Cover: The Guido Guidi cover I have is really a thing of beauty. It features the Autobot Jazz and the Decepticon Blitzwing deep in battle. The detail is good, the coloring and general look is top notch. Overall I'd say it's a good mix of Dreamwave and latter Marvel Transformers covers.

Story: Open in the control room of Ark-19, Sunstreaker and Ratchet are watching monitor screens showing their human guests, the center screen focused in on Verity holding up the palm computer threatening to wipe it if they don't let them out, Sunstreaker comments on how noisy they are before muting the sound. We pull back and see Ironhide, Sunstreaker, Ratchet, Prowl, Wheeljack, Jazz and Bumblebee, Ratchet is pointing out that a lone human did what the Autobots couldn't and tracked the Decepticons to their strategic command bunker, Prowl's still hung up on Ratchet breaking the rules and had direct contact with humans. Ratchet tells him that if he had to do it again he'd do it the same way and then relays how he encountered Verity and Hunter. Prowl tells him that what he still doesn't get is why Ratchet felt the need to intervene in the first place and risk exposing them all, Ratchet counters with the question of why are they there, on Earth? To save lives, and Ratchet takes that one life at a time, and when they intercepted the Decep pulcewave he knew he could save the man, Prowl counters that with the fact that he didn't and ended up putting 3 more humans into the fireing line so he could play hero. Ratchet tries to explain but Prowl cuts him off and orders him to download the data from the palm computer then get rid of the humans. Ratchet asks if Prowl is going to alert Prime, Prowl replies that he won't until he's satisfied that there's anything that warrants his direct involvement before leaving the room. Ratchet appeals to Ironhide, whatever the Decepticons are doing is happening now, and whether they've gone rogue or are acting under orders, it means the same thing... Megatron! Elsewhere the police are investigating the dead man who originally had the palm computer when two Decepticon jets warp in and blow up the man's shack and warp out again. Back at Ark-19, in the holding room, Verity's still threatening to erase the palm computer, much to the annoyance of her cellmates, she's just about to start yelling louder when Ratchet's holomatter form appears and after enlarging their cell he explains that they're aboard Ark-19, the Autobot's spacecraft, which gets Hunter and Jimmy excited thinking they're in outer space, Ratchet dissapoints them by revealing that they're actually at the bottom of Lake Michigan. He asks for the palm computer and after considering, Verity hands it over. Ratchet plugs it into an interface built by Wheeljack from the web specs for the SM-40 Palm Computer. Elsewhere, Ironhide stares at a screen thinking, after a bit he hits a button, on the screen we see a list of steps the computer takes "Pulsewave Sent..." "Router Confirmed..." "Respondant..." "_OPTIMUS PRIME_" Back in the cell, Ratchet is downloading information from teh palm computer while explaining about Seige Mode, that it's a protective military configuration adopted during phase 5 of a Decepticon infiltration, and we don't want to know about phase 6! The strange thing, Ratchet notes, is that it's too early for Seige Mode and that there appears to be two distinct command bunkers, one in Oregon and one in Nebraska. The palm computer also holds images from the interior of the command bunker, Verity asks the buning question, if the normal procedure is for the Decepticons to establish a secure hidey-hold, why'd they move? Elsewhere a tank nearly hits a news crew in Riverside, CA before destroying what's left of a building (Jimmy's Garage - See last issue - Damage Prone Dan) then transforming and warping out of the area. Back at Ark=19Ratchet is telling the humans that going to Nebraska is out of the question, that he can't knowingly put them in teh way of harm, but the humans counter with the facts that the bunker is abandoned and the dead man got in there fine and (from Verity) they laugh in the face of danger (which gets funny looks from the others) Ratchet puts his foot down and says that nothing can justify such a risk, Hunter says "Two Words... Seige Mode." Ratchet tells them he needs a moment and his holomatter body fades out. Outside, Bumblebee's been evesdropping on what was being said and offers the opinion that he can't see another way, and that if they make the wrong call here, humanity might not live to regret it. Ratchet decides that they must be going to Nebraska then, Bumblebee tells Ratchet that he'll need backup, so Bumblebee's coming along, while Hunter and Jimmy ride in Ratchet with his holomatter body, Verity rides in Bumblebee with his (female) holomatter body. Elsewhere in Phoenix, AZ a very beat-up bus in in a garage and the mechanic comments that it'll need a lot to be road worthy again and goes to make a phone call, as he's on the phone the bus is blone to smithereens. The Decepticon jets are warping out of there asking where to head next, somewhere else, Starscream orders them to destroy the bunker in Nebraska ... To Be Continued...

Graphics: What can I say, honestly, these graphics are stunning, I love how with the Transformers when in robot mode, you can see exactly how things fit together when they're in vehicle mode, Bumblebee's body design has changed and now makes a lot more sense with his VW bonnet/hood becomming his chest and the windows and roof becomming his back.

Bonuses: In what appears to be a standard feature we have the 2 page black and white preview of the next episode, but no blurb this time. Again we have a 3 page preview of Transformers Beast Wars issue 2 in which we see a huge gang of Predacons and Magmatron telling them they are at war with Cybertron as the prize! Magmatron orders Drill Bit and Spittor to stop the traitor Razorbeast at all costs, as he'll be going after a Transwarp Signal Booster in the wreckage of a Transwarp Cruiser that was once piloted by Tri-Predacus Covert Agent Ravage!

Readers Letters: Good cross-section of letters again, and I'm guessing, the regular upcoming issues section, this time with 3 panels Infiltration #4, Beast Wars #3 and Generations #2.

Adverts: A new bit to these reviews, adverts, see there are a few adverts in each issue, and I felt they needed to be looked at seperately. First up we have an ad for Transformers Generations! A look back at classic Transformers comics from the past 2 decades! The second ad is on the back cover and shows an image of Cybertron with the legend "A Storm is Coming - July 2006"

Scores

Cover 9/10
Story 10/10
Graphics 9/10
Bonuses 8/10
Readers Letters 9/10
Adverts 5/10

Average Score: 8.3/10
Overall Score: 10/10