A UK Comic website, devoted to Transformers Comics, has an interview with writer Shane McCarthy posted up on it.
http://www.oneshallstand.com/article...-mccarthy.html

It makes for an interesting read, as it gives a bit of insight into how the different elements have been a combination of influence by Hasbro, writer and IDW, rather than just 'one person changing everything'.

It also mentions a bit why an original character was generated (introduction of an unknown plot element can't use an existing character), while Hasbro seemed to be more of a driving force behind Drift's exposure than the writer. Kinda like Sunstorm, or Ultra Magnus as a white Optimus.

Admittedly, I haven't yet read any of AHM, and am waiting for the compilation to be released before I'll have the chance to read any of it. But I do like the philosophical angle of what can happen to certain ideologies AFTER an 'eternal' war. What's there to rebel against or vandalise if it all belongs to you? And what's the point of fighting on (as an Autobot) if all hope appears lost? Do you try to escape the war-zone and live out your existance, or fight on valiently and vainly?

It also mentions that the Autobot traitor gets revealed in Issue 8. Since I've read the first 18 Spotlights, I would have assumed it was just Nightbeat, but since this AHM is a new direction (and the Nightbeat problem may have been resolved in an issue I haven't read yet), I expect it is probably some other Autobot within the main cast of AHM.
But I wonder if it is an intentional traitor (by choice) or an unintentional one (by mind control). It didn't make much sense when Dreamwave made Grimlock a Decepticon, so hopefully a pre-existing Autobot character isn't turned Decepticon by choice without something in their profile that justifies it. And when it is revealed, readers are going to be scrutinising every previous appearance of that character to see if it makes sense or contradicts something they previously did.

Introducing an 'intentional traitor' plot-device is always a difficult thing if the fans already know the characters from years ago. A traitor either has to be an original non-toy character, a new toy character, or be under mind-control. Or, as how I did it in a fanfic 12 years ago, have a Decepticon (toy) posing as an Autobot (which only worked because it was a text story, and he was using an alias). But the problem with that in a visual medium like a comic, is that readers will immediately know who the traitor is.

To have all that burden on a new comic writer, pitching a story, pressure from Hasbro and IDW, and trying get new readers in by having a partial re-setting of the TFs comic universe - no wonder there is whinging by fanboys. The reason why the Spotlights weren't numbered was to get people to pick up an individual issue without being put off by trying to break into the middle of a long-running storyline. Partial relaunches/resetting of a comic series helps generate new interest, as the old readers progressively drop off. Especially with Transformer Comics now being an 8 year concept to the current comic market, so it has lost the 'fad' element that saw Dreamwave and early IDW stuff sell copies to many non-fans. Without a total break from releasing any TFs comics, the publisher has to work in other 'fad' elements, like the orignal Gen1 series look and feel to characters. Devils Due had the same problems with their GIJoe license over the last 8 years - resetting and relaunching the comic a few times, because of the same issue - the 'fad' wearing off to non-fans, and less existing fans were around to buy it.