In case you are not already aware, the first issue of Transformers under the Image/Skybound banner was released on October 4th, written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson, simply known as DWJ, (Do A Powerbomb!, Extremity, Murder Falcon), with art from Mike Spicer (Murder Falcon, The Schlub).
The first issue came with massive fanfare, a near record-breaking number of variant covers, over 50 to be close, and was one of the most anticipated releases in the fourth quarter this year.
It met with roaring success, it sold out at the distribution level and a second printing was quickly commissioned and released this past week, on November 1st. Following up with the second printing will be issue number two, to be released this week.
With IDW losing the license amongst massive criticism of how it handled the final year of its run, fans were cautiously optimistic or outright skeptical. Like many fandoms, there is a toxic corner ready to crap on anything new if it doesn’t perfectly fit into an uber-specific mold.
Thankfully, I refused to fall into either category, but into a third category which did not have a louder voice. The voice of being appreciative and simply looking forward to my favorite franchise being in the hands of the hottest comic company in the past few years, Image/Skybound.
With Robert Kirkman personally overseeing the acquisition and development of the franchise in comic form, I felt completely confident and without any dread whatsoever.
I was not disappointed. If you know me, you know I am a wrestling fan and Transformers will always be my first love. Part-way through the first issue, one could imagine I believed DWJ wrote this book for me.
I’ll get to the Transformers x Wrestling connection another time.
Side note, Transformers and other properties such as G.I. Joe, Void Rivals, and more to be announced are part of Skybound’s Energon Universe. This was initially revealed in Void Rivals #1 where a fan-favorite character made his appearance, and in subsequent issues of Void Rivals we see other characters from the Transformers franchise pop-up, even if it’s for one page.
The first issue is a re-tell of the fateful crash of the Ark, carrying a complement of deactivated Autobots and Decepticons. What unfolds fairly quickly is a curve ball of creatively genius proportions.
If anyone thought this would be a rehash of the old G1 story, you are delightfully wrong. DWJ tells the same story but with a villainous and gut-wrenching twist no one could have seen coming. Known characters such as Optimus Prime and Starscream are present, but not in the way one would think.
Reading Transformers comics since 1984, the good old Marvel days, and have not missed a single series since, I can easily and with complete confidence tell you the franchise is in great hands.
I hope legends such as Geoff Senior, Bob Budiansky, Guido Guidi, Alex Milne, Joana LaFuente, Don Figueroa, Nick Roche, Dan Khanna, or someone new such as Erica D’Urso (Inferno Girl Red) get the opportunity to contribute with cover art to be part of what looks to be an exciting run.
