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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)

TRANSFORMERS TITLES FROM TITAN BOOKS / MAGAZINES

Transformers Animated [UK] from Titan Magazines

| #1 | #2 | #3 |

Transformers Animated #1 [UK]

Note: This issue also reprints pages 1-17 of the photocomic Blast From the Past from IDW’s Transformers Animated: Volume 2.

"Burnout"

Written by:
Simon Furman.

Art by: John McCrea.

Colours by: Kat Nicholson.

Letters by: Jimmy Betancourt/Comicraft.

Synopsis: Detroit is being rocked by earthquakes, and though Optimus and his team are doing their best to rescue people, they quickly realise the quakes are artificial in nature, something confirmed when the self styled “Quake-Maker” appears.

The Autobots attempt to stop him but his powers prove too much for them, and he buries Prowl, Bulkhead and Ratchet before easily outclassing Optimus. His gloating is short lived when a new Autobot, Afterburner, appears and joins the fight. Afterburner briefly explains he’s been sent as reinforcements to solve the Earth based Autobot’s “problems” before revealing that watching Quake-Maker has taught him the human needs to be in contact with the ground for his powers to work. Teaming up with Bumblebee and the freed Autobots they keep Quake-Maker in the air and soon capture him, leaving Prime feeling inadequate.

Back at their base Afterburner proves his credentials with a message from Ultra Magnus, and explains the reason no one has ever heard of him is he’s special ops. Optimus welcomes him to the team. At the Decepticon base Megatron takes great interest in the Quake-Maker’s powers…

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Prowl, Ratchet, Bulkhead, Quake-Maker, Sari, Ultra Magnus [Hologram], Blitzwing, Megatron.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by inflatable dalek

Transformers Animated #2 [UK]

Note: This issue also reprints pages 18-34 of the photocomic Blast From the Past from IDW’s Transformers Animated: Volume 2.

"Ratchet and Grimlock Are Dead?"

Script By:
Robin Etherington.

Pencil and Inks By: Diego Jourdan.

Colours By: Kat Nicholson.

Letters By: Jimmy Betancourt/Comicraft.

Synopsis: Having received a SOS from Grimlock on Dinobot Island about a malfunctioning Snarl and Swoop, Ratchet leads a team (also containing Bumblebee, Afterburner and Sari) on a ship piloted by Captain Fanzone. Afterburner is along as he qualified from the academy as an expert in anti-virus diagnosis.

Landing on the Island the Autobots are quickly charged by Snarl, who hits Ratchet. Though initially seeming fine he soon ails and explains his termination inhibitor was torn out by Snarl’s horn and without it he’ll die; even Sari’s Key cannot save him.

Bumblebee and Afterburner quickly find Snarl and Swoop, who have beaten Grimlock in battle. Afterburner realises they’ve been infected with a rage virus, and that Sari’s Key can cure it. He quickly comes up with a three-part plan, Sari will sneak in and cure Grimlock with her Key, Bumblebee will get the termination inhibitor off Snarl’s horn and he’ll keep Swoop distracted. Bumblebee, despite supposedly being in charge can’t think of a better plan and agrees.

As soon as Grimlock is healed Sari flings the key to Afterburner who uses it on the other two Dinobots, restoring them to normal. They then rush to put the termination inhibitor back in Ratchet… who explains there’s really no such thing and he’d just wanted to test Afterburner to see if he’s good enough to be on the team.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Afterburner, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Sari, Captain Fanzone, Snarl, Swoop, Grimlock.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by inflatable dalek

Transformers Animated #3 [UK]

Note: This issue also reprints pages 35-51 of the photocomic Blast From the Past from IDW’s Transformers Animated: Volume 2.

"Crossroads!"

Script:
Roger Etherington.

Art: John McCrea.

Colours: Jason Cardy.

Letters: Jimmy Betancourt/Comicraft.

Synopsis: Mad inventor/super villain Crossroads has made a deal with Starscream; in exchange for a “slice” of Megatron that will both give his gauntlets amazing powers and allow him to take over Detroit’s non sentient robots he’ll help to destroy the Autobots.

At a Detroit basketball game the Autobots are fascinated by the moves, but have to leave before the end when the local traffic system goes haywire. As they arrive to help Crossroads appears on a screen and explains he now controls all the robots in the city, and demonstrates by having the streetlamps attack Captain Fanzone. Crossroads demands all the gold in the Detroit reserve and that the local people destroy the Autobots. Bulkhead refuses to believe the people will turn against them, but almost immediately a braying mob descends upon them, forcing the Autobots to run.

Once they’re reached a safe distance Sari reveals she recognised Crossroads as being Roland Cross, a former employee of her father’s who was sacked when she was younger for making the robots he built fight, resulting in him promising a revenge where he would unleash all robots. This makes Prowl realise all the madman’s demands were just a distraction and that he must be breaking into Sumdac Towers reclaiming his old equipment.

They race to the building but are spotted by Crossroads on the CCTV. He sets two robots against them and prepares to use his super gauntlets but Prowl and Afterburner use a “Slam dunk” to destroy them and defeat him. They are then horrified to learn Starscream is so evil as to hurt robots.

After quickly explaining things to Captain Fanzone they rush back to the game just in time to see Detroit win.

THE END

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Starscream, Prowl, Afterburner, Bulkhead, Prowl, Sari, Captain Fanzone, Professor Sumdac [Flashback].

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by inflatable dalek

 

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