I wonder if Furman will - with the Spotlight #3 - handle Hot Rod differently then "the guy who always messes up and fail"
About Soundwave... closest he got to his UK self was when he betrayed Megatron for Shockwave, and when Predaking failed, he shamelessly betrays Shockwave... only to congratulate him moments later when Megs blows himself up. One of Budiansky's better stories (but he did manage to cram in a useless humie tourist with an appetite for clams...)
In Marvel UK? read Second Generation (not G2!) part 3. Best Soundwave story, ever... perfectly describes the character. heck even Finkleberg was funny in that issue...