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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

Transformers: Ironhide

| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | TPB |

Transformers Ironhide #1: The Iron Age

May 2010
Written By: Mike Costa
Art By: Casey Coller
Colours By: Joana Laufuente
Letters By: Chris Mowry
Edits By: Andy Schmidt & Denton J Tipton

Synopsis: In the present: Cybertron is still a dead world. In one of the building, a computer suddenly beeps.

Four million years ago: Optimus Prime and a team of Autobots battle a squad of Decepticons escorting a convoy of energon. Prime dispatches Blurr to disorganize the Decepticons by acting as a distraction, and for Hound to pick them off from higher ground. Windcharger offers to help, but Prime tells him to hold the line with Groove and Prowl. Prime heads off to flank the Decepticons, a move that Prowl deems suicidal. Optimus Prime is adamant to do this, reluctant to see another city fall to the Decepticons. As Optimus enters an alley, he is ambushed by Soundwave and Rumble. All of a sudden, Ironhide appears and mows down Ravage and Soundwave, before transforming and knocking Rumble out with a punch. Ironhide and Optimus exchange some words, before heading off to do their work. Meanwhile, Ramjet, escorting the convoy, is annoyed that he is assigned to work on the ground instead of the air. Ramjet mutters about ruling Cybertron one day. Optimus suddenly appears, knocking out Ramjet. He threatens Tankor and the Constructicons that Ironhide will fire at them, detonating the energon they are carrying. Tankor says that Prime is bluffing, but Prime simply dares them to try.

Later that day, the Autobots celebrate their victory at their headquarters. Prowl congratulates Optimus for beating the odds. However, Optimus refuses to do a speech since it could wait until tomorrow. Optimus and Ironhide then meet up with Kup, who also suggests that Optimus give a speech. Optimus is afraid of looking like a drunk, but kup reminds Optimus that he's a Prime now and he needs to take things past soldiering, and needs to see things past soldiering. Optimus then says that he thinks that the Great War will continue for a long time, because they are fighting an idea. Ironhide then asks if they can't win, to which Optimus replies that an idea cannot be defeated but can be changed. And until he figures out how to change it, he will have to keep winning battles. Ironhide and Kup agree that Optimus is the best soldier they've ever met, even if he's hard to understand sometimes.

Ironhdie then returns to the party, seeing Optimus talk with some of the troops. He sees an unfamiliar transformer just standing there. Ironhide asks Silverstreak who he is, but the half-drunk Silverstreak couldn't put a name to the suspicious character. The suspicious character, Axer, suddenly alters his appearance and pulls out a rifle. Ironhide pushes his way through the crowd and intercepts the blast meant for Prime...

In the present: Ironhide wakes up, screaming. He realizes that he has just been dreaming, and finds himself in a table in a darkened room. He exits the building, finding himself alone in the deserted Cybertron.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Groove, Prowl, Optimus Prime, Windcharger, Buzzsaw, Laserbeak, Soundwave, Hook, Hound, Blurr, Ravage, Rumble, Ironhide, Bonecrusher, Mixmaster, Tankor, Long Haul, Ramjet, Gizmo, Download, Silverbolt, Silverstreak, Blaster, Jazz, Kup, Beachcomber, Warpath, Axer, Brawn, Tracks, First Aid, Cosmos

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Transformers Ironhide #2: Iron in the Blood

June 2010
Written By: Mike Costa
Art By: Casey Coller
Colours By: Joana Lafuente
Letters By: Chris Mowry
Edits By: Andy Schmidt, Carlos Guzman & Denton J Tipton

Synopsis: Ironhide walks around the dilapidated, abandoned Cybertron, and Ironhide remembers how those same places look in the past.

Pre-War Cybertron: on race nights, all Cybertronians, from the working class miners to the higher-class scientists all watch the raceway in an event that would last forever. Ironhide worked there as security, where the infamous racer Drag Strip makes his return to the races. Fans try to get close to the celebrity while guards hold them at bay. One of the people in the crowd pulls out a gun, but before he could do anything Ironhide apprehended the would-be assassin. The would-be assassin, Outback, claimed that Drag Strip was working with ‘Megatron’ (whom Ironhide doesn’t know or care about). Outback jeers Ironhide for being one of the ignorant fools who don’t know that trouble is brewing. Ironhide’s boss congratulates him.

In the present: Ironhide reflects upon Cybertron’s condition, its ruined, radiation-filled surface a far cry from its golden age. Ironhide wonders if he’s the last Cybertronian alive on the planet. He is attacked by two Insecticons. Ironhide beats it to a pulp. Shocked at the killing, Ironhide transforms and drives away. In panic, Ironhide loses control and crashes.

He is then greeted by a barrage of images. Ratchet and Wheeljack tell Ironhide to get up and everybody is at his funeral. A mutilated Outback says that Optimus Prime is disappointed at him for letting Drag Strip get away, and that nobody recognizes Ironhide anymore. Prowl and Optimus then appear, but they don’t recognize Ironhide. Ironhide asks why, since he would sacrifice himself for any one of them. Prowl tells Ironhide that he ruined everything, while Wheeljack says the opposite.

The image of Wheeljack then begins to shout ‘you-must-come-now!’ repeatedly. Ironhide comes to, finding a strange transformer looking at him, repeating the words over and over. Ironhide tries to speak to the strange transformer but he doesn’t seem to be aware of anything. Ironhide decides to follow the strange transformer as they drive through Cybertron, trying futilely to make small talk (to which the other robot only answers with ‘follow’). They soon reach a pristine, modern-looking city in the distance…

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Chromedome (flashback), Jetfire (flashback), Rad (flashback, maybe), Blurr (flashback), Drag Strip (flashback), Ironhide, Roadgrabber (flashback), Backstreet (flashback), Outback (flashback), Twin Twist (flashback), Robot Man X (flashback), Race Track Manager (flashback), the Swarm (killed by Ironhide), Ratchet (vision), Wheeljack (vision), Prowl (vision), Optimus Prime (vision), Scamper, Metroplex

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Transformers Ironhide #3: Ironing Out the Details

July 2010
Written By: Mike Costa
Art By: Casey Coller
Colours By: Joana Lafuente
Letters By: Chris Mowry
Edits By: Andy Schmidt & Carlos Guzman

Synopsis: Ironhide follows his mysterious guide into the bright city, and is greeted by a robed Transformer, who introduces himself as Alpha Trion. Trion tells Ironhide that he was dead until recently, and that Cybertron had been abandoned for years. Ironhide, confused, starts bombarding Alpha Trion with questions, and he loses his temper when Alpha Trion acts self-importantly. However, Ironhide calms down when Trion displays the ability to take control of people who touch him. Trion then begins to answer Ironhide’s questions, explaining that Ironhide has been dead for four million years. In the meantime, Cybertron was abandoned and infested by the Swarm.

Ironhide is shocked speechless, but sees another life sign on the planet. Alpha Trion dismisses it, but Ironhide recognizes the energy signature and heads out to save him. Ironhide makes his way to a ruined bridge and digs out Sunstreaker’s near-dead body out of a pile of Insecticon corpses. Barely alive, Sunstreaker apologizes to Ironhide and blames the humans for doing things to him. However, Ironhide has no idea what Sunstreaker is talking about. Ironhide charges through several still-living Insecticons, all the while listening to Sunstreaker apologize about stuff he couldn’t remember.

Ironhide, carrying Sunstreaker, makes his way back to the city. Alpha Trion notes that Sunstreaker’s mind is in a recursive loop, and takes the damaged Autobot (who recognizes him) offline temporarily. Trion is angry at Ironhide for risking his life to save a pile of scrap, but this angers Ironhide, who demands to know why he’s so important. Trion then explains that Ironhide survived his first death (for which Alpha Trion had prepared a new body for) and lived on for four million years until he was killed on Earth a year ago. Ironhide’s death elsewhere causes his spark to be brought back from the dead, minus the memories of the four million years between them. Trion tells Ironhide that he wants to restore Cybertron, and he needs Ironhide to get rid of the Swarm to do so.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Metroplex, Ironhide, Scamper, Alpha Trion, the Swarm’s bodies, Sunstreaker

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Transformers Ironhide #4: Any Old Iron

August 2010
Written By: Mike Costa
Art By: Casey Coller
Colours By: Joana Lafuente
Letters By: Neil Uyetake
Edits By: Andy Schmidt & Carlos Guzman

Synopsis: Ironhide begins his mission of exterminating the Swarm, tearing into them despite being heavily outnumbered. He manages to come across the ruins of the Trion, using the shuttle's weaponry to obliterate another large portion before the Swarm breaks through. Ironhide blows up the Trion, ejecting himself out in the process. After a melee battle, Ironhide retreats back to Alpha Trion's city, who transforms into Metroplex and kills the rest of the Swarm with one slap. Ironhide demands why Alpha didn't just use Metroplex in the first place, to which Alpha Trion responds that they wouldn't be enough time for Metroplex to destroy all off them before they ate into his vital processors. Alpha then reveals that he had fixed Sunstreaker to near-operational status--the ex-Headmaster was still hoverchair-bound, unable to walk on his own.

Alpha prepares to leave with Metroplex and Sunstreaker (who Alpha wants to study about), leaving Ironhide behind with enough fuel to last forever, ordering the red Autobot to take care of the smaller groups of Insecticons in the planet. Alpha then gets rude, and Ironhide decks Alpha Trion in the face. Alpha and Ironhide exchange several words, and Alpha reveals that he had been spending his time processing the corrosive radiation out of Cybertron's atmosphere. Sunstreaker refuses to leave with Alpha, wanting to stay where he could do some good. Alpha gives up on the two and prepares to leave. Alpha tells Ironhide that he had just saved Cybertron, before leaving with Metroplex. Sunstreaker wants to explain himself to Ironhide, but the older Autobot tells Sunstreaker to catch up later. He walks away and sits down in the ruins of a demolished city, surrounded by the Insecticon corpses.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: The Swarm (exterminated), Ironhide, Metroplex, Alpha Trion, Sunstreaker, Scamper

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Transformers: Ironhide TPB

 

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