Also have Movieverse Swindle
Armada Scavenger (wheres Demolisher)
Possibly Armada Hoist
Grimlock (1st nu-IDW appearance?)
Possibly WfC/Prime Breakdown

 

I squinted a bit, and I think the Grimlock-looking robot is actually Brawl (the Combaticon).

 

Yeah, you're right

 

Ok so this special was actually released in Feb of last year (How I didn't know that?) and it's obviously a one-shot comic written by someone not named Ruckley (Patrick Ehlers? Never heard of him). But doesn't make it any better or worse

The main comic is about Glyph and Tap Out. The bonus is about Cosmos and BlastOff. There are no spoilers for the main ongoing as this was supposedly set before the events of the main comic.

To sum it up;

So Glyph is a linguist working for Cybertron's xeno-relations division, who just had her dream research project approved. Glyph also happens to be friends with, Tap Out, a gladiatorial boxer who just saw himself out of a job after Sentinel Prime apparently banned gladiator fights. She wants him to come along as bodyguard to a planet where she's going to try and study the natives' language. Tap Out isn't as thrilled as Glyph obviously. But fine. They take a ship to the remote planet (named SDS something) where the natives are wolf-like creatures. Glyph tries to speak to them, she fails and the natives unleash a monstrous creature on them. Right up Tap Out's alley!

Long story short, this is just the start of Tap Out's celebrity hero status among the natives. Night after night, he slays every creature they unleash and they adore him. Glyph finally has an idea. She wants Tap Out to try speaking to them. He's obviously having more success connecting with them than she did. Tap Out agrees and he tries. This time, however, they unleash a much bigger monster. To Tap Out's surprise, Glyph comes to the rescue with his club!

and cue the romantic embrace
In the end, Glyph reports in her log that the project has been a success. They finally figured out that communication isn't just about words but emotions. of Fear. Excitement. and LOO0VVVE. Duh.

​

My rating: 2 out of 5 hearts. Not enough cowbell, I mean love.​

OPEN COMMS: Cosmos & BlastOff

Cosmos is working as Chief of Space Security on Cybertron's winged moon. It's a lonely job with just space debris or the accident prone (in this continuity) Gears for company. So you can imagine his, uhm, enthusiasm when he accidently picks up a transmission from Blast-Off, a transport specialist. Cosmos and Blast-off have a chat, (apparently the first of more), telling each other the most mundane every day happenings on the job. Blast-Off not liking his boss, Gear's mishaps etc. Over the course of so many cycles of conversation, they've formed a close long distance relationship and are finally going to see each other except

Blast-Off sends Cosmos a group picture of him and other bots. As Cosmos is trying to pick out a face to match the name, Blast Off admits the picture was just a distraction. So Cosmos turns around and well, if you've never seen Blast-Off, you'd be disappointed. So you can just tell yourself that they really did meet and that "Hey, Cosmos, right?" wasn't just audio.

Happy Ending, I guess.

2.5 out of 5 Just a little better than the other one. If only for a couple points of interest I noticed

• Cosmos asking how transporting passengers feels and Blast off says it's unpleasant as "unfiltered energon".   Can't Wait till all cybertronians get to earth.
  
• Like I said this was before the main comic but as most of us know
  Spoiler

  Blast-Off was/is a Riser. So he's most likely a decepticon by now because, duh, he's a future combaticon.
  for #27 of the main ongoing. Puts an interesting snag in this 'ship.

​

imho, it was like watching one of those shippy G1 episodes. probably wouldn't be out of place. the kind that makes you insufferably entertained for some reason.

 

I tried to order this comic back last year from my LCBS after it came out since it slipped past my radar, but I guess that order never was able to be fullfilled despite their efforts. I'll have to remember to get the Comixology version of this.