Jazz confronts his past-and the Autobot’s future-in front of millions of television viewers. But will he make the people of Earth understand Optimus Prime’s mission… or turn against it?
Writing
This issue had a lot of going for it thanks to great build up from previous issues. Jazz has been one of the most interesting characters since the Optimus Prime series started. He has a lot of history with the planet and is very recognized by humans thanks to an incident in earlier issues where he had no choice but to kill a human he thought would harm his friends. In an effort to try and change the mind of world and show not every Transformer is bad, he agrees to sit down for an interview. It’s these elements of Jazz telling about his past, his love of music, and about Optimus’ mission where the issue truly stands out.
Writer John Barber truly delivered a great issue filled with emotion, drama, and intrigue. The issue helps to give a great character a chance to shine while perfectly showcasing what is happening in the world. With any luck he will continue this level of impressive writing as this series movies into its next arc.
Artwork
The artwork by Art by Casey W. Coller with color work by John-Paul Bove is phenomenal. The best part of this issue the flashback panels which help to convey Jazz and his love of music so perfectly. With very little action in the issue, the art needed to be at a superior level to ensure the emotion resonated through the page. Luckily the art team succeeded above and beyond in this aspect.
Conclusion
This issue was everything we could hope for and more. A truly heartfelt piece showcase a character trying to do all they can to make up for their past and at the same time work towards moving forward for the greater good. It will be hard to top an issue this good but there is a good chance the creative team behind this book is going to try.
