Things continue to escalate in the Transformers corner of the Energon Universe. The Autobots vs Decepticons war hit a whole new level with Megatron joining the proceedings. Megatron already showed he is a game changer as his presence forced Optimus Prime to make a self-destructive decision. With the Autobots leader damaged and the Decepticons growing stronger how will things go next? We got the chance to find out with an early copy of Transformers #22 being provided by Skybound and Image Comics. Find out how it turns out with our advance review.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
Artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Rus Wooton
TRANSFORMERS #22 SOLICITATION
“ONE WILL RISE. ONE HAS FALLEN. There’s no going back as the Autobots and Decepticons prepare to make their last stand.” – Skybound & Image Comics
REVIEW
One of the things that has continuously stood out about Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona’s Transformers run is their examination of consequence. Every decision the Autobots and Decepticons make leads to some major consequence, good or bad depending on the side. That is the major theme that is felt throughout Transformers #22.
The feeling that there are consequences to what has happened over the course of the previous twenty-one issues creates such compelling storytelling. Every word spoken from every Autobot, Decepticon, and human has a sense of importance to it. There is weight to actions or words spoken by every character. It all comes back to how it is all based on what has come before.
That is where the various twists that happen during Transformers #22 highlight the impact of consequences. Johnson isn’t simply throwing out one story twist after another just to surprise the reader. The twists have been thought out with either quick lines of dialogue or the way Corona’s artwork have characters emote have a purpose. It is a purpose that makes the twist and turns taken create the response of “oh wow, wonder where that is leading to.”
And it speaks to what Johnson and Corona have accomplished that this response isn’t something that only comes when Optimus Prime and Megatron are on screen. The Autobots and Decepticons’ leaders certainly have massive moments. But they aren’t the only ones make important decisions. Elita, Cliffjumper, Ultra Magnus, Spike, and many others are given big moments.
The human characters in particular end up standing out the most. A lot of the actions that happen in Transformers #22 are because of the decisions made by Spike, Carly, and other human characters. It is by far the best the humans have been presented in Transformers. They aren’t simply getting in the way of the big Autobots vs Decepticons’ battle we want to see. They have a role to play and it comes in multiple ways that isn’t just about the military.
That is all accomplished with Transformers #22 ultimately being a set-up issue. That is not something you are thinking about while reading this issue. But given all the actions and decisions made in this issue we see how it is all building a foundation for bigger things to come. Every character that we see in this issue has an important role to play with the stage that has been set for the next few issues.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Transformers #22 continues the excellence of this series. This issue does its job to set the stage for even bigger things to happen in upcoming issues. Best thing about that, is every character has a sense of importance to them in the story. The Autobots, Decepticons, and humans all have a part to play. It creates a lot of excitement for what is to come.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10
Check out the full preview for Transformers #22 by clicking here.
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