THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

CURRENT TRANSFORMERS COMICS FROM IDW PUBLISHING

Transformers Spotlight, first series of issues

| Shockwave | Nightbeat | Hot Rod | Sixshot | Ultra Magnus | TPB | PREVIEWS |

Spotlight: Shockwave

Released 13th September 2006. Written by Simon Furman. Art by Nick Roche. Colours by Josh Burcham. Letters by Sulaco Studios. Edited by Dan Taylor. $3.99 cover price, choice of covers.

Synopsis: Millions of years ago: Shockwave, realising the war on Cybertron will soon devastate the planet, sets in a motion a plan that sees him seeding Energon on several uninhabited planets, including prehistoric Earth. Arriving there to collect samples he is unknowingly tracked by the Dynobots; a crack team under the command of Grimlock out for revenge after Shockwave showed them up when they attempted to steal Energon from him previously. The high Energon build-up on the planet forces them to adopt alternate modes with an organic covering, with Grimlock deciding the fossils of long extinct Dinosaurs are the perfect choice.

Announcing their presence by destroying his ship the Dynobots initially have the upper hand in battle, until Shockwave examines their attack and decides to create a "synthetic" rage to counter the extreme anger they exhibit. After beating the Dynobots into Stasis Lock Shockwave attempts to leave the planet in their ship, but learns Grimlock leaves nothing to chance as the ship attacks him, burying them all in lava.

At some point thereafter, on Cybertron, Megatron has Bludgeon launch an investigation into Shockwave's disappearance. Flash forward to 2006 on Earth and an archaeological dig in Eureka, Nevada uncovers a large purple hand...

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Shockwave, Grimlock, Swoop, Sludge, Snarl, Slag, Optimus Prime [flashback], Megatron, Bludgeon.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

Spotlight: Nightbeat

Released 18th October 2006. Written by Simon Furman. Art by MD Bright. Colours by John Rauch. Letters by Sulaco Studios. Edited by Chris Ryall and Dan Taylor. $3.99 cover price, choice of covers.

Synopsis: Autobot freelance investigator Nightbeat is on a routine patrol when a mechanoid named Krakon offers him a chance to solve one of the greatest mysteries of Transformers history — the almost mythical disappearance of the Ark 1 spaceship on her maiden voyage. The chance to get hold of the flight recorder to the ship is something Nightbeat can't resist, but when he arrives at the rendezvous Krakon is dead and the recorder stolen. The mechanoids enigmatic last words are "There's a hole in the world".

Arriving on Gorlam Prime, the planet the flight recorder came from, Nightbeat follows a clue in Krakon's log to an archaeological site that has found evidence that the planet had began its technological evolution much earlier than previously though — suggesting outside/alien interference. At the site he finds evidence of Cybertronian technology, and even though he suspects a trap he goes down underground, unaware he's being watched by unusually small Transformers. Deep under the dig he is staggered to discover a enormous, pool-like interdimensional portal — the "Hole in the World". Before he can investigate his watchers make themselves known, clearly mindless drones that attack him, whilst watched by almost ghostlike creatures from the portal.

Nightbeat tries desperately to escape, but is outclassed by his opponents and captured. Awakening strapped to a table he realises the whole thing had been a set up specifically to capture him. A cerebral implant is placed in his brain module, along with other, viscous, modifications that will let his as yet unknown attackers take control of him at a time of their choosing. Eventually he looses consciousness...

Sometime later, Autobot freelance investigator Nightbeat is on a routine patrol, and feeling rather bored, when he gets a call from Optimus Prime ordering him to rendezvous with his leader on Ark 32 en-route to Earth. Optimus has needs of his talents. Nighbeat sets of, but is left with the feeling he's missing something important...

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Nightbeat, Detour, Hyperdrive, Road Hugger, Blackjack, Optimus Prime, plus at least two as-yet-unnamed mysterious mechanoids whose plot is set in motion here...

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

Spotlight: Hot Rod

Released 15th November 2006. Written by Simon Furman. Art by Nick Roche. Colours by Liam Shalloo. Letters by Robbie Robbins. Edited by Dan Taylor. $3.99 cover price, choice of covers.

Synopsis: On the planet Ki-Aleta Hot Rod takes his first command of a unit on a mission to steal/save the Magnificence — an Oracle that could give the Decepticons the ability to find all exploitable resources in the Universe. The mission starts well, but soon the team comes under attack from Omega Guardians, and as per his secret orders Hot Rod leaves them to die as he escapes with the Magnificence, which he hides. Though the mission's failure is blamed on a unsecured communication channel and faulty equipment, Hot Rod blames himself and subsequently becomes a reclusive lone operator.

Some time later, Hot Rod seeks redemption by infiltrating the brutal Decepticon penal colony 'Styx' and rescues Dealer, the last surviving member of the unit. Once restored to health at an Autobot base, Dealer forgives Hot Rod despite the brutal torture he suffered and offers the young cavalier a hand of friendship.

But Dealer was a double agent who was responsible for the mission's failure. Using Hot Rod's guilt he plans to find where the Magnificence is hidden...

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Hot Rod, Dealer, Gizmo [Killed], Backbeat [Killed], Download [Killed], Gutcruncher, Banzaitron.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

Spotlight: Sixshot

Released 20th December 2006. Written by Simon Furman. Art by Rob Ruffolo. Colours by Rob Ruffolo. Letters by Robbie Robbins. Edited by Chris Ryall and Dan Taylor. $3.99 cover price, choice of covers.

Synopsis: After devastating the planet Ys'Devian, one robot army Sixshot returns to base to find the Terrorcons — a group that desperately wants to be like him and tends to follow him about despite his best efforts to shake them off — have vanished on a mission to pacify the planet Mumu-Obscura. All follow up missions have been repulsed and the rumour is that the planet has fallen to the fearsome Reapers, semi-mythical bogeymen with a terrifying reputation.

Feeling bored, Sixshot decides to investigate, and after passing through a series of orbital defences he finds the planet's surface utterly destroyed, even more so than the Decepticons would bother with.

Upon landing six Reapers, all members of different races, approach him and offer him the Terrorcons if he can best them in combat. The fight ultimately ends in stalemate, with Sixshot feeling he's merely being tested.

The Reapers present the Terrorcons, and explain that they're now sick of fighting and intend to end war, by ending all life. They want Sixshot to join them as they believe him to be a kindred spirit, and want him to kill the Terrorcons as a way of cutting of his ties to his past life. Sixshot ultimately refuses, feeling that despite being a loner he still has empathy for some of his colleagues, and that will keep him with the Decepticons, for now.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Sixshot, Ransack, Squawkbox, Pounce, Treadshot, Hun-Grrr, Cutthroat, Blot, Rippersnapper, Sinnertwin. Sixshot is stationed at a Decepticon space station in Trypticon's colours ૼ it's not clear if it's supposed to be him in a Cybertronian mode, a homage or just a coincidence.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

Spotlight: Ultra Magnus

Released 17th January 2007. Written by Simon Furman. Art by Robby Musso. Colours by Kieran Oats. Letters by Neil Uyetake. Edited by Chris Ryall and Dan Taylor. $3.99 cover price, choice of covers.

Synopsis: Ultra Magnus — an Autobot peace keeper who enforces the rules of war for both sides — tracks the Decepticon fugitive Swindle to the planet Zull and arrests him for illegal arms sales. Swindle then offers Magnus a deal, his freedom for the whereabouts of the notorious Scorponok. Though it goes against his principles, Magnus lets Swindle go (albeit after secretly putting a tracker on him) in order to capture the bigger fish.

Arriving at the planet Nebulos, he uses a simulcrum to infiltrate the headquarters of the Zarak Corporation. He believes that the company's inner circle of maverick scientists — the Cranium — and their leader Mo Zarak are in league with Scorponok to obtain advanced Cybertronian technology illegally.

In the most secure lab the simulcrum finds Nebulans who have undergone a staggering level of bio-engineering to become "transformable men." But the scientists detect the intruder in their midst and destroy it, resulting in Magnus deciding to launch an all-out attack. Easily destroying the robot sentries guarding the building he comes face to face with his quarry, and they fight — with the also altered Zarak inadvertently being killed by Scorponok. The enraged Decepticon escapes through a artificial wormhole, leaving the Autobot more determined than ever to capture him. Sometime later Ultra Magnus catches up with the re-offending Swindle and is offered another deal...

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Swindle, aliens, Ultra Magnus, more aliens, Nebulans, drones, Scorponok.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

Spotlights Volume 1 TPB

Released 31st May 2007. $19.99 list price. Reprints the first series of Spotlight issues. Publisher solicitation: Collecting a series of five one-shots focusing on some of the best-loved (or loathed) characters from the TRANSFORMERS Universe–HOT ROD, SIXSHOT, SHOCKWAVE, NIGHTBEAT, and ULTRA MAGNUS. Each Spotlight is written by long-time Transformers scribe Simon Furman, whose words accompany artwork by the likes of Nick Roche, M.D. Bright, Rob Ruffolo and Robby Musso. Browse at Amazon.com | Browse at Amazon.co.uk

 

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