Well now. Transformers #14 delivers in spades. Mayhem! Machinations! Missile launchers! Other words beginning with M!
The fight from the previous issue is still ongoing, with the fugitive Risers now firmly dug in within the body of the Immersant Titan. Negotiations are going nowhere and more guns have been drafted in, including the return of everyone’s favourite cranky old warrior who isn’t Ironhide – Kup! Only a cameo, but nice to see that Kup was old before there even were Decepticons.
Also, is that a Jumpstarter that looks a bit like Twin-Twist joining in with the Risers? Nice callback to some of the toys from the ’80s. I love that IDW does this, all these little nods and winks to the original toys and continuity, it’s why they’ve done so well with these comics, the respect they show to the original even when they’re re-writing the origin story.
READ MORE: Marvel Action: Avengers #8 – Review
Anyway. While all the pewpew is going on, Nautica is continuing to help Prowl with his investigations into the dead Voin and it turns out that this Voin was a big kahuna and his death is going to have repercussions. Meanwhile, Soundwave has entered the fray and offers to negotiate with the trapped Risers to try and forestall any further violence. Starscream is loitering around as well, subtly probing for information in that way he always does, always searching for an advantage or an angle that he can exploit. I won’t spoil things any further, except to say that the issue ends with a brooding Megatron standing next to Jihaxus and someone who looks kinda like Lord Straxus from the UK Gen 1 continuity.
READ MORE: Transformers: Galaxies – #1 & #2 Review
As Megatron watches the smoke rising from the battle he turns and walks away with “Damn us all to the void for what we have done, and for what we may yet have to do” which is an interesting statement following on from his fire and brimstone confrontation with Shockwave in a previous issue where he appeared utterly driven in his plans to undermine the Autobots. This is a good thing, because it adds some nuance to him, demonstrating that while he believes in his cause, he’s also very aware that the path he’s walking is a precarious one with a chance of terrible consequences for all Transformers.
This is a bloody good issue. The writing is solid, with some lovely snappy dialogue and great callbacks to earlier continuities. Mystery and villainy abound and for such a large cast of characters and like, what, four different story arcs going all at once, you never lose track of who is where and who is doing what any at time.
A great issue, this one. Really looking forward to seeing where it goes from here. Though I will also point out I totally called them pulling a “Cartman’s Mom is a Dirty Slut” with the Frenzy reveal. I’m going to call it now. We won’t see him properly till issue #16 or the very last page of issue #15. Stick around to see if I’m right!
Transformers #14 is out now from IDW Publishing and is available digitally or from your preferred comic outlet..
