Transformers is one of those franchises that's had so many iterations across various forms of media that everyone has their favorite. From shows like Beast Wars to Transformers: Prime. To some kickass games like Transformers: Devastation and War For Cybertron. To the spectacular animated feature film, Transformers: The Movie and one decent live-action film, Bumblebee and nothing the fuck else. However, arguably one of the biggest cultural footprints the franchise has made in any of the aforementioned mediums, is in comic books. Hell, if it weren't for guys like Bob Budiansky and Simon Ferman, just to name a few, some of the biggest aspects of the Transformers mythos wouldn't exist today. Much of the series backstory and characters got its start in Marvel Comics back when Hasbro first licensed it in early 1980s. Then changing hands to various creators and publishers over the following decades. And after a multi-year period over at IDW, Hasbro has jumped ship over to Image Comics/Skybound to kick-start a brand-new era of Transformers comics. One that is hopefully bereft of any millennial slashfics.
WARNING! There will be SPOILERS!
Image's take on Transformers can best be described as a hodge-podge of ideas and concepts from across the franchise over the last several decades. Much like how IDW's TMNT in its first hundred issues was for its series. The discovery of the Ark bears similarity to Transformers: Armada with our main human characters, Spike and Carly stumbling upon it in the mountains. Starscream is portrayed as a sadist like his Transformers: Animated counterpart. The Decepticons lead by Starscream attack a power plant like in Gen One. And in a shocking turn of events, it's Bumblebee who is the first casualty of the series and not Cliffjumper. Yes, Cliffjumper actually lives this time around and gains a friend in Carly. There's also a moment where a grieving Optimus Prime holds the lifeless body of Bumblebee. A visual nod to Bee's death at the beginning of Fall of Cybertron.
Perhaps the biggest visual callback to Gen One is Mike Spicer's artwork. It's fairly simple. Thick lines, cross-hatching, all of which pops off the page and is very easy to follow. Making the first four issues such a well paced read you can breeze through them in no time. Very little if any padded content. It's impressive to say the least. Aside from some wonky perspective shots in Issue #1 (the bit where Optimus decks Starscream in the face and later him looking like he's holding a piss while firing his Ion Blaster at Telatraan 1), the sense of scale with the robot and human characters is laid out perfectly. There's actual weight to the movement of the Autobots and Decepticons. And the rest of the art for the remaining three issues really sells the action quite well. There's even plenty of wrestling homages with Optimus doing a suplex on Starscream and a Burning Hammer on Skywarp. I didn't notice them at first, but my buddy Brad did.
What's most interesting about these first four issues is the stark contrast between our heroes and villains. As mentioned previously, Starscream is the sadistic wannabe ruler of the Decepticons. Having no qualms with splattering humans - or "Squishies" as he mockingly refers to them. Doing so in gruesome fashion when he crushes a guy in his barehands for kicks in Issue #1, or when he claps a jet fighter pilot into a bloody red mist in Issue #2. Then later attempts to massacre an entire hospital full of people including an injured Spike Witwicky in Issue #4 just to spite Optimus. Starscream is dangerous and is a force to be reckoned with. Though he's immensely insecure about being compared to Megatron by Soundwave. Who criticizes ol' Screamer for his mindless destruction and lack of any plan for the future. Starscream may claim to want total victory over the Autobots, but it's clear he's only interested in being the leader for its own sake. Whilst engaging in his propensity for violence like an arsonist in a papermill.
And then there's Optimus himself. Who upon seeing Spike and Carly in the Ark, is immediately leaping to their defense from Decepticon weapons fire. He's repulsed by Starscream's disregard for lesser forms of life. And actively punishes those who would harm them simply because they can. In a particularly noteworthy sequence in Issue #2, Optimus accidentally steps on a deer. He's so used to not having to watch where he stepped back home on Cybertron, that he didn't notice it being underfoot. However, upon realizing what's happened, he's horrified and remorseful. Holding the deer's body in his giant metallic hands muttering, "I'm sorry." Spike witnesses this and tries to reassure Prime. Then offers his condolences for Bumblebee's death in the first issue while Optimus still holds the deer's body. This establishes Optimus Prime's empathy for not just organic life, but all life. And acknowledges his sadness over the senseless waste of it. This will also set up later events in Issues #3 and #4, as well as Optimus Prime's character arc for the series. It's also a great usage of juxtaposition between Optimus Prime and Starscream. So dedicated to the preservation of life is he, that in Issue #3, we see Optimus tear his own damaged arm off to use as a blunt weapon against Skywarp, who earlier attempted to crush Spike under his metallic finger. Then in Issue #4, after having chased off the Cons from their failed attempt at wiping out a hospital, with help from Jazz and Cliffjumper, he uses the Matrix of Leadership to restart the hospital's power. Saving the lives of not only a comatose Spike, but everyone in the building. Even at Ratchet's insistence that doing so could drain Prime's own life force, he does so regardless.
As a character, Optimus Prime is often considered the Superman of robots. An aspect of his character that is often lost among the noise of the live-action films. But here, he retains his altruistic cybernetic heart while giving the action hero aspect of his character from the films proper context. Far in a way more in line with how Peter Cullen's ideal Optimus Prime should be.
What Daniel Warren Johnson, the writer for the series so far, and artist Mike Spicer manage to accomplish is give the Transformers a fairly familiar but simultaneously fresh new start for the series. I'll admit some hesitancy after reading Issue #1. After watching a Thinking Critical review for Issue #1, and subsequently reading said issue, while it was a decent start I wouldn't go so far as calling it the best thing ever since sliced bread. My initial fears of over-exaggerating the book's quality due to the current climate of comics was a major sticking point for me. Because the last thing I want to do is prop up mediocrity for its own sake. No disrespect to the guys over at Thinking Critical, but I believed the hype for Issue #1 was a bit much given it's okay at best quality. Thankfully, the following three issues more than made up for it. Largely easing my concerns. It's overall pretty good and I did enjoy it. And I'm more than on board for what Daniel Warren Johnson's got planned for the future.
Transformers (2023) #1-4 gets Optimus Prime beating the shit out of Skywarp using only his ripped-off arm out of ten.
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