Reading licensed comics can often feel like a chore. They are adaptations and extensions of existing media with a number of stakeholders, all of them interested in preserving elements like tone, narrative, and maturity which often results in a micromanaged project with little room for creative invention. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, but it’s exceedingly rare to find any licensed series that merits any comment better than, “It’s a good version of X, if you’re looking for more X.” Transformers #1 is an excellent example of that very rare exception to this rule; the debut from cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson (and colorist Mike Spicer) delivers an issue that is instantly accessible to readers, regardless of their familiarity with robots in disguise, and offers an exciting style combined with thematically resonant hooks.
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The issue reads much more like a Daniel Warren Johnson comic than a Transformers comic. Johnson defined his approach to comics storytelling on creator-owned series like Murder Falcon, Extremity, and Do a Powerbomb, which fuse sprawling fantasy inventions with deeply empathetic examinations of trauma. When a young man whose family is wracked by grief rooted in war and catastrophe stumbles across an ancient ship filled with robotic aliens engaged in a millennia-long war, it simply appears to be another intriguing debut from Johnson’s wheelhouse.
Readers will certainly recognize figures like Optimus Prime and Starscream alongside various other Autobots and Decepticons; those with a good deal of knowledge about Transformers lore will place various smaller details. But none of that knowledge is necessary or even central to the story presented in Transformers #1. It goes so far to ensure that it is grounded in a human perspective that a reader walking in entirely blind to past iterations may be best served by this vibrant (re-)introduction.
Transformers #1 begins by introducing readers to two adolescent protagonists, Spike and Carly, struggling to find joy and a way out of their small town life – a familiar conceit for longtime fans of Transformers comics. Johnson doesn’t make their problems or dreams cartoonish but embeds them in lived realities. PTSD from America’s invasions of the Middle East and the loss of family in dangerous lines of work are threads that make these characters mundane origins resonate as being powerful in their own right. Spike is already aware of how war affects individuals and families before encountering veterans of an intergalactic conflict.
That emphasis on the small significance of individual human lives also serves to highlight the scale of this adventures when Spike and Carly discover the long dormant collection of Transformers embedded in a mountain. The juxtaposition of their fragile forms against sprawling settings and looming, steel figures makes even the smallest of these aliens seem intimidating and powerful.
When the first set of Transformers to arrive on Earth awaken, they introduce their own narrative in a naturalistic fashion without presuming any knowledge, except perhaps that Bumblebee (the adorable yellow slugbug of an Autobot) is a significant character. Dialogue and action serves to quickly characterize each robot and the divisions driving them. Even without any prior knowledge, the longstanding war and viciousness with which it is fought quickly becomes evident.
Optimus Prime’s coolness is not taken for granted. Instead, his actions as a leader and combatant reveal a self-sacrificing and concerned general prepared to do anything in his power to protect his people. Johnson shows this in some outstanding action sequences, including a splash panel of him delivering a Rainmaker. Prime’s actions are impressive because they look outstanding on the page. That will be no surprise to readers familiar with Johnson’s work as one of the most invigorating action cartoonists of the modern era. Johnson’s designs also provide a surprising capacity for emotionality with these robots as Prime’s love for his comrades is displayed in silent relief.
By the issue’s end, the conflict between Transformers has encountered humanity and promises a sprawling adventure ahead. The first issue is but an introduction and it’s one that does everything required by a new miniseries: introducing sympathetic characters, presenting an outstanding aesthetic with stylish action, and providing a premise with plenty of room to expand. If the alien robots at its center weren’t already so recognizable, Transformers #1 would simply read like the newest big idea from Daniel Warren Johnson. That is just about the best compliment imaginable for a licensed comic and it ought to excite readers ranging from Transformers stalwarts to fans of stylized action comics about the possibilities of Transformers and the entire Energon line as they proceed.
Published by Image Comics
On October 4, 2023
Written by Daniel Warren Johnson
Art by Daniel Warren Johnson
Colors by Mike Spicer
Letters by Daniel Warren Johnson
Cover by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
