Star Wars: Darth Vader #40: Enh. I don't really understand where Pak is going here.
Vader arrives on Coruscant to confront the Emperor, who asks Vader how he asserted control over the Force Wave. Vader responds that hate was the key. The Emperor asks why it's different than before, when his hate made him powerful but reckless. Vader responds that he's learn how to focus it. It's a mystery to me how the events of the last few issues resulted in Vader controlling his hate better, like some much else in this series, but it is what it is.
The Emperor orders Vader's own Death Troopers to attack, underscoring that, even though Vader hand-picked them, they're loyal to the Emperor before him. He asks Vader if he controls his hate or if his hate controls him and, OMFG, if I were a Sith, I'd kill anyone who asked me such a pedantic question. As they fight, the Emperor asks if he'll really continue this rebellion against him while the Droid Plague infects his Death Troopers (via the disc droids he brought with him).
This entire exchange is odd. After all, I don't recall ever seeing the Death Troopers previously, so the idea that Vader would give up his (alleged) rebellion against the Emperor for their safety seems absurd. But also: since when is Vader in open rebellion against the Emperor? I thought this whole exercise was the Emperor just testing to make sure he was strong, as usual. Aren't Sith supposed to struggle against each other?
Meanwhile, the disc droids expand the Plague beyond the Death Troopers, and the Emperor is forced to destroy Sectors 35 and 36 of Coruscant to stop its spread. The Emperor then says that, the more than Vader or anyone else hates him, the stronger he becomes. Um, sure, Palpy. I get, rhetorically, that Palpatine thrives off conflict. But for some one who manufactured a rebellion against his own government to seize control of it, you'd think he'd have the strategic mind necessary to understand too much hate is sometimes problem.
To that point, Vader departs. In Vader's...office, for lack of a better term, the Scourge tells him that he needs him, and Vader agrees: the two merge. As I said, too much hate is sometimes problem.
Transformers #2: Damn, Johnson isn't fucking around here.
The issue begins with Optimus marveling at Earth's natural beauty and accidentally stomping a deer. Johnson uses it as Optimus' introduction to the fragility of Earth's lifeforms; in a stark comparison, Optimus is grief-stricken over his actions while Starscream takes to referring to humans as "squishies" later in the issue. Spike assures Optimus it was an accident, but Optimus isn't letting himself off the hook that quickly.
Optimus then exposits that the Autobots fled Cybertron after the Decepticons pushed them to the brink of extinction. Cliffjumper interrupts their conversation, revealing that Ratchet got him operational. In the Ark, Ratchet explains that he needs more energon if he's going to activate any other Autobot.
At the power plant, Starscream returns with Soundwave and Skywarp, and Soundwave has Rumble begin constructing an energy transfer model. The Air Force dispatches a pilot codenamed Frosting to check out the disturbance, and Frosting apologizes to his passenger for delaying his ride to the airbase. Soundwave overhears the radio chatter, and Starscream engages the plane. The pair manage to eject, though Starscream graphically crushes Frosting like a bug. The passenger ditches his parachute and activates a jetpack; he manages to take out Starscream's eye, prompting him to bail. We get a look at the passenger's uniform with the name "Duke" prominently displayed. Boom! Meanwhile, at the plant, Frosting's abandoned jet dramatically crashes.
Back at the Ark, the Autobots, Spike, and Carly notice the smoke from the plant. Optimus orders Cliffjumper to stand guard over the remaining Autobots, and Spike convinces Optimus to take him with him to the plant. Carly tries to convince Spike how insane that is, but, after she fails, she decides to find her parents. Meanwhile, Sparkplug arrives at home and gets out his camouflage and gun, which we learn when Carly arrives home. (I'm actually not sure if Carly went to Spike's house first for some reason or if Sparkplug went to Carly's house.) Looking insane, Sparklug tells Carly Starscream killed her dad, who we learn was Davey.
All in all, it remains a solid start. The Duke connection is solid, particularly since it makes sense the Army will eventually dispatch the G.I. Joe squad to address such a threat. That said, Johnson does a great job of showing what impossible odds they'll face given the Transformers' overwhelming indestructibility and size.
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