Shattered Glass issue 1

2022-12-27T18:24:49Z

Autobot Blaster:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (IDW)|Transformers: Shattered Glass]]'' #1
|prev=
|next=Shattered Glass issue 2
|caption=
|image=IDWSG 1 cvrA.jpg
|title=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[August 25]], 2021
|coverdate=August 2021
|written by=[[Danny Lore]]
|art by=[[Guido Guidi]]
|inks by=[[John Wycough]]
|colors=[[John-Paul Bove]] and [[Ed Pirrie]]
|letters by=[[Lettersquids]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
}}

'''On a shattered Cybertron where evil reigns supreme, the ruthless bounty hunter Blurr pursues a high-ranking Decepticon rebel.'''

==Synopsis==
For eons, the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s have battled for supremacy, a struggle that took them from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to [[Earth]] and back before the Autobots finally triumphed. In ''this'' universe, however, the Autobot are the villains: ruthless, freedom-hating autocrats, the tyrannical [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] and his minions have conquered Cybertron and nearly crushed the heroic [[Decepticon]] freedom fighters under their heel. Their takeover has not been smooth, however, as Prime's followers [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]] and [[Prowl (SG)|Prowl]] have rebelled against their leader and seized territories and soldiers of their own. Amidst these three-way turf wars and border skirmishes, the task of mopping up the Decepticons falls to the [[bodyscrapper]]s: elite bounty hunters who track down, round up, and junk Decepticon fugitives. And among the bodyscrappers, there are few as efficient or cruel as [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]—an adrenaline junkie forever chasing his next high, he delights in going after dangerous Decepticons and other and high-risk targets, playing with his prey before finally going in for the kill. But as Blurr drives through the deadly [[Static Zone]], passing the volcanic [[Chrome Ridge]] with [[Sixshot (SG)|Sixshot]]'s dismembered corpse hitched to his bumper, Blurr muses that the trade's grown dull: the remaining Decepticons are too weak to put up an entertaining fight and their numbers are dwindling.

Blurr returns to [[Gold City]], pushes his way through the squalid slums, and triumphantly delivers his latest catch to [[Ratchet (SG)|Ratchet]]. As part of his ongoing quest to engineer a better breed of 'bot, the mad doctor endlessly experiments on the poor and downtrodden inhabitants of Gold City using the spare parts Blurr brings in from his victims. As Ratchet's latest experiment writhes in pain, Blurr describes his latest adventure: though the trail took him all the way into Prowl's territory and into the path of a rival scrapper gang, Blurr easily escaped with his kill. It's not like he was in any ''real'' danger, he sighs; after all, he can outrun ''anyone''. Despite his ennui, Ratchet piques Blurr's interest with news of Goldbug's latest bounty. The ruler of Gold City has reached out to ''every'' scrapper under his command to bring in a certain high-value target alive; as Blurr snatches a homing beacon from Ratchet and races out the door, he has just barely enough time to learn ''who'' he's hunting: [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]]'s loyal lieutenant, [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]]!

Elsewhere, [[Hardhead (SG)|Hardhead]] and [[Chromedome (SG)|Chromedome]] have already found Starscream and pinned him under a volley of fire. Blurr observes the fight from a safe distance; although Starscream puts up a good fight, it's still two against one. Unable to bear the idea of losing a bounty to his rivals, Blurr takes the only option he has left, shoots Chromedome's blaster from his hands, and dives into the fray to rescue his quarry! The unlikely allies work together to take out their mutual enemies, but this is no sudden show of altruism on Blurr's part. If he activates the beacon ''now'' and calls down Goldbug and Ratchet, Starscream will immediately realize the game and escape. The only way he can deliver Starscream to his employer is by convincing the Decepticon to walk right into Goldbug's arms... and if he can do ''that'', then he'll surely go down in history as the greatest bounty hunter on Cybertron.

Of course, Starscream's no fool, and immediately suspects treachery the moment he and Blurr are a safe distance away from Gold City. Blurr tries to get Starscream to see reason—after all, he's injured, Goldbug wants him dead, and the other two Autobot warlords won't treat him any better if he can even make the trip. There's nowhere on Cybertron he can run to; Blurr knows all the safe routes through the Static Zone, and the only way Starscream survives is if he accepts Blurr's assistance. When Starscream snaps that he's not going anywhere, Blurr goes for another angle: he's not ''really'' an Autobot anymore, he claims, he just can't afford to declare his neutrality. When the war began, he was just a scout; after [[Earth]] and the end of the war, however, the scouts were out of a job. Most survived by becoming couriers... but as the new regime took shape, packages became contracts, and couriers became scrappers. After still more back-and-forth, Blurr finally convinces Starscream that he just wants to help, and the pair set off towards the Chrome Ridge volcano range—a hazardous region at the best of times, it's currently a boiling hellscape of molten metal during the rainy season. Secretly, this turn of events delights Blurr: the volcanoes will keep Starscream trapped until Goldbug arrives. Blurr is so caught up in his egotistical imaginings that he doesn't realize he's been double-crossed, as Starscream blasts his vehicle mode and sends him tumbling out of control!

Starscream was ''never'' convinced by Blurr's affable façade and has been waiting for the right time to strike—and did so the second Blurr let his guard down. But despite his best efforts to hit the Autobot, Blurr easily runs rings around the Decepticon flier and blasts him again and again. Convinced that he's run Starscream ragged, Blurr zips in to deliver the final blow... only for Starscream to promptly sidestep his wild charge at the last second! With no way to stop, Blurr careens right into the nearest volcano slope and into a flow of red-hot liquid metal. As Blurr struggles to get free, Starscream explains that he could never ''outrun'' Blurr, but ''outthinking'' the reckless Autobot is another matter entirely. Trapped and helpless, Blurr screams that he'll kill Starscream even as the molten metal engulfs him...

Starscream stays with Blurr's corpse for the rest of the night to make sure that he's truly dead. As the sun rises, Starscream must continue his mission, but as he transforms and takes off, he takes a moment to thank Blurr, despite his selfish cruelty. After all, the bounty hunter has brought Starscream one step closer to his ultimate goal: finding Megatron!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashback. 
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Decepticon]]s|c1=
* [[Sixshot (SG)|Sixshot]] (1)
* [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] (9)
* ''[[Reflector (SG)|Reflector]]'' (18)

|h2=[[Autobot]]s|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}

* [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]] (2)
* [[Ratchet (SG)|Ratchet]] (4)
* ''[[Kup (SG)|Kup]]'' (5)
* ''[[Springer (SG)|Springer]]'' (6)
* ''[[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]]'' (7)
* ''[[Roadbuster (SG)|Roadbuster]]'' (8)
* [[Hardhead (SG)|Hardhead]] (10)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Chromedome (SG)|Chromedome]] (11)
* ''[[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]]'' (12)
* ''[[Prowl (SG)|Prowl]]'' (13)
* ''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] (14)
* ''[[Brainstorm (SG)|Brainstorm]]'' (15)
* ''[[Fortress Maximus (SG)|Fortress Maximus]]'' (16)
* ''[[Highbrow (SG)|Highbrow]]'' (17)
{{!}}}

|c4=
* [[Metroplex (SG)|Metroplex]] (3)

}}

==Quotes==
"I try not to ask too much from a bunch of '''numb nodes''' not smart enough to avoid having a contract out on them. It's just that I remember that there '''used''' to be Decepticons who were a challenge."
:—'''Blurr'''

"I know we're supposed to take him in alive, Hardhead... but Goldbug didn't say anything about not leaving a few '''cracks''' in his casing." 
"One thing you should know about me... I'm '''incredibly''' vain. I don't take to denting and cracking very well."
:—'''Chromedome''' and '''Starscream'''

"Don't let my devastatingly good looks fool you—I'm '''always''' twitchy around '''Autobots'''." 
"'''HA!''' Don't flatter yourself, Screamo—ain't nobody swooning over an outdated '''Seeker''' these days!" 
"Outdated? I'm a '''classic''', you overgrown junkheap!"
:—'''Starscream''' vs. '''Blurr'''

"Blurr, the fastest '''bodyscrapper''' of them all. Fastest being on '''Cybertron'''." 
"NONONONONONONO!" 
"But I didn't need to outrun you. I needed to '''outthink''' you." 
:—'''Starscream''' kills '''Blurr'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* ''Shattered Glass'' was originally created by [[Fun Publications]] in [[2008]] as the theme for that year's [[BotCon]] convention. Subsequent comics and prose stories fleshed out this universe, and it soon became one of, if not ''the'', most popular things Fun Publications ever contributed to the overarching ''Transformers'' brand. Likely in response to this popularity, ''Shattered Glass'' repeatedly crossed over with other Fun Publications universes and became a key setting within Fun Publications' complex [[multiverse]] meta-lore all the way up until the company lost the ''Transformers'' license in late [[2016]]. In comparison, IDW's take on ''Shattered Glass'' is a simpler, back-to-basics reboot unconnected to Fun Publications' stories—indeed, the comic does its own thing by eschewing the usual Autobot-Decepticon conflict in favor of a post-war setting not unlike IDW's own "[[2005 IDW continuity#James Roberts, John Barber, and "Phase Two"|Phase Two]]" era, and as is the way of ''Transformers'' reboots and re-imaginings, the comic picks and chooses characters and concepts at will. Details between these continuities differ: for instance, Starscream speaks about his "[[spark]]" when the original Fun Publications stories established that mirror-universe Cybertronians possessed negatively-charged "embers" instead.

===Transformers references===
* The Static Zone is occupied by a motionless [[Titan (group)|Titan]], partially sunken into the ground—an apparent riff on [[Transformers (2019 comic)|IDW's ''Transformers'']] ongoing, which features a number of "[[immersant]]" Titans as a regular feature of Cybertron's geography. This particular Titan is colored to resemble the Decepticon [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]]; given that this is ''Shattered Glass'', however, it's likely that this is (was?) actually an evil Metroplex.
* The silhouetted 'bots trying to gank Blurr's kill on page three appear to be mirror-universe versions of the [[Wreckers]]. The largest 'bot is clearly Ultra Magnus, sporting his unmistakable head antennae and shoulder pads; to his left is a smaller Autobot with a two-ridged head—presumably Kup, who's been a Wrecker in multiple IDW continuities. The sword-wielding 'bot with a three-ridged head is likely Springer, and the bruiser to his right is probably Roadbuster, using a version of ''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|Sins of the Wreckers]]'' body. If that's the case, then his shoulder weapons are on the wrong side... but then, this is a mirror universe!
* The lethal no-man's-land known as the "Static Zone" has some precedent in Fun Publication's ''Shattered Glass'' prose stories, where it was known as the "[[Rad Zone]]" (which was itself lifted from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]]s), and encompassed a sizeable portion of the planet.
* Optimus Prime's city of "Pax" features a massive dome-structure, much like the [[Great Dome]] in the city of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. The comic doesn't explicitly lay this out, but given the setting and timeframe, it's likely that "Pax" ''is'' Iacon, having been conquered and renamed in honor of the evil Autobot leader's original identity.
* The bodyscrappers in Blurr's flashback are the four original Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s: Chromedome, Hardhead, Brainstorm, and Highbrow, plus an evil Fortress Maximus in the background. In a rather notable example of IDW's artists using a character's most recently released toy, this means that they're specifically based on their ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Retro Headmasters|Retro Headmasters]]'' action figures, and as a result Brainstorm and Hardhead both have mouths instead of [[mouthplate]]s. Their victim [[Reflector (SG)|Reflector]], meanwhile, combines his ''[[Reflector (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' toy with his black, white, and yellow color scheme from the original ''Shattered Glass'' run.

===Real-world references===
* The idea of bounty hunters receiving unique fobs for each new contract they receive ''probably'' owes something to the first season of ''{{w|The Mandalorian}}'', which used a similar system as a plot point.

===Errors===
* On the sixth panel of page five, Blurr's "circle" should be "circles".
* Chromedome's chest is miscolored on page nine; his Autobot insignia is also red instead of purple.
* On the last panel of page 11, Blurr's "over soldered" should be hyphenated.
* On the third panel of page 16, "volcanos" should be spelled "volcanoes".
* Blurr's last monologue box on page 16 should likely be moved back to the penultimate panel.
* On the third panel of the last page, Starscream's "who" should be "whom".

===Other trivia===
* The original ''Shattered Glass'' stories featured a nerdy running gag where basically every minor character sported colors based on characters from the other faction—for instance, the [[Technobot (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' Technobots]] wore the colors of the [[Terrorcon (G1)|original Terrorcon]]s and vice versa. In the reboot, things are a bit more nebulous: although at least [[Metroplex (SG)|one character]] intentionally uses the livery of another, colorist [[John-Paul Bove]] has gone on record to say that most of the minor characters in this issue—Chromedome, Sixshot, and Hardhead—weren't colored as homages.<ref>[https://twitter.com/wordmongerer/status/1428618566442565634 John Paul Bove on Twitter, August 20th, 2021]: "I did colour this, but their colours are not based on any other character they are just schemes I liked."</ref>

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A''': A sinister Blurr homages [[Derek Yaniger]]'s cover for [[War Without End!|''Transformers: Generation 2'' issue #1]], by [[Alex Milne]]
* '''Cover B''': Blurr on the run, by [[Dan Khanna]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Blurr, by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]
* '''Hasbro Pulse exclusive cover''': Gotta go fast, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]

<gallery>
IDWSG 1 cvrA.jpg
IDWSG 1 cvrB.jpg
IDWSG 1 cvrRI.jpg
IDWSG 1 cvrRE.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Transformers: King Grimlock]]''
* ''[[Star Trek]]: The Mirror War''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers: Shattered Glass''''' ([[July 27]], [[2022]]) ISBN 168405902X / ISBN 978-1684059027
:*Collects #1–5.

<gallery>
File:ShatteredGlass-TPB.jpg|''Shattered Glass'' TPB; cover art by [[Alex Milne]].
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://majorspoilers.com/2021/08/24/preview-transformers-shattered-glass-1/ Preview]

[[Category:IDW Shattered Glass issues]]

MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Shattered Glass issue 1