Combiner Wars (comic)

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"Combiner Wars" is an "event" storyline published in early 2015 by IDW Publishing, tying into the concurrent release of the Combiner Wars toyline. The storyline takes place in alternating issues of the Windblade miniseries and the The Transformers ongoing, followed by a one-shot comic. More than Meets the Eye was going to be part of it (hence the Protectobots being on the Lost Light) but IDW felt this would undermine the book's direction.

	"Combiner Wars" chapters:
Superion/"Prowlastator" origin #8 #9 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 "First Strike" #33 #34 #35 #36 #37 #38 "Combiner Wars" Opening Salvo Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 "Epilogue" #42 #4 "Combiner Hunters" #1

Prequels

Combiners and the technology behind them were an important part of Robots in Disguise since its early stages, underpinning much of the book's initial 16-issue story arc. Eight issues covering the creation of Superion and the new incarnation of Devastator were reprinted with the Combiner Wars Deluxe Class Aerialbot and Stunticon toys, rebranded as Combiner Wars #1-8. Due to production timing issues, however, issues #1 and #2 were not released in these initial waves, whilst #3 was available only with the limited-release Quickslinger figure. Issues #1 and #2 (and reprints of #3 and #4) would later be released with the Combiner Wars Deluxe Class Combaticon toys.

Explicit buildup for the event began in Robots in Disguise #33, which introduced the notion of a combiner arms race, as well as setting the stage for Superion's new team members. The next five issues would go on to tell a story about the Enigma of Combination, an ancient Cybertronian artifact holding the key to successful combiners. Whilst not billed as such in their initial release, the trade paperback collecting these issues was labeled Combiner Wars—First Strike, and they were reprinted as Combiner Wars #9-14 with the third and fourth waves of Deluxe Class figures.

Overview

The series sees tensions surrounding the IDW universe's combiners come to a head when Starscream-led Cybertron re-establishes contact with Windblade's homeworld: the long-lost colony Caminus, turning what had been a simmering arms race into an all-out war. Combatants include the newly-rebuilt Superion, Devastator, and Menasor, and new players Defensor, Optimus Maximus, and Victorion.

Sequels

After the event, the June 2015 issues of The Transformers vol. 2 and Windblade vol. 2 were branded "Combiner Wars Epilogue". In July 2015, a one-shot comic branded "Combiner Hunters" was released, focusing on Arcee, Windblade, Chromia, and Victorion in the aftermath of the Combiner Wars; it was written by Mairghread Scott with art by Sara Pitre-Durocher.

Creative team

The Transformers issues are written and drawn by John Barber and Livio Ramondelli, respectively, whilst Windblade sees the return of the first miniseries's writer and artist team of Mairghread Scott and Sarah Stone. Casey Coller draws the regular covers, and Ramondelli provides subscription covers which form larger images in pairs. Retailer incentive covers feature art from Transformers Legends artist Sara Pitre-Durocher.

Collections

• The Transformers Volume 7: Combiner Wars First Strike (April 8, 2015) ISBN 1631402854 / ISBN 978-1631402852

• Contains issues #33 to #38
• Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

• The Transformers: Combiner Wars (August 12, 2015) ISBN 1631403869 / ISBN 978-1631403866

• Contains The Transformers issues #39 to #41, as well as the issues #1 to #3 of The Transformers: Windblade ongoing series.
• Bonus content includes covers of each issue.