Beast Hunters issue 8

Beast Hunters issue 8 is the eighth and final installment in the Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters comic series.

Plot: 'Autobots and Dinobots unite for the final throwdown with the Predacon, and the march towards a brighter future. '

Synopsis
With the added firepower and muscle of Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead, the Dinobots make short work of the Forged. They catch the newly-arrived Autobots up on the Forged's origin, while Arcee explains that they have been on another planet called Earth, but that they can now return to Cybertron thanks to Optimus Prime's sacrifice restoring life to the world. Before they can hear the fully story of their adventures, the Dinobots insist on getting the various other surviving Autobots to safety; Arcee proposes taking them to Kaon, but Grimlock rankles at her commanding attitude and bitterly recalls the prejudice the Dinobots suffered at their fellow Autobots' hands in the past. Before an argument can really kick off, however, the Predacon that attacked them earlier returns, snatching up a couple of 'bots and flying off again. Fortunately, Grimlock has a plan to deal with the creature...

Following Grimlock's instructions, the survivors split into three groups: one led by Bumblebee (who questions the wisdom of the move), Sludge and Snarl (who refute his concerns); the second led by Slug, Firestar, and Bulkhead, the latter suffering a pang of guilt when he realizes the catastrophic effects the planet-reformatting 'quake the Autobots had caused; and the third headed by Arcee and Swoop. The third group is the one unfortunate enough to be targeted by the Predacon, but in accordance with Grimlock's plan, Swoop goads the beast into following him into an underground Decepticon bunker, where Grimlock and Bumblebee ambush it and blast it out of the sky. Quickly withdrawing, the Autobots then collapse the bunker on the Predacon, sealing it inside; Bumblebee questions why they do not kill the creature to be sure, and Grimlock remarks that he had seen enough destruction for now.

Meanwhile, the survivors have regrouped at Kaon, where Slug, Sludge, and Snarl grumble amongst themselves, old grudges creeping back to life along with Cybertron itself as they start to feel like they will not be accepted amongst "normal" Transformers. Bulkhead accuses them of whining and they almost start fighting until Arcee steps in to explain that Bulkhead, lacking in tact, is merely trying to tell the Dinobots that they belong—that the new world Optimus Prime has died to create is for all Transformers. Just then, Grimlock, Bumblebee, and Swoop return, voicing their agreement with her. Arcee announces her intention to start rebuilding Kaon, but Grimlock informs her that he's got other plans: the Dinobots won't be able to help rebuild Kaon, because they'll be building a new city, a new home for the people of Last Spark and for themselves. Grimlock has always believed the old adage, "the more things change, the more they stay the same," but as construction of New Spark gets underway, he realizes that when things truly transform, nothing will ever be the same again.

Continuity notes

 * Arcee refers to hers and Cliffjumper's encounter with Shockwave on Cybertron in the past, seen in the Prime cartoon episode, "Out of the Past".
 * She also notes that Optimus Prime has sacrificed himself to restore life to the planet, clearly placing this comic's events after Predacons Rising.