brained me read those pages with her multiple times. What the hell does Buster have to attract such a pretty girl?

 

When it comes to coloring, holy smokes this cover! Bumblebee is Red and Blue. Blue streak? Eh, let’s just make him all green. Whatever.
Interior contents are great, however. This artist is none other than Herb Trimpe, who I hadn’t realized until now that he did this. Although I was never a huge fan of his G.I.Joe work, he knocks this out of the park! The pencils and inks are phenomenal. And Uncle Bob gives us a great storyline.
I loved Bluestreak in this issue. As a kid he made me laugh quite a bit.
The story with Buster, Jesse and Sparkplug is really strong stuff. And that splash page where Buster takes down Jetfire really makes up for a lack of a splash page for the Devastator reveal just last issue. A story still packed solid, but enough room to properly breathe at just the right moment. A payoff well earned.
I still truly wish the Buster and the matrix story could of developed into something more down the road. Oh well.
And Jesse. Oh yes, Jesse. She will always have a place in my heart (cheesey but too bad! Lol).