- Writer: Brandon Easton
- Artists: Andrew Griffith
- Colorist: Josh Burcham
- Letterer and Designer: Jake M. Wood
- Editors: David Mariotte, and Tom Waltz
- Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer
Thanks to IDW Publishing for the review copy!
After a three issue arc that tied in with the complex main storyline, Galaxies returns to what it does best – focusing on a well known character. This issue, the first part of ‘Storm Horizon’ is all about Ultra Magnus. Ultra Magnus first appeared in Transformers: The Movie as a replacement (toy wise) for Optimus Prime.
This story starts with him showing his fighting skills during The War Against the Threefold Spark (which I believe is part of the main storyline IDW continuity). The flashback scene is colored in a purplish reddish tint and hazy coloring. This effectively denotes these panels as memories, but it occasionally makes it hard to decipher the action. Things become much clearer in the present day. We get to see Ultra Magnus in action, along with a decent spaceship battle.
This issue isn’t all about fighting. While fighting is cool, in this case it is done to give insight into Ultra Magnus as a character. The issue also sets up the plot for the arc, which is essentially a ‘go find X’ story. Ultra Magnus has always been kind of a stick in the mud to me (and I’ve never forgiven whoever decided he should be the new Prime), so I’ve never really been that interested in learning his backstory. This issue made me rethink my view of him as a character, which is no small feat. For those readers who just aren’t into Ultra Magnus, there are some interesting supporting characters that make this issue worth a read. While we get a decent look at Ultra Magnus’ crew, there are some other characters lingering in the shadows (literally) I would like to learn more about.
By returning to its strength – focusing on a well known G1 character to provide depth and background, Galaxies returns to form. In my opinion, this is a great time to jump into the series, as no knowledge of prior issues is required.
TRANSFORMERS GALAXIES #10 is now available.
Check back in a few weeks for my thoughts on issue #11 of the series.
Have you read the title? What are your thoughts? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!
