THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION #1 (IMAGE COMICS/SKYBOUND ENTERTAINMENT)
Who in 1986 would have thought an animated movie about “Robots in Disguise” would become such an iconic event in pop culture?
As the world of the TRANSFORMERS exploded in the 1980’s, fans became enamored with the battle between Autobots and Decepticons. It lead to success in the toys and animated cartoon world. This moved the franchise into taking a monumental leap of faith. In 1986. “The Transformers: The Movie” hit the big screen with an epic event that rocked fans to their core.
Since that point, their legacy has grown even greater. There have been live action movies, multiple animated series, new toys and of course, the birth of the Energon Universe via Skybound Entertainment!
With all those ventures, there’s something about that original movie that resonates with fans all these years later. Skybound felt the same way and is re-issuing the classic comic adapation for an all new audience!
THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION #1 by Ralph Macchio, Don Perlin, Brian Garvey, Ian Akin, Nel Yomtov & Janice Chiang showcases the comic magic that retold the epic story of those that are “More Than Meets the Eye”.
Let’s take a lookback at this legendary time!
THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION #1 ( IMAGE Comics/Skybound)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The writing captured the feel of the movie right form the jump. Watching Unicorn devour a nearby planet makes a statement early. Optimus Prime’s stoic poise steers the Autbots in their plans for adding more Energon. Once Megatron catches wind, events escalade fast. There’s a looming fear as Megatron starts tearing through the Autobot resistance. This only adds to the true main event. Optimus vs. Megatron for one last major throwdown is what everyone takes home form this film. The book doesn’t disappoint.
Readers witness the brutal levels both go for victory. The result is a shocking one with grave consequences. If you ever saw this moment previously, the writing still hits all the emotional points before the tragic ending. This steers events into an unforeseen direction in one character's case. The dialogue shows the ramifications taking hold. It leaves events with a shocking transformation that spells disaster for their enemies.
more transformers!
The art teases Unicron’s terror with smaller panel builds. It moves to a half page image welcoming the planet eater to the story. One noted area is panels steer away from spotlighting Optimus Prime as he is calling his orders. Megatron’s time gets a similar start. It doesn’t take long for his action to commence. Using smaller panels allows more impact to his initial onslaught. This helps push match-ups through to the main events fans were waiting for.
The Prime-Megatron fight never backs down. It goes for huge moments and connects on most. The fight is not a tame one by any means. For this time period, it says a great deal. The fight finihs hits the key points needed to move events along. Watching the supporting cast react to the fallout is a monumental factor. This gives a new avenue to the surviving warrior. A full page upgrade concludes events knowing nothing will be the same again.
FINAL GRADE: 8.5
Capturing the magic of a classic movie can be difficult. For this adaptation, the key points are perfectly hit, locking in readers on why this story stands the test of time. The writing is straight forward with calm emotion. The art presents the main event with a colossal feel. A fin trip down memory lane while making new moments for a whole new generation of fans.
Let us know your thoughts on THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
