IDW Transformers: Dark Cybertron Finale (DC 12) Review

WARNING: While the review does not contain spoilers for the issue at hand, it may reveal previous plot points from previous RiD and MTMTE issues.

Synopsis
IT GETS EVEN BIGGER! Okay we lied when we were talking about last issue… but this issue is as big as they come. It’s all come down to this moment—every scheme, every lie, every moment of heroism, every relationship, every rivalry… if CYBERTRON falls, so falls the universe!



Story

As March comes to an end, ReGeneration One concluded, Conspiracy is over, it's also time for the IDW ongoing Transformers crossover to do the same: the culmination of Dark Cybertron is here, after months of plotting, scheming, stalling and more scheming on behalf of Shockwave, James Roberts and John Barber. And by months, I mean all the way back in Spotlight: Shockwave, Shadowplay and Shockwaves - so years, really.



If I were to do a summary of where we are in order to get to this issue, I'd be writing for ages, so make sure to check out the Previously page to make sure you're caught up on all that has gone down. But we are here, on Cybertron again, with all the cast in one place - including the dead - the Ammonites attacking en masse (70 billion is a big masse) and Shockwave collapsing time, space, reality, the universe and everything into his giant, one-eyed purple 42 self.



Take Barber's penchant for continuity issues and their stitching, Roberts' flare for dialogue and their overall plotting skills, and this is what you get. Jhiaxus, Starscream and Metalhawk deal with each other in not entirely surprising ways. Brainstorm and the Dead Universe survivors (sort of) banter and bicker. Punches are thrown, blows are received. Dialogues and monologues abound.



But the overall, overarching main big bad and true protagonist of the story has been, and is up to this issue the once fabulous senator Shockwave. Seeds were scattered way way back, and the reaping comes now - with a conclusion that is actually really satisfying for a number of plots. Not all of them, but more on that below.

Art

Phil Jimenez returns to work on layouts as he did all the way back on Dark Cybertron #1, with pencil work this time by Brendan Cahill and inks by Brian Shearer. And I like it, I really do! They handle very big shots really well, and the panelwork is astounding in some places. They also manage to imitate, without copying, Milne and Griffith's styles in some particularly impressive splash pages, too (see above).



It does help that the colour work is once again attended to by the technimagicolourist Josh Perez. There is a sense of continuity with prior styles while still retaining the differences where needed (mostly in softer hues and lines in faces). And there is a lot of light(s) in this issue, natural, artificial, explosive, fiery, timey - he covers them all well, as expected.



Tom B. Long does a marvellous job with lettering, too. A lot of explosions, fizzes and particularly noisy moments are well worked by him, and there's some nice nifty font work going on in dialogues too. The covers are fewer, but by now means lees impressive: Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr tackle both cover A and the massive Metroplex wraparaound retail incentive, with a gorgeous Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente Shockwave cover B (in the thumbnail).

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

I said above that, while the issue does conclude the Dark Cybertron arc and storyline really quite nicely, it does not show an actual conclusion. Is this a bad thing? No. These are ongoings. The issue has set up the next three (two plus one) series very very nicely, while rounding off what had to be done. We get Megatron's change of ..everything, Optimus' return as a Optimus, the Decepticons a bit at a loss, and a reluctant Cybertron in the hands of a Starscream again.



If the initial issues of the event were a bit slow in build up, the later section of the run definitely picked up, quite nicely too. There wasn't the usual feeling of rushed endings from MTMTE or the lull from RID, and the pivotal role played by everyone's favourite purple cyclopic robot was, well, pivotal, but also nicely, at times movingly, executed. I feel both satisfied about the run and intrigued about Dawn of the Autobots. Bring on next month!