Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
Artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Cover Artists: Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer; Karl Kerschl; Filya Bratukhin & Rex Lokus; Oliver Ono; Raymond Gay; Jay Anacleto & Romulo Fajardo Jr; John Giang; Tyler Kirkham; Raymund Bermudez; Livio Ramondelli
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Publication Design: Andres Juarez
Production: Ashby Florence
Publisher: Image
Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 12, 2025
Thundercracker vows to free Skywarp from the Ark. Beachcomber claims fighting is a choice. Ultra Magnus shoots at anything that moves. Bluestreak urges Elita One to be thankful. Optimus Prime ignores his 19th nervous breakdown to save tiny Humans. The Hall of Sparks welcomes Cliffjumper’s recycling efforts. Bruticus topples the Space Needle. Can anyone bring order to the chaos rocking Cybertron and Earth? Or is turmoil as intrinsically linked with the Transformers as Skywarp is with the Ark? Let's recharge our Energon batteries, leap into Transformers #18, and discover the Autobots’ transformative journey!
Story
Cliffjumper gave Carly hope when Starscream killed her father. But the little Autobot disappointed her when he couldn’t kill Starscream. Cliffjumper sought her forgiveness, but Carly couldn’t face him. Yet when Soundwave tried to kill Cliffjumper, Carly came to his rescue.
Now, the vastness of space separates them. Cliffjumper knows he is not the warrior Carly and Elita One wish he was. So, he finds a way to turn the past into a better present. Shredhead possesses a warrior spirit and fighting prowess the little Autobot could never muster. Cliffjumper doesn’t utter a word in Transformers #18. Instead, he follows his newly forged creation like a parent watching an exploring infant.
Ultra Magnus gazes up at the moon above the San Juan Islands. Yet all he sees are the shadows lurking among the evergreens. Centuries of torture turned his life into a nightmare. As Arcee once reached out to her, Carly tries to help Ultra Magnus envision a better future. But when more visitors arrive to inspect his fortress, Ultra Magnus cannot see them as potential friends. In Daniel Warren Johnson's story, Ultra Magnus’ inability to move beyond the past dooms history to repeat itself.
As Shockwave tortured Ultra Magnus, so Megatron forced Starscream to kill. Repeatedly. Unceasingly. Until killing defined his existence. In Megatron’s absence, Starscream cut a swath of destruction across Earth until Soundwave deposed him. As Bruticus and Devastator clash in Seattle, Starscream resumes his battle with Soundwave. In Transformers #18, one Decepticon achieves victory. All it costs him is the leadership of the Decepticons.
Art
Fires rage as Decepticons storm the Hall Of Sparks on Cybertron. A familiar vehicle roars into the fray, attacking a beast reminiscent of Ravage. Shredhead tears through the Decepticons, wielding his sword like a samurai. As Cliffjumper follows his newborn, Elita One places a hand on Bluestreak’s shoulder and smiles.
Fires rage in a firepit in Ultra Magnus' wooden fortress. The pillar of orange bleaches Beachcomber while Arcee and Ultra Magnus stand before a full moon. When the pink-and-white Autobot touches her red-and-blue mentor, he edges away. But his shadow hangs over Carly, Spike, and a seated Beachcomber in Transformers #18.
As Mike Spicer lavishes bright colors on Jorge Corona’s art, fires rage in Seattle. Rus Wooton fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters and the Transformers' rectangular ones with italicized words as green and gray combiners clash. Soundwave speaks yellow words into blue rectangular balloons amid a sibling rivalry. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, change color for drama, and never shrink as Starscream says, “Give me a break.” Missiles fly, helicopters hover, and explosions rock Seattle as, like David Lee Roth, Soundwave answers, “One break, coming up!” Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
Fear has dominated Optimus Prime’s life on Earth. The Autobot leader has repeatedly turned away from the violence that consumed him on Cybertron. Sparky's sacrifice saved him but may have consigned Optimus Prime to a slow death. Optimus Prime tries his best to ignore his lapses into mindless violence by protecting the endangered inhabitants of his adoptive planet. But any hopes for a better future and a chance to resolve his problems dies in Transformers #18.
Rating 9.8/10
For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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