WRITER: Simon Furman
PENCILS: Joe Ng

CAST
AUTOBOTS: Ultra Magnus, Brawn, Sunstreaker, Hound, Cliffjumper, Tracks, Mirage, Trailbreaker, Sunstreaker, Bluestreak, Wheeljack, Jazz, Hosehead, Nightbeat, Siren, Joyride, Slapdash, Getaway, Blaster, Raindance, Grand Slam, Ramhorn, Eject, Rewind, Perceptor, Scorch, Flash, Hurricane, Dogfight, Override, Boss

DECEPTICONS: Megatron, Soundwave, Starscream, Octane, Shockwave, Bombshell, Scrapper, Ransack, Barrage, Squeezeplay, Seeker Clones

OTHER: SPOILER. SEE BELOW

BEST LINES:
MEGATRON: "This tiresome conflict...all that intricate planning and execution, ground out over countless campaigns and protracted siege...and in the end all it took was fleeting brute force."
MEGATRON: "Remember... you need me! You have elected to remain in the shadows, to pull the strings from afar... but understand, here on Cybertron, now, I am the power, I am the dread voice that commands. I am no one's... lackey."

SYNOPSIS: The war is over, but not as the Autobots had hoped for. Just as they thought peace was finally achieved, Megatron has come back to Cybertron with an army of Seeker Clones to conquer the entire planet. This second issue begins with Megatron refelcting and contemplating upon his victory and relishes the sight of Starscream suffering inside a tank full of Piranacons. Megatron is obviously upset with what Starscream has done to the Council of Ancients (as seen in the flashback in G1 #4, pages 1-3). Megatron's enjoyment was cut short when Shockwave arrives to inform him that he has been unable as of yet to replicate the cloning process that provided Megatron with his Seeker army. Megatron commands Shockwave to continue with it and Shockwave returns to his work, obviously plotting something of his own.
In Nova Chronum, a squadron of Seeker Clones, corner Getaway in an Autobot hideout and a chase ensues.
Back at Praxus, the Autobot prisoners arrive at the excavation site to begin another day of tortuous labor under the watchful eyes of merciless Decepticon guards. Cliffjumper collapses and is about to get a full serving from Octane when Brawn intervenes. He managed to save his fellow Autobot's hide from further damage only to have his get whipped big time. Ultra Magnus, can only watching from a distance with hopelessness constantly eating him away.
Back at Nova Chronum, the cat-and-mouse chase between Getaway and the Seeker Clones has appeared to come to an end when the Autobot renegade takes a hit and takes a painful crash. The Seekers prepare to capture their target.
Deep inside the Decepticon Command Aerie, Megatron reports to an unknown figure on the comm board. It is obvious that this/these being(s) is/are responsible for the creation of the Seeker Clones as well as the one pulling Megatron's strings. It seems that in spite of Megatron's success, this/these being(s) is/are not convinced. Megatron, however, reminds him/them exactly who he/they are dealing with. Their conversation ends when Megatron receives a report from Soundwave that the excavation site has reached Cybertron's core.
In Nova Chronum, Getaway is about to be captured when the Seeker Clones were blown to bits by unidentified blaster fire coming from an unknown source. A team of Autobots under Nightbeat's command were able to defeat the Clones with the help of Perceptor's null-field cloak and try to capture one that is still functioning so as the Autobot scientist may study it. Blaster's signal to jam the Clones' frequencies kept the surounded Clones from bringing in more reinforcements.

ONDOHER'S DETAILS: I was expecting to see more on Ultra Magnus' character, but nothing much on that department in this issue. However, those two panels on page 22 showing Magnus gritting his teeth on the first and then with the depressed expression on the second pretty much shows a lot on his character.
Looks like Getaway is one of the upcoming "TF superstars" to be given the push in this mini-series, plus the Turbomasters, too. I'm definitely going to look out for them in the issues to come. Getaway's running around adventure from those Seeker Clones in this issue kinda reminded me of the chase scenes in the first Matrix film. Finally, the introduction of Blaster and Perceptor in the mainstream of the war within storyline has got me jumping for joy - they were two of my favourite season 2 'bots and I'm glad that they'll be doing some major roles in this third volume.

On the Decepticon front, I'm really looking forward to how Starscream and Shockwave; plus Soundwave and Ratbat (probably), as well, will now run their own, individual plans now that the big M is back and once again rules all the Decepticons and Cybertron. And speaking of Megatron, it's interesting to see our favourite tyrant being the best just that: the scene where he apparently does not acknowledge the Quintessons' authority not only solidifies the character we are familiar of Megatron, but it also provides an interesting preview of what else may be going on in his scheming central processor.

RATING: This second issue pretty much slows down the adrenaline rush we got from the first one and provides some groundwork on how the story will develop in issues 3-4. The introduction of new major characters in the story pretty much gives us a clue on what we can expect to see throughout the entire run: the Quints' and their secret plan for Cybertron (which I guess is also connected to what they were talking about in G1 #0); Megatron's plans with regards to the cloning and drilling (is he still in to the making Cybertron a cosmic dreadnaught or is there something more he wants to do this time around?); Shockwave and his new plans now that Megs is back; the Autobots' resistance movement as well as the enslaved Autobots' plan for liberation; and Ultra Magnus' development as a soldier/leader now that Grimlock is gone (would he long for Prime and wish he would also come back like Megatron?).
Interesting read. Looking forward to what will unfold in the third issue.

out of 5.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SPOILER
The secret character is a/are the Quintesson(s). (Although they didn't actually show themselves, just through the dialogue balloons that are similar to how they were depicted in G1 #0).

This review was written on 07 November 2004.
Image copyright Hasbro 2005.