Transformers by Daniel Warren Johnson is an exhilarating G1 reboot that is done beautifully. It is in short about two humans named Spike and Carly who found a crashed spaceship full of unconscious and broken transformers, both Autobot and Decepticon. A transformer named Jetfire shows up and wants to revive them one by one, not realizing humans are there. The first transformer he revived was a Starscream an old friend yet Decepticon. Once Starscream revived in an instant he shot an Autobot named Bumblebee in the face as he was still unconscious, thus killing him. Jetfire, confused by his friends’ actions, tries to stop his madness but then is shot in return. Before Starscream shoots another, Optimus Prime is revived and German suplexes him, causing him to look back and notice the humans, who he instantly begins to protect from Starscream’s shooting. Then another Autobot is revived, Ratchet, he kicks Starscream and makes his way to help Optimus. Other Decepticons begin to revive, and as Optimus is fighting them notices his dead friend Bumblebee, we see grief in his eyes. Ratchet begins to load their friends into a trailer and when done, they escape the spaceship with the humans and unconscious friends.
As the story goes on from issue to issue the Autobots learn how to live with Earth’s inhabitants and quickly learn how fragile and beautiful Earth is. Soon having to protect it from the energy-hungry Decepticons and making the difficult choice to choose Earth over reviving their war desecrated planet Cybertron.
It is a wonderful blend of action, thrill, and emotion that leaves you wanting more. Paired with Mike Spicer’s help and Daniel Warren Johnson’s passion and visually stunning art style, with every turn of the page your eyes will absorb every detail and color with delight. Johnson’s art style is very prominent. He shows expressive emotions in each character, attention to detail, and with his use of bold lines makes the robots feel more complex and more than just machines.
His approach to the franchise does not only focus on the battles between the Autobots and Decepticons but he also gives us a deeper insight into the feelings of every character, especially Optimus Prime. The human element in this comic is outstanding, every character feels fleshed out, they each have their own struggles, thoughts, and goals. It makes the conflict between Autobots and Decepticons more understanding, as each side has personal stakes.
The writing in this comic is very engaging, the story is well paced enough to keep any reader hooked, and the dialogue feels natural and authentic in every situation. Literary devices that I have found are visual imagery, symbolism, characterization, and juxtaposition just to name a few.
I really enjoyed this piece because it is easily digestible to anyone new to Transformers, and overall, a great read for anyone interested in Si-Fi, bombastic action, robots/Mecha, and gut-wrenching scenes. I would like to recommend this comic to all students who want to jump into a new world full of action and humanity.
Get the book! Check out Transformers, Volume #1: Robots in Disguise by Daniel Warren Johnson at the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, or the Queens Public Library.
About the author This review is by K.Ramo.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
