Regeneration FunA Review of
Transformers '84 #0Minor/Contextual Spoilers WithinOptimus knows it's worth going back to G1 one last time for 24 pages, unlike past-me. This is a review that must start out with a confession. When I initially saw the announcement of this one-shot prequel to the
original Marvel comics Transformers series, all I could think of was
Regeneration One and how I just do not want more of that continuity at this point. The story is told, the ink is dry, let's all move on because re-visiting it didn't work and I want off Mr. Furman's wild ride. The continuity itself is already a mess with the
UK continuity,
G2, the aforementioned Regen One and even the old
Universe books all picking up various threads in various ways that conflict and they probably won't use Geoff Senior so what's the point? "No one wanted this", I thought.
After reading the book, I'm left with this second confession: I was completely wrong.
Thanks? Transformers '84 pulls off what could potentially be considered a narrative feint, claiming to be a prequel to the original run while really serving as a bridge that crosses the gap between the first half of
The Transformers #1 and the second half, that is, the gap between the Ark crash-landing and the Transformers waking up in 1984. It also makes "Man of Iron" (TF UK issues
9-
12/US
33-
34) work more seamlessly within the universe's continuity, so it's recommended to be at least familiar with that story before reading this one. While familiarity is good, that's far from a requirement due to clever casting that utilizes characters either not at all or barely present in that original run. Without spoiling all the appearances, their toys were out too late into Budiansky's run to get noticed alongside certain
"Master"-ful releases and out too early to get a spotlight during Furman's time at the wheel. Three decades on, some beloved toys now properly get their time in the franchise's first storytelling universe. It's an appreciated touch that manages to squeeze something more out of a part of the brand that's been squeezed quite dry in the past.
The moment this really got my attention One appearance that's already been spoiled by published preview pages is present in the image above. Punch / Counterpunch is the surprising linchpin of the issue and Simon Furman brilliantly executes his personas. You're never quite sure what side he's on and I can't help but think that it shouldn't be any other way. Guido Guidi helps the character along in a big way, with a presence and body language that keeps you guessing as much as the dialogue. On one hand, if the solicitation had said "this is a Punch / Counterpunch book" many of us would have been much more excited for this months ago, but on the other, not seeing a Punch / Counterpunch book coming is kind of perfect.
Look at it pop! The art is tremendous throughout with the use of color going just as far as it needs to into the "vintage" style without going too far to the point where it looks bad, though losing the small "dot" marks would be fine for future uses of this style. John Paul Bove uses contrast smartly as well with the slate shaded world of Cybertron stands out from its bright robotic inhabitants with the shadowy meetings with a mysterious narrator contrasting the green landscapes and colorful banners of 11th century knights on Earth. There's even a touch towards the end referencing some off-screen characters that contains a fade-out from left to right that turns a passing reference into a genuine moment.
The First Knight Tom B. Long's letters are exactly what they need to be, never getting in the way of and sometimes assisting with visual cues. At least four different bubble styles are used and there's never any doubt - except where intended - in regard to where the words are coming from. The presentation, assisted by Amauri Osorio, is buttoned up throughout from a storytelling perspective with editors David Mariotte and Tom Waltz keeping things old school even in the count of story pages: 24!
Or at least, I
think the presentation is probably very good. I can't wait to read this in print, especially since our provided digital review sample was of an exceptionally poor, grainy DPI. This led me to hesitate somewhat in the conclusions drawn above - if the print and final digital copies are as grainy and blurry as our review sample, that will be a true shame. As always, you can also find full credits for the issue in our
Vector Sigma Database page for Transformers '84 #0.
VerdictIssue guarantees a little Quickmix. Sometimes the best comics are the ones that catch you off guard. I expected G1 fanservice lopsided towards the 1984 and '85 cast at best, but ended up reading something that used some of them just enough while somehow giving lesser known characters a day to make something of themselves. The execution is superb though not perfect from a critical perspective, with a couple spots of awkward Furmanism-esque dialogue and a little too much real estate given to the set-piece human characters on at least one occasion. That said,
Transformers '84 #0 is superbly entertaining and fun to read, with a plot that matters just enough to feel important while not being so ambitious that it feels like it gets in the way of already established events with any deleterious impact. This one's a real treat that I highly recommend picking up on the
Seibertron.com eBay store or at your local shop,
check here to see if you have one nearby... real nearby.