5 Page Preview for Transformers: Lost Light 25

So at least Prowl, Windblade, and Earth survive Unicron. If this is years after Unicron 6 and Op25, shouldn’t it have been released last?

"We achieved something" Yeah, turning a beloved franchise into an SJW circle jerk. Good. Riddance.

Randomhero wrote:

Stormshot_Prime wrote:So at least Prowl, Windblade, and Earth survive Unicron. If this is years after Unicron 6 and Op25, shouldn’t it have been released last?

It was always intended to be released first and we still don’t know the entire issue so don’t let this let you draw to conclusions just yet. It is Roberts and he always subverts expectations. If this comic was to ruin the end of OP and unicron than it wouldn’t be first.

You have a good point, but I remember back during First Strike there was a lot of weirdness with releases. For example we were spoiled that the villain of Revolutionaries was Joe Colton, before the pentultimate issue of that came out. I’m hoping you’re right, but the schedule has been modified so much at this point who knows.

So, (possibly) YEARS into the future, and Prowl STILL hasn't gotten his eye fixed?

Sometimes I find the best way to start saying "goodbye" is to get straight to business.

For this review, sharing some context for this final issue of Lost Light may be an appropriate starting point. For those keeping up with the series you'll know that issue 24 left us with most of the series' main plots resolved. This finale serves as a way to put a bow on some other points of unfinished business while also providing a coda to show just where things go once the dust has settled. The biggest questions still to be answered are addressed for the most part, and even some yet-to-come events in IDW's other stories are alluded to in a telling way without venturing far into spoiler territory. That latter point is not the book's fault, but rather due to the chaotic release scheduling we've all come to be familiar with.


The primary story is set in the far flung future, where everyone that has survived to that point is older and sadder. It's just like real life, only with robots that turn into cars and stuff, and that allows the story to deliver some of the emotional beats the series has become so well known for.

The sincere, dedicated following this series has earned stems from that ability to present a narrative that allows for an escape into another world that retains a connectivity to its readers by examining, among many things, our relationships to others. Interpersonal, romantic, platonic, professional, friendly, or just plain casual, the Lost Light crew forged various bonds through their journey. What those are, were, could be, and could have been form the backbone of this finale, sparing no remorse for your feelings along the way.


There's little left to really wrap up, and the biggest question on the minds of most readers probably has to do with how exactly this story might tie in to things going on elsewhere. This is answered early and allows the story to keep going, and ends up leaving some wonder in my mind anyhow about whether or not that question is actually addressed - but that's just me and it almost definitely was in its entirety.

The other one has to do with one of the central figures of the story since "Season 2" of More Than Meets The Eye began. A great deal of nuance is present in the approach to this plot, and unfortunately it crosses into the point of ambiguity. This may have been on purpose, or it could be that I just plain missed something. If that's the case, I'm happy to eat crow later because it's my only real critique of this issue, and even then it's more critical of the content than the delivery.


This is an ending that manages to do exactly what it needs to do, and it does so in a way that only this story with these characters at this moment could do. There's just enough of a twist to it to make you wonder "is it really over?" This occurs almost immediately after reaching the point of the issue where it appears that it truly is - goodbyes are said, farewells are made, and characters have again gone their separate ways. The mood received is comparable to one that might be felt on the last day of school, or at the last meeting at a soon-to-be-departed job, or even while writing the last review about your favorite comic book series of all time.

It's the end and it's ok to be a little sad, but it's better to be glad that it happened.


Jack Lawrence returns for the finale, a fitting assignment as this lands him at 16 issues of the series' 25 on primary line art duties. The output does not disappoint, with his signature adeptness with expressions allowing many character moments to come through precisely as they were intended. Joana Lafuente's colors are a wonderful complement as usual, with special attention and praise in order for the subtle but impossible to miss difference in palette between scenes set in the future and those occurring in the "present". Tom B. Long takes the dense script and places every bubble of text with care, creating a full package between art, color, and text which ensures these unique characters keep their voice. Peaks and valleys help even Swerve convey speech that hits more at home with its realism than a Swerve line ever possibly could otherwise.

The covers available are the "A" cover, featured in this review's news story thumbnail, with art by Lawrence and colors by Lafuente. Nick Roche's art and Josh Burcham's colors take up the traditional "B" cover spot, with editor David Mariotte making the spelling assist that will be forever appreciated turn into a reality. MTMTE regular Alex Milne provides an appropriately decorated RI cover with Josh Perez's colors shining as they always do. You can find images of all of those covers and full credits for the issue in our Vector Sigma Database page for Transformers: Lost Light #25, but please note it contains a character appearance list which may accidentally deliver spoilers.


I've taken great care here to not spoil much. If you've been reading the series, you'll read this issue, and I think you'll be satisfied. There's always a desire to want more of a good thing, and while you might be left with a lingering question or two that won't ever be answered, there's always that faint chance that one day Simon Furman's old adage "it never ends" might apply here as well. Transformers was kept alive in part by the passion of its fans even after the Marvel comic ceased publication - twice, counting G2 - so every back issue, collected version, trade paperback, and fancy hardcover omnibus set (please?) you buy in the future helps keep the possibility of Team Rodimus having some future adventures alive.

"Chances of this actually working?" "Oh, astronomically slim." But with the backup content of Roberts' retrospective teasing at just enough as it relates to the murdered word, and considering other strange goings on such as the initially solicited 40 page, $4.99 sized issue not happening, it feels like there's something in a distant tomorrow. Maybe one day the Crusadercons will quip their way into our hearts all over again, and this reader would welcome that with open arms.

Right, a score. 5/5 if there were numbers, but no numbers are needed this time.

To James Roberts, Jack Lawrence, Joana Lafuente, Alex Milne, Nick Roche, Josh Burcham, Brendan Cahill, Casey Coller, E.J. Su, Priscilla Tramontano, Tom B. Long, Carlos Guzman, David Mariotte, Sara Pitre-Durocher, Andrew Griffith, John Barber, Hayato Sakamoto, Brian Shearer, JP Bove, Agustin Padilla, Jose Aviles, and the huge list of other creators that worked on Lost Light and More Than Meets The Eye that I'll kick myself for forgetting to mention here -



So is it really over? Yes.

Rodimus Prime wrote:

Maverick69429 wrote:"We achieved something" Yeah, turning a beloved franchise into an SJW circle jerk. Good. Riddance.

Overall, that aspect wasn't too bad. It gave some extra layers to characters, even if it humanized them, thus taking away from the mystique of being alien shape-shifting robots. It was heavy-handed at times, but that's not due to the nature of the subject, but rather the inadequate talent of the writer. I got tired of Chromedome and Rewind pretty quickly, but I thought Cyclonus and Tailgate fit together well. I was a bit surprised by Ratchet and Drift, but I shouldn't have been. They spent most of the story together. I don't care about the rest. I do think that by the time the issue (and the story) comes to a close, Rodimus and Megatron will become at least conjunx amicae, if not more. As much as I was disappointed in the end of MTMTE, the overall story of the crew of the Lost Light has been pretty good. It won't beat the original Marvel comics, but it's better than what we had between 2006 and 2012. Just my opinion, of course.

I pretty much got used to Chromedome and Rewind. The way it was written for them in MTMTE was pretty good and established that I eventually became quite fine with them.

Then from reconstruction onwards, these stuff became rampant. Cyclonus and Tailgate, Anode and Lug, Blast-Off and Onslaught, Arcee and Aileron and now, Drift and Ratchet. I just find it so weird and personally it's really hard to get used to and I don't think I ever will.

Anode with Lug, Arcee with Aileron and the Two Combaticons I can look past. But Cyclonus, Tailgate and Drift, Ratchet? That would be a big NO from me. I liked them better during the time of MTMTE when they were just close buddies (with the exception of Chromedome and Rewind). Those kinds of stuffs was moderate back then.

Sorry, I don't normally want to do this but since this current universe/continuity is ending, might as well put my thoughts on what I feel about this subject. Just my two cents there.

Obligatory follow-up given the review's contents - Mr. Roberts clarifies something for me, spoilers at link so be careful: https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/ ... 24768?s=19

YoungPrime wrote:Haven't read this issue and I miss the series already....

Curious to hear what you think after you've read it

ZeroWolf wrote:A great review Scotty, I'm really sad that this is coming to an end.

Thanks!

Though some arcs were rushed for the sake of ending the universe, this is probably one of the best stories we’ll ever get. It’s not often we get some fiction with actual depth and thought put into its deep universe. I just feel like the next comic series will lack so much of what made any of the IDW stories so great, that depth will be replaced with toy selling. We saw how unnatural that sat in continuity with their attempts to tie in Combiner Wars and Titans Return.

At least there’s two more issues in the IDWverse to tide us over for the year.

Here’s to the Crusadercons.

I understand that they're in different books, but the writers of both should have found a way to reunite Grimlock and the Dinobots. And I'm glad Rung is forgotten, I never liked the character.

Rodimus Prime wrote:I understand that they're in different books, but the writers of both should have found a way to reunite Grimlock and the Dinobots. And I'm glad Rung is forgotten, I never liked the character.

If I remember right though, the last time the Dinobots saw Grimlock, they were not his biggest fans. Though I am reasonably confident in saying I think they might work past that, because Grimlock is still a Dinobot.