One of the problems with books like "Transformers" is that there is an extra level of editorial control. Generally speaking, at the big two, editorial sets the general tone and directioni of the different series. The writers execute the plan. The editors might even determine the premise of a given series. (We usually hear more about controversial examples, like "One More Day". But, the process is essentially the same.) With TF, there is the added level of Hasbro. The more levels of control a book has, the harder it is to determine how to allocate credit or blame. (Reading back-matter and other stuff helps of course.)
My guess with "Combiner Wars" (and the last year or so of IDW "Transformers") is that Hasbro wanted to have more control over which characters showed up. But, they were not too picky about how and why.
In the case of "Combiner Wars", Hasbro probably said that they wanted to push combiners. But, I was skeptical about them specifying how. While it is still not wholly clear where the idea for Offroad and Alpha came from, it is clear that Hasbro is not worried about how IDW explains them.
In the comics, Alpha joined the Aerialbots to replace a dead/dying Slingshot. Similarly, Offroad joined the Stunticons to replaced an AWOL Wildrider. In contrast, the toy packaging specifies that both Slingshot and Wildrider were basically fired from their respective teams.
And, if I recall, no Hasbro packaging mentions the Enigma of Combination (let along the idiotic backstory used for it in the comics). That would imply that more blame for the stupid McGuffin (and related back-writing) falls on Barber, and is thus harder to forgive. (Barber was not just following a work order, he made a choice to pitch lower.)
His writing is generally smarter and more insightful, and written professionally from the perspective of a psychologist.
Rung is not as established a character as Soundwave (only having been around maybe 3 years or so). Nothing in the Aerialbot profiles jumps out as something that "Rung would likely not say".
But, Soundwave is more established, and is generally depicted as being technical and formal. The profiles for Breakdown ("...a real threat if you happen to be a Cybertronian") and Dragstrip (the line about him being fast and fragile) are written in a more casual town than I would associate with Soundwave.
