Issue 58, 26 April 1986.
Written by: Len Kaminski
Art by: Graham Nolan (pencils), Tom Morgan (inks).
Colours by: Nel Yomtov.
Letters by: Bill Oakley
Cover art: ?
Reprinted from US issue 16.
Plot: The Autobots go looking for Bumblebee. The Beetle in question, meanwhile, is still under the control of car thieves. When he conks out during a drag race, they fiddle with his engine, and actually manage to do some proper repair while they're in there (well, Ernie does, Waldo Dobbs is...bloody hell, what is he doing? Flexing?). Thanks to that, when the Decepticons track them down, Bumblebee is able to take over and elude them himself. This means he's speeding, which adds the State Police to the chase. Then the Decepticons draw too much attention, which brings in the Air Force. The Decepticons take out the military, but nonetheless catch up to Bumblebee. Bumblebee is prepared to go down fighting. Fortunately for him, the combined Autobots and human forces arrive to save him. Bumblebee feels like a part of the Autobot team again. Jolly good.
Miserable glitches: Is Bumblebee really so naïve that when he hears that 1950s-throwback challenge his thieves - who have spent the better part of the evening terrorising people and whathaveyou, it seems - he eagerly thinks he can 'help people' by getting them to the prize money? His 'new human friends'? What's wrong with him??
What's wrong with that guy in the coat they drive past once Bumblebee's repaired? He looks awful confused to see...er, a car driving down the street.
Maybe it's because they're naughty, but those guys are always driving on the left side of the road. That's the side British people drive on, but in the USA, people drive on the right. (Odd, considering this is one of the US-made stories.)
Shouldn't there have been a barrier at the tool-booth?
Why aren't the US Air Force guys wearing uniforms?
Said USAFers also say that there are five bogeys that don't fit any known American or Soviet design. Well, maybe Shockwave, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw don't, but Starscream and Thundercracker do. Even I know they're F-15s, and even if I didn't, the Air Force should.
Did that cop really not notice the aircraft overhead for so long? They were there before him!
Jetfire crashes into a bridge but lands on the ground below in the next panel.
Shockwave calculates only 0.3% chance of himself and the other Cons against the human/Autobot collective, which seems a bit pessimistic. On the other hand, it does show a come-down from the ludicrously high power levels he and Megatron displayed earlier in the series.
Back-up strip: Rocket Raccoon.
Notes: Interestingly, Bumblebee transforms with the two thieves still seated inside him, and they're just popped out onto the ground as he goes. A safety measure or feature of all Transformers, or just him?
This story was reprinted in Transformers - Cybertron Redux (Titan, 2003).
Comments: Not only is the guy who challenges Ernie and Dobbs a 1950s reject, but the whole scene with its drag-racing and all the rest of it is, too. Gonna rough 'em up at the drive-in burger joint if ye don't make it, too? Bah. The chase scene that took up most of the last half of this instalment could have been a Blues Brothers-style everyone's-in-on-it thing, but it didn't have nearly the charm of that film. Or in fact anything that has a particular amount of charm. We never did find out quite why controlling Bumblebee would obliterate the Autobots - even if you can control him, he's not particularly strong or powerful and would certainly be of limited 'obliteration' use. And his character sinks lower and lower here, as he figures the two hoodlums who steal him will be his new friends instead of the other Autobots! Is this the same guy who was showing the new recruits around humankind a few issues ago? Was he going to tell them that if someone takes you away and uses you to harrass people, it's because they love you? (Smeg, I just realised how disturbing that sounds.)
Hm, the Autobots and humans at the end look like they're all together, but they're probably not. It'd be hard for the Autobots to convince the local authorities of their purpose, even with their facsimile drivers. 'Sure, pal, we'll help you chase the yellow car. Just step out of the van and let's talk about it!' 'Uh...no, I'm fine.'
Again, some good art - I think I've read Graham Nolan (if he's the same one) more recently on some superhero comics and been impressed with this work there. Not sure if Tom Morgan was inking him on Batman & Spider-Man, though. As for the words and the events of this issue? I can see how Kaminski was trying, but also failing. Sorry, but this issue just isn't much cop. (Though it does have lots of cops.)