TRANSFORMERS
Prime directives
RELEASED OUT NOW! Publisher Skybound
Writer/artist Daniel Warren Johnson
Skybound’s shared “Energon Universe” proved to be one of 2023’s most pleasant comic book surprises. It stealth-launched in June with Robert Kirkman’s space opera Void Rivals, and continues in the new Transformers – an unambiguously brilliant series by ascendant writer/artist Daniel Warren Johnson.
The story is partially a reboot of the ’80s cartoon. A spaceship crash-lands on Earth, letting loose the noble Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, and the evil, scheming Decepticons, currently led by Starscream (big bad Megatron is still a looming threat at this point).. Our viewpoint characters are two human teens, Spike and Carly, but they’re not the only ones to notice the aliens
Has kisses to the past, but is completely newbie-friendly
arriving on our planet…
Fans of former licence-owner IDW’S long-running Transformers comics may rue the reboot’s existence, but there’s little doubt that it has breathed new life into the franchise.
Johnson’s Transformers has kisses to the past, but is completely newbie-friendly. The Decepticons here are genuinely threatening (one beloved Autobot doesn’t make it out of the first issue alive, and a human death in issue two is both shocking and laugh-out-loud funny), while the ties to the wider Energon universe are effective but subtly done.
Best of all is Johnson’s art. He effortlessly contrasts the scale and weight of these hulking robots with the fragility of the humans and their feeble weapons. Despite that, there are no leaden attempts at realism here – this Transformers is delightfully cartoony, full of motion and colour. There are smarter ongoing comic books out there right now, but few as giddily joyful and fun.
Will Salmon
The Energon Universe continues in GI Joe comics Duke and Cobra Commander, the first issues of which are both out now.