Transformers Vol. 1: Robots in Disguise

As a long-time Transformers fan (the ‘86 movie was the first film I ever saw at the cinema), and as an avid reader of the IDW run of comics (which, to be fair, had highs and lows), I was intrigued when Skybound took over the rights of the franchise.We’ve seen numerous reinventions of the Transformers story, including when IDW had their own reboot. And - without going into spoilers - these first 6 issues don’t necessarily reinvent the wheel. Robots fight, the fight ends up on Earth. Fans of the original G1 cartoon will instantly recognise the initial set up.What’s perhaps less expected is how dark the story is, from the off. Starscream is unhinged, and there were a number of moments when I was genuinely taken aback by what was unfolding on the pages in front of me. On the flip side, Optimus is as Optimus as he can get - there’s one particular scene that shows Prime’s intense empathy and belief that all life is valuable, whether it’s made of metal or - as Starscream describes it - squishy.Finally, a note on the artwork. My personal favourite Transformers artist is Alex Milne, most notably from the MTMTE run from IDW. I also love the very precise artwork of EJ Su. But the artwork from Daniel Warren Johnson is sublime - it’s messier, and more organic. But it really works, and robots and humans alike are full of expressive personality.So, it’s a great start, and I’m looking forward to where the story ends up next.

Great action-packed Transformers book. Robots will be ripped apart, humans will be squashed, and the battle for the world begins.The Transformers have been revived. Of course, the Decepticons first. Both sides are on a new planet and low on resources. The Decepticons will go whatever it takes to destroy the Autobots and take whatever they want. If they need to kill some humans in the process, all the more fun for them. Battered and broken but willing to fight to the end and protect those around him, Optimus Prime will give every last bit of his spark.I love the more brutal battles. I love Prime actually winning fights like he used in the original series. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I’ll try to be concise. Points in no order.- THERE IS originality and new ideas in this story. You can see the fragments of lore shining through.-- it’s setting is borrowed from ideas that have come before, but it feels new, re energised.- you feel like a lot happens in each issue- the fight scenes are on par with any transformers comic ever.- the characterisation feels nuanced without needing pages of dialogue- that said the dialogue is awesome- it’s pure quality, no padding or fat. The perfect balance of plot and character.- it really perfects the darkness of transformers and idea that these beings have been at war for so long, perhaps dying over and over again.- yet death also somehow feels permanent and everywhere, you feel anyone could die!That’s wasn’t concise……. ROLL OUT!

amazing for a transformers eyes, i really enjoyed it. defiantly worth the money

It's okay – a fun enough read, but absolutely nothing original. We've seen it all before – the Transformers crash on Earth in the Ark, and immediately begin fighting each other again. We don't know why they are fighting and the motivation of the Decepticons, led for now by Starscream, just seems to be to murder as many people as they can. There's none of the complexity or subtlety in the characters or the reason for the war that IDW's Transformers had, or even in Marvel comics. The writer–artist, Daniel Warren Johnson, does seem to get Optimus Prime perfectly though, I can hear Peter Cullen's voice when reading his dialogue.Daniel Warren Johnson's art is nice – very nice in places, but it suffers from some confusing progression between panels, for example Jetfire's arrival at the Ark, or practically any fight scene, the Optimus vs Skywarp fight being especially difficult to follow. Some very small panels don't help; Geoff Senior he ain't. Johnson also has a habit of having a character fire a pistol and then having in big letters in the background, BOOM!, which can get confusing because you think some huge explosion has happened. But overall, the art style is lovely to look at, even if it is needlessly violent in places. Seeing Starscream literally crush a human in his hands once is horrific enough; seeing him do it more than once is gratuitous and unnecessary.Storywise, it's just a series of fights. The human drama is probably the most interesting part. I like the relationship between Cliffjumper and Carly, though she isn't happy with him at the end. And I'm still unsure what happened with Spike's dad and the Matrix, that might become clearer in volume 2.I'll definitely pick up volume 2 – like I said, it is fun – it's just very by-the-numbers.

Thank you!! Recommended!!

Fantastic book. Story is a delightful new take on the classic G1 setup, with a unique art style and some of the best-written characters Transformers has had in years.

Beautiful artwork and superb story. Will wait for part 2

Este es Optimus Prime. No acepten imitaciones.La historia re-comenzada de los Autobots llegando a la Tierra, hecha por un maestro. Heroísmo, brutalidad, tragedia y unas cuantas llaves de lucha libre ejecutadas por robots gigantes como especia añadida.Con Starscream como el villano mostrando su cara más sangrienta y retorcida.

Great trade paperback brand new cheaper than anywhere. You can find it on eBay $17. You can’t go wrong absolutely incredible series if you’re into transformers or you wanna get into them this is what you wanna read art and series unbelievable.