Review of IDW Transformers #18

Rodimus Knight wrote:I looked at this cover and I had no Idea who the characters on it were.

Same here, I adress it in my review. Along with the robo sweat.

Yeah the sweat was the 1st thing that caught my eye. Any idea how and when this series will be released in trades? And will Galaxies really be put together with it?

Rodimus Prime wrote:Yeah the sweat was the 1st thing that caught my eye. Any idea how and when this series will be released in trades? And will Galaxies really be put together with it?

I think there has been a, listing for the first TPB on Amazon
, and so far, yes Galaxies will be contained within the mainline TPB.

What I found amusing looking at the cover was that I was trying to figure out why Greenlight had been paired with Arcee, then I remembered that we got Greenlight as part of the Selects line (under Siege) and of course, Arcee is coming out in Earthrise. Coincidence?

Probably I haven't even checked to see if this Arcee looks anything like the Earthrise release

The cover you didnt realise was Greenlight is because its Gauge not Greenlight on the cover.

Loved this issue the Arcee transforming and catching Gauge sequence was a highlight panel as was the whole Arcee takes no prisoners scene.

ZeroWolf wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote:Yeah the sweat was the 1st thing that caught my eye. Any idea how and when this series will be released in trades? And will Galaxies really be put together with it?

I think there has been a, listing for the first TPB on Amazon
, and so far, yes Galaxies will be contained within the mainline TPB.

What I found amusing looking at the cover was that I was trying to figure out why Greenlight had been paired with Arcee, then I remembered that we got Greenlight as part of the Selects line (under Siege) and of course, Arcee is coming out in Earthrise. Coincidence?

Probably I haven't even checked to see if this Arcee looks anything like the Earthrise release

Technically, Greenlight was part of the regular Siege line, just exclusive to Amazon. Her retool, Lancer, was part of Selects, though. As I recall, Earthrise Arcee is straight up her G1 cartoon design. This looks more IDW Arcee to me.

Soo, several months abmgo I designed an interior schematic for Metroplex and was faced with the same question posed in this review: Do aliens have Stairs?

The problem is not so much that they can turn into vehicles, even for a species who can do that, you sren't going to turn into a car in the middle of your Hotel just go up to the nect level. The question is that unlike Humans, there is a VERY large range of heights and builds with no consistancy. Unlike Humans where most adults are in the 4-6ft range, we have seen Cybertronians deviate from 4-8feet to over 40, and thats just the normal guys, not counting Combiners or dudes like Omega Supreme. And on top of that, legs are not as consistantly proportionate either, so you have guys like Ultra Magnus and Bulkhead who are close to the same height, but Bulkhead's legs are half as long. And someone like Override who turns into a Motorcycle and comes up to Bulkhead's WAIST has to use the same flight of steps. So whom do you size the steps for?

A Ramp, meanwhile, is more versatile, but comes with the inherent steepness issue.

Issue 21 drops today and it is very apparent that this Optimus is Siege Galaxy Upgrade Optimus without the extra armor. That incredibly angular truck cab is clearly that Voyager Optimus and not Siege or Earthrise.

Thanks to Apple Book Preview, we have our 3rd and final comic preview for the day, this time for Transformers #22. Transformers #22 is set to focus in on the Security team that is attempting to bring in Quake, who was captured last issue and whom killed our introductory kid character Rubble all the way back in issue #5. As seen in these preview pages, that mission is not starting off very easily, and it looks like a fight is brewing for this issue.

Check out the preview below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Has this picked up worth a damn yet?

That cover is rather nice, it has to be said.

This first sentence will be the only mention of how much more other past Transformers comic series have done with 22 issues. That was a thought that needed to get out of my head, and now it's out and direct comparisons to older continuities will cease for the rest of the review.

Transformers #22 is out this Wednesday, August 19th and continues the escalation of tensions on Cybertron between the Autobots and Decepticons. Or Ascenticons? Risers? It really doesn't matter much now since we all know what's up by this point and are free of having to wonder whether or not this is tied in to the Netflix series (it isn't) so let's see what's happening with our favorite robots in disguise this month.


Brian Ruckley's mild ride is picking up the pace a bit at last, with a great deal of this issue being a battle and its surprisingly still action heavy consequences. A somewhat focused cast takes us through events that are a logical progression from what's come before, the dialogue isn't overly dense and artist Anna Malkova's sequential work carries it through much better than the output on Transformers #21 just a month ago. No 'bots are suddenly pivoted 90 degrees on their back after being attacked by a character suddenly on the opposite side of where they were in the previous panel on this one, thankfully.


The character work here is more focused than in some previous issues but there's still an overall feeling that each issue is trying to follow too much in too many places simultaneously to build its cast in a memorable way. I challenged myself to remember the character's name above and couldn't do it. All I can think of is Rice Krispies, but sadly the verbal tic presented made Voxpop - I looked back at the page now - stand out among a sea of standard fare. As another example, the Sentinel Prime here has yet to be anything more that what you probably already think he is because he keeps showing up for a panel/page or two and then leaving. While this is fine given the foreshadowing (and my personal assumptions, to be fair) on what will eventually happen to him, it's not creating anything memorable or new. That's just one example but more are around if you look hard enough. Sure, Transformers have had one-note "Red Car Guy" types of characters for a long time, but it feels at times like this entire series is comprised of archetypes playing typecast roles.


While that focused on the negative it should be made clear that this was much more fun to read than a great deal of this series' previous content. Characters may not necessarily appear but are at least mentioned, preventing any cases where doubt is cast in regards to whether or not the writers and editors remembered who was in given scenes. The Cybertronian political climate, along with its penchant for talking and walking through halls/up and down staircases, shows up briefly then goes away. It's effective in this case as it's introduced by the aforementioned Voxpop, we pivot to it, then things jump to the next logical scene. Joana Lafuente's color work also aids the narrative by giving each setting a distinct feel, and as this review is about to get into below, this is a god-send in at least one circumstance. As the next chapter of a larger story, there's a lot here that's satisfying, or at least moreso than much of the series so far.


There is one nagging production issue that was present in issue 21 that remains here in at least one case, which is whiplash between scenes. To explain, I'm going to talk about scenes readily read-able for free in the published preview for this issue, though be aware that preview has pages 2 and 3 reversed by mistake, something that does not carry over to the final product. We start with a page featuring Bumblebee and Stakeout. As soon as this is finished, your next panel is the one shown above with Sixshot. Bee and Stakeout aren't watching this battle and don't show up until the later half of the issue, so why is this here? Why has letterer Jake M. Wood not put some kind of location caption on the page with Sixshot and others, or why did one of the three editors on the book - David Mariotte, Tom Waltz, or assistant Riley Farmer - not caught the times this has happened where the narrative doesn't handle the transition well on its own? Maybe the confusion is the point, providing the reader with a sense of the chaos happening on the page, but there's been a significant recurrence of this lately in this issue and others. This has left at least this reviewer feeling some whiplash as events move from scene to scene, often without warning.

The covers do a decent job of showing things that actually happen in the book, or at least the variants do which is why Andrew Griffith and John-Paul Bove's "B" cover is used in this review's news story's thumbnail. The 10-copy incentive cover by Winston Chan depicts a similar scene, while Anna Malkova's "A" cover looks way cool but feels like it was made for another issue then placed here arbitrarily. That's no great sin, just pointing it out for readers hoping to see that triumvirate in a featured role this time since they are not. As always, you can also find full credits for the issue in our Vector Sigma Database page for Transformers #22.


Production quibbles aside, this is a much more read-able comic than some of the work that's been output in this series, featuring some welcome action that draws on previous events in ways both appropriately rote and surprising. One of the bigger surprises comes at the end and I'm not sure how to feel about it. It's likely that without the follow-up content, whether or not a certain character's actions end up being compelling storytelling or a cheap pop for shock value remains to be determined. In some ways I really like where the story went, though in others I wonder if a slight variation might have done more for the characters involved. It's tough to articulate this while being vague to remain "spoiler free-ish", but feel free to comment on this post if you want to chat about it more in our forums.

The score below flip-flopped back and forth between what you see and a half-point higher, but dead in the middle of our rubric feels like the right place for this. The issue isn't terrible but it also fails to achieve greatness. This was an enjoyable read for me, but certainly nothing mind-blowing and not enough to tell anyone that's dropped the book to go pick it back up.



This issue's out today, so pick it up on the Seibertron.com eBay store or at your local shop, check here to see if you have one nearby and remember to check first for special hours or restrictions related to public health matters.

Thanks for the review! I have since dropped this series. It's the first time I have ever dropped a Transformers series. I collected all the Marvel from the 1980s and even got the UK Marvel series. All the Dreamwave. All the original IDW even when that series was wearing thin, I stuck with it. This series, however, I can't even try to continue... not even for the sake of the brand. I love Transformers but this "bold new era' is just that... bold as in going in the wrong direction. I just consider the original IDW the one true IDW series. I wish I could get rid of the issues that I already have. My comic book shop won't even take them back. The owner told me that a lot of people have already dropped that series and I'm seeing more and more backstock just sitting on the shelves. The Simon Furman 1984 series and the Terminator series are WAY more interesting and have beautiful artwork compared to the New Bold Era. I'll just have to wait for the inevitable reboot... hopefully sooner than later.

crazyfist wrote:It's the first time I have ever dropped a Transformers series. I collected all the Marvel from the 1980s and even got the UK Marvel series. All the Dreamwave. All the original IDW even when that series was wearing thin, I stuck with it. This series, however, I can't even try to continue... not even for the sake of the brand.

Same here mate. I agree with everything you said above. This "Bold New Era" is rather more accurately a "Boring New Era". I am also hoping for a new reboot with a rather more competent team, telling a faster paced story.

How the heck they made the end of the war considerably more interesting that the run up is utterly beyond me. 22 issue to tell us so little? Good grief.

~ Grim

We have many comic previews for you today. This one is for issue 24 of the "new" Transformers series from 2019. This issue brings us the conclusion of the Rise of the Decepticons arc. This preview comes to us from iTunes. This issue is done by Brian Ruckley (Author), Bethany McGuire-Smith (Artist, Cover Artist) with Red Powell and Nicole Goux giving us additional covers.

We have a few comic previews for you today. This one is for issue 24 of the "new" Transformers series from 2019.

(W) Brian Ruckley (A/CA) Bethany McGuire-Smith
"Wheeljack: Orbital Decay". Untethered from the world below, Cybertron's former inner moon is in a decaying orbit around Cybertron's sun. Wheeljack and his team race against the clock to save it, but the sun's pull might not be their only problem.
In Shops: Nov 11, 2020
SRP: $3.99

"Transfomrers".

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:"Transfomrers".

Might as well be, considering the quality of the book itself.

I laughed at Gears and his "Come on!!"

First off, yes this review is pretty late. Transformers #25 was released last Wednesday, but with nothing coming out for the coming week on 12/16 this review was saved from not being written at all. That's all on that part.

IDW's 2019 reboot of the main Transformers comic universe has reached 25 issues, which like this year itself feels like it arrived in no time flat while also feeling like it took forever to get here. Rather than a grim hurry-to-the-conclusion-due-to-cancellation affair after a dozen issues like the latest failed G.I. Joe reboot, Transformers gets an "Event" book that isn't quite the definition of an "Event" book. Still, it's a double-sized issue to mark the occasion along with the sub-title of "War World" that will presumably grace the next several issues as well, so let's see if this hail mary play ends in a touchdown or just the slow runoff of the clock.


If I ignore my feelings towards issues 1-24 in their entirety and pretend this is issue #1 of a new series, most would probably think that to be a bad idea and a pointless thought exercise. I'm not saying you should do that, but if you want to, it kind of works to be totally honest. Outside of a couple minor references to other events and a necessary familiarity with the general idea of the franchise characters that appear within, this accomplishes the rare feat of being a great jumping on point if you're curious about this new series. If the first 24 issues were the lecture that most students slept through, 25 is the test that somehow got aced by the same students. There's lots of action, a varied cast and very few stretches of walking and talking through hallways/stairwells.


The biggest positive about the book, for me as a longtime Transformers fan, is the number of generally obscure, nobody, D-List non-characters that get use here. It's always fun to see an old favorite that was never more than a toy show up and do something, even if it's still ultimately not much. A fair warning is in order that some of these appearances do end in your favorite old toy getting blown up, but within this issue it feels like it could be in service of something that probably should have happened a long time ago in some Cybertronian war story or another that's in a G1 universe or a derivative of it - the crew members of the Ark and Nemesis/the Autobots and Decepticons that end up crash landed on Earth are shown as survivors of a dangerous war. We'll see if this ends up being a consistent theme as this may be me projecting what I want to see happen onto the plot, but if it is I think this is a good thing, sad as it is to see some cool toys get blown to pieces.


Most of what Brian Ruckley does in this issue was very enjoyable, though one issue that remains is how some of the dialogue could be thrown onto any other character and work just as well. It could be argued that this holds for almost all action-oriented issues of Transformers, which is maybe why it doesn't feel quite as generic here. Or it could be that characters like Ironhide and Brawn feel like characters in this issue, which is promising improvement. Even Hubcap and Strongarm appear to make an attempt at explaining their poorly timed faux-pas from last summer. Hopefully it isn't too little too late, and continued improvement here would still be appreciated.


Anna Malkova handles the lineart for this entire oversized issue, a daunting task that was met with great success for the most part. The panel above with Sentinel Prime and Megatron is one where some constructive criticism can be levied, because while for the most part her work on characters, alt modes, backgrounds and particularly faces on characters with faceshields is solid, I look at Megatron here as an example of something that isn't working for me. While not a theme overall, his nose is too big here, and while that beats the creepy giant lips of Polygon's Megatron on the Netflix show, the proportions are off just enough for me to have a tough time reading his tone. As previously stated, the line work is generally very good throughout, so don't let my words here be too much of a detractor. Joana Lafuente's colors elevate the visual appeal in the issue as well, even serving to help in the transition of scenes from page to page in a way that I didn't notice until a third read through. Jake M. Wood handles the letter work just fine, which is another way of saying that while sometimes the word bubbles can get in the way during action heavy comics, in this case, they do not.

There's a bit of an editorial crediting change for this issue, with David Mariotte and Riley Farmer still listed as editor and assistant editor, respectively. Tom Waltz is now listed as a "Supervising Editor" and while I can't admit to knowing what that means, I'll (irresponsibly, sorry) speculate that maybe the path of the story has been shaken up a bit? The last page of this one had me internally screaming "Finally!", whether or not this has anything to do with that though, I have no idea.

Angel Hernandez and Joana Lafuente handle the art and colors for the "A" cover which is featured in this review's news story thumbnail, and it's nice to see a small dose of Hernandez again for this mini-milestone issue even if I wasn't his biggest fan on interiors. Malkova's "B" cover is inspired by actual events of the issue, with Fico Ossio and Lafuente working on the 10-copy retailer incentive cover that thankfully features 0 characters from Hasbro's Visionaries franchise. As always, you can find all the cover images, full credits for the issue through our Transformers #25


If issue 26 is a big let down I'm going in on it with no mercy. That said, in a vacuum issue 25 is probably my favorite of the main Transformers series since this reboot started. There's action, character work, plot progression and just a fun read in store.

The things that happen here feel significant and were very exciting, but it must be stressed that these probably should have happened a dozen issues ago on books priced at $3.99 and not $7.99. That will be something entirely forgivable if the series can carry this momentum into its next run, which will hopefully be one where it finds its own identity while being an interesting read month after month. So far it has not been able to do this at any turn, but today I'm choosing optimism.

With the big disclaimer that this score is with a lot of hope that this is a turning point and not the bang before a let down, here's the tally:


This issue is out now, and you can pick it up at the Seibertron.com eBay store or at your local shop, check here to find the closest shop to you.

I entirely forgot this series still existed to be frank. I'll wait for next issues review to see if this positive note means it's worth attempting again.

~ Grim

Big Grim wrote:I entirely forgot this series still existed to be frank. I'll wait for next issues review to see if this positive note means it's worth attempting again.

~ Grim

I think this is a good idea. Have been several moments when I thought this series might be turning around then I crack open the next issue and it's 18 pages of walking and talking. Hell even 23 was at least so-so, then 24 was nothing but an extended boring promo for the now month late (and still counting) Escape #1

ScottyP wrote:I think this is a good idea. Have been several moments when I thought this series might be turning around then I crack open the next issue and it's 18 pages of walking and talking. Hell even 23 was at least so-so, then 24 was nothing but an extended boring promo for the now month late (and still counting) Escape #1

Man, that's kinda damning. We gave up the previous continuity fer this? Why was that again? The whole "Hasbroverse" nonsense? I want the Lost Light, the Scavengers and good guy Megatron back, but I suppose it is what it is.

~ Grim

Big Grim wrote:

ScottyP wrote:I think this is a good idea. Have been several moments when I thought this series might be turning around then I crack open the next issue and it's 18 pages of walking and talking. Hell even 23 was at least so-so, then 24 was nothing but an extended boring promo for the now month late (and still counting) Escape #1

Man, that's kinda damning. We gave up the previous continuity fer this? Why was that again? The whole "Hasbroverse" nonsense? I want the Lost Light, the Scavengers and good guy Megatron back, but I suppose it is what it is.

I think that story ran its course and got a decent ending, despite its many flaws. The problem with this new continuity I think is that it tried too hard to be different. I actually liked and looked forward to the idea of a prequel-style story that told the beginnings of the Autobot-Decepticon war in detail. Then we got what we got. I still believe that if these 25 issues were to be condensed down into maybe 15 or 16, it would make for a more interesting story.

Rodimus Prime wrote:I still believe that if these 25 issues were to be condensed down into maybe 15 or 16, it would make for a more interesting story.

I second this with the slight amendment that it could have been done in 12. 3-3-3-3: Rubble/intro plotline; politics of Cybertron stuff ending in The Rise's jailbreak; Megatron consolidating The Rise and Ascenticons culminating with the fall of the pillar; Escalation into war with birth of the Decepticons and Sentinel's death + Optimus Prime getting the matrix from this latest issue.

I enjoyed Transformers #25. Then Transformers: Galaxies #12 and Transformers: Escape #1 came out and I enjoyed them as well. It felt like things had finally turned around, or at least that the overall new-ish reboot series had started to. This feeling has been betrayed. By what?

Walking and talking. They're back, and I am not pleased.


That's right, if you missed your monthly dose of robotic characters talking at one another in the midst of all the actual things happening in the last few issues, well hold on to your easy chair because that will mean you aren't having to hold this comic and read it. This series has had a problem with momentum almost from the beginning, and any fears it had turned a corner on this have not been assuaged. Sometimes it's good to have a break from the action, to take a beat to reset things and let the characters react to and stew about in everything that has occurred. That's what this issue attempts to do, but it hasn't earned it yet. The battle in issue 25 presumably just ends and everyone goes back to their bases. It's like if Hot Rod opened the matrix from within Unicron then popped back over to Autobot City to regroup. I don't get it.


Maybe it's a "me" thing, but I'm not the only one on staff just disillusioned with this book, so maybe it's an "us" thing that doesn't apply to you, reader of this review. An extremely cursory look at Amazon reviews for the second hardcover volume of the series shows it has an audience, and if you indeed prefer Transformers to not be an action series then this issue is probably for you - and you should ignore my score at the end if this applies.


It's not just a lack of fighting though, Transformers can do cool things outside of that. However, very little of that is present here either, with only some last page "please come back next month" reveals doing anything remotely within the realm of on-brand for the Transformers franchise. There are also some plot progressions that are significant, all surrounding Megatron, so while the issue's not a total dud its density still leaves something to be desired.


The visual presentation is excellent regardless of what it's depicting, with Anna Malkova again on line art providing some long-due consistency as well as continued improvement. David Garcia Cruz is now handling colors and while my limited art vocabulary won't be able to articulate this very well, there's a depth he's given to the linework here that I really appreciate. The sunset lighting effect throughout is a great touch and used appropriately for the environment in which the characters are present. Jake M. Wood has the unenviable task of fitting in some super dense word balloons within limited page space, but does well at placement and in addition of beats in between paragraphs. Perhaps the editorial grouping of David Mariotte and Riley Farmer can work with writer Brian Ruckley to make some of those a bit more succinct.

As always, you can find all the cover images as well as full credits for the issue through our Vector Sigma Database page for Transformers #26.


I'm so tired of this. My apologies to the artists and other creative personnel doing their best with the provided script and plot.

Again, please ignore the below score if you are someone that prefers the slow-paced, vapid, dialogue heavy style ever-present in this series.


This issue is out now, and you can pick it up at the Seibertron.com eBay store or at your local shop, check here to find the closest shop to you.

One issue, perhaps the main issue, is that the outcome is certain and that there's no possible surprise to what is going to occur: Optimus Prime's Autobots will enter into a civil war with Megatron's Decepticons.

The wind up, the build up to this is drawn out as if there's a possibility it might go some other way.

It won't.

If you're telling a story about a certain outcome, like Anakin's fall to become Darth Vader, then the action needs to be amazing OR...

the stories about the small people caught up in this event needs to be compelling. It isn't.

Why did the most awful things or the most incredible teams get formed? How did Monsterbots come about in light of this? What caused bots to be so desperate to become Powermasters or Nucleon addicted?

How does a regular bot get radicalized into a Decepticon?

No one knows, especially this continuity.

Well damn. Looks like last issue was an anomaly. Shame.

~ Grim

Counterpunch wrote:Why did the most awful things or the most incredible teams get formed? How did Monsterbots come about in light of this? What caused bots to be so desperate to become Powermasters or Nucleon addicted?

How does a regular bot get radicalized into a Decepticon?

No one knows, especially this continuity.

First, excellent post. Second, for this particular quoted part, this is one reason why using the Rainmakers to kill off Sentinel rather than the classic/standard Seeker trio was a weird move. A great opportunity to make them known, and make Starscream more legit than whatever the hell he is in 26, but nah let's use the Rainmakers because, uh, one of them is invincible now or something.

We only got issue 26 of the current Transformers ongoing less than two weeks ago, but we're being graced with the next issue a week from this Wednesday. Continuing on the "War World" arc, this issue sees Slipstream and her team continuing their attack on the Winged Moon. Check out the summary and pages below!

Cybertron’s winged moon, untethered from the planet and adrift in space, is in peril – from its slow descent towards the solar system’s star to new visitors who have their own plans for what to do with the moon. 

This issue is scheduled to be released on January 20th. Are any of you fellow Seibertronians picking this issue up? Let us know what you think below!

"Of course it's a word, Hyperdrive. I couldn't say it if it wasn't a word, could I?"-Flamewar. Now THAT is a great line...

Has a certain someone been taking English lessons from Rumble?

The art looks fantastic in this issue.

Greetings Seibertronians! Issue #27 of the ongoing IDW Transformers comic is out this week, so you know what that means! It's preview time!

IDW wrote:Transformers #27
Brian Ruckley (w) • Anna Malkova (a) • Livio Ramondelli (c)
“War World: Moon”. Cybertron’s winged moon, untethered from the planet and adrift in space, is in peril—from its slow descent towards the solar system’s star to new visitors who have their own plans for what to do with the moon. Can the remaining scientists and engineers hold their own until back-up arrives from Cybertron?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Will you be getting this issue? Let us know in the Energon Pub and stay tuned to Seibertron for all the latest news and reviews!

Greetings Seibertronians! PreviewsWorld have uploaded a five page preview of the upcoming IDW Transformers #29, which we're pleased to share with you now!

PreviewsWorld wrote:(W) Brian Ruckley (A/CA) Anna Malkova
"War World: Titans"! Sentinel Prime has a secret-something that could change the fate of Cybertron-something that Megatron wants. It's a battle for control of the Forge as the Autobots and the Decepticons come face-to-face in battle for the first time!

Don't forget you can get comics like this from the Seibertron Store! Either the latest releases or back issues if that's what you're after!

What do you think of the plot being teased here?

Shout out in the Energon Pub and stay tuned to Seibertron for all the latest news and reviews!

I got away from this book after issue 12 or so. Has it gotten any better? Are the TPBs worth getting? I do like the art.

The art does look nice. The panel composition is dreadful though. Where is the focal point? The dynamism of the scene?? There is nothing to draw your eye. Even the full body, yet rigid, close-up of Ironhide - which should be the central focus of the panel - is almost completely occluded by speech bubbles?

Transformers #30 was released one week ago Wednesday digitally and the week before that, it was available in its printed monthly floppy form in local comic shops. As part of our review catch up here at Seibertron, we'll get into looking at whether or not it's any good.

I've got to start with a disclaimer that may save some readers time on this review, by freely and openly admitting that this series has lost me, with my last care evaporating about four issues ago. It's going to be a monumental task for it to overcome my ennui at this point, so keep that starting state in mind during this review. Of course, if you've been enjoying the series thus far, then you're safe to ignore this review - issue #30 is more of the same.


One of the major problems in the series is a lack of maintained focus on, well, anything. In Transformers #29, Optimus Prime tells Perceptor they're not done talking about how Perceptor aided and abetted previous Primes' decisions about how to handle Titansparks. Instead of following up on that particular point, made memorable by its placement at the end of that issue, Perceptor does not appear. Instead it's time for yet another narrative thread among the already dozen of them in the series, this time with the Torchbearers.


Yes, the already over-booked cast gets even busier, with Pyra Magna joining the fray properly along with her "companions" as they're called at one point. This initially ends up being an invitation to lay down a few of Transformers (2019)'s greatest hits: Optimus Prime and Megatron arguing about an entirely pointless conflict, Optimus Prime and Megatron sucking the life out of everything on the page, and Optimus Prime and Megatron using a great deal of words to say nearly nothing at all. At this point, charisma parasites would be welcome over these two charisma vacuums.


Not everything is terrible, as the action scene in the middle of the issue (roughly speaking) is very well done and saved this from being a complete waste of time. Sunstreaker gets to look cool but gets upstaged by Windcharger being amazing. Sure, they ultimately just lay the smackdown on a couple of red-shirt seekers, but it was fun to witness them do so and it provided a timeless quip where Sunstreaker reminds everyone that Nacelle just plain doesn't matter. Whatever mojo was flowing for this part? More of that, please.


I can't fault Anna Malkova's art as some of my least favorite panels have everything to do with my dislike of the characters (or specific version of, in the above case) within and nothing to do with the actual quality or appropriateness. If I had to make one quibble, it'd be to stop drawing so many scenes on stairs. Add a roadway, flip them to alt mode, have them talk as cars - something like that. David Garcia Cruz handles the colors on this one and everything works pretty well, though Megatron would probably go for a more purple hologram than the pink present here. Jake M. Wood, our now-usual letterer, is back again and while mostly just fine, there's a page with a flashback to a space battle where the second through sixth bubbles feel like they belong on the left side of the page based on art and flow of the dialogue thereafter, but they're on the right. Based on their indentation, this could have been an actual mistake in production, but it's hard to tell.

Stefano Simeone provides the "A" cover which looks like it belongs to issue 29 based on its content, so this review's news story thumbnail image features Priscilla Tramontano's "B" cover since it depicts characters from the issue in a manner somewhat related to how they appear. A ten-copy retailer incentive cover by Blacky Shepherd and Sid Van Blu is also available on a limited basis from your local shop. As always, you can find all the cover images and full credits for the issue through our Vector Sigma Database page for Transformers #30.


Transformers #30 is another poor issue of what's become a stale comic series, which is saved from being a total disaster by one scene. In many ways it epitomizes the series itself, jumping from plot to plot, catching up with previously introduced characters before immediately introducing anywhere from 2-8 more of them all while putting you to sleep with pretentious dialogue. There's a small, anti-climactic payoff to some of Cyclonus' story in this issue which leaves him saying "What do I do now?" That short phrase and all its hopelessness is an appropriate symbol of how I felt after reading another issue of this slog of a series. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.



This issue is out now, and you can pick it up at the Seibertron.com eBay store or at your local shop, check here to find the closest shop to you.

Hey Siebertron? Can we get someone who actually gives a crap about this comic to review it, please? Or at least try and present a counterpoint? For one of the two biggest news sites to be peddling this bored snark, featuring the same lame old cliches about "Stairs and talking ZZZZZZZZZZZZ" is just not doing the work of these two excellent creators justice. I mean, being told "if you enjoy this series stop reading" is no excuse for what's become a regular dose of sour invective. I enjoy a witty takedown of something horrible as much as the next 'Bot but there's none of that energy here, just words floating aloft on bored sighs.

I ask you, seriously: what is anyone's reason to keep reading these? If the reviewer admits they can't give a shit, what's the point of them putting any further words down or us continuing to read them? Let them go do something they enjoy, stop torturing your readers, and stop disrespectng the very hard work these creators are putting into this excellent (imo) book.

I must be the minority that is actually enjoying the build up of this universe. Sure it has been a little slow on some pages but its been amazing watching this universe building story take place. For me this is how it should have always been. When IDW first started transformers with the -ition series, that was great too. The war wasn't huge yet and we got some cool little moments while in space somewhere, something big was happening or at best, there was a lull in the conflict.

Here we have the political, the religious, the science, and social aspects of a society that was always either touched upon in flash backs in previous incarnations and it always seemed so all over the place fitting to what was currently going on in the story. This we are getting most of it right now and again building towards the great war we have all come and love in our transformers lure.

For me I feel the art has gotten better and since issue 25, it has really taken off for me. My only complaint thus far would be we still didn't see the true relationship between Orion and Megatron even though they gave us a nice little bit. This is a story that can go on for years just before they board the ark and crash on Earth. I'm enjoying this! It's amazing and issue 30 was pretty solid to me. The mass exodus of the autobots out of Iacon...I mean whoa. Seems very reminiscent of Moses leading the Hebrews into the wilderness.

Is it perfect, absolutely not, but for me, it's pretty darn good. Then the little side stories to show the more personal aspect of who and where are being felt by this genesis of the great war.

Toizarus wrote:Hey Siebertron? Can we get someone who actually gives a crap about this comic to review it, please? Or at least try and present a counterpoint? For one of the two biggest news sites to be peddling this bored snark, featuring the same lame old cliches about "Stairs and talking ZZZZZZZZZZZZ" is just not doing the work of these two excellent creators justice. I mean, being told "if you enjoy this series stop reading" is no excuse for what's become a regular dose of sour invective. I enjoy a witty takedown of something horrible as much as the next 'Bot but there's none of that energy here, just words floating aloft on bored sighs.

I ask you, seriously: what is anyone's reason to keep reading these? If the reviewer admits they can't give a ****, what's the point of them putting any further words down or us continuing to read them? Let them go do something they enjoy, stop torturing your readers, and stop disrespectng the very hard work these creators are putting into this excellent (imo) book.

100% agreed. The reviews are joke

Randomhero wrote:

Toizarus wrote:Hey Siebertron? Can we get someone who actually gives a crap about this comic to review it, please? Or at least try and present a counterpoint? For one of the two biggest news sites to be peddling this bored snark, featuring the same lame old cliches about "Stairs and talking ZZZZZZZZZZZZ" is just not doing the work of these two excellent creators justice. I mean, being told "if you enjoy this series stop reading" is no excuse for what's become a regular dose of sour invective. I enjoy a witty takedown of something horrible as much as the next 'Bot but there's none of that energy here, just words floating aloft on bored sighs.

I ask you, seriously: what is anyone's reason to keep reading these? If the reviewer admits they can't give a ****, what's the point of them putting any further words down or us continuing to read them? Let them go do something they enjoy, stop torturing your readers, and stop disrespectng the very hard work these creators are putting into this excellent (imo) book.

100% agreed. The reviews are joke

then one of you volunteer, by all means. As of 7 months ago (?) everyone single staff member had grown bored with the ongoing, and at that point there were only 3 people still reading it on staff anyway, and it was to keep up, not out of any enjoyment.

so no one on staff likes it. Volunteer and be that voice, talk about why you love it. Because the 2 of you seem to be the only voices of that kind here

Toizarus wrote:Hey Siebertron? Can we get someone who actually gives a crap about this comic to review it, please? Or at least try and present a counterpoint? For one of the two biggest news sites to be peddling this bored snark, featuring the same lame old cliches about "Stairs and talking ZZZZZZZZZZZZ" is just not doing the work of these two excellent creators justice. I mean, being told "if you enjoy this series stop reading" is no excuse for what's become a regular dose of sour invective. I enjoy a witty takedown of something horrible as much as the next 'Bot but there's none of that energy here, just words floating aloft on bored sighs.

I ask you, seriously: what is anyone's reason to keep reading these? If the reviewer admits they can't give a ****, what's the point of them putting any further words down or us continuing to read them? Let them go do something they enjoy, stop torturing your readers, and stop disrespectng the very hard work these creators are putting into this excellent (imo) book.

You must have not read the part where I said: (edit: nope, chose to ignore it I see. Your loss.)

Of course, if you've been enjoying the series thus far, then you're safe to ignore this review - issue #30 is more of the same.

The other option was for there to be no review of the book. There hadn't been for several issues because there was nothing nice to say. Guess that was the correct decision.

ScottyP wrote:

Yep, it's IDW's Transformers 2.0. I can tell by the stairs and the talking.

lol, they just won't quit it

Honestly, I'm enjoying the slow build up as well. It feels like building the world we're about to have our favorite robots smack down in. However, I do say this now that I can genuinely see some sort of direction that the series is taking. Honestly, I feel if it weren't so freaking slow at the beginning, these later issues would be taken with more (or at least some) enthusiasm.

And I agree. If I may offer a suggestion, instead of a full on counterpoint, ask the community for some positive feedback to balance out the boredom the staff feels for the book. Make guidelines so that the feedback is genuine and not just "it's great coz I said so". Add one or two of these comments to the end of the review, then encourage the community to voice their opinions at the end of the review. I feel this may provide some more positive and/or constructive conversation so that those that enjoy the books can feel that they're not wrong for having this opinion, without the staff feeling like they have to be forced to like something they genuinely don't.

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

Toizarus wrote:Hey Siebertron? Can we get someone who actually gives a crap about this comic to review it, please? Or at least try and present a counterpoint? For one of the two biggest news sites to be peddling this bored snark, featuring the same lame old cliches about "Stairs and talking ZZZZZZZZZZZZ" is just not doing the work of these two excellent creators justice. I mean, being told "if you enjoy this series stop reading" is no excuse for what's become a regular dose of sour invective. I enjoy a witty takedown of something horrible as much as the next 'Bot but there's none of that energy here, just words floating aloft on bored sighs.

I ask you, seriously: what is anyone's reason to keep reading these? If the reviewer admits they can't give a ****, what's the point of them putting any further words down or us continuing to read them? Let them go do something they enjoy, stop torturing your readers, and stop disrespectng the very hard work these creators are putting into this excellent (imo) book.

100% agreed. The reviews are joke

then one of you volunteer, by all means. As of 7 months ago (?) everyone single staff member had grown bored with the ongoing, and at that point there were only 3 people still reading it on staff anyway, and it was to keep up, not out of any enjoyment.

so no one on staff likes it. Volunteer and be that voice, talk about why you love it. Because the 2 of you seem to be the only voices of that kind here

Then just stop doing reviews. If all you guys are doing if making it for views and feel like it’s a chore then what’s the point? Predictions for the next 6 months: didn’t like it. Well…then again Milne is doing the annual so I imagine that review will be “the arts great and reminds me of when I used to review MTMTE blindly and only gave that a positive review because it had jame Roberts name on it and I was inclined to give it a positive review because I refuse to believe James Robert can’t write a good comic so this reminded me of that so 2 out of 4” . It’s not like you guys are on the ball with them. The comic came out over a week ago but it’s nothing new for seibertron.com to be a week behind on anything anymore.

There is a far better alternative here. If anyone reading this feels passionate and dedicated enough to this series to write a review, you can contact Scotty P though a private message and organize yourselves to write the next review. One of the best perks is you get to read these issues you are looking forward to ahead of time (assuming IDW sends it to us ahead of time, that didnt happen last week).

All I ask of reviews is that they are the honest opinion of the reviewer. These seem pretty honest to me. I also don't understand why you'd want someone who's enjoying them to review it, as that's replacing one bias with another. Have some one who's familiar with the source material review by all means but wanting someone to review it, who you'll know will like, just because you like it, feels very artifical to me.

Also complaining about us reviewing a comic we liked positively, just because we’re reviewing a comic you like negatively is hypocritical

ZeroWolf wrote:All I ask of reviews is that they are the honest opinion of the reviewer. These seem pretty honest to me. I also don't understand why you'd want someone who's enjoying them to review it, as that's replacing one bias with another. Have some one who's familiar with the source material review by all means but wanting someone to review it, who you'll know will like, just because you like it, feels very artifical to me.

Also complaining about us reviewing a comic we liked positively, just because we’re reviewing a comic you like negatively is hypocritical

So much this. Reminds me of video game reviews where people on reddit immediately dismiss any review which doesn't agree with their own opinion. Like the classic "You can't spell ignorant without IGN." But then a month later when that same IGN positively reviews a game that person likes, they are a trusted and great reviewer!

If people are enjoying this book then more power to them. We all like different things. But for me personally it's one of the worst TF comics I have ever read in my life. I still buy the issues but I stopped reading a few months ago. That almost never happens with me and comics.

Bleak5170 wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:All I ask of reviews is that they are the honest opinion of the reviewer. These seem pretty honest to me. I also don't understand why you'd want someone who's enjoying them to review it, as that's replacing one bias with another. Have some one who's familiar with the source material review by all means but wanting someone to review it, who you'll know will like, just because you like it, feels very artifical to me.

Also complaining about us reviewing a comic we liked positively, just because we’re reviewing a comic you like negatively is hypocritical

So much this. Reminds me of video game reviews where people on reddit immediately dismiss any review which doesn't agree with their own opinion. Like the classic "You can't spell ignorant without IGN." But then a month later when that same IGN positively reviews a game that person likes, they are a trusted and great reviewer!

If people are enjoying this book then more power to them. We all like different things. But for me personally it's one of the worst TF comics I have ever read in my life. I still buy the issues but I stopped reading a few months ago. That almost never happens with me and comics.

I'll be honest here since I was in the review - the folks trashing my review of TF 30 have a good point. It's really tough to be objective about a book when my starting point is "oh jeez, this again."

But it was nice to wake up to a bit of defense, so thanks for that

Cheers mate. Even if you loved the book I would still defend what you wrote in regards to bias as it was spot-on.