- 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!
TRANSFORMERS ‘84 is a neat series that takes its cue from the 1980s, when Transformers burst onto the scene. From the retro Generation 1 character designers to the dialogue, this series feels right at home with the original cartoons I remember from my youth. One of the best parts about this series is the classic art direction, which looks like a comic book you’d have read from the 80s. True to form, this series takes place before the Transformers arrived on Earth, making it feel like a seamless prequel to the cartoon.
The main cover of this book has Shockwave fighting Grimlock, which seemed like an odd choice given the fact that the ‘Dynobots’ got destroyed in issue 1 (Cover B also features the Dinobots). That was one of the odd things about that issue, as it didn’t seem to fit with the original cartoon continuity. As you can probably infer from the cover, this issue actually addresses that question and provides a satisfying tie to the show.
As previewed by the cover, the issue also casts light on Shockwave. In the cartoon, he’s stuck on Cybertron while all the fighting happens on Earth. We only get a few glimpses of him, and that coupled with his robotic voice rendered him largely devoid of personality. This book gives him a lot more personality and makes him much more interesting, but does so in a way that isn’t inconsistent with what we know of him already.
Transformers fans will definitely want to check this book out, particularly people who fondly remember the original cartoon. It is much more accessible than the current main IDW Transformers title, which takes place entirely on Cybertron and has a dense ongoing mythology. Given that we are only at issue 2, I recommend picking up the first to get in on the ground floor. However, fans of the original Transformers will be able to pick this up without reading the prior issue.
TRANSFORMERS ‘84: SECRETS AND LIES #2 is now available.
Check back in a few weeks for my thoughts on issue #3 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!
