Welcome to Transformers issue 69. Sporting a cover that promises to bring in all these different story ideas Furman has been writing about. The ending is very *cough* Sixty Nine inspired *cough*. Before we dive into the story though, whats going on with this cover?

Transformers_Issue_69_Youseph

Great Transformers T-Shirts Can Be Found At 80sTees.com!

We got our seleves a collage of beautifully drawn images on this cover. From prime and company on the top, Grimlock on the right. Starscream, Ravage, and Shockwave on the bottome, and finally Galvatron and Unicron on the left. Dead center we have a giant question mark. Far down on the bottom, “The Gathering Storm!” is written. The cover implies that all these different story lines that Furman has been working on will be handled in this issue. It’s pretty exciting. The cover all together is not amazing but the individual elements are beautiful eye candy for me.  Okay, lets flip this sucker open and see what we got!

Transformers_issue69_cover

The issue starts off by putting us with the Dinobot leader, Grimlock. He’s mad because he wants his fellow Dinobots brought back to life. In explaining this he damn near kills Waverider.

Transformers_issue69_GrimlockAt the same time elsewhere on the ship, Optimus Prime is concerned about the mood of his troops. They are becoming to complacent with the recent loss of the Matrix. He fears that if the Decepticons and the Autobots don’t unite to battle the threat of Unicron that all will be lost.

Transformers_issue69_PrimeIn the mean time, Optimus Prime wonders over to Nightbeat who’s been working on a project for prime. Did Megatron and Ratchet really die a few months back? Nightbeat has a theory that they may not have, but it’s a long shot. Nightbeat believes it is possible that ratchet might be stuck in between universes when the Trans-time Dimensional Portal closed.

Transformers_issue69_fishingOut in deep space, Galvatron is brought before Unicron and is not happy about it. In fact he demands to know why. Unicron explains that there are many different timelines and that his arrangement was made with an alternate Unicron. This Unicron orders Galvatron to go ahead of him to Cybertron and let them know he is coming. In doing a good job, Unicron will send Galvatron back from where he came.

Transformers_issue69_GalvatronGrimlock, still feeling upset that Optimus Prime isn’t making the reviel of the Dinobots a higher priority, knocks out Kup in order to retreave his comrads from stasis pods. He is going to revive these Dinobots by taking matters in his own hands. They would do the same for him anyway.

Transformers_issue69_KupOn Earth, Scorponok is losing troops left and right because of the return of Starscream. These runaways are being recruited by Starscream, Ravage, and Shockwave,  They want to be the new leaders of the Decepticons.

Transformers_issue69_warGrimlock leaves the ship which forces Optimus Prime to explain to the others where Grimlock is headed and why he didn’t spend more time helping Grimlock revive the Dinobots to begin with.

While Prime is explaining all of this, Nightbeat’s little plan worked and returned a messhed together Megatron and Ratchet in a horrific sixty nine.

Transformers_issue69_69

My Thoughts On This Issue

The issue was good. Solid. Interesting. Again, Furman has me wanting to start reading the next issue right away which is making it difficult for me to write the reviews. I guess that is a good problem to have.

Andrew Wildman is the artist on this issue. A fan favorite and it’s easy to see why. Guy is Amazing with his trade.

I didn’t care for Optimus Primes speech in the story where he wants to surrender to the Decepticons in order to fight off Unicron more effectively. That felt like a cheep trick done on the read. But that would be my only complaint on the writing really.

I really loved the space scene where Unicron has to tell Galvatron to speak with his mind. Makes sense and is really cool. Also the scene where Nightbeat is explain to Optimus Prime, using analogies, how they might find Ratchet.

And the end… The ending with the combined Megatron and Ratchet. To me, that is a play on the issue number being 69. Well done Simon. Well done.

What do you all think? Do you agree with me or not? I would love to hear why. It’s how we all learn.

Transmission Letters This Issue

Transformers_69_TransMissionsDear TransMissions,

I was reading issue #59 (we get them on this side, too) when I noticed that you KILLED RATCHET!! But-I also noticed that he didn’t come through the dimensional portal on this side. My theory is that (as before) the blast knocked them through the portal but not as far as the Ark. It also probably messed them up pretty badly

Perceptor
The Other Side
Alamosa, Co

Blast! Here we were. thinking yes; yes, YES-he’s got it pretty much right on the button (especially about being messed up). But then you go and ruin it all by making it another of those ‘letters from a Transformers’! Why, why, WHY? Mind you, we should have realized when you started talking about ‘other sides’. Nurse-the screens!!

Dear Transmissions,

I just finished reading issue #62. I love the idea! Transformers. In different places-mysteries, the Wild West. Great! I’ve read every issue of the comic except issue #47 and I’m only 9, I only see one thing missing from an otherwise perfect comic-kids! How about a little Hot Rod that transforms into a skateboard or a little Soundwave that transformers into a Walkman!

Bed Ebert
Toulon, IL

Hey yeah, we could have a new series-Transformer babies! Meagon with his fusion rattle and Optimus Prime in a diaper! It’s innovative, ground-breaking, daring (so it’ll never see print!). Glad you enjoyed #62, Ben (not everyone did-it was one of those issues people either thought was the best yet or thought it stank), and all the preceding issues. Don’t worry about issue #47, it wasn’t that good (just kidding, Bod, just kidding!).

Dear Transmissions,

All right! Galvatron’s coming! With Thunderwing leading the Decepticons on Cybertron, Scorponok leading them on Earth and Starscream plotting to overthrow them both, the introduction of Galvatron should make things very interesting on the Decepticons scene. While we’re on the subject of the introduction of new characters, I noticed that issue #62 marked the first appearance of Autobots Hosehead, Nightbeat and Siren. All well and good, but I was hoping to see some older characters (like Grimlock, Jazz, Bumblebee, Kup and Cloudburst) involved in the Matrix Quest. By the way-the comic is called TRANSFORMERS not HUMANS, so yes, focus on the mechanoid side of things more than the humans.

Greg Wierenge

Things will indeed be getting very interesting on the Decepticon front, but not so much with Galvatron (as yet). He’s got other, mre pressing concerns than bidding for the Decepticon leadership. But, with the reintroduction of Shockwave, things begin to gather pace toward-ahh, but that’d be telling! We’re sure that by now you’ll have seen that Grimlock and Co. were very much part of the Matrix Quest!

Dear Transmissions,

Let me first  thank you for a great comic. I have every issue (including all the miniseries), and intend to keep on going. But let’s get to the point. I received issue #64 and observed that the cover bore the Matrix Quest logo, stating that this was part 3 of 5. Knowing this to be correct, I turned to the title page, immediately seeing the same logo, but this time stating this was part 4 or 5! I have a logical explanation for this mishap. the TRANSFORMERS staff got so caught up in the action of the comic they lost all sense of time and judgment, thus printing the wrong logo. How about an editoral No-Prize?

Jonathan Pawlak
Wellsville, NY

Right on! We’ll see what we can do about something vaguely No-Prizish!

Dear Transmissions,

No matter what answer you give about there not being any female Transformers, it seems the female readers aren’t about to let you off the hook, so maybe i can do it for you. First off, from the last three issues we’ve learned that the Transformers were created as a last line of defense. I’m sure that last thing in Primus’s mind when he created them was romance! C’mon, ladies-these robots are fighting a war! And anyway, without getting too biological, they’ve got the Creation Matrix to ensure a steady supply of new Transformers. Besides, the thought of two Autobots trying to neck is a bit too revolting for my tastes…

Lorianne Arwood
Homestead, FL

Eeuuu-Ours too!

Dear Transmissions,

RE: TRANSFORMERS #64. What does MOBY DICK have to do with the Transformers?

David Buzzell
North Bend, WA

Beasts Us!

Dear Transmissions,

Gee guys, don’t you think you’ve taken the concept of the Transformers to a point of no-return? Trust me, I am a highly un-noted Transformologist and even I say the nonsense must stop. A god! A god! The Transformers have a god? I think i’m beginning to see desperation in the Transformers office at Marvel. I imagine it went something like this:

* SIMON FURMAN (writer): Well, Don-I’m all tapped out of ideas for the Transformers.

*DON DALEY (editor): Don’t despair, all is not lost. I’m on a mission from God-wait that’s it… a god!

*SIMON: Eh? what does a god have to do with Optimus Prime and the other Trans-

*DON: Prime! God! That’s it-Primus!

*SIMON: I see! Tell you what, I’ll write in that Unicron guy as well. How about that?

*DON: Great! We’ll call it the Matrix Quest! it should sell at least six or seven issues!

It’s a good idea, but I see that it will only mess you up in the future. Stick to the basics!

The Bugle Boy Bandit
NY

Oh ye of little faith! By the way-have you got the Marvel offices bugged?

Ads This Issue

Youseph

The host of the YOSHICAST and TRANSMISSIONS Podcast. Transformers enthusiast and comic book collector.

This Post Has 6 Comments
  1. Hey, Youseph! I just did a Google search for the Marvel Transformers’ issue that I’m currently reading, and I stumbled upon your blog. Really cool! I started at the beginning with #1 last year, and have been reading every issue sequentially. Here it is Tuesday evening, and I’m about to sit down with #48. I haven’t looked yet, but I’m guessing you’ve reviewed every issue thus far(?). This will be fun to read your reviews after I’m finished with each comic.

    1. Hello Anthony!
      Thanks for posting. Good to hear from you and someone reading the comics along with me. Yes, I have read and reviewed every issue through number 69 at the moment. I’ve been able to review an issue a week. So you can expect a new review up every Tuesday at my current speed. I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts on each issue as you finish reading them. Take care and don’t be a stranger around here.

  2. Hello Yoshi, Great review once again and I am really enjoying reading your thoughts on, in my opinion, the best TF issues during the original Marvel run. I mean you have Furman juggling at least 3 subplots 1) Grimlock trying to fix his fellow Dinobots 2) the whole MegaRatch dilemma 3) a quickly brewing Decepticon Civil War and lastly the huge overarching plot of Galvatron and Unicrons quickly approaching arrival. Thats a ton of stuff for one writer to keep track of and I feel that he moved each plot along quite well. But let me not forget to mention the arrival of my favorite TF artist Andrew Wildman who does an admirable job here (and he gets better as the series progresses). All in all a fine read and I always enjoy reading the letters pages from so long ago. Please keep up the great reviews, I look forward to #70 and I hope you are doing well up there in AK!!

    Tom Proscia

    1. Hey Tom!

      Thanks for leaving a comment. It’s great to hear from you!

      You’re right. Furman is juggling a lot here. I feel really bad with this current generation of Transformers writers having to do the same difficult task with fewer pages to work with.

      #70 should go up this coming Tuesday. Trying to get these out every week.

      AK is good. Trying to keep warm. Moving soon.

  3. You mentioned 69 several times. I’m not sure of the reference. I know that Skids was in limbo for awhile in the UK comics, but that wasn’t issue 69 *(I looked it up). One thing that they mentioned in the UK comics was that when time travel was done by Transformers, their mass displacement meant that the same number of Transformers vanishes and are displaced into a limbo dimension (this happened in Issue 100 among other times)

  4. I loved this issue!! So much happen so much is brewing…it was just a great issue with the perfect name….The Gathering Storm!!! I loved the fact that Grimlock was just feed up with things. I thought this was a great call back to him being leader of the Autobots before Prime’s return!! I thought Grimlock did a good job is leader, the comics like in Season 3 with Rodimus showed Grimlock learning what it takes to be leader. In this issue it starts to show Grimlock’s leadership again. He wants his Dinobots back and is willing to go to any lengths to get it. And we see that in the next couple of issues. I also really liked how Waverider was showed up and tells about what happened to Grimlock , Jazz , and Bumblebee after their altercation with Thunderwing. Waverider being of the the original Pretenders and Grim being the newer one. I would have liked to have seen Grim’s Shell standing there to the side somewhere. Considering the last time we see it and the other Classic Pretender shells was the previous arc.
    I did like Prime walking through the Arc and saying about and is seeing how and what the rest of the Autobots do while they aren’t in battle with the Decepticons. I just liked this everyday life time aspect. I thought his talk with Nightbeat was great . It was basicclly Nightbeat retelling what had happened in the Return of Megatron arc to get everyone up to speed who hadn’t read it. And it also shows what we know now with the IDW of how good of a Sherlock Holmes character Nightbeat is. And I like you really liked the interaction of Galvatron and Unicron. How the argued and all. As well as the showing of Starscream/Shockwave’s growing rebellion .
    As for the end when the Rachet/Megatron fusion is shown, I remember getting this and reading it in the back of our car and saying “Holy Shit!” which of course got me in trouble. But it just such a great lead up to moment, that I agree the whole book was lead up for. This issue is in my top 10 favorites and will stay that way. Though I still wish we could see a third party company do some kind of figure or statue or something of the Ratchet/Megatron fusion. It would be so something I would get with no doubts in my mind.

Comments are closed.