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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

Revenge of the Fallen: Tales of the Fallen

| #1 | #2 |#3 |#4 |#5 |#6 |

Tales of the Fallen #1: Bumblebee

August 2009
Written by: Chris Mowry
Pencils by: Carlos Magno
Colours by: Josh Perez
Letters by: Chris Mowry
Edits by: Andy Schmidt & Denton J Tipton

Synopsis: Bumblebee returns to his role as a guardian to Sam Witwicky, arriving with a screech on the Witwicky's house. By doing so, this causes a Mojo to run to the front lane, as well as causing a cat to run up a tree. Bumblebee 'helps' to get the cat down by shaking the tree. Sam uses Bumblebee as his ride for a double date to the movies with Miles, Mikaela and Mikaela's friend. After hearing Sam comment about Trent being nearby, Bumblebee overturns Trent’s truck while the kids are watching the movie.

Without the more structure of his old team, Bumblebee acts more on impulse, flinging a punk into the air with his vehicle doors. Meanwhile, Sam discusses his upcoming college plans with Bumblebee, saying that the Autobot might not be able to accompany him to school. Later, Sam tries to persuade his parents to let Bumblebee stay in the Witwickys’ garage while he’s at college, but his parents refuse to let Bumblebee stay any longer than the summer.
Sam walks to Mikaela’s home to cool off, but a mysterious car drives towards him… hours later, as Bumblebee watches TV and prepares to shut down, Ron barges in and tells the Autobot that Sam never make it to Mikaela’s. Bumblebee charges out of the garage, heading out towards Mikaela’s house. The Autobot sees Cybertronian language on the highway matrix signs, saying ‘the AllSpark for the boy’.

Meanwhile, in a junkyard, Barricade chains Sam and places him over a car crusher as he interrogates him. He’s trying to find the AllSpark fragment, or, failing that, Bumblebee. Sam has no idea where they are. Bumblebee attacks the Decepticon, distracting Barricade enough for Sam to fall into a pile of tires. Barricade knocks Bumblebee into the car crusher, before shooting his spinning blade weapon thing at Sam. Before Barricade could actually harm the boy, though, Bumblebeee pulls himself out and assaults Barricade again. Barricade gets the upper hand until Sam operates a crane, which distracts Barricade enough for Bumblebee to knock Barricade into a pool of gasoline.

As Barricade began to charge them, Bumblebee sends Sam of to a safe place, before opening fire at the gasoline-soaked Decepticon, causing a massive explosion. Bumblebee and Sam move out, but they are sure Barricade isn’t dead. A short distance from there, Barricade drives out of the flames.

Transformers Featured: Bumblebee, Barricade
Notable others: Sam Witwicky, Mojo, Miles, Trent, Ron Witwicky, Judy Witwicky. (Mikaela is mentioned repeatedly but never seen)

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Tales of the Fallen #2: Sideswipe

September 2009
Written By: Simon Furman
Pencils By: Carlos Magno
Colours By: Moose Baumann & Josh Perez
Letters By: Chris Mowry
Edits By: Andy Schmidt, Carlos Guzman and Denton J. Tipton

Millions of years ago, an Autobot colony was completely obliterated by Demolishor, leaving only the protector alive. The protector is Sideswipe, and he is determined to get his evenge on the Decepticon. This hunt leads him to Earth, where he literally tears his way through human cars in Montevideo to reach Demolishor. In NEST base, Admiral Morshower is not happy with Sideswipe breaking cover and blowing stuff up. Optimus prime says that his team will handle Sideswipe, and NEST pinpoints the two combatants in Argentina. Optimus remarks that if Sideswipe won't stand down he'll be dealt with. Ironhide offers to speak to Sideswipe, saying that he used to be like him once, since he was the one who trained Sideswipe. Prime gives Ironhide a one-hour period to talk to Sideswipe.

On his way to Argentina, Ironhide flashes back to a time when the arrogant Sideswipe broke rank during a battle in Cybertron despite being ordered to fall back. Sideswipe declares that Ironhide had become too conventional and that he's better than Ironhide. In the present, Sideswipe barges into Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, having tracked Demolishor there. While the Autobot wonders why the Decepticon is hiding instead of attacking, Sideswipe charges in anyway, driving the Decepticon into attack. As the two rivals clash, some hangars of the airport are blown up. While Sideswipe's speed enables him to get a few hits in, Demolishor's massive size and strength allows him to knock down.

Ironhide arrives, and Sideswipe realizes that Demolishor was just waiting for more Autobots to arrive so that he can kill more of them. Demolishor rolls into Buenos Aires, taunting the Autobots to follow. Ironhide points out that Demolishor wants to battle in the city to cause collateral damage, but Sideswipe is beyond caring. Sideswipe and Ironhide argue with each other, with Ironhide finally pointing out that Sideswipe is crossing the line between Autobot and Decepticon. Sideswipe and Demolishor clash with each other, neither caring of the collateral damage they're causing. Ironhide tries his best to save the civilians.

The Argentine Air Force arrives, and opens fire with missiles at the three Transformers, causing Sideswipe to recognise and respect the humans. However, Optimus Prime and the NEST forces arrives, and Lennox pulls some strings to call the Air Force to back off. Demolishor rolls off, declaring there will be another battle of his choosing. Sideswipe fights off his urge to pursue and gets aid for Ironhide instead, ashamed to admit that he still has much to learn from Ironhide.

Transformers Featured Sideswipe, Demolishor, Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Ratchet, Bumblebee
Notable Others: Admiral Morshower, Major Lennox, Sgt Epps

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Tales of the Fallen #3: Jetfire

October 2009
Written By: Chris Mowry
Art By: Carlos Magno
Colours By: Moose Baumann
Letters By: Chris Mowry
Edits By: Andy Schmidt, Carlos Guzman & Denton J. Tipton

Synopsis: Millions of years before the war between the Autobtos and Decepticons, Jetfire flies away from a star destroyed by a Solar Harvester. He serves directly under the Prime who would later become the Fallen, unwittingly scouting various stars for him to harvest. While he believed that he was serving Cybertron and the Dynasty by harvesting non-living star systems, he was unwittingly duped by the Fallen into killing a world with life.

Reporting to not-Fallen (well, what do you call him at this stage?) Jetfire was surprised when he was informed that not-Fallen has located a new world to harvest. Jetfire questions his master about this. Not-Fallen, impressed that Jetfire dared to question a Prime, lets him on the 'truth': namely, that the Dynasty has betrayed Cybertron and are leading it to extinction. Not-Fallen told Jetfire that he took it upon himself to save Cybertron from its fate. Jetfire and not-Fallen arrive on the Chamber of the Dynasty, where the six other Primes told Jetfire that he had committed a heinous act that meritted punishment.

Not-Fallen defended Jetfire and himself, causing the rest of the Primes to warp out of their sacrophagi, demanding answers. The Dynasty are angry that a grave sin had been committed by killing a living planet. Fallen, meanwhile, questioned his brethen, stating that he had gained so much energy for Cybertron, and more quickly than if they searched for a suitable star which does not sustain life. However, the Dynasty makes a new pact. Namely, that all seven of them have to be in congress whenever a Solar Harvester is to be used. Not-Fallen assured them that there will be no mistakes

Jetfire, meanwhlie, was confused. Fallen had told him that there was no life on the last planet. The Fallen, meanwhile, was telling Jetfire that the Dynasty to die, and that someone had to stop them. Fooled by this prospect, Jetfire joins Fallen with his new hand-picked army of Construction Drones, the Decepticons. Although he had his doubts, Jetfire joined the Decepticons, and followed them to a small blue planet, building another Solar Harvester.

'Long Haul' showed primitive life on the planet, but Fallen does not care. Jetfire's doubts were confirmed, and he stood up, ordering the Constructicons to cease work on the Harvester. Jetfire tries to reason with Fallen, but Fallen does not care for life. Fallen has been waiting for the other Primes to arrive so that he could kill them all. Jetfire tries to stop Fallen, but the Constructicons jump him. However, the other Primes have arrived, and Fallen teleports Jetfire and the Decepticons away to engage his brothers in battle.

Jetfire faces off against the four Constructicons, adamant to stop the Solar Harvester from being activated. Being a Seeker, he had greater strength than them. Jetfire tears through 'Overload' and 'Long Haul', and brutalizes 'Rampage', before chops 'Scrapper' up with his cane/axe. However, this leaves him wounded, and open to attack from 'Mixmaster', who gets the drop on him. As a last-ditch effort, Jetfire teleports them both into orbit, letting them drop in re-entry. Jetfire uses this opportunity to finish off 'Mixmaster' for good. However, this stunt heavily damages Jetfire as well, leaving him unable to fly or teleport.

Several thousand years later, Jetfire wakes up in a desert, confused by the different terrain. A spy plane crash-lands near him, and Jetfire takes its form...

Featured Transformers: Jetfire, the Fallen, Dynasty of Primes, 'Scrapper' (killed), 'Mixmaster' (killed), 'Rampage' (killed), 'Long Haul' (killed), 'Scavenger', 'Hightower', 'Overload' (killed)

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Tales of the Fallen #4: The Fallen

November 2009
Written By: Simon Furman
Pencils By: Carlos Magno
Colours By: Josh Perez
Letters By: Chris Mowry
Edits By: Andy Schmidt, Carlos Guzman, Denton J Tipton

Synopsis:Long before the war between Autobots and Decepticons, the Prime who would later become the Fallen heard the AllSpark speak to him right after his ‘birth’. According to him, the AllSpark anointed him as its ‘chosen one’, and tasked him to find whatever the AllSpark would require. Namely, stars to harvest. However, the AllSpark forbade him to speak of this to the rest of the Dynasty, telling him that one day he would need to stand alone.

The time when he needed to stand alone, when the Dynasty decided that they cannot harvest suns which support planets with life, despite the fact that Cybertron’s growth require lots of energy. Not-Fallen interrupted, saying that they are the children of Primus and servants of the AllSpark, so it waws their right to take whatever the AllSpark wanted. One Prime (who really, really looks like Optimus) demanded that they cannot harm other life-forms, and the entire Dynasty, including a grudging not-Fallen, agreed. However, not-Fallen ignored this and harvested the first suitable star system which Jetfire found, lying to the Seeker and having him take the blame. However, this caused the agreement that the entire Dynasty must be present whenever a Harvester is activated. Fallen and his Decepticons arrived on another inhabited planet, and built his own Harvester as a show of his devotion to the AllSpark’s will.

However, the fake Matrix he built for his plans failed, and the Harvester exploded, engulfing him with flames. He emerged more insane than ever, blaming the Dynasty for driving him to such extreme measures, declaring that they will pay. The Dynasty is aware of his actions and disowned him, renaming him as Fallen. As he pretended to submit to the Dynasty’s will, Fallen tears his way across planets, ravaging planets with life, stealing weaponry and any methods of warfare he can find, believing himself to be beyond the AllSpark. Fallen then called the rest of the Dynasty, claiming that he had found an uninhabited world with a suitable sun, which is Earth. However, he planned to slay the entire Dynasty on Earth.

Jetfire tried to stop him, and Fallen threw him to the Constructicons. The Dynasty arrives in full force, and Fallen teleports Jetfire and his troops away. When his brothers demanded that he explain himself, Fallen drew out weaponry he had collected in his travels across the galaxy and begin to massacre his brothers. The last Prime (Optimus-lookalike) flees across the planet with teleportation, and Fallen followed. The last Prime, however, had gathered the sum total of all the Dynasty’s lifeforce, and banishes Fallen into the sarcophagus.

Fallen swore that he will have his revenge.

Featured Transformers: the Fallen, the Dynasty of Primes (killed), Jetfire, Scrapper's Body, Long Haul's Body, Rampage's Body, Overload's Body

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Tales of the Fallen #5: Ravage

December 2009
Written By: Simon Furman
Pencils By: Alex Milne
Colours By: Josh Perez
Letters By: Chris Mowry
Edits By: Andy Schmidt & Denton J Tipton

Synopsis:In the near past, Bumblebee kills Ravage, ripping out his spine.

In the present, Ravage is ressurected, at an unknown location. The confused Decepticon makes his way into Guantanamo Bay, searching for a 'new target'. He finds the remains of the Appliancebots in a NEST base and steals them. Human soldiers see him, and Ravage is forced to escape into the ocean to dodge some helicopters. The military mobilizes jets to track him down. Meanwhile, Ravage resurfaces on a beach near MacDill Air Force Base, confused, revealing that he is under the control of a new master. As he curls up, human forces surround him.

Ravage unleashes the Microcons who combine into Reedman, who distract the humans long enough for him to escape. Although Reedman manages to kill some humans, he was ultimately destroyed. Ravage escapes into a petrochemical plant. Officials at the White House ask the President of the United States for permission to level the plant. They do so. The plant is destroyed, and Ravage's body falls into the pit.

Meanwhile, Soundwave (still linked to the satellite) is outraged that Ravage's remains have been disturbed.

The news reports show the cover-up story. Meanwhile, the damaged but still alive Ravage curls up, waiting for further instructions as energy from the Appliancebots' remains flow into him...

Featured Transformers: Bumblebee, Ravage, Rampage, Appliacebots' Bodies, Microcons (killed), Reedman (killed), Soundwave
Notable Others: Sam Witwicky, Barack Obama

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Tales of the Fallen #6: Arcee

January 2010
Written By: Chris Mowry
Pencils By: Alex Milne
Colours By: Josh Perez
Letters By: Chris Mowry
Edits By: Andy Schmidt & Denton J Tipton

Synopsis:As Arcee's ship enters a planet's atmosphere, Thundercracker appears and attacks. Arcee is trapped under some rubble while her teammates leave the ship to battle Thundercracker. However, when Arcee frees herself, the victorious Thundercracker strides towards her, apparently having massacred the rest of her troops, and knocks her out.

She wakes up, screaming, in a new body, and her dead, torn-up old body in a table under her. Decepticon medic Flatline tells her that her spark has been transferred into a protoform body. The loony medic tells Thundercracker that Arcee is awake, but thinks that her spark isn't strong enough to power the other two protoforms. Via radio, Thundercracker disagrees and forces Flatline to try again because they are running out of protoforms. Arcee, in shock, couldn't even remember her own name. Flatline leaves the lab to gather some things.

In a cage nearby, Arcee sees Skids and Mudflap, and recognises them, although she couldn't recall who exactly they are. The Twins note that none of them look right, and Arcee notices the two lifeless protoforms hung up next to her, and wonder aloud what is going on. Arcee tries to coax information out of the Twins, but they're as confused as she is. Flatline returns and answers the question himself: Arcee's spark was saved as part of an experiment to speed up the growth of new protoforms, leading to more and better Decepticon soldiers. A smug Thundercracker adds that he is only happy to use Arcee as the test subject, considering their previous encounter, in which his throat was slit. Arcee feels hatred towards Thundercracker, but couldn't remember the Decepticon's name.

Flatline begins the procedure, revealing on the way that he had tried unsuccesfully to reprogram the Twins' processors He activates the machinery and causing Arcee's spark to power all three bodies. This cause Arcee's memories to surge back as well, and for all three Protoforms to be altered slightly. Flatline, thinking that he had given birth to three new Decepticons, waltz off to get a fourth. Arcee frees the Twins with the weapon from her purple component, and after some introducing, the two scatterbrained Autobots free Arcee as well. Although the Twins were still scared of Flatline, Arcee convinces them to be Autobots.

Flatline barges in and attacks, but Arcee's shared firepower forces the larger Decepticon to head off. Arcee convinces the still-confused Twins that they're on the same side. The Twins mention that they have a ship. The three of them head off and Arcee kills some drones on the way. However, shortly after they are intercepted by Thundercracker, Flatline and some drones. A fight ensues, where the Decepticons are unprepared for Arcee's new teamwork, power and speed. Arcee's red component leads the Twins to safety, while her blue and purple components face off against the Decepticons. Flatline was wounded, and Thundercracker was later scared off by the power of the three bikes. As Skids and Mudflap secure their old shuttle, Arcee pursues the wounded Flatline, only finding that Flatline booby-trapped the Decepticon base. Arcee races out with the Twins and escapes the explosion.

After a short bout of self-instropection, Arcee decides that it isn't right to hunt down Thundercracker in revenge, so with the Twins in tow, she sets off for Optimus' signal, leaving the damaged Seeker on the barren world...

Featured Transformers: Thundercracker, Arcee, Flatline, Mudflap, Skids, Breakaway (flashback, killed), Clocker (flashback, killed), Starscream (flashback), Optimus Prime (flashback), Dreadwing Drones (killed), Payload Drones (killed)

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

 

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