Transformers: Shattered Glass II is a comic book from IDW Publishing released in summer of 2022. A follow up to the previous year's Transformers: Shattered Glass (2021), it is written by the returning Danny Lore, with art by Dan Khanna and Guido Guidi, and colors by John-Paul Bove.
In the upside down Shattered Glass universe, the heroic Decepticons and evil Autobots battle for control of the newly-awakened Titan, Metroplex. All the while, the rogue agent Ultra Magnus makes his own bid for power.
It is also notable for being the last Transformers comic series published under IDW.
This series provides examples of;
- Always Someone Better: The basis of Blaster's one-sided enmity of Soundwave.
- Anachronic Order: The first issue is told out of linear order, flashing back between Magnus' present and past. You can tell if a scene is set in the past or present depending on the edges of the panel; round for past, hard edges for present.
- Bad Boss:
- Magnus isn't above nearly killing his own subordinates, if it means the rest fall back in line.
- Carrying over from the previous series, Optimus is shown to not treat his underlings with anything resembling respect. So it's not surprising how this turns out for him.
- Big Bad Wannabe: Continues on for Goldbug from the previous series with his loss of Gold City to the resurgent Decepticons. While he has a major advantage Starscream's spark and thus the means to control Metroplex that's ultimately the only thing he's got going for himself lacking most of his soldiers and the basic ability to even make Metroplex move on command. Slicer's able to manipulate Goldbug with ease, and he's fatally crushed under Jetfire's heel when he gets out in the open.
- Call-Back: A darkly humorous one to the first mini. While Slicer is traveling through the wastelands, the charred remains of Blurr can be seen.
- A Death in the Limelight: Like Blurr in the first series, Blaster's spotlight issue ends with him being killed.
- Dragon Ascendant: The first issue ends with Magnus overthrowing Optimus Prime and taking control of his city-state and army.
- Grand Finale: To IDW's run on Transformers comic books.
- Hero Worship: Flamewar has this for Cannonball and, to a lesser degree, Megatron.
- Holographic Disguise: Magnus uses a hologram projecting a more normal looking face to obscure his true demonic skull face.
- Kent Brockman News: Blaster lost his news anchorman position when he called his audience a bunch of idiots while the cameras were still live.
- Irony: Optimus is almost never seen, in the present scenes, not sitting in his throne room so it's fitting he's overthrown in the same said room and driven through his throne by Magnus in vehicle mode.
- Mythology Gag:
- This version of Magnus leads his own version of The Wreckers, who have "Wreck and Ruin!" as their own twisted take on the classic "Wreck and Rule!" slogan of the regular universe version of the team.
- While confronting Optimus' guards outside his palace, Magnus confuses Sunstreaker for Cordon. Cordon being one of the many, many repaints there have been of Sunstreaker's toy.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Blaster's tenure as a raving conspiracy theorist radio personality is a pastiche of Alex Jones.
- Rage Against the Reflection: The cover of the first issue, and page image, goes for this.
- Secret Police: The Wreckers in this universe acted as Prime's hit squad for political enemies, they are led by Ultra Magnus.
- Smash the Symbol: The first issue ends with Magnus driving Prime through his throne, signifying Magnus now taking command.
- Switching P.O.V.: Like with the last series, each issue swaps the P.O.V to a new character.
- Issue #1 being Ultra Magnus
- Issue #2 being Blaster
- Issue #3 being Slicer
- Issue #4 being Flamewar
- Issue #5 being Soundwave
- Wham Shot: Issue #1 ends with Ultra Magnus overthrowing Optimus Prime.
