Crisis of Command!

Part 2

Issue 43, 11 January 1986.

Written by: James Hill
Art by: Geoff Senior
Colours by: Gina Hart
Letters by: Mike Scott
Cover art: John Ridgway

Plot: Bumblebee is chasing Ravage because he feels responsible for the spy's escape. Back at the Ark, an increasingly disconcerted Optimus finds that Bumblebee didn't even order Hound and Mirage to go - he just went himself. He's also feeling the pressure and starting to fall under Prowl's sway. Prime works out that Ravage allowed himself to be captured and tracked, to lure as many Autobots as possible into a trap. Well, they get Bumblebee anyway. He escapes, but is recaptured. The other Autobots track Bumblebee's signal to find it airborne - because it's Laserbeak dropping his arm on them.

Cor!: That's very harsh, when Laserbeak drops Bumbles' severed arm in front of the scattering Autobots. A very morbid cliffhanger.

Naff dialogue: 'Bumblebee, what have they done to you?' Said by Optimus Prime when looking at Bumblebee's amputated arm. This isn't so bad, it's just that it invites the response, 'They've chopped his arm off, genius.'

Awkward Self-Introductions: Granted, we already know this guy, but a certain black seeker insists on asking Bumblebee if he dare strike Skywarp.

Miserable glitches: Rumble and Skywarp both have more blue on them than they should - read, any at all - when they jump Bumblebee.
Hey, Optimus has gold smokestacks! He must have been going to go out for the evening or something.

Back-up strip: Iron Man. Marvel Comics mainstay about industrial/business magnate (kind of like GB Blackrock, really) Tony Stark, who also dons a suit of cybernetic armour to fight crime. The usual sort of thing, y'know?

Comments: Now James Hill is listed as writer, making me wonder if there was something up at the Marvel offices when they were writing this, or if they'd decided to have a bit of fun doing a round-robin story.
Serving mostly as a set of pages to get Bumblebee captured, this issue stands out for its art by new kid Geoff Senior. This, I think, is actually some of his best work, even over things he'll do with more experience under his belt. The colours certainly serve it well, making everyone look very metallic and Transformerish.
A lovely combination of script and art, though, in the parts dealing with Optimus' potential breakdown. Could your heart not stop a moment as you see the poor guy ask Prowl what on Earth he should do because Ravage escaped? (And the idea of Prowl using this to get his own way over the 'Ultimate Autobot' issue is more than a little chilling, come to that. Guess he really can use that brain module when he wants to.)
Great cover, too.