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THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

Marvel Comics
(1984-1994)
Japanese
Manga
Other Books
and Titles
Titan Books
(2001-2010)
Club/Con
(2001-2016)
Dreamwave
(2002-2004)
Devil's Due
(2003-2007)
IDW Publishing
(2005-now)

CURRENT TRANSFORMERS COMICS FROM IDW PUBLISHING

Beast Wars: The Ascending

| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | TPB | Omnibus | PREVIEWS |

Beast Wars: The Ascending #1

Released 3rd October 2007.

Written by Simon Furman.

Art by Don Figueroa.

Colors by Andrew Elder & Jeong Joo Park.

Cover Colors by Josh Burcham .

Letters by Robbie Robbins.

Edits by Chris Ryall and Dan Taylor.

Synopsis: Following the events in Beast Wars: The Gathering, Magmatron is now consigned to a temporal limbo. Though he is able to traverse anywhere through time and space, he can only observe, unable to affect what has come to pass and what will be. Here, Magmatron, unable to do nothing, repeatedly bares witness to Cybertron’s end and the cause of it; a mysterious figure and Unicron.

Still stranded and chronally displace in Prehistoric Earth, the Maximals still hold out hope that Lio Convoy and The Pack have received their distress call (see Beast Wars: The Gathering). However, though the Maximals were able to prevent Magmatron from returning to Cybertron with an army of reformatted Predacons, Ravage’s Predacon militia were still on Earth and had plans of their own. Since the Maximals had the chronal phase facilitators in their keeping, a Predacon attack was imminent.

As expected, the Predacons attack the Maximals base, serving as a diversion in order for Ravage to infiltrate the base and claim the chronal phase facilitators. He is met by Razorbeast and a tussle commences. Ravage reveals that he intends to disrupt the timestream in order to free Megatron from his Maximal captors, who are preparing to board a refitted Autobot shuttle back to Cybertron (as seen in the U.S. television series). Snarl intervenes and both Maximals are able to take down Ravage.

Overseeing the battle on Earth, Magmatron decides he must intervene. Reverting back to the time following the events in Gathering, he observes as the Maximals make a scant attempt to contact Cybertron via the transwarp signal. Magmatron ensures that the signal reaches its destination. Back on Cybertron, Lio Convoy and The Pack receive the transmission, upon which they decide to leave for Earth. As Magmatron is allowed a moment of relief, dark forces elsewhere conspire and a tyrant contemplates his ascension to demigod-hood.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Saberback, Killerpunch, Guiledart, Halfshell, Dirgegun, Magmatron, Razorbeast, Polar Claw, Wolfgang, Prowl, Buzzsaw, Air Hammer, B’Boom, Apache, Grimlock, Bonecrusher, Cybershark, Snarl, Jetstorm, Lazorbeak or Hydra, Manterror, Powerpinch or Scissorboy, Ravage, Retrax, Spittor, Drillnuts, Transquito, Buzzclaw, Optimus Minor, Injector, Scourge, Sky Shadow, Torca, Terrorgator, Iguanus (maybe), Stampy, Mach Kick , Longrack, Lio Convoy, Break (maybe), Shokaract, Drancron, Elephorca, Rartorarta, Unicron (as seen in Magmatron’s vision)

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by zigzagger

Beast Wars: The Ascending #2

Released 17th October 2007.

Written by Simon Furman.

Art by Don Figueroa.

Colors by Mark Bristow.

Colors assists by Andrew Elder & Jeong Joo Park.

Cover colors by Josh Burcham.

Letters by Neil Uyetake.

Edits by Dan Taylor.

Synopsis: On Cybertron, a band of rogues sense a disturbance in the timestream and see it as a threat to their ultimate goal; the rebirth of Unicorn. Unknowing to Shokaract however, who believes he is ascending to demigod-hood, shall be the mortal vessel used to revive the world gobbler. Fueled by the mysterious substance known as Angolmois, the herald Rartorata is sent to Earth.

Meanwhile on Prehistoric Earth, the Predacon and Maximal battle continues. Left unattended, Ravage regains consciousness, but before he is able to carry out his plan, he is suddenly warped to chronospace where he is greeted by Magmatron. After briefly explaining the details of his fate, Magmatron requests that a truce be declared…for the sake of Cybertron’s future.

Back on Cybertron, The Maximal Imperium confers over the mysterious chain of events occurring on a planet wide scale. With inter-faction conflict on the rise and institutional and planetary infrastructure under considerable stress, the trio fears of all out civil war. Big Convoy and a small party of Maximals are summoned to seek out the source of this anomaly. At the site where a riot had occurred, Big Convoy is quick to ascertain the source of this aggression; Angolmois. Elsewhere on Cybertron, Shokaract juices himself up on Angolmois energy in order to complete his ascension. He grows impatient.

On Prehistoric Earth, Lio Convoy and The Pack prepare to land on the planet, all with newly reformatted beast modes. As the Predacon and Maximal battle rages on, Ravage, still in chronospace, observes. Soon The Pack arrives on the scene and the Predacon thrashing ensues. Ravage rematerializes and relays Magmatron’s message. But before he is finished declaring the truce, Rartorata appears, stabs Razorbeast with his stinger, injecting him with the Angolmois energy leaving him frothing with rage.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Magmatron, Razorbeast, Polar Claw, Wolfgang, Prowl, Buzzsaw, Air Hammer, B’Boom, Apache, Grimlock, Bonecrusher, Cybershark, Snarl, Jetstorm, Lazorbeak or Hydra, Powerpinch or Scissorboy, Insecticon, Ravage, Spittor, Drillnuts, Transquito, Buzzclaw, Optimus Minor, Injector, Scavenger, Sky Shadow, Torca, Terrorgator, Iguanus, Stampy, Mach Kick , Longrack, Lio Convoy, Break, Shokaract, Drancron, Elephorca, Rartorarta, Unicron (disembodied head seen in projection), Ramulus, Prowl II, Ironhide, Silverbolt II, K-9, Jaw Claw or Scuba, Armordillo, Scourge, Big Convoy, Ikard, Tasmania Kid, Noctorro

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by zigzagger

Beast Wars: The Ascending #3

Released 12th December 2007.

Written by Simon Furman.

Art by Don Figueroa.

Colors by Josh Burcham.

Colors assists by Mark Bristow.

Cover colors by Josh Burcham.

Letters by Chris Mowry.

Edits by Andrew Steven Harris.

Synopsis: On Cybertron, Big Convoy and company continue to investigate traces of Angolmois. Shokaract, growing more and more impatient, decides to attack these interlopers, still unaware that he himself is a means to an end. Tasmania Kid is the first to meet his end when Shokaract tears the Maximal in two with his pinchers.

On Prehistoric Earth, Ravage continues to entreat a truce to Lio Convoy as an Angolmois infected Razorbeast tramples through his comrades, while the recently arrived Rartorata begins to attack both factions. Eventually they come to an agreement; the Predacons would handle Rartorata (though it would seem the Maximals would help) while the Maximals see to the rampaging Razorbeast.

On Cybertron, Magmatron is a mute witness of the attack on Big Concoy’s team. It is a losing battle that Magmatron recognizes as the beginning of Shokaract’s ascension and Cybertron’s downfall. He foretells that those that do not meet their fate by Shokaract, will eventually be consumed by the addictive properties of the Angolmois rage, destroying one another in the process.

Back on Prehistoric Earth, once both threats were seemingly contained, Lio made the order to prepare The Pack’s transwarp cruiser for departure. As Lio began to interrogate Rartorata, only slightly sedated by a full dose of Transquito’s narco-virus, reinforcements arrived in the form of Drancron and Elephorca. Razorbeast suddenly broke free from his bonds, attacked the new arrivals, allowing Lio Convoy, Ravage and crew to board the transwarp shuttle. Onboard, having earlier ordered a sample of Rartorata’s venom be extracted, Ravage believes an immunizing agent could be derived from it. Luckily, Lio Convoy knows just the Maximal capable of retro-distilling it.

Back on Cybertron, backtracking to the moment when Shokaract began his onslaught, the transwarp shuttle arrived on the scene…but is shot down from the sky. Just then Hellscream and company arrive with offerings of Angolmois gathered through out the galaxy.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Magmatron, Razorbeast, Polar Claw, Wolfgang (or is it Wolfang), Prowl, Air Hammer, B’Boom, Apache, Grimlock, Bonecrusher, Cybershark, Snarl, Ravage, Transquito, Injector, Insecticon, Torca, Iguanus, Stampy, Mach Kick , K-9, Longrack, Lio Convoy, Break, Shokaract, Drancron, Elephorca, Rartorarta, Unicron (as seen in Magmatron’s vision), Scourge, Big Convoy, Tasmania Kid, Noctorro, Survive, Corahda, Drillnuts, Hellscream, Thrustor, Hardhead, Max B, Antagony

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by zigzagger

Beast Wars: The Ascending #4

Released 9th January 2007.

Written by Simon Furman.

Art by Guido Guidi.

Colors by Josh Burcham.

Colors assists by Andrew Elder, Liam Shalloo, and Josh Perez.

Cover colors by Josh Burcham.

Letters by Chris Mowry.

Edits by Andrew Steven Harris.

Synopsis: On Cybertron, Shokaract commands his heralds to distribute the Angolmois freely to the already maddened and infected populace. From that anarchy will ensue, thus Cybertron will be thrown into chaos. Elsewhere, as Big Convoy and crew investigate the remains of the transwarp shuttle (shot down last issue), they encounter Bump who was sought out by Lio Convoy for his talents. On cue, Lio and company emerge from the wreck, and following a brief union, Lio asks Bump to create a retrovirus from the Angolmois sample taken earlier form Rartorata…enough for the entire planet of Cybertron,

Ravage returns to chronospace to consult Magmatron, who details the next course of action. This plan would entail someone attaching a chronal phase facilitator to Shokaract, thus transporting him to Magmatron’s plain of existence. Once there, he would “enlighten” Shokaract of his true role in the scheme of things. Magmatron also informs Ravage that Razorbeast’s fate has been sealed.

On Prehistoric Earth, as an Angolmois infected Razorbeast wards off Rartorata, Elephorca and Drancron, the remaining (and wounded) Maximal and Predacon forces decide to aid him in a final battle. Feeling himself slipping away by the Angolmois infection, Razorbeast asks Optimus Minor to put him out of his misery when the time comes. Meanwhile, back on Cybertron, the combined Maximal and Predacon forces prepare to attack Shokaract.

A long battle ensues on both worlds, until, eventually, the threat on Earth is quelled and a chronal phase facilitor is effectively attached to Shokaract (thanks to Snarl). In chronospace, Magmatron reveals to Shokaract his true destiny; a mortal vessel sacrificed through an influx of Angolmois in order to revive Unicron. Traumatized by this revelation, Shokaract commits suicide.

Shokaract’s spectacular “defeat” caused a timelash, allowing Magmatron to rematerialize into the primary reality, no longer a prisoner in chronospace. The threat of Shokaract had been thwarted and Hellscream and his heralds have fled. Elsewhere, an Autobot shuttle appears over Cybertron (see U.S. Beast Wars/Machines television series). Back on Prehistoric Earth, having been completely over taken by the Angolmois rage, Razorbeast met his end as requested.

Epilogue: As ordered, Bump creates a retrovirus against the lingering affects of the Angolmois energy, which is to be dispersed through out the planet. With civil disorder to suppress and a whole planet to rebuild, Big Convoy manages to remain optimistic. But elsewhere, Megatron emerges from the Autobot shuttle.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Magmatron, Razorbeast, Prowl, Air Hammer, B’Boom or Apache, Grimlock, Bonecrusher, Cybershark, Snarl, Ravage, Transquito, Injector, Torca, Iguanus, Stampy, Mach Kick , K-9, Longrack, Lio Convoy, Break, Shokaract, Drancron, Elephorca, Rartorarta, Unicron (as seen in Magmatron’s vision), Scourge, Big Convoy, Noctorro, Survive, Corahda, Drillnuts, Hellscream, Thrustor, Hardhead, Max B, Antagony, Bump, Terrorgator, Spittor, Cybershark, Jawclaw or Scuba, Optimus Minor, Ramulus, Powerpinch or Scissorboy, Buzzclaw, Armordillo, Manterror, Bantor, Retrax, Stinkbomb, Megatron

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by zigzagger

Beast Wars: The Ascending TPB

Amazon estimate February 2008.

$17.99 list price.

Reprints issues #1-4 of Beast Wars: The Ascending.

Publisher solicitation: Spiralling out of the events in "Beast Wars: The Gathering", Magmatron - now a disembodied entity, existing out of time and space - is witness to Cybertron's unchecked descent into chaos and madness, all of which is a prelude to its complete and utter destruction! Powerless to directly affect this terrifying apocalypse, Magmatron's last desperate recourse is to try and bring his greatest enemy, Razorbeast, together with fellow Maximals Lio Convoy and The Pack!

Browse at Amazon.com | Browse at Amazon.co.uk

Beast Wars Omnibus TPB

Released 25th March 2009.

$24.99 list price.

Publisher solicitation: Get a firm grasp on the entire Transformers: Beast Wars universe with this collection of The Gathering, The Ascending, and The Beast Wars Sourcebook! In The Gathering, Razorbeast and his fellow Maximals prevent rogue Predacon leader Magmatron from raising an army on Earth to wage war against Cybertron. But in The Ascending, Magmatron, now a disembodied entity, existing out of time and space, is witness to Cybertron's unchecked descent into chaos and madness, all of which is a prelude to its complete and utter destruction! Powerless to directly affect this terrifying apocalypse, Magmatron's last, desperate recourse is to try and bring his greatest enemy, Razorbeast, together with fellow Maximals Lio Convoy and The Pack. Whatever happens will determine the fate of both Cybertron and the Earth! Also included in this special collection is the entire Beast Wars Sourcebook, an in-depth look at the characters that inhabit the Beast Wars universe - bios, weaknesses, abilities, and more are presented alongside vibrant renditions by some of Transformers most revered artistic talents!

Browse at Amazon.com | Browse at Amazon.co.uk

 

| The Gathering | IDW Comics Guide | BW Sourcebook |

 
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