- 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!
TRANSFOMERS GALAXIES tends to be my favorite Transformers comic series. The main line is great, but it can get a little too convoluted with its mythology. The multitude of crossovers (Back to the Future, Terminator, My Little Pony) are pleasant surprises. But Galaxies usually focuses on some well known characters and fleshes them out. This issue is the second in the Ultra Magnus focused Storm Front arc.
Thanks to the “Story so Far” page, we are reminded that Ultra Magnus is searching for Alpha Trion (who, while being a robot, is a cool old robot with a robotic beard…which begs the question: Did he have it when he was a young robot, or does a robot beard grow somehow? But I digress…)
Ultra Magnus has never been my favorite character, as he always seemed like a bad attempt to replace Optimus Prime. My first interaction with him was in The Transformers: The Movie, and he came off kind of stiff and useless. The comics have built him up as a great general, but I’ve never really seen him do that much. Thankfully, this spotlight changes that. We get to see Ultra Magnus display some nifty fighting skills as well as learning a little more about his personality and thought process. Ultra Magnus still feels consistent with the classic iteration of the character, which is a nice writing touch.
This issue also features some less well known characters, which provides for a good balance. Sharp eyed fans will recognize the bot on Cover A, who also appears on Cover B. I first became familiar with him through the Transformers Trading Card Game, so I’m interested in what backstory the comics provide for him. The Transformers comics, which aren’t set on Earth, also include other species of aliens, which is an interesting approach. I particularly liked the aliens that popped up in this issue.
The art in this issue is strong. The characters you know will look like you expect them to, which isn’t always the case. Interestingly, the coloring uses a lot of cool colors, emphasizing purples and blues, which I would anticipate being used for a Decepticon spotlight story as opposed to one about an Autobot.
Galaxies continues to be a soft entry point for people who are familiar with the characters but haven’t kept up with the comics. The arc continues beyond this issue, so I recommend pickup up issue 10 if you want to learn more about Ultra Magnus.
TRANSFORMERS GALAXIES #11 is now available.
Check back in a few weeks for my thoughts on issue #12 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!
