Cobra Commander Vol 1 Review

 

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Andrea Milana

Colorist: Annalisa Leoni

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Andrea Milana & Annalisa Leoni

Editor: Sean Mackiewics

Logo & Publication Design: Andres Juarez

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: June 26, 2024

 

A stranger enters the No Man’s Land Rest Stop And Pub. When he requests transportation, a local pats him on the back and makes fun of his lisp. After the stranger follows Jimmy outside, the bartender realizes Jimmy didn’t pay for his drinks. Outside, he finds Jimmy lying in a pool of blood in the snow-covered parking lot. Who is the stranger, and why does he need Jimmy’s truck? Let’s leap into Cobra Commander Vol 1 and find out!

 

Story

Cobra-La is a wonder of organic design. Yet violence rocks the beautiful city as a mob storms the Bioscience Laboratories. The lead scientist gives his people weapons and orders them to attack their fellow citizens. But the lead scientist falls amid the battle. When he awakens, Pythona takes him to Golobulus to die.

 

Once, the lead scientist lacked purpose. Golobulus gave him a new home. But the lead scientist was ambitious. He found a giant robot and snuck it into a city that abhors mechanical life. The scientist uses machines powered by Energon to kill Golobulus’ guards. He convinces Golobulus to send him on a mission to secure more Energon and promises to raise an army so Cobra-La can rule the world. The scientist leaves Cobra-La with a man to protect him and a new name: Cobra Commander.

 

In Cobra Commander Vol 1, Energon radiates a signature the scientist can track. His search leads him into the bayou. Cobra Commander detests the anarchy of an amusement park. He finds the Dreadnoks more palatable, even if they try to kill him. The biker gang has found a source of Energon. Their leader, Zarana, argues that they must find ways to harness the Energon’s power. But Cobra Commander's ambition outstrips hers. When the Dreadnoks capture him, they think he is theirs to command. But Cobra Commander's confidence never falters as he wages a brutal battle of endurance and wits for control of the ultimate power source.

 

Joshua Williamson’s story shows how the Transformers’ arrival rocks the world. But Cobra Commander Vol 1 is also a haunting portrayal of a man so driven by ambition that he loses his humanity. Cobra Commander wields science as a weapon to slake his thirst for power. He doesn’t care how much he must suffer or how many corpses litter his path to success. Deception and violence are his tools. He claims loyalty to Cobra-La. But anyone who opposes him writes their death sentence, and anyone who swears loyalty becomes his tool.

 

Art

Andrea Milana portrays the grandeur of Cobra-La as a land of curves and organic beauty. The city's doctors use snakes, fish, and starfish instead of metal tools and machines in Cobra Commander Vol 1. Pythona and three guards lead Cobra Commander past giant bubbles supported by tendrils. Then, giant claws open, and Cobra Commander gazes upon the hooded figure on a serpent throne.

 

The Dreaknoks have more in common with Cobra Commander than first appears. They capture and torture uninvited guests in their wooden shack, much as Cobra Commander tortures a giant robot without arms in his laboratory. Buzzer questions uninvited guests with chainsaws while Ripper drags them behind his truck. But Cobra Commander, clad in a wide-brim hat and trench coat, ruffles their feathers. The Dreadnoks make it their mission in life to remove his mirrored mask. Annalisa Leoni bathes their confrontation in scarlet. After Cobra Commander discovers how the gang reproduces Energon, his protector makes you believe a man can fly.

 

Along with Andrea Milana’s detailed imagery and Annalisa Leoni’s loaded palette of vibrant colors, Rus Wooton fills white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with large black letters in Cobra Commander Vol 1. Rus Wooton’s bold letters suggest intonation or raised voices. Spikes extrude from balloons to express fright or duress. Sound effects emphasize gunshots, explosions, slashing blades, and the activity of menacing machines. Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

After Duke dealt MARS a punishing blow, Destro needs to rebuild his company. A new player is emerging in the world weapons market. He is raising an army by using an incredible new power source. As Cobra Commander Vol 1 charts an ambitious scientist's hunger to rule the world, the scientist's discovery offers Destro the potential to rebuild his faltering weapons empire.

 

Rating 9.6/10 

 

To view a kill squad of cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Destro #3 Review

 

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Andrea Milana

Colorist: Adriano Lucas

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Andrei Bressan & Adriano Lucas; Karl Kerschl; Nikola Čižešija; Mico Suayan & Rex Lokus; Eric Canete; Tyler Kirkham

Editor: Ben Abernathy

Logo & Publication Design: Andres Juarez

Production: Richard Mercado

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 21, 2024

 

Destro stands on sacred ground. The spirits of former lairds watch him stride through the ancient stronghold. His frequent visits bring Destro peace. After reaffirming his intention to lead the clan forward, he opens the doors to depart. Then Destro spies an assassin in the tundra. Should he close the doors and wait until the blizzard forces the shooter to leave? Or will Destro take the fight to the hired killer? Let’s strap on our metal masks, leap into Destro #3, and see!

 

Story

Destro installed his cousin Artyom Darklon as the ruler of Darklonia. A drone strike disrupted the new government's first arms fair. As Extensive Enterprises didn't attend, Destro blamed them and committed MARS to destroying his rivals. Yet Xamot and Tomax, the leaders of Extensive Enterprises, claim Destro attacked the arms fair and blamed them for the destruction and deaths. Despite his confident façade, the unplanned war rattles Destro, so he returns to the Scottish Highlands. He'll be safe there, as only members of his clan know the castle's location.

 

Destro is used to staring death in the face. By encasing his skull in iron and covering his body in armor, he insulates himself from danger. But in Destro #3, he is not as invulnerable as he believed. This realization prompts Destro to reflect on his mask's significance. Still, that doesn't mean James McCullen Destro spends twenty pages thinking about his clan's history. There's the shooter in the snow to consider. Her name is Chameleon. And then there is the person she chats with on the radio. Someone named Overkill.

 

As Destro combats Chameleon and evades a flock of deadly drones, Dan Watters intersperses the action with Destro’s beloved family history and an unexpected discovery at MARS. The history lesson makes one wonder how much Destro recounts is verifiable and how much was borrowed from Alexandre Dumas to fuel a family legend. The technological discovery makes one question Destro’s conclusions about the attack in Darklonia. Throughout this series, Destro insists that he controls the game. But Xamot and Tomax have steadfastly proclaimed their innocence. Destro #3 asks, What if Destro is a player, and someone else is the dungeon master?

 

Art

As Destro walks through the vast doors of Castle Destro, one recalls the mercenaries leaving the Prime Minister’s residence to quell the Darklonian protest. As Destro climbs the snowy hill to confront Chameleon, one remembers him raging at the attacking drones and running to protect Astoria Carlton-Ritz. The diagram of his wrist-mounted rocket launcher recalls a similar diagram of an attacking combat drone. The way Destro’s rocket launcher crackles and fails to fire when he extends his arm in Destro #3 evokes the rocket that landed near him and Astoria with similar results.

 

Chameleon stares through pink and red goggle lenses and the gray rifle scope. She detects no movement in the circle of pink and red. But when the red, gray, and white figure leaps down to investigate, a red, gray, and blue figure rises. Amid the tussle, she loses her white jacket, exposing her long yellow hair. Adriano Lucas fills panels with red and green as Andrea Milana transports us to MARS, where Mercer and Scrap Iron make an intriguing discovery. While the overhead lighting threatens to turn the blue and gray fabric green, both men predominately wear red, evoking the Crimson Guard of Extensive Enterprises.

 

All too soon, Andrea Milana returns us to the Scottish Highlands, where Destro’s prowess rattles Chameleon’s confidence. As a sudden gust of wind streaks the air with gray and turns the snow a darker blue, she orders an attack of the drones. The fury of yellow, orange, and red Adriano Lucas unleashes evokes another fight in the snow a long time ago and in a galaxy far, far away.

 

Rus Wooton marches readers through Destro #3 with large uppercase black lettering in white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Words embolden for emphasis and never shrink. A red Click steps downhill, while a red Crackle stumbles and nearly falls. A bullet hurtles from the rifle through an enormous yellow Bang! Yellow, blue, red, and white sound effects enhance the dance of death in the snow, while giant scarlet letters burst a dialogue balloon to form a legend. Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Destro thought he was untouchable. In Destro #3, he’s not so sure. Still, the laird of Clan Destro demonstrates that the best weapon isn't guns, tanks, drones, or smart bombs, but the ability to think on your feet, to adapt to changing circumstances, and to always believe that you are invincible.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

Destro #1 Review

 

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Andrei Bressan

Colorist: Adriano Lucas

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Andrei Bressan & Adriano Lucas; Andrea Milana; Nikola Čižešija; Steve Epting; Jorge Fornés; Jonboy Meyers; David Mack; Jason Howard & Annalisa Leoni; Jason Howard; Freddie Williams; Tyler Kirkham; Camron Johnson; Sajah Shah; Jamie Sullivan

Publisher: Image

Price: $4.99

Release Date: June 19, 2024

 

A General announces that protestors have reached the gates. Surveying the tall stone walls that protect him from his subjects, the Prime Minister orders him to send soldiers to quell the insurgency. Can the protestors overthrow the Republic of Darklonia? Let’s strap on our armor, load our weapons, march into Destro #1, and find out!

 

Story

When the soldiers leave the safety of the outer walls, a Battle Android Trooper raises its weapons, and the protestors flee. The BAT shrugs off the soldiers’ bullets and continues firing. When the General tells the Prime Minister that android soldiers have breached their defenses, the PM realizes he should have fled.

 

Destro is the leader of his Scottish clan. His company, MARS (or Military Armament Research Syndicate), provides weapons to the international community. Recently, Cobra Commander gave Destro Energon to build weapons and war machines. Destro also used it to power his BATs. The new power source is a game-changer, and Destro knows he has a valuable ally in Cobra Commander. But Cobra Commander holds a monopoly on Energon and an irritating habit of believing that anything associated with Energon belongs to him. Destro is desperate to keep MARS the world’s premier weapons supplier. So, he attacks beleaguered Darklonia and installs his cousin Artyom Darklon as its ruler. But everyone knows who's in charge.

 

In Destro #1, Dan Watters portrays a leader isolated from Humanity. Everyone he deals with is looking for an edge, and Destro must constantly look over his shoulder to ensure no one attacks his business or undermines his leadership. His metal mask, a symbol of his heritage, further isolates him from Human contact. The only people he can look to for support and inspiration are the former lairds of his clan. So, as Napoleon Hill suggests in his iconic book Think And Grow Rich, Destro interacts with statues of his ancestors. Is he crazy or the sanest man alive? While time answers that question, Destro will find holding a fortress more difficult than taking it and learn that a home can also be a target.

 

 

 

Art

Like Wild West Outlaws, the protestors tie bandanas around their faces as they raise signs and blazing signal flares above their heads. The soldiers who walk through the thick wooden doors in the tall stone wall look like mercenaries, each wearing whatever suits his fancy. Despite its Cylon Centurion helmet and chest-mounted control panel, the Battle Android Trooper wears a uniform as it raises arm-mounted weapons. The wind blows smoke before him, and trees behind him frame the fleeing protestors. Light bursts from the soldiers' rifles and streaks toward the BAT, who fires back with one arm cannon, the other raised toward the sky. When the soldiers glance up, they see more BATs soaring through the clouds beneath helicopters.

 

Andrei Bressan spares a page to reveal the BATs flying the unfriendly skies above Darklonia and most of two more pages to show the crowds and armored vehicles outside the gates of Artyom Darklon's new home. But Bressan usually invokes awe in smaller panels, as Destro #1 transports readers to the Scottish Highlands and the jungle of Sierra Gordo, South America. Bressan introduces readers to the sunbathing beauty who runs Hybrid Technologies and two brutal brothers who are the mirror image of each other. Yet Destro commands the most attention, with the wide collar that evokes a venomous Cobra's hood and the metal mask that covers his head, but unlike that of Cobra Commander and King Louis’ imprisoned brother, reveals his every expression.

 

Adriano Lucas lavishes a loaded palette on Destro #1. Vivid landscapes soften for smoke and haze, and artificial lighting changes the colors of clothing and furnishings. Heightened colors portray the BATs’ perspective. Scenes awaken interest in the infinite diversity of nature and Humanity. Destro treks through snowy, windswept mountains painted in shades of blue, red, and white. When Destro stands on the purple rock dais and speaks with the brown statues in red alcoves, readers sense the abandoned castle’s majesty.

 

Rus Wooton ushers readers into Destro #1 with large uppercase black lettering in white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. White and light-blue letters in dark-blue boxes list the merits of BATs and drones. Sound effects help readers hear volleys of gunfire and explosions devour tanks and ground. Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When Astoria Carlton-Ritz, the new CEO of Hybrid Technologies, visits Artyom Darklon’s weapons fair, she looks forward to resuming her life in Manhattan. But a freak accident in Darklonia may suggest a new business opportunity or a rare ability in Destro #1.

 

Rating 10/10

 

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

Cobra Commander #2 Review

 

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Andrea Milana

Colorist: Annalisa Leoni

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Andrea Milana & Annalisa Leoni; Ricardo López Ortiz; Chris Burnham & Brian Reber; Aco; Nick Dragotta & Patricio Delpeche

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 21, 2024

 

Isolated from the world, the futuristic city of Cobra-La lacks resources. After torturing Megatron to learn the secrets of the Transformers, Cobra Commander left his adoptive home. His masters sent Duke along to keep him focused. Will the man help or hinder Cobra Commander in his quest? Let’s leap into Cobra Commander #2 and find out!

 

Story

Cobra Commander and Duke traveled from the snowy wastes to the sultry Everglades. In this humid jungle, man lives in barely controlled chaos. Powerboats roar along thin strips of water. Children hunger to see alligators kill and eat. Thankfully, the signal leads Cobra Commander away from the crowds. He ventures into the wild swamps of Florida, where a Park Ranger orders the men to stop. So far, Cobra Commander has regarded his companion as more of a distraction than an aide. Perhaps the man can finally prove valuable!

 

More dangers inhabit these swamps than Park Rangers. The Dreadnoks rule this region with an iron hand. Ripper favors his knife. Buzzer cherishes his chainsaw. They roam the dirt and mud roads and lavish their abrasive love on those who enter their territory without paying a toll. But there are regions where they are forbidden to go, areas deemed too dangerous to enter. Guess where the Energon signal leads!

 

In Cobra Commander #2, Duke and our protagonist search for an extraterrestrial resource of priceless value. Lord Globulus charged the Duke with protecting his agent. Yet Pythona did something to Duke. Did she enhance his ability to defend Cobra Commander? Or is he a ticking timebomb, programmed to act against Cobra Commander under prescribed circumstances? What is Pythona’s plan, and where do her loyalties lie?

 

Joshua Williamson paints his titular antihero as a tortured soul. The disordered nature of the outside world frustrates Cobra Commander. Duke’s company irritates him further. The need to hide his features attracts attention and throws obstacles in his path. While hardly admirable, his dedication to his mission demands respect. Still, don’t request the privilege to peer behind Cobra Commander's mask. He doesn't take kindly to such appeals.

 

 

 

 

 

Art

Andrea Milana arrays guns atop the lid of an opened wooden crate in Cobra Commander #2. A glove and tools reside on a metal tray, spotted with blood. Two men sit tied to chairs amid a workshop filled with tools. When they prove reluctant to answer questions, a hand picks up a chainsaw. Buzzer and Ripper smile as blood sprays.

 

The outlaws' customized Thunder Machine roars across a double-page spread. Propeller boats skip across the waterway beyond a park filled with tourists. A boy following Cobra Commander sticks his tongue out. Clad in his wide-brimmed hand and trench coat, the stranger turns and extends his fingers toward the boy’s face.

 

Annalisa Leoni saturates Andrea Milana’s compelling art with vibrant color in Cobra Commander #2. The protected waterways live and breathe with the throbbing energy of nature. Cobra Commander stands out in his blue clothes and silver mask. Yet he seems to belong in this region ruled by ticket takers, Park Rangers, and gangs.

 

Black lines obscure a barely recalled memory. They dissipate, revealing violent Pythona. Her white face echoes her attendants’ surgical garb. Yet yellow teeth protrude from the red creature she clutches.

 

Uppercase words inhabit white dialogue balloons. The words grow bold for inflection and enlarged for shouts. Sound effects enhance the buzzing chainsaw, the Thunder Machine’s roaring, and the creature struggling to escape Pythona’s clutches. Duke’s encounter with the Ranger proves explosive. Yet a creaking door makes you wonder what chaos will welcome the man who values order above all else.  

 

Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

When a scientist and a soldier venture into the heart of darkness, a violent encounter separates them in Cobra Commander #2.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

Cobra Commander #1 Review

 

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Andrea Milana

Colorist: Annalisa Leoni

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Andrea Milana & Annalisa Leoni; David Aja; Christ Burnham & Brian Reber; Steve Epting; Andrea Sorrentino & Sofie Dodgson; Jonboy Meyers; David Mack; Maria Wolf & Mike Spicer; Vincenzo Federici; Santa Fung; Alan Quah; John Giang; Nimit Malavia

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 17, 2023

 

Amid a snow-filled wilderness, the No Man’s Land Rest Stop And Pub represents civilization. Locals gather here to drink and ease the loneliness that seeps into their freezing bones. Yet a stranger will enter their last hospitable house, and their world will never be the same. Who is this man, and why is he here? Let’s leap into Cobra Commander #1 and find out!

 

Story

A stranger enters the bar. He requests transportation. A local man insults him while departing. The stranger follows him outside. He eyes the local man's vehicle.

 

Warning. There will be blood.

 

Before all this, a riot disturbed a secluded kingdom. Chanting the name of their hidden city, enraged citizens attacked the scientists’ enclave. As they pounded against the entrance, one scientist called for flight. The team leader shot him and ordered his people to punish the intruders. Explosions welcomed the mob. Death greeted them warmly.

 

Yet the lead scientist did not escape unscathed. Medical staff ministered to his ravaged body. He might live, but he would never be the same. Shielding his marred face with a mask, he attended his master. The city's ruler gazed down upon him. The ruler spoke of their past. The scientist's disrespect for tradition provoked the riot. For that, the scientist should die. Yet the men share a strange kinship based upon cruelty and a thirst for absolute power. They share it with another who now resides in their city. Although tortured and weakened, the captive’s smile is colder than the frozen lands the scientist now treads.

 

The stranger’s name is unimportant. His mission—to wield the power of an advanced civilization—is everything. His search has just begun. But in time, a fearful world will call him Cobra Commander.

 

Joshua Williamson sweeps readers off their feet and carries them along. Yet his embrace does not constrict, and his feet do not hurry. The story moves forward confidently, introducing the characters, their world, and the lead scientist's mission. Cobra Commander #1 feels like a Western set amid drifting white plains or Doctor Frankenstein pursuing a grand vision to reshape the world. Williamson’s debut issue promises a revelatory journey and departs with a hint of danger.

 

Warning. There will be blood.

 

Art

A bar and a row of tables greet the stranger’s gaze. His trenchcoat and wide-brim hat suggest an earlier era. A bartender studies him. A local man slaps his back. The man walks toward a tracked pickup in the snow-covered parking lot. Then Andrea Milana returns our attention to the pub. Blood sprays across our view of the No Man’s Land Rest Stop And Pub.

 

Flowing asymmetrical architecture evokes an undersea city in Cobra Commander #1. Yet people walk the streets unimpeded by water's density. They traverse grand avenues under hanging globe lights while workers harvest terraced fields. Twisted columns arise from rounded workstations. Articulated appendages sprout like limbs, extending tools for scientific use. While most scientists wear pants and a tank top, a sleek uniform, mask, and helmet adorn their leader. Doctors attend to his burns beneath intense overhead light. They place a jellyfish atop his chest.

 

Pastels dominate the introductory scene in Cobra Commander #1 before Annalisa Leoni unleashes an appealing mix of soft colors upon the amphibious city. The darker colors and the cold metal of a locked vault hint at the outrage that sparked the citizens' ire. Yellow, orange, and red overwhelm the laboratory as the lead scientist combats the mob. Afterward, blotches of crimson surround him. A glowing white respirator highlights his blistered forehead. Magenta tentacles writhe across his damaged body and burrow beneath his overexposed flesh. The doctors pull green snakes from a jar. Red globules arise wherever the snakes sink their blue-white fangs.

 

Large black italicized letters swim in white ponds in Cobra Commander #1. Rus Wooton’s bold letters suggest intonation or raised voices. Spikes extrude from balloons to express fright or duress. Sound effects emphasize gunshots, explosions, slashing blades, and the activity of menacing machines. Yet the brown letters that burst from a rounded rectangular balloon and the giant red letters accompanying a burst of sizzling electricity seem most destined to energize readers.

 

Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

An incredible discovery tempts a scientist to abandon his principles, cast aside tradition, and reject any reverence for life in Cobra Commander #1.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

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.