Another review of Transformers from Howdy Fawkes, Kruker, Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona Skybound is here again. This is problem #22, and I’m in a hurry, but it’s already an instant classic. There are only two issues, from the ending to this epic award-winning saga, so let’s dig into what we have this month and have fun.
What a problem. Man, what a problem. I think this is closest to rekindling that initial spark at the excitement and satisfaction level of the human and robot drama that characterized the opening arc. If there was one thing I missed in the intermediary, it was more of the Autobot-human interaction. They are truly the backbone of the wonderful Earth-bound Transformers story, and DWJ himself is the master of the Budianskian style story. This issue goes back to the theme of taking the town of human from the first arc and working with Autobots for their ultimate mutually guaranteed survival. God, I really love it. I can’t name you a Transformers comic that will make this idea even better. And I’m actually reading all of them! So many Transformers books struggle with “human problems”, but if you appear to include their inclusion as a problem to be solved rather than a great opportunity, you have already taken the first wrong step.
Skybound
This problem can help show how easy it is if you have a really good idea. Marvel’s ingenious ROM: SpaceKnight Comics, SpaceKnight Comics from Back on the Day, a small close band from human allies, and a call to remind us of strange friends and parents from across the stars. It’s crazy for me to be this unique idea of this story. It sounds very obvious in hindsight, right? It can almost anger the rare attempt of human drama. I feel that we should have mined these themes decades ago.
Oh, and Megatron also does the most evil thing in this history of evil. Screw the Megatron!
Skybound
The art of this issue is really great, as it tends to do so, but this time I feel something is very impactful. I think it’s probably because it’s easy to act. The action is great, and Corona is great in its own way, but the minimal issues are honestly rather refreshing as much as much of this execution is characterized by the action. The emotional beat hits very hard, and everyone’s emotions are obvious. Like a spike looking back from the front of the Matrix, soon reaches out to the iconic shot and asks Prime to be proud of him. Returning to the colours of Marvel comics Optimus (very nice Mike Spicer, so lovely) his “Primes Hall” vision, when he experiences Megatron’s infamous treatment of dead deer, God’s damn man, this visually stunning problem.
Transformers #22 could really be the best issue since the opening arc of DWJ’s execution. Nothing wrong in the meantime, or anything else, was far from it, but this issue really gave me a lot to knock it out of the park and bite. When trances and humanity work together, I love, I love love, love it. It is the true fulfillment of the original vision for the franchise written by Bob Budianski for Marvel at the time, and the height of the deepest ideas the series has ever made into a toy. These issues are, in most cases, far more than most Transformers comics have given them. Although they have all the moments, all previous publishers of this franchise have struggled to care about how humanity is important to the whole concept.
Skybound’s take has proven again and again that they understand the mind behind the spark better than most people.
“Transformer” #22 Review
Trans #22
A question that reminds us why humanity is the beating heart behind the sparks.
Some of the best human dramas in the franchise, really
Excellent artwork
Great accumulation for the finale
