Destro #5 Review

 

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Andrei Bressan

Colorist: Adriano Lucas

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Andrei Bressan & Adriano Lucas; Sanford Greene; Nikola Čižešija; Marco Ferrari; Taurin Clarke; Tyler Kirkham

Editor: Ben Abernathy

Logo & Publication Design: Andres Juarez

Production: Richard Mercado

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 16, 2024

 

Tomax and Xamot lead Cobra Commander through MARS. The twins assure him that the BATs are useless and they can find better purposes for his Energon power. Then, Tomax and Xamot lead him into an office and find Destro on his throne. Will the twins kill Destro as Cobra Commander watches? Or does Destro have a plan up his armored sleeves? Let’s strap on our metal masks, leap into Destro #5, and see!

 

Story

Amid the confrontation, explosions rock MARS. The Crimson Guard scrambles troops and HISS tanks to defend Extensive Enterprises' latest acquisition. Scrap-Iron wields a bazooka. Chameleon deploys her FLUKE pulse. But with MARS filled with the Crimson Guard, Destro needs inside help. But then, if Destro can sneak into his company, so can others.

 

As he tangles with the twins, Destro wants to know where he stands with Cobra Commander. The man who controls Earth's Energon supply assures him that he hasn't committed to a partnership with Extensive Enterprises. Still, as the twins argue, Destro only has three soldiers to help him reclaim his company. The Crimson Guard fills their new facility in Destro #5. How can a handful of soldiers defeat an army?

 

Destro forgave Astoria for trying to kill him. But really, she was covering for Overkill, the new global defense system she and her father invented. As it orbits the Earth, the satellite uses its artificial intelligence to assess threats to humanity. Once, Overkill believed Destro was a threat. But Destro and Astoria have conferred with the satellite, and it considered their arguments.

 

Dan Watters suggests that a few people can overcome overwhelming odds in Destro #5. He also shows that nothing and no one is ever useless. Destro's methods may be harsh. Still, he also demonstrates the capacity to forgive. Destro knows it would be easier to destroy those who turn against him. Yet he seeks strength by turning enemies into allies. Perhaps Destro will turn on his allies one day. But for now, he prefers to rely on strong and capable leaders. Destro isn’t only fighting to reclaim his family’s company. Like Astoria and her late father, he seeks to protect them against a threat that could wipe out humanity.

 

Art

The twins emphasize their strength by wearing tank tops and armor that displays their muscles. Yet as they lead Cobra Commander through MARS, the Crimson Guard struggles to master MARS’ armored walkers. As a sunken floor ringed by fire separates the twins from Destro, fire explodes the glass panels lining the ground floor. When energy waves radiate from Chameleon's arm, HISS tanks crackle with electricity. While Destro smiles from his throne, a display of arms and armor represents his family history in the art of war. Destro rises as Cobra Commander crosses his arms over his chest. Yet when Cobra Commander gestures toward the twins, Destro charges.  

 

Adriano Lucas lavishes the primary colors of red, blue, and yellow on Tomax and Xamot’s opening scenes. They regard Destro in a throne room colored red, orange, yellow, purple, and gray. Purple and gray also dominate Andrei Bressan’s depictions of the BATs. As Cobra Commander watches Destro and the twins fight, red highlights shine on his blue attire. Later, as pink, orange, and yellow fill the sky, a streak of orange and yellow through space suggests a link between Destro #5 and Transformers #12.

 

Rus Wooton fires large uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Words embolden for emphasis and never shrink. Colorful and transparent sound effects accentuate gunfire, hand-to-hand fighting, and explosions. A crimson cry threatens to explode a dialogue balloon when Destro reminds someone of his family’s heritage. Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Tomax and Xamot share a unique bond. It makes them formidable opponents yet leaves them open to attack. Destro will exploit that weakness to protect humanity's ability to perpetuate the art of war in Destro #5.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.