Transformers Generation One Dreamwave

In 2002, a new Transformers Generation 1 comic was published by Dreamwave Productions, alongside an adaptation of the Unicron Trilogy (Armada, Energon, and Cybertron); this was the first to officially use the title Generation One. Simon Furman was brought back to write parts of it, as well as several lesser-known writers. It began as a set of mini-series which gave rise to a short-lived ongoing title. Ideas were taken from both the G1 cartoon and the Marvel comic.

The main draw of the Dreamwave comic was the highly detailed, Manga-influenced artwork of Pat Lee - which, as it turned out, included a lot of Dull Surprise and vaguely sexual poses. However, most of the actual drawing, colouring, and inking was done by uncredited and frequently unpaid guest artists while Lee was buying fast cars and sponsoring his girlfriend's Miss World campaign. Following a series of unethical business practises, scandals, and outright crime, Dreamwave declared bankruptcy, leaving both the G1 and Unicron Trilogy stories unfinished.

Generation One-related series published by Dreamwave:

 * Prime Directive (April-December, 2002). 6 issues.
 * The War Within (October, 2002-March, 2003). 6 issues.
 * War and Peace (April-October, 2003). 6 issues.
 * The War Within: The Dark Ages (October, 2003-April, 2004).
 * Generation One (December, 2003-December, 2004). 11 issues, though numbering started with issue #0.
 * Micromasters (July-November, 2004). 4 issues.
 * The War Within: The Age of Wrath (September-December, 2004). 3 issues.


 * A Boy and His X: Wheelie and his pet Sharkticon, Gnaw.
 * Action Girl: Marissa Faireborn.
 * Aliens Are Bastards: Much of America's population comes to this conclusion concerning the Transformers after they are forced to destroy an oil refinery against their will (which no one else knew) and the Decepticons attacked San Francisco.
 * Ascended Extra: Sunstorm, a background character from a single scene of the first TV episode, has an arc dedicated to him.
 * Barehanded Blade Block: During the second War Within mini-series, the Fallen catches Grimlock's energo-sword in one hand.
 * Cut Short: Perhaps one of the worst examples. Being cut short resulted in nearly every storyline in the comics being cut off. At the time it ended the series had set up dozens of storylines both major and minor.
 * Dull Surprise
 * Growing the Beard: The second miniseries. The first one, despite some genuinely good moments, was mostly a Darker and Edgier version of the basic plots.
 * Medieval Stasis: Partly justified by the Great Shutdown.
 * Myth Arc: The series was trying to build up to one big arc involving the Quintessens and Megatron. Due to being cut short we never saw the resolution to the arc. Apparentlly Unicron, the female Transformers, the Golden Disk, the Micromasters, The Great Shutdown, and Earth itself are all somehow linked to this conspiracy.
 * Off-Model: All over the place. Pat Lee's art is almost nothing but this.
 * Patrick Stewart Speech: By Optimus Prime in the first miniseries.
 * Prequel: The War Within happens before the events of the main book.
 * Quirky Miniboss Squad: The Fallen created one of these in the War Within comic series. Decepticon mystics Bludgeon, Bugly, and Mindwipe made a very effective one, too.
 * Take That: The comics feature a lot of jabs against the mostly-forgotten competitor to the original, Challenge of the Go Bots, mostly in the form of background characters resembling the Go Bots being killed in various ways.
 * The Fundamentalist: Sunstorm. The guy is both ultra-religious and totally batshit insane.
 * The Starscream: The trope namer is a main character so what do you expect?
 * Word of Gay - Sunstreaker was outed by Matt Moylan, no matter how illogical this may have been for a genderless robot. The comics were getting ready to explain how the whole gender and reproduction thing worked for Transformers but due to being cut short the plotline went unresolved.
 * Xanatos Gambit: Shockwave starts doing some serious ones and as the series goes on it turns out that Shockwave was responsible for pretty much everything that's happening. It takes Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Starscream, and all of the Autobots to finally derail his gambits.