It’s the Thrill of the Fight, Rising up to the Challenge of our Rival.

The Transformers Issue 8: Scrapper*. June 9th 2010.
Hey, maybe they’ll like your new haircut.
*Again, the title of the issue is left off the comic itself by mistake.
In terms of lasting consequences, this is, by some considerable margin, the most important issue Costa ever did, and features what is arguably his best remembered moment. All because of the problems it caused for other writers down the line rather than anything to do with Costa’s own work, but you’ve got to take what legacy you can get.
What people don’t tend to remember, is it’s a long road to get to that memorable moment. At 17 pages before we see a Transformer, it is the longest gap before an appearance from one of the titular characters in their own comic up till this point, a record it very likely still holds.
This story is effectively a day in the life of Spike Witwicky, looking at his motivations and behaviour. Which is fine as an idea, plenty of franchises do episodes and issues focusing on the side-characters, often to great success. But the execution…
Well, we open on the now patented Mike Costa waste of a page, with the entire thing being given over to close-ups of gym equipment moving. Not even with any narration, just clanks and clinks. What an exciting way to grab readers flicking through the book in the comic shop.
Hey, maybe they’ll like your new haircut.
*Again, the title of the issue is left off the comic itself by mistake.
In terms of lasting consequences, this is, by some considerable margin, the most important issue Costa ever did, and features what is arguably his best remembered moment. All because of the problems it caused for other writers down the line rather than anything to do with Costa’s own work, but you’ve got to take what legacy you can get.
What people don’t tend to remember, is it’s a long road to get to that memorable moment. At 17 pages before we see a Transformer, it is the longest gap before an appearance from one of the titular characters in their own comic up till this point, a record it very likely still holds.
This story is effectively a day in the life of Spike Witwicky, looking at his motivations and behaviour. Which is fine as an idea, plenty of franchises do episodes and issues focusing on the side-characters, often to great success. But the execution…
Well, we open on the now patented Mike Costa waste of a page, with the entire thing being given over to close-ups of gym equipment moving. Not even with any narration, just clanks and clinks. What an exciting way to grab readers flicking through the book in the comic shop.

The over the page reveal though, is one of the most inadvertently funny moments in all of IDW. As one time Transformers artist Javier Saltares gives us Cobra Kai Spike, as he works out with rippling muscles and a white sleeveless top and. It looks completely and utterly ludicrous.
Which starts his narration off on a bad start, as he talks about how he hates machines, whether they make you stronger or more vulnerable, they might be useful, but he doesn’t trust them.
All because of his sepia tinted flashback to his childhood, where, instead of playing computer games, his dad (in what is meant to be a homage to his red cap on the front of the first Marvel issue, but instead now looks like he’s full MAGA… which, fair enough considering his character) would take him up the woods to hunt stuff with bows and arrows. Which was fun, honest, and taught him things.
Which starts his narration off on a bad start, as he talks about how he hates machines, whether they make you stronger or more vulnerable, they might be useful, but he doesn’t trust them.
All because of his sepia tinted flashback to his childhood, where, instead of playing computer games, his dad (in what is meant to be a homage to his red cap on the front of the first Marvel issue, but instead now looks like he’s full MAGA… which, fair enough considering his character) would take him up the woods to hunt stuff with bows and arrows. Which was fun, honest, and taught him things.

Now, whilst this is entirely in-keeping with his father, it’s incredibly hard to imagine the booty call sports car loving dosser Spike we’ve seen so far being a great outdoorsman. Though that may be the point as, despite respecting his dad’s duty to the uniform, all Spike did at school was get into fights.
But do you know what the great thing about being in the army is? You get paid to beat people up! So, we cut to the present and a martial arts training fight that focuses more on the martial than the arts because that’s what real men do. Or something. It lets Spike chuck Henderson about at least.
But do you know what the great thing about being in the army is? You get paid to beat people up! So, we cut to the present and a martial arts training fight that focuses more on the martial than the arts because that’s what real men do. Or something. It lets Spike chuck Henderson about at least.

Though as the troops carry on the physical joshing into the canteen, Spike realises he still has a lot to learn about being a leader rather than just being One of the Guys.
No shit Sherlock.
Spike and Sandra then have a Skype meeting with his dad, General Allenby and the Joint Chiefs of Staff that is just repeating everything we already know: The lies Spike has told to sell the alliance with the Autobots, how the top brass aren’t so sure about all this and that General Witwicky is in on it but warns his son privately to be careful because of what could happen if the Autobots ever turn on them.
Which is four pages where literally the only new information is that Spike looking different isn’t just down to the change in artist, he has had an official, canon, new haircut. That has also given him ripped muscles.
This was much derided at the time, rightly, for IDW putting more effort into explaining minor changes in the appearance of Spike than they have in making sure the Transformers themselves have the same design from issue to issue. Especially as a thing was made of The New Haircut by IDW themselves on forums at the time.
Spike then has a meeting just with Sandra to check up on potential Decepticon activity around the world, setting up two potential real world politically difficult areas it would be unwise for a Transformers comic to get involved with, Israel and North Korea. One of which will become a story, and we’ll explore how well that goes shortly.
No shit Sherlock.
Spike and Sandra then have a Skype meeting with his dad, General Allenby and the Joint Chiefs of Staff that is just repeating everything we already know: The lies Spike has told to sell the alliance with the Autobots, how the top brass aren’t so sure about all this and that General Witwicky is in on it but warns his son privately to be careful because of what could happen if the Autobots ever turn on them.
Which is four pages where literally the only new information is that Spike looking different isn’t just down to the change in artist, he has had an official, canon, new haircut. That has also given him ripped muscles.
This was much derided at the time, rightly, for IDW putting more effort into explaining minor changes in the appearance of Spike than they have in making sure the Transformers themselves have the same design from issue to issue. Especially as a thing was made of The New Haircut by IDW themselves on forums at the time.
Spike then has a meeting just with Sandra to check up on potential Decepticon activity around the world, setting up two potential real world politically difficult areas it would be unwise for a Transformers comic to get involved with, Israel and North Korea. One of which will become a story, and we’ll explore how well that goes shortly.

Spike calls the meeting off though, having spotted something more interesting on the Detect a Transformer Map, and declares he’s going off-grid, because the boss can do that. Plus, he gets all the best toys as well.
This takes him to a construction site and, in sync with a period of blackout for maintenance for the orbiting Skywatch satellites, he makes his move, walking through the site and calling out to a Transformer. Making the point he’s not brought any of Skywatch’s fancy “crap” (first swearing in these comics?) with him, just a vial of… some green acid?
Which is enough to cause pain for a conspicuous, green, digger that turns out to be Scrapper.
Probably lucky the title of the story got left off, so as to keep that a surprise.
This takes him to a construction site and, in sync with a period of blackout for maintenance for the orbiting Skywatch satellites, he makes his move, walking through the site and calling out to a Transformer. Making the point he’s not brought any of Skywatch’s fancy “crap” (first swearing in these comics?) with him, just a vial of… some green acid?
Which is enough to cause pain for a conspicuous, green, digger that turns out to be Scrapper.
Probably lucky the title of the story got left off, so as to keep that a surprise.

He’s now pissed at this “human germ,” but Spike, making the point he’s doing it without backup, goes Casino Royale parkour scene on his ass, bringing down a bunch of steel beams onto, and through, Scrapper.
All to show that a simple human can easily defeat a Decepticon just using items that can be made out of the contents of their kitchen.
Like green acid and steel construction beams.
That Spike is an arsehole and a hypocrite will be a thing going forward, but I’m not sure he’s meant to seem this dim.
Spike then takes the time to explain why he’s gone solo on this: Devastator—drawn in the flashback to look nightmarish, but instead seeming very silly with his terrible dentistry—killed Spike’s bestest ever friend, Tim Simmons, when he sank the New York tunnels.
Which is kind of a late in the day thing to reveal as character motivation.
Still, that and what he’s recently seen the Stunticons do has made Spike decide that combiners are too dangerous to keep in play.
All to show that a simple human can easily defeat a Decepticon just using items that can be made out of the contents of their kitchen.
Like green acid and steel construction beams.
That Spike is an arsehole and a hypocrite will be a thing going forward, but I’m not sure he’s meant to seem this dim.
Spike then takes the time to explain why he’s gone solo on this: Devastator—drawn in the flashback to look nightmarish, but instead seeming very silly with his terrible dentistry—killed Spike’s bestest ever friend, Tim Simmons, when he sank the New York tunnels.
Which is kind of a late in the day thing to reveal as character motivation.
Still, that and what he’s recently seen the Stunticons do has made Spike decide that combiners are too dangerous to keep in play.

Which is definitely a problem considering what the Stunticons have taught him is any Transformers can be made into a combiner in about three hours.
But, ignoring this potentially worrying idea, and that Scrapper surrenders, Spike uses an everyday item you can find in your kitchen—Scrapper’s own laser gun—to kill the Decepticon. Before walking off and thinking again about how much he hates machines, especially the ones that make you feel like a machine yourself.
As noted, this is one of the things that everyone remembers about the Costa run, but entirely because John Barber would have to do some pretty extraordinary things to still involve Devastator in stories. Which says a lot about how much impact the actual attempt at creating a moral debate had.
It’s also worth noting that, considering Costa will wind up being very salty about the attention James Roberts got over him, this is basically the same situation and decision that Impactor made with Squadron X in Wreckers. Is he trying to show that anything the Marvel UK fanbois can do, he can do better?
But, ignoring this potentially worrying idea, and that Scrapper surrenders, Spike uses an everyday item you can find in your kitchen—Scrapper’s own laser gun—to kill the Decepticon. Before walking off and thinking again about how much he hates machines, especially the ones that make you feel like a machine yourself.
As noted, this is one of the things that everyone remembers about the Costa run, but entirely because John Barber would have to do some pretty extraordinary things to still involve Devastator in stories. Which says a lot about how much impact the actual attempt at creating a moral debate had.
It’s also worth noting that, considering Costa will wind up being very salty about the attention James Roberts got over him, this is basically the same situation and decision that Impactor made with Squadron X in Wreckers. Is he trying to show that anything the Marvel UK fanbois can do, he can do better?

In Wreckers though, the stakes felt more real. Here, we don’t really know what the long-term plan for the captive Decepticons is, nor if his own superiors would actually disapprove of any of this (it’s unlikely the US Army considers Transformers as deserving of human rights). Or even if the Autobots would lose very much sleep over it. So, the impact is considerably lessened.
And coming at the end of an incredibly weak, drawn out nothing of an issue, it’s certainly not enough to save it. If not for some unintentionally funny moments with Very Heterosexual Wrestling With His Boys Spike, there wouldn’t be anything before page 22 to remember.
It doesn’t help that so much time is spent just repeating things we were told two issues ago either.
The IDW comics as a whole feel in very dire straits at this point, and it’s only been a month since Wreckers ended. Which leaves us with the question, can the arrival of a fan favourite in the third issue of Ironhide turn things around?
IRONHIDE ISSUE 2
2010
COMMENT
KO-FI
And coming at the end of an incredibly weak, drawn out nothing of an issue, it’s certainly not enough to save it. If not for some unintentionally funny moments with Very Heterosexual Wrestling With His Boys Spike, there wouldn’t be anything before page 22 to remember.
It doesn’t help that so much time is spent just repeating things we were told two issues ago either.
The IDW comics as a whole feel in very dire straits at this point, and it’s only been a month since Wreckers ended. Which leaves us with the question, can the arrival of a fan favourite in the third issue of Ironhide turn things around?
IRONHIDE ISSUE 2
2010
COMMENT
KO-FI