COUNTDOWN: 10 noteworthy moments from Skybound’s Transformers #18

Skybound’s Transformers series continues to deliver the thrills at a mile-a-minute pace, with gorgeous artwork and non-stop action aplenty. Now we turn our attention to #18 and the latest happenings as the battle wages on multiple fronts – and several planets!

WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS ahead!

#10: Ready to shred?

#18 opens with the Cybertronian Autobots still under siege after last time, taking heavy fire from an aggressive band of Decepticons as things quickly look bleak. That is until the arrival of the original character, Shredhead, introduced on the last page of the previous chapter and here seen in full combat mode for the first time! It’s not hard to notice how Skybound would like you to be enamoured with their creation as they transform from heavy metal van mode to cut through the ‘Cons in lightning-quick fashion, wielding a stylised laser sword as they go. It’s an introduction that sparks memories of IDW’s Drift for all-too-obvious reasons, but there’s no doubt Shredhead feels like a fun breath of fresh air all the same, and it will doubtless all come down to what is done with them next in terms of their impact on this storyline and the wider Transformers mythos. Still, for now, it seems their presence is welcomed by the accompanied Autobots, who hail their newly formed comrade for having helped turn the tide of the battle. Also of note in this sequence is the brief name-checked presence of classic cartoon recolours Hotlink and Bitstream, alongside a non-shelled iteration of the Pretender Carnivac. I certainly didn’t have that on my bingo card! Whether these characters live to tell their tale another day remains to be seen, but from the events unfolding here, it seems like they’re one-and-done as far as Skybound is concerned.

#9: A heart-to-heart

One of this book’s strengths has consistently been delivering powerful emotional beats amidst the otherwise ever-present chaos of its action scenes. So it is here as #18 quickly moves to a more solemn note back on Earth, as having found Ultra Magnus last time, the troupe of Autobots and humans who went looking for him have a sit-down and a heart-to-heart around the campfire. Magnus laments his current state of mind, citing the torture he endured at the hands of Shockwave and stating how it has broken him to the point of not being able to believe in anything anymore. Surprisingly, it’s Carly who steps forward to offer an alternative point of view despite all her recent heartache, as she wisely points out that beyond their many physical differences, humans and Transformers are not so far apart when it comes to their shared pain. It’s a touching moment.

#8: Under attack

Sadly, the calm lasts barely a single page before Magnus’ paranoia piques again, although now with cause! The Autobots find themselves under attack from a band of armoured humans and helicopters, who make quick work of our confused heroes and manage to incapacitate Carly using a tranquiliser dart. Magnus attempts to fight back (with his rather massive weapon!) but only ends up inflaming the situation and causing the military unit to reign more firepower upon them. Arcee, Beachcomber and the humans make a break for cover but are sadly overpowered as Carly is taken away by the unit, alongside a comatose Ultra Magnus. There’s a brief hint that their captors might actually be G.I. Joe, so we will have to wait and see how these events play out in an upcoming issue and what kind of crossover escapades come from it all.

#7: Combiner carnage

Next, we return to the other Earthbound goings on as this issue continues the big brawl between Bruticus and Devastator that began back in #16! The two titans continue to clash as they destroy the remainder of Seattle in the process, all whilst Optimus Prime’s band of Autobots do their best to mitigate the destruction and rescue as many humans as they possibly can. This sort of wide-scale city-levelling carnage is certainly nothing new to Transformers (especially after the big-screen films). Still, it is surprising to see Skybound reaching this sort of climactic point so soon into its run, especially as it puts any notion of the ‘robots in disguise’ subterfuge element to one side for future stories. Still, one can’t deny there’s a thrill from the art and action delivered here!

#6: Rumble scrambles!

The fight persists as Soundwave and Starscream continue to go at it, too, the former upping the ante by sending in his humanoid minion, Rumble, despite him only having one arm at present. It’s a unique take to see the cassettebot’s master quite literally hurling him into the fray, whilst the line, “I exist to kill“, is one which will most certainly stick in the memory for some time to come! Ultimately, Soundwave’s gambit is successful, as Rumble is able to bring Astrotrain crashing down with Starscream on board.

#5: Starscream falters

The action culminates in Bruticus and Devastator mounting a massive skyscraper to reach Starscream, one aiming to protect and the other to destroy the two-timing Seeker. It’s an eye-gougingly gorgeous sequence, although one element which did come into question during our recent Triple Takeover discussion was the comparative scale at play here, given how both combiners had in previous panels been shown to be significantly taller than the surrounding buildings, yet here they appear capable of climbing up the side in King Kong style. Perhaps it’s not important, as art such as the above arguably doesn’t need scrutinising for too much realism and consistency when it looks as incredible as it does!

#4: Bruticus is going down!

As if proving my point above, the whole extended sequence ends with Devastator showing once and for all who’s boss by grabbing Bruticus and hurling them off the skyscraper in what clearly appears to be an RKO move (subtly reminding you exactly who is writing the book!). The green meanie laughs maniacally as they plummet to the ground below, and although we never see the exact consequences of the landing, we have to assume that the combined Combaticons are not quickly getting up from this one!

#3: Soundwave vs Starscream

Really, though, this issue’s shining moments remain in its final pages, beginning with a very personal and extremely brutal hands-on fight between the two would-be Decepticon leaders. Although it initially looks like it’s Soundwave who has the upper hand, Starscream takes umbrage with being called ‘pathetic’ and surprises his attacker to deliver a headbutt before promptly ripping off the cassette deck door on his chest and ruthlessly pulling a comatose Ravage out of the compartment underneath. It’s all extremely visceral and only comes to a dead stop thanks to the surprisingly calm but rather chilling speech bubble from off-panel…

#2: Megatron returns

Yes, in one of those moments which seems pre-destined to become immediately iconic somehow, Megatron stands facing his troops once more, and it’s only fair to say that his presence completely changes the whole dynamic of the issue. If one were to define ‘palpable aura’ in a comic book, then it would surely have a picture of Skybound Megatron beside it because the obvious menace of this guy leaps off the page. The Decepticons come to a dead stop, stunned by what they’re witnessing, as Starscream begins chattering nervously before calmly but firmly being told to “be silent“. It’s a chilling scene that very capably sells the sense of hierarchy in the bad-guy ranks and immediately establishes Megatron as a major force to be scared of.

#1: The final moments…

As if Megatron’s introduction needed to sell his significance any more than it does, he proceeds to heal Ravage using power from his chest, in an intriguing move which seems rather a unique addition to the character and adds to his list of special abilities after we saw him using mind control in a previous flashback. Soundwave instantly professes his loyalty to his returning master (again in a panel which will no doubt be shared for some time to come!), whilst Starscream urges Astrotrain to beat a hasty retreat, something the triple changer refuses to comply with as he hopes to tackle his former commander at long last. Meanwhile, the Autobots witness Megatron’s return from the ground, with Optimus quietly ordering them to retreat as the Decepticon leader’s shadow looms large… what an ending!

So that’s our list! Did you enjoy #18?

TTFN