Transformers: Drift, Episode 2

Sean McCarthy / Alex Milne

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Series: Transformers: Drift

Summary

This volume (Episode 2) is one installment of the Transformers: Drift series. The protagonist, Drift, still goes by his Decepticon-era code name "Deadlock" at this point. In Episode 1, he was hunted after being accused of treason by the Decepticon leader Turmoil; escaping, he was stranded alone on a desert planet, where he met Wing, a mysterious Cybertronian who disguised himself to rescue slaves, but at the last moment broke his promise and was beaten nearly to death by slave traders. Episode 2 picks up this cliffhanger: the gravely wounded Drift awakens after being repaired and finds himself in a hidden underground Cybertronian city guarded by the Circle of Light, whose inhabitants are mostly scholars, scientists, and Cybertronians unwilling to fight. Because of his Decepticon background, the Circle of Light is divided over whether to let him stay, and ultimately places him under Wing's supervision. Meanwhile, the story flashes back to his past—from an abandoned low-level robot on the streets of Cybertron, to awakening his talent for violence after the death of his closest friend, to being noticed by Megatron, given the name "Deadlock," and recruited into the Decepticons—revealing the connection between his reasons for joining the Decepticons and the corruption of Cybertronian society and the struggles of the underclass. This episode also plants the seeds of an encrypted mass message and a deal involving Megatron, setting up his later struggles with the underground city and the slave traders. The single episode runs about twenty-odd pages and is a middle chapter of an origin story with the character of a side story.

Editor's review

《变形金刚：浪剑客》是IDW“2005宇宙”里少见的一部以冷兵器与侠义为底色的外传，编剧肖恩·麦卡锡、画师亚历克斯·米尔恩与上色师乔什·佩雷斯再度联手，正是当年为“漂移”这个角色立传的原班人马。第2话处在四话迷你系列的中段，承担着“解释他为何成为狂派、又为何离开狂派”的双重任务：一边是地下水晶城所代表的平等乌托邦，一边是赛伯坦街头与威震天的招揽，两种世界观在同一话里正面相撞，却并不生硬说教，而是落在浪剑客与翼的对练、辩论和一次次沉默里。米尔恩的分镜干净利落，冷兵器交锋的张力一贯在线；佩雷斯的用色让地下城的暖光与荒漠星球的灰黄形成鲜明对照。对只想看爆炸与大场面的读者，本话节奏偏慢；但对想弄清“浪剑客”这一名字背后发生过什么的读者来说，这是整套外传里信息量最大、也最耐读的一话。建议与第1话连读，前后伏笔才接得上。

Who it's for

A good fit for

正在追《变形金刚：浪剑客》系列、想补全单话进度与伏笔的读者
对漂移（断魂锁）这个角色的出身与转变感兴趣的变形金刚粉丝
喜欢IDW 2005宇宙设定、乐于深挖角色前史的老读者
偏好冷兵器战斗与侠义气质、愿意读慢节奏对白戏的漫画读者

Not a good fit for

想直接看擎天柱、大黄蜂等经典角色主线大戏的读者
期待热血爆场与高强度动作戏、不耐烦对白与回忆段落的读者
完全没接触过变形金刚设定、需要从零入门的新读者

Reading tips

先读第1话，弄清荒漠星球、翼与奴隶营地的前因，再进入本话的地下城段落
把回忆线单独拎出来看：街头被遗弃、挚友之死、被威震天赐名，三段串起来就是断魂锁的完整来路
留意本话末尾的加密群发信息与威震天相关交易，它们会在第3、4话回收
若想读完整人物弧光，可接读四川美术出版社《变形金刚：漂移》中文版

FAQ

“浪剑客”和“漂移”是同一个人物吗？

是同一角色。浪剑客即后来的漂移，本系列中他仍沿用狂派时期的代号“断魂锁”；弃暗投明后改名“漂移”，以双刀侠客形象闻名，中文版《变形金刚：漂移》讲述的正是其后来的故事。

第2话能单独看吗？

可以读，但有门槛。本话开头承接第1话的重伤与获救，若不了解前情，会不清楚他为何瘫在荒漠星球、翼又是谁；建议至少先补第1话，阅读体验会完整得多。

这一话大概讲什么？

浪剑客被救入地下赛星城市，因狂派身份受到圣光之团监管；同时以回忆方式讲述他投身狂派的经过，并埋下加密信息与威震天相关交易的伏笔。

和漫威老版《变形金刚》漫画有关系吗？

没有直接关系。本系列出自IDW的“2005宇宙”设定，与上世纪80年代漫威版漫画是两条独立的时间线；两者常被放在同一漫画合集中分类，但故事互不相通。

有正式出版的中文单行本吗？

据现有资料，该系列以网络汉化形式流传较多，未见对应本话的正式中文单行本信息；已出版的简体中文相关图书是四川美术出版社的《变形金刚：漂移》，收入完整人物故事。

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About the author

Sean McCarthy Author

Sean McCarthy is a creator about whom limited public information is available. The library holds 22 of his works, mainly screenwriting and adaptations for the Transformers comic series. Judging from the existing titles, he has long contributed to the individual volumes of the "All Hail Megatron" series and has also worked on side stories such as "Last Stand of the Wreckers," with content centered on character conflicts and factional confrontations in the Transformers universe. These works span categories including quality fiction, film and television originals, art, and children's books, indicating that his writing combines comic storytelling with media tie-in reading material for young readers and genre-fiction audiences. Because basic details such as dates of birth and death and nationality remain unclear, his creative focus can currently be assessed only on the basis of published works—namely, the serialized development and story expansion of licensed intellectual property.

Alex Milne Author

Alex Milne is a non-Chinese author known for his work on Transformers comics; details such as nationality and dates of birth and death remain unclear in publicly available sources. About 39 of his works can be found, including Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2, Volume 10, and Volume 15; Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers issues 1, 3, and 4; Transformers: Megatron Origin Volume 4; and Transformers: The Dying of the Light 3. These works are mostly classified under children's books, comics and cartoons, media tie-ins, and art, indicating a focus on visual storytelling built on existing film, television, and toy properties. Because public information is limited, his personal history and creative philosophy cannot be described in detail, but the range of his works suggests a notable presence in the introduction and serialization of Transformers comics, appealing to readers interested in the franchise and offering a glimpse of the series' variety.