Where Do We Go from Here?

Imagine a “Transformers” world where there is no Optimus Prime, no Autobots guarding Earth and Decepticons working as a private security force for Bumblebee-who happens to be the head of the provisional government on Cybertron.

No, that’s not an acid-fueled dream or even some fan fiction from way out in left field, that’s the basic foundation of the two monthly Transformers books from IDW publishing.

Following the events of IDW’s “Chaos” event which culminated in Optimus Prime unleashing the true power of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership and subsequently sending the entire multiverse into a tailspin, readers will find themselves into very unfamiliar waters.

In “Transformers: Robots in Disguise,” Bumblebee is the reluctant leader of the Autobots as they try to find a way to reach out to the disenfranchised and violent multitudes residing on Cybertron. For the millions of years that Autobot has waged war against Decepticon, both groups find themselves unprepared to broker peace between themselves and a people who feel that they are the casualties in Optimus Prime’s war against Megatron. With help from a motley assortment of ‘Bots, Bumblebee must find a way to reach out to the countless citizens who think the “Great War,” wasn’t so great.

In the sister book, “Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye,” we see that the effect of peace has caused some Autobots to question what their purpose is in the universe. A fabled group called the “Knights of Cybertron” were the once-great leaders of Cybertron who transcended their mechanical bonds and became beings of pure energy spreading peace throughout the universe. Thinking that no peace could be achieved without some god-like assistance, Rodimus and a group of several hundred ‘Bots, including the deadly Cyclonus, take off in search of the Knights to help restore order on Cybertron.

While the premise of these two books sounds simple enough, the first issue showed how divergent these books really are. Rodimus’ ship, apparently, exploded on launch and disintegrated in the atmosphere destroying all onboard. However, in Transformers: MTMTE, we learn that the “explosion” actually sent Rodimus and his crew sideways in time, leaving them lost in space and Bumblebee carrying the guilt of letting them leave Cybertron.

Last year IDW made bold statements that this year they would make all efforts to clean up some of the messy continuity on the Transformers comics line, and make efforts to connect the original Marvel Comics series to the current line they publish. So far, the books have been on par with the previous Transformers: Ongoing series, which ended with the Death of Optimus Prime one-shot.

Maybe coming on the heels of Michael Bay’s last big-screen adaptation of the shape-changing robots, IDW now has the latitude to take big chances with Hasbro’s cash cow. While there is always a sharp distinction between comics and the movies based on them, IDW’s latest initiative with the Transformers may leave more than one fan scratching their heads.

The Verdict: 8/10.

These books are feature great art and solid writing. While the story is a bit out there, it’s easy to tell the creative teams have a solid direction and your trust in them is well-placed. Issue 3 for both series will be out in mid-March, so grab #1 and #2 while you can.


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