IDW Dark Cybertron #1 Sketch Cover by Andrew Griffith

I tried to keep my mouth shut and save this for an upcoming "IDW comic treasures" post, but I couldn't, so here it is. This is the 1:100 variant Transformers Dark Cybertron #1 sketch cover from IDW Publishing, with a commissioned sketch by Robots In Disguise regular artist Andrew Griffith.

Now I haven't even received this yet, I was just so utterly blown away by Andrew Griffith's sketch of IDW Shockwave that he did for me and shared on Twitter - based on Fall of Cybertron Shockwave - that I had to post it (everywhere). I asked for this character as he's pivotal to the entire crossover, and I feel it's a character that Griffith draws better than any other current IDW artist. Griffith himself made me realise that going straight to the artist was an actual possibility for getting this insanely rare cover. For every one hundred copies of Dark Cybertron #1 ordered by a retailer, they'd receive a Retailer Incentive B cover with a unique Andrew Griffith sketch. How many comic retailers in the US, let alone the UK, ordered 100 copies of this issue? It can't be many.

Anyway, I thought I was going to get Shockwave standing against the plain white cover background in the pose that I asked for - demonstrated ably by FansToys Quakewave in this photograph...

...the result was so breathtaking that I could not even fight the fear of jinx and wait until the item was actually in hand. I've just posted Griffith's scan of the completed cover at the head of this article (and on Twitter, Facebook, TFW2005...). This cover is the perfect bookend to my Dark Cybertron collection, which actually boasted some quite excellent covers. It's also the very best thing to have come out of that crossover, and that's not intended as a slight towards the epic despite me not enjoying it as much as the two ongoings, but rather recognition of the immense talent this artist possesses. Talent he has ably demonstrated on what has immediately become one of my most treasured, and unique comic-related possessions. Except I don't possess it. Yet.

Dark Cybertron - just waiting for the cherry on top to arrive

You can find Andrew Griffith's sketch list prices for upcoming conventions on his blog HERE. I think you'll agree the value for money is beyond doubt.

All the best

Maz