IDW The Transformers #55 Review

Transformers #55 - Conversation Starter

Last issue was pretty loaded. Titan called and rose, combinations stopped, characters learned stuff, villains fled, humans scrambled…



Issue 55 is the wrap to the ‘All Hail Optimus Prime’ story arc. The events have led to this what could be a final confrontation. How does it end? Digitally, some of us already know. In print, some of us waited. It is time.



This issue in a nut shell… CHANGE comes to the forefront. The crux of what it seems to mean to be a Transformer (and a person for that matter). How one reacts, changes, adapts, or doesn’t, and the results…all come to a HEAD.



Galvatron makes like a banana ice cream sundae and SPLITS! His coup de grace, his 4th down drive, his last second shot… all came up short and he lost. Galvatron chooses the noble path: to live to fight another day. Or is he just choosing a more suitable place for what could be his final stand? Who will pursue him? Will he or another Transformer utter the phrase: one shall stand one shall fall?



The answers are found in (and on the cover) of the issue. While Galvatron has always been very staunch in his ideals of purity and expansion echoing Nova Prime (even though at times he found himself at odds with Nova), he does tend to over do at times (understated), and his ideals often mean that whole entire ‘impurities’ can be wiped out. He stretches the truth, he looks out for himself, and uses people. Hence why he’s pretty universally considered a ‘bad guy’.



But Optimus Prime has always been his opposite. Always wanting to preserve and support life. Trying to use noble, honorable, merciful, and peaceful means whenever possible, wanting to believe the best in all…which is pretty hard when you are overseeing a campaign of a four billion jillion year war. It’s these qualities that have always made Optimus Prime able to inspire loyalty.



Optimus' famous quote, his ideal to live by. His belief, along with his uncompromising ideal to seek peaceful solutions whenever possible.



It’s when these two ideals clash, and neither wants to give ground, that we see this arc ending. What will happen when the writing is on the wall? Who will change to achieve goals? Who if anyone will compromise themselves and their ideals?



This issue satisfyingly wraps up the arc, and begins the next. Characters have shown growth and steps have been taken. Like any well-written story, you’re left wanting to continue reading more because you have questions, and the story has answers. When the dust settles where does this leave Earth? With the end we received, Titans Return with perhaps a visit from Onyx Prime seem inevitable. The upcoming IDW REVOLUTION should help to answer other questions that we are left with as well.



The art in this book by Andrew Griffith is hands down incredible! He’s always done impressive work, but I think he’s getting better and better at his craft. The colors by Josh Burcham are well played to support the story, most notably as supportive of setting changes. And as Dr. Va’al credits often, and as an under appreciated part of the visual experience, Tom B. Long adds some incredible letters to the story with some very satisfyingly scripted 'CHOOMs', 'CHAKs', and 'AHs' along with the character dialogue.



I wasn’t really very kind the last time I reviewed Transformers. I felt like it was kind of doing over what had already been done. The upcoming REVOLUTION seems to address that and that’s what appears to lie in our immediate future. This issue allowed me to give the final exhale on this arc, it feels like a finale and I feel satisfied that things are for the moment, settled, and a firm direction has been set. Sadly, future solicits and sudden schedule changes have caused some cats to be out of the bag early, but the issue is still a nice resolution, before we get going again with TITANS RETURN and REVOLUTION.