The Epic conclusion!!!
Of the first major story arc. Sorry, I tend to start off my reviews with a Furman-ism or a stereotypical Marvel headline right out of the 80s and 90s. it’s an all-out assault between the Autobots and Decepticons, Optimus Prime leading the charge against the maniacal Decepticon scientist Shockwave and Lieutenant Soundwave. the giant Devastator clearly keeping the odds in the Decepticons favor. The Autobots numbers are slowly dwindling.
Through every explosion, there is an intricate line of dialogue in which we see more of Optimus Prime struggling with rescuing captured friends, and trying to spare the humans the tragedies of the Cybertronian war being fought on Earth soil. There is a shocking scene where Optimus Prime gets his hands on Shockwave, with a surprising outcome. It seems there is more than meets the eye taking place.
I try not to spoil too much but this is one scene I need to detail. As Optimus Prime defeats Shockwave, he has another vision which seems to turn dark , and I can’t help but wonder if this is a result of Prime possessing the arm of Megatron for far too long.
Later on, as Elita-1 surveys the carnage, she makes a comment of seeing Optimus as his
“old self” to which the autobot leader denounces immediately.
As one fight ends on a physical battlefield, There is another one, emotional, being fought on Cybertron. Elita-1 pleads with Optimus to choose which planet to save, and as the decision is made, her character is irrevocably changed.
The final pages of the story arc are truly emotionally twisting. what a beloved character accepts death as inevitable and imminent , one can’t help but tear up with anticipation of a noble sacrifice. The final result of this issue will likely lead to some game changing events in the very near future. There are some seeds planted which I imagine will connect to the larger Energon Universe as other titles wrap up their miniseries and the anticipation of the launch of GI Joe in November.
As always I have to commend Daniel Warren Johnson (writer/cover artist), Jorge Corona (artist), Mike Spicer (artist/colorist), Rus Wooton (letterer), and Ben Abernathy (editor).
Clearly a solid dream team of talented individuals who have brought Transformers to life with creative finesse. I know it gets repetitive when I’m constantly complimenting the creative team, but they 100% deserve it.
