IDW Spotlight: Nightbeat

Written By: Simon Furman
Art By: MD Bright
Colours By: John Rauch Cover Art By: MD Bright, Nick Roche, James Raiz
Letters By: Sulaco Studios
Edits By: Chris Ryall and Dan Taylor
Synopsis:
Autobot freelance investigator Nightbeat is on a routine patrol when a mechanoid named Krakon offers him a chance to solve one of the greatest mysteries of Transformers history — the almost mythical disappearance of the Ark 1 spaceship on her maiden voyage. The chance to get hold of the flight recorder to the ship is something Nightbeat can't resist, but when he arrives at the rendezvous Krakon is dead and the recorder stolen. The mechanoids enigmatic last words are "There's a hole in the world".
Arriving on Gorlam Prime, the planet the flight recorder came from, Nightbeat follows a clue in Krakon's log to an archaeological site that has found evidence that the planet had began its technological evolution much earlier than previously though — suggesting outside/alien interference.
At the site he finds evidence of Cybertronian technology, and even though he suspects a trap he goes down underground, unaware he's being watched by unusually small Transformers.
Deep under the dig he is staggered to discover a enormous, pool-like interdimensional portal — the "Hole in the World". Before he can investigate his watchers make themselves known, clearly mindless drones that attack him, whilst watched by almost ghostlike creatures from the portal.
Nightbeat tries desperately to escape, but is outclassed by his opponents and captured. Awakening strapped to a table he realises the whole thing had been a set up specifically to capture him. A cerebral implant is placed in his brain module, along with other, viscous, modifications that will let his as yet unknown attackers take control of him at a time of their choosing. Eventually he looses consciousness...
Sometime later, Autobot freelance investigator Nightbeat is on a routine patrol, and feeling rather bored, when he gets a call from Optimus Prime ordering him to rendezvous with his leader on Ark 32 en-route to Earth. Optimus has needs of his talents. Nighbeat sets of, but is left with the feeling he's missing something important...
Characters Featured:
Nightbeat, Detour, Hyperdrive, Road Hugger, Blackjack, Optimus Prime, Plus at least two as-yet-unnamed mysterious mechaniods whose plot is set in motion here...
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im glad i dont crituique the art too much * LOL * my gods this was terrible
a well written story with bad show
o well - as with all the IDW spotlights - it ties in to a much larger story arc
its rummored that Galvatron has made a cameo here, but after re scanning all 21pages of the sotry * i cant see him >.< oO
in addition, it looks like we'll be seeing Nightbeat soon w/in the pages of Escalation
/