This week, a new Transformer is joining the IDW comics universe as well as the Hasbro toy line. Windblade is a character that was created by fans on the Hasbro website, the first Fan-Built-Bot and created a bit of stir because of her gender. That’s right, Windblade is female, and she is joining the predominately male transformers universe with her own mini-series.

Windblade is arriving in the aftermath of the “Dark Cybertron” crossover event, which brought Robots in Disguise and More than Meets the Eye together, and has left the transformers in a rather demoralized state. Their planet needs to be rebuilt, and Windblade is in a position to help make it happen. She is an interesting character with a design that has a Japanese samurai feel to it. She has a strong sense of duty and will do what is needed of her, even if it means working with Starscream to do it.

Another first about this title is it written and drawn by an all female team. Maighread Scott wrote the series and Sarah Stone is providing the art. Maighread previously wrote the Transformers mini-series Transformers: Prime Rage of the Dinobots and Beast Hunters, so she’s well versed in the universe. This is Sarah’s first foray into Transformers, but her art has a fluid feel that makes the mechanoids seem more real.

This issue is the first of four, with hopefully many more appearances in the other titles Robots in Disguise and More than Meets the Eye. As someone who grew up watching the original Transformers, and nearly crying out with glee when I first saw Arcee in the Transformer’s Movie, I think this is a great move for the comic. Showing that a female can be a strong and capable warrior can only be a good thing. I will definitely be picking up this first issue.