WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Transformers/Ghostbusters: Ghosts of Cybertron, by Erik Burnham, Dan Schoening, Luis Antonio and Tom B. Long, on sale now from IDW Publishing.
Geeks are taught from a young age to “never cross the streams,” but crossover series are becoming more frequent -- and that's a good thing. For example, IDW's Transformers/Ghostbusters: Ghosts of Cybertron breaks the rules in the best ways. Often when two franchises of this caliber crossover, it can feel like a cash grab from both audiences. With this story, however, every choice feels genuine and the comic honors its source materials well.
Transformers/Ghostbusters tweaks the Transformers origin story to make a marriage with the Ghostbusters seem legitimate. The destruction of Cybertron plays out like the finale of Ghostbusters, except the Decepticons don't win against their giant monster. The comic, which consists of six issues collected in a single volume trade paperback, introduces a new transformer named Ectronymous Diamatron -- the other Autobots call him Eck and the story is told through his point of view.
It’s clear that this new character doesn’t fully feel like he belongs with the Transformers, because they don't respect him. The Autobots receive a weird signal coming from Earth that seems to be Cybertronian in nature, which they believe is impossible. Ectronymous corrects them that it is and he built the array himself so it can't be wrong. Optimus sends Ectronymous down to investigate. That’s when the story flips over to the Ghostbusters, who have crashed yet another Ecto-1 vehicle while out on a mission. The Ghostbusters meet with Ectronymous and he joins their team, which seems to be a better fit as both the Ghostbusters and the Autobots attempt to battle galactic threats against their planets and people.
Through the entire story, there are some key points that make Ectronymous feel more like the bridge between two worlds -- the Transformers and the Ghostbusters -- rather than a new character with no foot in either. The Ghostbusters aren't at all fearful of the giant robot in disguise. They welcome him into their fold out of curiosity and a tiny bit of necessity, because he can give them a ride home. Ectronymous actually turns into the Ecto-1, which is a great visual -- but it also makes him seem like part of the Ghostbusters team from the jump.
What truly drives home that Ectronymous as not only an Autobot but eventually a Ghostbuster is his nickname. Names carry so much weight in stories and being given a new one can either be a blessing or a curse. Janine, the Ghostbusters' secretary, tells him his name makes him sound like a surrealist and asks if a new nickname works for him. They settle on calling him "Ectotron," which he really takes to by the end of Transformers/Ghostbusters: Ghosts of Cybertron. This scene both mirrors and contrasts with the Autobots calling him Eck -- on Cybertron, the Autobots didn't respect the work he had done for his title and called him Eck as more of a joke. The Ghostbusters, on the other hand, respect Ectronymous' scientific mind and nickname him accordingly. Eventually, Ectotron gets his own Proton Pack to fight the Decepticon ghosts, which makes him even more of an official Ghostbuster.
During the finale, the Ghostbusters ask Ectotron if he is really going to leave after everything. They make some jokes about starting an intergalactic franchise, but there is a very wholesome moment that solidifies him as both an Autobot and a Ghostbuster. Venkman jokes that they don't have a jumpsuit in his size but he should at least get a name tag. Ectotron makes a name patch appear on his chest like the rest of the team with a big smile across his face. With a new name and a new mission, he returns to space almost as a new person with a feeling of belonging.