First Strike #0

The zero issue of IDW's Hasbro-spanning crossover event arrives as a free sampler, and this cover makes a compelling case for what's at stake. Three striking panels stack the tension: a masked, black-clad operative hefts an oversized futuristic rifle in front of a wall of weaponry, a pair of intense eyes peers out in extreme close-up beneath a telltale mustache, and below them a chaotic clash erupts between Transformers — including a prominent red-and-blue figure and a colorfully armored femme warrior — amid bursts of energy fire. It's a confident table-setter for a 2017 crossover that throws G.I. Joe and Transformers mythology into the same pressure cooker, and the price of admission is hard to beat.