This series from IDW combines two cartoon franchises together flawlessly. It features a cover that has the Star Trek characters from the Filmation animated series; Spock, McCoy, and Sulu with Kirk and Lt. Arex (the Edosian character unique to the animated show) next to Optimus Prime (with energy axe arm!), Bumblebee, and what looks like a new Autobot, actually she is Windblade introduced in the IDW comics (she looks like she has geisha make-up, wings, and a sword), above which is the Enterprise. This is features the artwork of Philip Murphy, the variant is a connecting cover with Klingons including a cybernetic member on the other side with Megatron, Viewfinder (one part of the Reflector the camera), and Starscream with a Klingon ship overhead. This Generation One, the original, Transformers. The comic is written by John Barber, he has written many Transformers titles for IDW including Optimus Prime and Mike Johnson, writer of Star Trek: Boldly Go for IDW. The artwork is by Priscilla Tramontano, cover artists for many IDW titles, her artwork looks like a screen cap from the cartoons.
“Prime Directive part one” opens with the Enterprise is orbiting Cygnus Seven which has a dilithium mine and is close to the Klingon border. The planet is connected to the Transformers universe. Uhura reports that they can’t contact the miners. Kirk turns over the conn to Lt. Arex and transports with Sulu, M’Ress (a Caitian officer from the cartoon), and Spock. Then, we get a two page splash page with Decepticons attacking the mine while the Star Trek crew look on. I would like to see Arex and M’Ress in the Star Trek: Discovery series which takes place in that time period. The crew takes refuge from the attack and we also get a glimpse inside the mine with a Vulcan and Andorian. Kirk identifies the Decepticons as twentieth century airplanes from Earth. Spock has a great line, “There may be more to this situation than meets the eye.” Starscream just wants to destroy the humans. Then, comes the Freightliner FL86 truck out of a cave, when the Decepticons fire, he takes the hits to cover Kirk and friends! Kirk decides to use his phaser, he thinks Klingons are controlling the robots, on the Autobot who screams in pain, and transforms, I really like the sound effect, “Tsche-chu-chu-chu-tsche”, just like the cartoon, I hope this kept in the comics.
It is of course the robot form of Optimus Prime! Then, we get a splash page so we see Optimus Prime in full size dwarfing Kirk and M’Ress. He tells Kirk that he had to protect humans again, so this must be in line with his time on Earth. The Decepticons transform, we see freeze frames of different stages; incredible art Tramontano! This shows them revealed in robot form; Starscream, Megatron, and Soundwave! The female Decepticon, new, is amused by Kirk and the Enterprise crew are hit by Soundwave’s blast. It opens the communications channel with the Enterprise and Kirk orders Lt. Arex to fire down on the Decepticons. Soundwave tries to warn them, but they are hit by a proton torpedo! The Starfleet officers open fire with their phasers. The Decepticon, Thundercracker, pulls back Soundwave and they retreat. Soundwave has detected a Decepitcon presence on a nearby moon. Kirk contacts Scotty to bring McCoy down to look after Optimus Prime. Of course, we get a classic McCoy line that is perfect. While the team works on Optimus, Kirk heads down to the mine. The Decepticons have found the city Transformer, Trypticon, and it is occupied by the Klingon leader, Commander Kuri who is in the episode “The Time Trap” (1973). Megatron and Kuri decide to make an alliance to destroy Kirk. We also get the appearances of Autobots; Jazz, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Arcee from Transformers the Movie (1986), and Windblade seen in the cover. This is fun for fans of the Star Trek: The Animated Series and also for fans of Transformers.
Five Energon Cubes and Dilithium Crystals out of Five!
#StarTrekvsTransformers, #JohnBarber, #MikeJohnson, #PriscillaTramontano
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