"Last Stand of the Wreckers" by Nick Roche

Hardcover, courtesy of IDWpublishing.com

               What do an obsessed fanboy, an eager gun enthusiast, a delusional hero worshipper, and a narcissist with an inferiority complex have in common? They're the newest members of the Autobots' elite special forces team, The Wreckers. "Last Stand of the Wreckers" by Nick Roche is the story of these four Autobot newbies on their first mission as Wreckers as they follow Transformers veterans Springer, Kup, and Perceptor on a suicide mission to liberate the Autobot prison planet, Garrus-3. What awaits them is one of the most powerful Decepticons in the galaxy, Overlord, who has turned the planet into his personal playground, pitting Autobot prisoners against the Decepticons they formerly imprisoned. What awaits the Wreckers is more than just danger, but a conspiracy that has its roots amongst the highest echelons of the Autobots' leadership.

                "Last Stand of the Wreckers" is an exciting story that puts a twist on a classic science fiction trope. Many stories often feature a new member to an established team, such as Star Trek's away teams, that often goes unnamed or is given little backstory. These characters often serve to be killed off to give the story a sense of peril. Rather than follow the popular characters, "Last Stand of the Wreckers" follows the replacement members as they deal with the dangers of...well...being the replacement members. Will they die? Almost certainly. Will you care that they died? Definitely.

                I spoke with Will, a Freshman, about graphic novels and he said his favorite stories are ones that are funny and exciting, and without a doubt "Last Stand of the Wreckers" has both. I would definitely recommend this story to fans of Transformers and also to people who like nasty bad guys, snarky good guys, and nonstop action. You don't need to have a huge amount of knowledge to enjoy "Last Stand of the Wreckers" and every character you need to know more about is given an informative profile written from an in-universe perspective. "Last Stand of the Wreckers" also includes a cover gallery, an art gallery, character profiles, and several prose short stories that serve as prequels or sequels to the main story.

Roche, Nick, James Roberts, and Guido Guidi. Last Stand of the Wreckers. San Diego, CA: IDW, 2012. Print.