Transformers #4 Review

 

Writer & Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson

Colorist: Mike Spicer

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Jonboy Meyers; Orlando Arocena; Sanford Greene; Andrea Milana & Annalisa Leoni

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 10, 2023

 

Humans destroyed his arm. They shot his friend when the boy rushed to aid him. Can Optimus Prime save Spike Witwicky? Let’s leap into Transformers #4 and find out!

 

Story

Starscream comes in smoke. His eyes blaze at his fallen subordinate. Skywarp was supposed to kill Optimus Prime. Must he do everything? Starscream pursues Optimus as he carries Sparky Witwicky and his injured son to the hospital. Carly and Cliffjumper rush to aid the Autobot leader. They reach the hospital, and the staff carry Spike inside. Now, the Autobots must defend the hospital against Starscream and Soundwave.

 

Starscream values power and detests pity. The Decepticon leader demands loyalty yet offers little in reward. Nothing is his fault. Everyone owes him. He revels in hurting others, even the injured and the sick. When the odds turn against him, Starscream retreats. Anyone who dares compare him to Megatron should reconsider!

 

 

 

By contrast, Optimus puts others first. He allows his followers to question his wisdom. In Transformers #4, Optimus Prime repeatedly endangers his life for tiny, squishy Humans. Should he take a longer view? The Autobots need their leader. If Optimus Prime dies, the Decepticons win. What happens to the tiny, fragile Humans then?

 

War devoured part of Sparky Witwicky’s soul. His eldest son's death in the space program consumed more. Then he watched Starscream kill his friend Davy. Consumed by hate, his actions led to Optimus Prime and Spike’s injuries. For too long now, Sparky’s traveled a dark path. Is it too late to chart a new—and better—course?

 

Daniel Warren Johnson packs Transformers #4 with action and heartbreak. Yet, characters never give into despair. There's always hope if they can find it. At least there is for the Humans and the Autobots. The Decepticons' ranks are dwindling, and Starscream’s not helping. If the Humans and the Autobots can aid each other, perhaps they can exploit the Decepticons’ current weakness and live to fight another day.

 

 

 

 

Art

Daniel Warren Johnson delivers the heat of the moment in Transformers #4. Panels focus on characters in action or close in on characters’ eyes. Robot and Human faces express emotion, and gestures speak as loud as words. Autobots and Decepticons never stand around and talk. They fall, crouch, transform, fly, fight, and destroy, enlivening scenes with gestures and motion. Whether Transformers kneel to talk or race toward an opponent with guns blazing, Johnson imbues each page with life and energy.

 

No matter how fiercely Daniel Warren Johnson attacks panels, Mike Spicer's vibrant coloring enriches scenes. You feel like you’re inside a speeding car with Carly or holding Spike in your lap as Optimus Prime races toward the hospital. Laser blasts brighten the night sky and radiate light onto nearby robots and buildings. People may fall into shadow but never sink into a sea of gray. Background colors showcase foreground action and enhance the energy propelling the characters through Transformers #4.

 

 

 

 

Italicized uppercase dialogue appears in white and colored balloons and boxes. The font is delicate but large. Rus Wooton’s sound effects continue to wow, enhancing scenes with blows, impacts, gunfire, racing cars, screaming planes, and explosions. Yet a moment of sacrifice proves the heart of this pulse-pounding issue. Thanks to Skybound and Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

While Humans and Autobots join forces to save Spike Witwicky's life, Carly and Cliffjumper discover a surprising kinship in Transformers #4.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.