War! The battle continues to rage forward. If you thought Godzilla vs. King Gidorah was a clash of titans, then Devastator vs. Bruticus will satisfy those of you who either enjoy or gasp in fear of city-destroying battles. Transformers #17 weaves a few stories around each other, none completely connecting fully. However, given the flow of past story arcs, keep eyes will pick up on the pieces which will weave them together.
On Earth, Arcee and Beachcomber seek out Ultra Magnus. Carly compares her plight to that of the Cybertronians. Not everyone is a fan of the human element in Transformers lore, however the inclusion of humans does not feel forced nor campy. Despite their titanic frames, the Transformers can feel diminished as well. The story involving Ultra Magnus is one of major PTSD. Fans of the original G1 comic, specifically the UK series will immediately think back to the trauma Ultra Magnus endured against Galvatron. This is similar where the torture endured by the mad scientist Shockwave has left the once-imposing Autobot commander reduced to a reactive and fearful individual.
Back on Cybertron, the crux of the story shows Cliffjumper reacclimating with his Autobot family, he witnesses how a brief respite and relief quickly reveals the hardened state the Autobots are in, watching helplessly as a Decepticon is assassinated with no restraint. The Autobot family Cliffjumper knew does not seem to exist. Elita-1 is beefed up with impressive weaponry, perhaps a nostalgic nod to the Generation 2 comic where Autobots were impossibly armed in similar fashion to Rob Liefeld’s X-Force. This is not a complaint. Despite their battle-worn demeanor, Cliffjumper presents hope in the form of the sparks of his clan, whom he hopes to rebirth to bolster the Autobot ranks.
As wars are raged on multiple fronts, Optimus Prime valiantly tries to save human lives while Decepticons continue to destroy one another without regard for life. Thundercracker has resigned his post to bring back his brother Skywarp. Finally on Cybertron, a new warrior is born of the collected sparks from Cliffjumper’s clan along with the remnants of Carly’s van. He names himself, Shredhead.
Rock on. Bring me an 80’s-90’s inspired-deco. Please make a toy of this. Please!!!
Fans tend to be skeptical about an original created character. Primus knows when IDW created Drift and Windblade fans were rowdier than a Man-o-War concert.
The issue appropriately feels like a major bridge to the escalation of this chapter. We know “The Big Guy” is coming from #16, and it is only a matter of time before the G.I. Joe unit of the Energon Universe will get involved. From the nods to G2 and the Marvel UK inspired trauma arcs, a lot of attention is given in each individual issue. There is a strong feeling DWJ and crew put creative heart and soul into every comic like it is the main event. I don’t know how they do it, but the crew behind the Energon Universe seem to nail it each and every single time.
