TFW2005 boards member Sai brings some bad news this morning, from Hasbro UK:

Subject: Transformers Masterpiece Thundercracker

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately we are no longer able to get this item for the UK and it will therefore not be available at Toys r Us. We hope this information has been useful to you.

Kind regards Sasha Consumer Affairs Advisor

Play.com, as they've made their Fall of Cybertron preorders live for both X-Box 360 and PS3. If you preorder from Play.com now, you will get an exclusive Dinobot unlock in the form of Swoop! No word just yet if the Dinobot will be available as a preorder bonus for a store such as Best Buy. Will the remaining Dinbots be revealed as playable characters?

KRE-O TRANSFORMERS KREON MICRO CHANGERS
(Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $2.99/Available: Late Summer 2012)

For the first time ever, the KRE-O line launches TRANSFORMERS KREON MICROCHANGERS! Each TRANSFORMERS KREON MICROCHANGERS character features a popular TRANSFORMERS KREON figure robot that can be built and then rebuilt into their alternate mode. For a completely new and never-been-done before building experience, these KREON MICROCHANGERS have 2-in-1 capabilities! KRE-O TRANSFORMERS KREON MICRO CHANGERS launches this fall with a Preview Wave of 6 figures and will introduce additional unique figures next year.

KRE-O TRANSFORMERS KREON MICRO CHANGER COMBINERS Assortment
(Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $10.99/Available: Spring 2013)

Taking cues from classic TRANSFORMERS lore, the KREON MICROCHANGERS COMBINERS sets are being introduced for the first time into the world of KRE-O products! Taking the KREON figure multiple builds to the next level, each set contains 4 TRANSFORMERS KREONS robot figures that can be built and then rebuilt into their alternative mode, or combined to form 1 larger super robot! There will be 4 sets available at launch and each will come with approximately 75 pieces. Collect them all, with fan favorite Generation 1 styling and look for more next fall!

The San Diego Comic Con schedule for Hasbro has been annouced.

IDW & Hasbro; Thursday, July 12 at 10:00-11:00am (6:00-7:00pm UK time)
Join IDW Senior Editor John Barber (Transformers: Robots in Disguise), editor Carlos Guzman, and Hasbro's Director of Global Publishing Michael Kelly as they reveal secrets and upcoming plans for Transformers, G.I. Joe, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and more! A new Transformers series will be announced—as will a new license! All this and special guests Larry Hama (G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero), Chris Metzen (Transformers: Autocracy), Flint Dille (Transformers: Autocracy), Livio Ramondelli (Transformers: Autocracy), Andrew Griffith (Transformers: Robots in Disguise), Brendan Cahill (Transformers: Robots in Disguise), Mike Costa (G.I. Joe: Cobra) and surprise guests!

Hasbro: TRANSFORMERS Brand; Thursday, July 12 at 1:30-2:30pm (9:30-10:30pm UK time)
Aaron Archer (Vice President, Hasbro Design) and Jerry Jivoin (Director, Global TRANSFORMERS Brand) discuss the hottest TRANSFORMERS topics including the TRANSFORMERS PRIME and TRANSFORMERS RESCUE BOTS TV series, action figures, videogames, comics, theme park rides and more. Attendees will also get sneak peeks of upcoming action figures and brand news. Jerry and Aaron will also host some Q+A for your burning TRANSFORMERS questions.

Hasbro Studios & The Hub: "OPTIMUS PRIME: Up Close and Personal"; Friday, July 13 at 6:00-7:00pm (2:00-3:00am UK time)
The incomparable Larry King, one of the most recognized broadcast interviewers in the world, goes one-on-one with voice actor Peter Cullen (OPTIMUS PRIME), a talent who is practically synonymous with Comic-Con itself. In this panel, "The King of Interviews" salutes the beloved Cullen and takes attendees through the actor's early days on the original 1984 animated TRANSFORMERS TV series, the three box office smash TRANSFORMERS movies, and his current work on The Hub TV network's Daytime Emmy® Award-winning animated series TRANSFORMERS PRIME from Hasbro Studios. Audience Q&A to follow.

Activision: TRANSFORMERS: Fall of Cybertron Voice Talent; Saturday, July 14 at 10:00-11:00am (6:00-7:00pm UK time)
Legendary TRANSFORMERS voice talent and game experts at developer High Moon Studios will come together in one epic panel to discuss their roles in the upcoming Activision video game, TRANSFORMERS: Fall of Cybertron. The panel will feature Peter Cullen, voice of OPTIMUS PRIME, Gregg Berger, voice of GRIMLOCK, Nolan North, voice of CLIFFJUMPER and BRUTICUS, Matt Tieger, High Moon Studios Game Director and David Cravens, High Moon Studios Senior Creative Director. The panel will give everyone an inside look into bringing favorite characters to life in the making of the game, as well as answers to the questions fans want to know.

Full Metal Hero have been sent a few pages of Transformers Regeneration 81 in preperation of tomorrows big release.  This will be one of only a few IDW Comics that we'll actually be looking to buy, as we ran out of space for comics years ago, but we're certainly looking forward to getting back into the Transformers comic lore.

NOTE: The pages include spoilers

Transformers Movie Presentation and Q&A With Paul Eiding at Auto Assembly 2012
 
At Auto Assembly, for the last few years we've traditionally had a showing of the 1986 animated Transformers movie as part of the weekend programme at the convention. Fans have found that there has been nothing better than watching this classic film amongst a group of other fans but this year we're doing something very special...
 
On the Friday evening we will be holding a special presentation of the animated Transformers movie which will be preceeded by a short introduction by G1 voice actor Paul Eiding. Paul will then be joining us to watch the movie and he will then take to the stage for a short Q&A session afterwards to answer any questions that our attendees may have about the film and his work on it! This is a fantastic opportunity for our attendees to watch what is arguably the best of all of the Transformers movies alongside one of its cast members in the friendly relaxed atmosphere that only Auto Assembly can offer.
 
Remember that the Friday night programme is ONLY for those of you who have a weekend ticket for the convention so if you haven't already registered, book now to see this bonus Q&A Panel! If you have already booked but only have a one day pass, get in touch to find out how you can upgrade your tickets to be able to see all our Q&A Panels taking place over the weekend.
 
Auto Assembly 2012 is Europe's largest Transformers convention and is taking place over the weekend of 3rd - 5th August 2012 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. To book your tickets or find out information about booking dealers tables, to sponsor the event or to enquire about advertising with us, visit the website at www.autoassembly.org.uk
 
Hope to see you there!
 
The Auto Assembly Team
 
Web: www.autoassembly.org.uk / www.transformersvideogames.co.uk / www.ct-alpha.com
Auto Assembly Europe: www.autoassemblyeurope.eu
Youtube: www.youtube.com/autoassembly
Twitter: www.twitter.com/auto_assembly
Forum: http://www.autoassembly.org.uk/forum
Email: contact@autoassembly.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7860 948296
 
Auto Assembly is sponsored by
 
Calloway Custom Designs - www.shapeways.com/shops/callowaycustomdesigns
Big Ds Toy Chest - www.bigdstoychest.co.uk
Toyz And Gamez - www.toyzandgamez.co.uk
Kapow Toys - www.kapowtoys.co.uk
TF Source - www.tfsource.com
Robot Kingdom - www.robotkingdom.com
Transformers @ The Moon - www.transformertoys.co.uk
TransformersAnimated.com - www.transformersanimated.com
TheTransformers.net - www.thetransformers.net
Titan Books - www.titanbooks.com
3 Darths Comics - www.3darthscomics.co.uk
Science Fiction Collectables - www.sf-collectables.co.uk
Big Bad Toy Store - www.bbts.com
Xyber Toys - www.xybertoys.com

TFW2005.com have been sent a free copy of the San Diego Comic Con Exlusive GI-Joe/Transformers Cross Over Destro with Shockwave Hiss Tank toy buy Hasbro's PR companh Hunter PR.

Included on the back of the box is one page of comic art that explains the SHOCKWAVE HISS TANK!

Two villains make a dark deal to further their own evil plans....

Destro: Here's the energon you want, Shockwave. Now give me the cash you owe me.

Shockwave scans the H.I.S.S. Tank blueprints as Destro looks on.

Shockwave: Together we will rebuild power station Alpha and take control of the world.

Soundwave in Alt-Mode: Unknown to the two villains, Soundwave is recording this meeting.

Hobby Base has posted images on facebook of the upcoming Hasbro Asia Exclusive Deluxe Generations figures Springer, Swerve, Wheelie, and Transformers Prime Cliffjumper

Auto Assembly 2012 Exclusive Postcards Unveiled
 
Every year we produce a series of exclusive postcards for Auto Assembly and this year is no exception. We have now released previews of all of the artwork for this year's cards and you can find all of this as well as details of the artists involved over on the Auto Assembly website here:-
 
http://www.autoassembly.org.uk/2012/07/07/auto-assembly-2012-postcard-set-previews/
 
Auto Assembly 2012 is Europe's largest Transformers convention and is taking place over the weekend of 3rd - 5th August 2012 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. To book your tickets or find out information about booking dealers tables, to sponsor the event or to enquire about advertising with us, visit the website at www.autoassembly.org.uk
 
Hope to see you there!
 
The Auto Assembly Team
 
Web: www.autoassembly.org.uk / www.transformersvideogames.co.uk / www.ct-alpha.com
Auto Assembly Europe: www.autoassemblyeurope.eu
Youtube: www.youtube.com/autoassembly
Twitter: www.twitter.com/auto_assembly
Forum: http://www.autoassembly.org.uk/forum
Email: contact@autoassembly.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7860 948296
 
Auto Assembly is sponsored by
 
Calloway Custom Designs - www.shapeways.com/shops/callowaycustomdesigns
Big Ds Toy Chest - www.bigdstoychest.co.uk
Toyz And Gamez - www.toyzandgamez.co.uk
Kapow Toys - www.kapowtoys.co.uk
TF Source - www.tfsource.com
Robot Kingdom - www.robotkingdom.com
Transformers @ The Moon - www.transformertoys.co.uk
TransformersAnimated.com - www.transformersanimated.com
TheTransformers.net - www.thetransformers.net
Titan Books - www.titanbooks.com
3 Darths Comics - www.3darthscomics.co.uk
Science Fiction Collectables - www.sf-collectables.co.uk
Big Bad Toy Store - www.bbts.com
Xyber Toys - www.xybertoys.com

Following up on the KRE-O theme from our last news story, Hasbro Inc have issued the following press release regarding the Kre-o brands presence at SDCC

The KRE-O Brand from Hasbro “Builds” a Major Presence at Comic-Con International and Unveils New STAR TREKTM and TRANSFORMERS Building Sets

Teaser Trailer for KRE-O STAR TREK Digital Short Produced by Bad Robot Also Unveiled in Anticipation of Premier Pop Culture Event in San Diego

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Hasbro, Inc. (HAS) is set to arrive at the 2012 International Licensing Expo in Las Vegas on June 12 to showcase its global mega brands, including TRANSFORMERS, NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, LITTLEST PET SHOP, MONOPOLY, PLAYSKOOL and G.I. JOE. Ranked as a top 10 global licensor based on annual retail sales, Hasbro is continuing to expand its worldwide licensing programs, invest in resources and talent and generate incremental revenues from merchandise, digital gaming, box office and television programming.

“Hasbro continues to accelerate its retail footprint based on highly innovative and on-trend licensed merchandise and supporting programs that resonate with today’s global consumer,” said Simon Waters, Senior Vice President, Global Brand Licensing and Publishing at Hasbro. “Our track record and relationships with retailers and licensees worldwide has positioned the company to become the preeminent provider of immersive lifestyle brand experiences for the entire family.”

This year’s show lineup underscores Hasbro’s global momentum at retail through key licensing categories including apparel, publishing, consumer electronics, digital gaming, home, food, and toys. Brands such as BATTLESHIP, TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY and LITTLEST PET SHOP are also anchored by major motion picture releases as well as hit television programming created by Hasbro Studios and broadcast on more than 30 networks in more than 160 countries.

TRANSFORMERS
Hasbro's iconic TRANSFORMERS brand has become one of the most successful entertainment franchises of the 21st century and features the heroic AUTOBOTS and the villainous DECEPTICONS engaged in an epic battle on multiple story telling platforms including film, television, digital gaming, publishing and theme parks. Hasbro provides its broad TRANSFORMERS fan base with high value, age-appropriate merchandise including digital gaming, toys, apparel, sporting goods and more.

MY LITTLE PONY
The MY LITTLE PONY franchise continues to be a worldwide favorite with fans of all ages, largely fueled by the global popularity of the MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC animated series which airs in more than 160 countries and is also available on iTunes as well as Netflix. The extensive merchandising program reaches across all major categories including apparel, publishing, toys and accessories.

LITTLEST PET SHOP
Ranked as one of the toy industry’s top brands for girls as well as one of the hottest lifestyle properties, the demand for LITTLEST PET SHOP remains strong in 2012 with licensed products in more than 20 categories, including apparel, accessories, publishing and domestics. The momentum will continue to roll throughout the year as tween girls eagerly await the launch of the new Hasbro Studio animated comedy series that centers on the life of a fun-loving, human character, Blythe and the adventures of the pets that she cares for at the LITTLEST PET SHOP. The series is slated to premiere later this year in the U.S., with expected international expansion to follow.

NERF
Hasbro continues to expand its NERF franchise through targeted social media campaigns, cutting-edge technology and captivating competitive events. With more than 60 licensees signed on, the No. 1 blaster property will expand its presence in a host of licensing categories, including sporting goods, electronics, accessories and apparel. The NERF brand provides fans with the ultimate in exciting, high-action gear for competitive play with key collaborations such as the Nike and NBA All-Star Kevin Durant program, as well as the edgy fashion statements created by Second Chance and No Fear in Europe.

About Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (HAS) is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive entertainment offerings based on the Company's world class brand portfolio. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, digital gaming and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its global customers with well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and MONOPOLY. The Company’s Hasbro Studios develops and produces television programming for markets around the world. The Hub TV Network is part of a multi-platform joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), in the U.S. Through the company's deep commitment to corporate social responsibility, including philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to build a safe and sustainable world for future generations and to positively impact the lives of millions of children and families every year. It has been recognized for its efforts by being named one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” and is ranked as one of Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s “100 Best Corporate Citizens.” Learn more at www.hasbro.com.

© 2012 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved

HAS-LIC

Editors’ Note: Licensor ranking based on License Global! Top 125 Global Licensors, May 2012.

Thanks to seibertron.com member Autobot Genocide for reporting that Argos are currently having a sale on Kreos sets.  You can view a list of the reduced products, and their associated prices, below.

• Megatron - £8.75
• Starscream - £11.99
• Ratchet - £8.49
• Mirage - £6.99
• Jazz - £4.99
• Sentinal Prime - £19.99
• Optimus Prime Mini - £4.99
• Bumblebee Mini - £3.99
• Sideswipe - £12.49
• Prowl -£14.99
• Optimus Prime w/ Trailer - £39.99

You can click here to visit their website or shop in store.

Jagex To Support Auto Assembly 2012

Online MMO games developer Jagex are busy working frantically on their upcoming Transformers Universe MMO. Back in 2011, Jagex supported Auto Assembly by providing us with a great selection of freebies to give away to our attendees, some fantastic t-shirts which we gave away as competition prizes, and donated what is still our highest fundraising auction items ever.

We're proud to announce that Jagex will be supporting Auto Assembly again this year and, they’ll be bringing boxes of stuff exclusive to attendees of Auto Assembly 2012. They will be given away as prizes in various competitions during the convention and we will also be giving away some in a pre-registrant prize draw. To enter this, all you need to do is book your tickets for the convention IN ADVANCE and you'll be entered (as long as you don't have a Partner or Under 6 pass!).

Then just check your welcome pack on the day and if you have a lucky ticket in there, you've won!

Secondly Jagex will be donating something rather special for our charity auction... They will be providing us with a very special print of artwork from the Transformers Universe game signed by the development team! At Auto Assembly 2011, a similar print that was signed by SIXTY members of the team raised an astonishing £350 and we hope that this one will do the same and we want to thank Paul Mayer and Eddy Dew from Jagex for arranging this.

Finally, we will be giving away Transformers Universe art cards to our attendees as part of the goodie bags this year. Featuring one of two different designs, these have great CGI landscapes on them and are great collectibles from the game.

You can find out more about the game at http://www.transformersuniverse.com and about Jagex's other online MMOs including the highly-acclaimed RuneScape at their website at http://www.runescape.com

Auto Assembly 2012 is Europe's largest Transformers convention and is taking place over the weekend of 3rd - 5th August 2012 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. To book your tickets or find out information about booking dealers tables, to sponsor the event or to enquire about advertising with us, visit the website at http://www.autoassembly.org.uk

Hope to see you there!

The Auto Assembly Team

Web: http://www.autoassembly.org.uk / http://www.transformersvideogames.co.uk / http://www.ct-alpha.com
Auto Assembly Europe: http://www.autoassemblyeurope.eu
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/autoassembly
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/auto_assembly
Forum: http://www.autoassembly.org.uk/forum
Email: contact@autoassembly.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7860 948296

Auto Assembly is sponsored by

Calloway Custom Designs - http://www.shapeways.com/shops/callowaycustomdesigns
Big Ds Toy Chest - http://www.bigdstoychest.co.uk
Toyz And Gamez - http://www.toyzandgamez.co.uk
Kapow Toys - http://www.kapowtoys.co.uk
TF Source - http://www.tfsource.com
Robot Kingdom - http://www.robotkingdom.com
Transformers @ The Moon - http://www.transformertoys.co.uk
TransformersAnimated.com - http://www.transformersanimated.com
TheTransformers.net - http://www.thetransformers.net
Titan Books - http://www.titanbooks.com
3 Darths Comics - http://www.3darthscomics.co.uk
Science Fiction Collectables - http://www.sf-collectables.co.uk
Big Bad Toy Store - http://www.bbts.com
Xyber Toys - http://www.xybertoys.com

The official Transformers Game website has been updated with new images of Transformers Fall of Cybertron characters.

Click the link above to see more

Auto Assembly 2012 Sets New European Attendance Record!

With over four weeks to go Auto Assembly 2012 is set to be a huge success once again. Since 2005 we have proudly held the attendance record for a European Transformers convention and today we have broken our previous record that we set in 2010! This sets a new landmark for us at the convention as we have only previously set new records or attendance figure milestones at the convention itself.

Bookings are still coming in at a fantastic rate as we are now in our traditional rush period and we have still yet to announce some of the late surprises that we have in store for you. We have some great competitions lined up, another guest to announce, some great announcements for those of you who have been with us for several years, an update on this year's convention exclusive litho and our other exclusives, more artwork from our comic, and much more besides!

Auto Assembly 2012 IS Europe's largest EVER Transformers convention and is taking place over the weekend of 3rd - 5th August 2012 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. To book your tickets or find out information about booking dealers tables, to sponsor the event or to enquire about advertising with us, visit the website at http://www.autoassembly.org.uk

Hope to see you there!

The Auto Assembly Team

Web: http://www.autoassembly.org.uk / http://www.transformersvideogames.co.uk / http://www.ct-alpha.com
Auto Assembly Europe: http://www.autoassemblyeurope.eu
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/autoassembly
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/auto_assembly
Forum: http://www.autoassembly.org.uk/forum
Email: contact@autoassembly.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7860 948296

Auto Assembly is sponsored by

Calloway Custom Designs - http://www.shapeways.com/shops/callowaycustomdesigns
Big Ds Toy Chest - http://www.bigdstoychest.co.uk
Toyz And Gamez - http://www.toyzandgamez.co.uk
Kapow Toys - http://www.kapowtoys.co.uk
TF Source - http://www.tfsource.com
Robot Kingdom - http://www.robotkingdom.com
Transformers @ The Moon - http://www.transformertoys.co.uk
TransformersAnimated.com - http://www.transformersanimated.com
TheTransformers.net - http://www.thetransformers.net
Titan Books - http://www.titanbooks.com
3 Darths Comics - http://www.3darthscomics.co.uk
Science Fiction Collectables - http://www.sf-collectables.co.uk
Big Bad Toy Store - http://www.bbts.com
Xyber Toys - http://www.xybertoys.com

Just six days now until Transformers: Regeneration One #81 hits comic book stores and download outlets (Wednesday, July 11^th, to be exact), and Simon Furman's pre-release teaser-fest continues with Regeneration One #80.5 — DECONSTRUCTED, pt 3.

Page 8, panels 1-2: Nova Point. A distinct doff of the hat to the first ‘continuation/expansion’ of the Marvel G1 saga that appeared in a 1992 UK Annual as ‘Another Time and Place’, an illustrated text story. In that story, Nova Point is described as being ‘hewn from a mountain of metal’, and I kind of took that description and turned it into ‘a towering, almost monastic retreat perched on a mountain of melted and reformed metal slag overlooking the city.’ As if it’s been made of old bits of war-torn Cybertron, the future and the past again, twisted into one. Pretty much just a throwaway line, but Kup’s flippant mention of a ‘tactical upgrade’ opens a door to some character refinements, should we wish to implement any. And here he is — Ultra Magnus, making his US continuity debut. He was a regular feature of the UK stories, and I’m now not sure why I never crossed him over into the US comic. I kind of took that UK incarnation (‘Cybertron’s greatest warrior’ – a description that actually gets a dialog nod in #81) and the more recent IDW ‘galactic lawgiver’ model and mushed them into one. I thought would be interesting to see what a character like Ultra Magnus becomes in peacetime. Frustrated, mostly, but we’ll get to that in a few issues time.

Page 8, panels 3-5: Again, lots of scene to set in this issue, and of paramount importance to me was establishing Optimus Prime’s current state of mind. So already Kup and Ultra Magnus’s dialog has alluded to Prime having rather cut himself off, in almost self-imposed exile, and Hot Rod reemphasises it a moment later. There’s a lot to come in terms of development for Hot Rod. We all know that in the animated movie he becomes the next Prime. And I wanted to feed off that and have Optimus Prime (who — in his own mind, at least — is more in the twilight phase of his time at the top) actively involved in kind of nurturing (or mentoring) his successor. But again, things aren’t necessarily going to play out according to TFTM or any other established storyline. It really is going to be tough ‘being the chosen one’. Hot Rod, though, is quite a pivotal character in RG1 (arguably the most pivotal), but his path is going to be rougher and more convoluted than any previous counterpart version. We finally get to Optimus, who’s standing, well, much as he is at the opening of ‘Another Time and Place’, staring out at Iacon from a raised observation platform. From here, it all goes in a very different direction from that Annual story, but it deserves acknowledgment.

Page 9, panels 1-4: And right from the get-go we understand that Optimus is not in a good place. In modern parlance, he has issues. Terse, brusque — it’s not the Prime we know and love. But I wondered what it would feel like to be dead, and then wrenched back into the land of the living, without so much as a by your leave. Would you be happy or kind of resentful? Something as traumatic as that must leaves deep, deep mental scars, and this reluctance to listen to the likes of Kup is what will drive the entirety of RG1′s first arc, and end in catastrophe. Oh, and death. #85 isn’t pretty. You have been warned. From Magnus’s speech we get the idea that there have been ‘incidents’ already. Clearly Soundwave and Co. haven’t been idle. And now Kup wants to send in the Wreckers. Yes, the Wreckers! Another UK mainstay (collectively) making the crossover into the US continuity. The intervening 21 years have kind of melded Kup with the Wreckers in my mind, so while he’s probably not ‘a Wrecker’ as such, he is very closely linked to the group. We’ll meet them all in #81. And one of the members (or is that two?) has a distinctly UK flavour.

Page 9, panels 5-7: As mentioned, Optimus’s reluctance to risk any kind of re-opening of hostilities (a kind of head in the sand attitude for sure) is going to have consequences. Even as quickly as the end of this issue. The Megatron’s ‘glorious second coming’ line kind of reiterates what I was talking about earlier, and how Soundwave is just holding the fort until his return. Probably using it to keep the faith. And Prime finally name-checks Soundwave’s mob as neo-Decepticons. As if the original Decepticons have just kind of conveniently vanished. It says a lot about Prime’s attitude and the attitude of the Autobots as a whole, if the whole concept of Decepticons can just be erased. Made into a footnote in Cybertron’s history. As if.

Pages 10-11: Our third flashback spread. And a chance to reprise two of my favourite scenes from the early stages of the US comic: Shockwave’s victory and the Autobots hanging from the rafters like sides of meat, and the Dinobots (and Ratchet) taking on Megatron (and winning by default). Or is that foot fault? Then I press fast forward, condensing some 40 issues into three panels, hitting the main note I wanted which was the evolution of the conflict and the Transformers themselves. Very important evolution is to the whole RG1 vibe. Among those ‘evolutions’ is one group who’ll make a big impact on RG1, especially in the second arc, ‘Natural Selection.’ And we wrap this spread with Starscream decimating the ranks of the Autobots and Decepticons alike (from #50). We know what happened to the Autobots who bit the dust in the Underbase storyline, they got pumped full of Nucleon and revived. But what about the Decepticons??

The final 5 pages soon, keep watching…