- Writer: Simon Furman
- Interior Artist and Cover Artist: Guido Guidi
- Colorist: John-Paul Bove
- Letterer: Jake M. Wood
- Editors: David Mariotte and Tom Waltz
- Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer
Thanks to IDW Publishing for the review copy!
IDW’s main Transformers comic line is set on Cybertron before the events of the original cartoon from the 1980s (known as Generation 1 or Gen1). One thing I like about the series is seeing the backstory for the main characters and the artists depiction of their vehicle modes before they took the Earth forms (cars, jets) we all know and love. But, at the end of the day, while it is enjoyable in its own right, it is a little too different from the show I grew up on to truly stoke nostalgia.
Enter Transformers ’84, which is basically my Transformers comics dream come true. Set on Cybertron immediately before the events that kicked off the 1980s cartoon, this series nails the details. When I say immediately before, I mean immediately. The Autobots are planning to take off in their Ark and the Decepticons are building their ship to take them out. The ship looks just like the one in the cartoon. The whole book does – from the character designs to the vintage art style, which would fit right in with the series.
This issue has many of the classic characters longtime fans will appreciate, from Megatron to Soundwave to Starscream. There are also a lot of lesser known but recognizable Gen1 bots sprinkled through the background. But Shockwave takes center stage. This is welcome, because he was always the mysterious guy left on Cybertron in the series. Learning more about him is a treat. While the series seems to be intended to fit into the Generation 1 continuity, I’m curious to see what they do with the “Dynobots” and Skyfire, who make welcome appearances that don’t seem to line up with the cartoon.
TTRANSFORMERS ‘84 also has some excellent fighting scenes. The art team also does a great job of showing transformation. This is a must read for fans of the original cartoon and toys from the 1980s, as it reads like an episode with more plot. If you like the newer incarnations of the Transformers, odds are you will like this book as well. If you have no idea what a Transformer is, thanks for reading this review! I think this is as good an entry point into the Transformers universe as any, as it lacks the deep mythology and backstory of the main IDW series.
TRANSFORMERS ‘84: SECRETS AND LIES #1 is now available.
Check back in a few weeks for my thoughts on issue #2 of TRANSFORMERS ‘84: SECRETS AND LIES.
Do you plan to read the series? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!
