by Donavin Sulser
Gaming Editor
To bring the story up to date the Cybertronian Wars are over and both Decepticon and Autobots are co-existing on their home planet of Cybertron trying to make a better future. Bumblebee is the head of a provisional government dealing with the issues of mistrust on both sides as old views are hard to get rid of. Also recently Starscream has maneuvered his way into this government with a newcomer, Metalhawk looking to gain popular support from the Cybertronians.
This issue starts with the backdrop of a Cybertron trying to get a new identity with old grudges still being kept by both sides. But a new faction is emerging, one that doesn’t care either way which are being dubbed as ‘NAILs’ which stands for Non-Aligned Indigenous Life-Forms. When the war ended a call out to the galaxy was sent for all Cybertronians to return home and some have been out into deep space so long that they have no alliance either way. With that in mind we are introduced to Sky-Byte who can transform into a flying shark but oddly is a poet and storyteller.
Sky-Byte gets bombarded by both factions with Metalhawk and Ironhide both giving their view privately on what the world has become. Sky-Byte learns a terrible true that Decepticons are all implanted with a chip that inhibits their ability to transform and at any time detonate if misbehaving. This is all under the control of the Autobot Prowl who still can’t come to terms of the new era for Cybertron and Prowl is in the mindset to also implant all NAIL Cybertronians as well as they are potential threats. This gives a very similar look to what the Nazi’s did in Germany back in World War 2 playing on strings of the horrors that happened in that time.
The Issue closes up with having Sky-Byte at the wrong place at the wrong time and seeing the unfair treatment first hand by Prowl and having Ironhide give a wake-up call to Prowl that the problems of the past will still be here if Cybertronians like him don’t change.
The book itself leaves something to desire as its more of a segment for a larger story. Having both factions not fighting each other is kind of a letdown as comics and particularly Transformers is about action and conflict. The writers John Barber and Casey Coller are writing more of a political drama then an action story which is why they are missing the mark on this issue. The art is done well by Andrew Griffith and gives that First Generation Transformers feel we got from the 80’s TV show. But it’s hard to get over the fact that you just feel like this issue wasn’t full enough to want to continue the story. It still gets 3 out 5 as the art was on par but not spectacular and the story while not full of action can be interesting to those interested in Cybertronian political inner-workings.