Transformers: Drift #3

Sean McCarthy / Alex Milne

Rating 3.5

Series: Transformers: Drift

Summary

This volume is issue #3 of Transformers: Drift (the character later officially known as Drift), corresponding to the third issue of the IDW mini-series of the same name published in October 2010. Picking up where the previous issue left off, Drift returns to New Crystal City after his meeting with the bounty hunter Lockdown and the alien slavers, repeatedly asking himself along the way why they fight, and arguing with the warrior Wing over whether helping others is the highest code. He then storms into the Circle of Light's council chamber, confesses that a slaver army is bearing down on New Crystal City, and admits that he once bargained away the city in exchange for his freedom—a revelation delivered through flashback. The slaver leader Braid explains that his people, after the war, became obsessed with achieving immortality by grafting alien tissue, which is why they have set their sights on Cybertronians; Lockdown, meanwhile, reveals that Megatron wants him brought back alive. The leader Dai Atlas flies into a rage, strikes Drift and orders him imprisoned, refusing to fight; Wing and some members, however, accept his argument. In the end the group rigs a crashed ship as a decoy, and Drift, with his new paint job and twin swords, prepares for a battle with almost no chance of victory. This volume is issue #3 of Transformers: Drift, not the complete collection.

Editor's review

《浪剑客》是IDW时代漂移（早期译名“断魂锁”，正式译名“漂移”）这个角色最重要的起源故事之一，而第3话正是全篇的转折点：前两话还在铺垫浪剑客的逃亡与回忆，本话他必须把“我曾打算出卖救命恩人”这件事当面说出口，人物从迷惘的独行客变成敢于承担后果的剑客。麦卡锡的剧本把大量篇幅留给了对话和内心独白，讨论战争的意义、武士的戒律与“帮助别人是否值得”，节奏偏文戏，但张力集中在浪剑客与戴·阿特拉斯的那场正面对撞上。米尔恩的作画线条硬朗，冷兵器交手和赛星人造型都很有辨识度；本话还完成了浪剑客的视觉重塑——卸下霸天虎标记、换上双剑的新形态，对熟悉这个角色的读者来说是很值得看的一格。若你正在按话数追读，本话建议不要跳过，它决定了后面所有战斗的动机。

Who it's for

A good fit for

正在按话数追读《变形金刚：浪剑客》系列、想补上关键转折的读者
喜欢漂移（浪剑客）这个角色，想了解他脱离霸天虎后心路历程的变形金刚迷
偏好文戏、人物独白多于打斗的科幻漫画读者
对IDW 2005宇宙中赛伯坦社会与武士组织设定感兴趣的人

Not a good fit for

完全没读过前两话、想从零开始入门的读者——本话承接前情较紧
期待热闹大战场面、机甲对轰为主的读者，本话以对话和议事厅冲突为主
低龄读者：涉及奴隶交易、背叛与战斗等内容，需家长酌情判断

Reading tips

先读第1、2话，弄清浪剑客与翼、封锁的相识经过，再进入本话的议事厅对峙。
留意本话中的倒叙段落，它交代了浪剑客与奴隶贩子交易的前因，是理解他动机的关键。
读完后可对照《变形金刚：漂移》单行本（四川美术出版社）通读全篇，获得更完整的角色弧线。

FAQ

这本是整套《变形金刚：浪剑客》还是其中一册？

是第3话（对应IDW原版迷你系列第3期），不是整套合集。《变形金刚：浪剑客》中文网络版共4话，本册只包含第3话的内容。

“浪剑客”和“漂移”是同一个人吗？

是的。浪剑客是早期网络汉化使用的译名，角色英文名为Drift，后由四川美术出版社出版的《变形金刚：漂移》采用“漂移”这一正式译名；他在霸天虎时期的代号是“死锁”（Deadlock）。

没看过第1、2话能直接读第3话吗？

可以读，但会有些吃力。本话直接承接第2话结尾浪剑客与封锁、奴隶贩子的会面，并大量使用倒叙，建议先补前两话再读。

第3话讲的主要是什么？

浪剑客回到新水晶城，向光明之环坦白自己曾以出卖城市换取自由，引发与首领戴·阿特拉斯的正面冲突；同时奴隶贩子的来历与威震天的意图被揭开，众人最终决定设诱饵迎战。

有正式出版的纸质中文版吗？

目前可查到的正式中文版是四川美术出版社2020年12月出版的《变形金刚：漂移》（ISBN 9787541095474），它收录了该角色的完整起源故事；以“浪剑客第3话”为名的单话版本属于网络汉化。

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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.