COUNTDOWN: 12 noteworthy moments from Skybound’s Transformers #25

It’s a new era!

Skybound continues its Transformers series with #25, bringing the legendary Robert Kirkman on for writing duty, alongside industry hotshot Dan Mora on pencils! As much as this chapter continued the adventures already established under Daniel Warren Johnson’s pen over two years, there was plenty that felt new in the bargain. So, let’s see what it was all about!

WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS ahead! Check out our previous parts here.

#12: A Marvellous roll call

#25 begins on familiar territory, ably guiding readers in gently by wooing them with the pencils of established series artist Jorge Corona for an introductory sequence featuring the defeated Decepticons. Megatron’s band are licking their wounds following last issue’s climactic defeat, and the despot is none too happy about their general performance, admonishing them one by one. This whole sequence felt familiar in other ways too, instantly recalling the classic splash pages from the days of 1980s Marvel comics Transformers, where countless characters would introduce themselves and often ramble about their signature special abilities (in a transparent effort to also let you know why their toy was so cool!). We’re not sure if this was an intentional homage, but it made for a striking series of pages, nonetheless, and got the new era of the book moving in style.

#11: All Hail Megatron 2

It’s not long before Megatron has rallied his troops and their spirits with a rousing speech. However, whilst these pages are entertaining enough on the surface, there are several points of intrigue to talk about besides. First of all, it appears as though all the Decepticons are present and accounted for, despite Soundwave’s assertion in #24 that “both sides (had) sustained heavy losses”. Several panels last time indicated Bruticus had lost a leg. Still, all the Combaticons are featured here, and the only bodies we see in Megatron’s rather disturbing pit of corpses are those that were confirmed to have been killed before the previous issue. Furthermore, it seems Starscream definitely *did* survive shooting himself directly in the head (and indeed, Megatron’s attempts to obliterate his mangled body here!), as this sequence lingers on his apparently functional frame with his eye still glowing… although it’s back to being red here, indicating he may have reverted from his brief face turn of sorts. Time will tell, but it appears as though we can expect him back in one form or another soon!

#10: The symbol flip!

So much of Skybound’s Transformers is clearly inspired by the original 1980s cartoon, and that’s overtly obvious here with a page-turn Decepticon to Autobot symbol flip to usher in the book’s new era (and new artist!) proper. No doubt many readers will have heard the classic theme in their head as it happened! In any case, the good guys are here, as we check in with Optimus Prime and crew whilst they pick up the pieces from last issue’s city-levelling antics. Much has been rightly made of having a penciller like Dan Mora on board a Transformers book. However, it’s fair to say the art is undoubtedly an adjustment from the more ‘craggy’ work we’ve become accustomed to! Those are some *straight* lines, with everything presented in an ultra-defined, clean style. A few of the characters certainly look a little different, too (Jazz has door wings now!). Still, from someone who grew up with the week-to-week artist rotation of Marvel UK Transformers, it’s hardly jarring. More than that – it looks gorgeous!

#9: Autobot check-in

Just as we took stock of the Decepticon ranks in the prologue, so too do we spend a bit of time with the assembled Autobots here as they clean up the city, and there are several things to note. Firstly, some of the characterisation picks up immediately from where the previous arc left off, with Ultra Magnus continuing to beat himself up, this time lamenting that he should have done more to prevent the Decepticon destruction. However, what’s also notable is which of the cast are present for this scene – and which aren’t! Firstly, I was surprised to see Beachcomber up and so merrily taking part in the repair work, given the last time we saw him in #24, he was looking somewhat worse for wear after being presumed dead in #23. Equally, there’s still no sign of the Aerialbots, who haven’t been seen at all for two issues now. Likewise, where is Shreadhead in all of this? It’s a genuine surprise to see them being absent from #25, especially as it feels like an obvious starting point to begin padding out their character a bit. Similarly, both Spike and Carly fail to put in an appearance, too, so perhaps we’ll see more of them and Shreadhead next time.

#8: Soundwave vs Optimus

After wondering where Soundwave was during this issue’s opening scene, it soon becomes apparent that he was either hiding amongst or was trapped under the rubble, only to emerge once the Autobots inadvertently dig him out! We’re then treated to several pages of beautiful Dan Mora action artwork, which ends with Optimus Prime performing a fairly DWJ-styled wrestling slam to finish matters. It’s a sure sign that anyone worried about the change in art style should be reassured the fight scenes will be on point. However, it’s worth noting how different Soundwave feels in terms of the way he’s written here! For one thing, he’s now going overboard with the stifled, non-emotive, robot-style speech, similar in fashion to the classic Transformers cartoon, though arguably dialled up to eleven! That feels slightly at odds with the more generally natural cadence we came to know under DWJ’s writing, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

#7: The crossover we knew was coming…

Next comes a significant event both in terms of this comic’s continuity and for the wider Energon Universe. We’ve had elements of Transformers crossing over with GI Joe already (most notably Duke’s appearance in #2, leading to the books which set up that whole side of the story!), but General Flagg introducing himself to Optimus Prime here and offering a full-blown partnership with the Autobots is the surest sign yet of how these brands are to become increasingly intertwined. Some fans may be nervous about such a prospect, but the elements introduced here are intriguing, at the very least, and it does make sense considering the setup in this world so far. Plus, it seems as though the team-up won’t be quite as straightforward as it may first seem, but more on that in a moment…

#6: Dinobots?

Wheeljack, Jazz and Magnus take Soundwave back to the location where the Autobot base used to be, before the Ark disappeared thanks to Thundercracker and Skywarp back in #21. Quite what the plan was to secure their prisoner here is anyone’s guess. Still, regardless, it leads Wheeljack to explore the now-empty cave and stumble across some ancient fossils, including those of a Tyrannosaurus. Even the most casual of Transformers fans will know this is a surefire hint that Grimlock and the Dinobots might be making a debut in the book before too long. Assuming they follow their cartoon origin, we can expect them to be new robots constructed by the Autobot scientist from scratch. However, Skybound might tweak that formula somewhat, for all we know!

#5: The Ark returns!

Anyway, just a couple of panels later, the Ark rather unceremoniously returns, reappearing in precisely the place where it had been before it disappeared, much to the Autobots’ surprise! We see how Skywarp is still linked up to Teletraan I as part of the computer, and Jazz even comments that everything seems to be back to normal… except they don’t notice Thundercracker lurking in the corner! Where has the ship been? One suspects it’ll be an intriguing tale…

#4: New Autobots!

As Flagg takes Prime on a tour of the depths of the humans’ military base, he is led to a large room containing the comatose bodies of two of his old comrades, Mirage and Bulkhead! Flagg explains they were discovered in 1906 and 1936, respectively, and that studying them has helped advance the Earth’s native technology. In some ways, this echoes a similar idea seen in the 2007 Transformers film, with Megatron having been on ice in a human laboratory for many years. Here, though, it seems the military has also built up a huge cache of energon and is all too willing to hand it over to the Autobots in exchange for their help in defeating the Decepticons! We knew that Bulkhead would be making an appearance in this book soon, thanks to some design art posted on Skybound’s social media. Still, it will be intriguing to see how these new characters are properly worked into the storyline, especially as the big green guy promises to take us beyond the classic G1 horizons of the first 24 issues.

#3: Here comes Mayhem…

Then, in what might be a telltale sign that the proposed deal with the humans is not as kosher as it first seems (and in a moment which had this reader exclaiming out loud in surprise!), we’re introduced to the head of the organisation, none other than Miles Mayhem! Some may not know who this is on first reading, but any M.A.S.K. fans will have sat up immediately, as the ’80s villain making his debut here is quite the twist! Is the Energon Universe about to fold in another classic Hasbro (/Kenner) franchise? And can we assume the moustachioed miscreant is up to no good?

#2: Dreams of Cobra-La!

As Jazz and Wheeljack get Soundwave under lock and key back at the Ark, they suddenly notice that Ultra Magnus is nowhere to be found. However, before they can go looking, they’re pounced on by an erratic and crazed Thundercracker, who is screaming out loud about horrible creatures unlike any he’s ever seen and asking where they went – presumably in reference to the trip he took with Skywarp. We get a brief flash of this location, which is enough to clue in established readers, as the Energon Universe is once again set to bring the weird world of Cobra-La back to the fore! How this Himalayan civilisation will tie in with everything else going on here remains to be seen. Still, it’s fair to say there are plenty of varying elements being woven into Transformers, by this point.

#1: Autobot civil war?

The book ends with our first visit back to Cybertron since #22, picking up directly from the events of Cliffjumper having sent Shredhead through the spacebridge to Earth. We again see Elita One venting her anger at the situation, despite her own troops trying to talk her round. It quickly leads to her lamenting Cybetron’s fortunes without Optimus there to assist their efforts, before she ominously states that she no longer considers him an ally… but an enemy! Could this be the first signs of an Autobot civil war?

All in, this was a cracking debut issue for the new creative team and one that brings a lot of promise for where the series might go next!

So that’s our list! Did you enjoy #25?

TTFN