NEW CYBERTRON! Optimus Prime struggles to unite the Junkions, Cybertronians, and humans—but will diplomacy be scuttled when the Junkion’s secret comes out?
Writing
Optimus has been portrayed as a stoic figurehead for a long time. A symbol of the Autobot movement and a force for freedom being the right of all sentient beings. Recent events though have portrayed him as being an uncaring dick. In this issue of his new solo series, he admits to having no problem using the religious significance of the autobot matrix of leadership as a way of manipulating others. The hero of the millions admits to using a sacred artifact for the purpose of motivating others to his own agenda. His agenda is one of peace but he’s coming off as a corrupt politician. It’s actually a bit invigorating to see Pyra Magna punch him in the face after he declares how he intends to use the Matrix.
Despite this unflattering interpretation of the main character, the series has a lot of merit to it. Writer John Barber peppers in intriguing side stories of Thundercracker and Melissa and the plot of the Junkions is more than to enough to keep anyone reading this series. Hopefully future issues will find a way to turn Optimus around and make him a bit more appealing.
Artwork
The pros and cons of the art by Alex Milne and Josh Burcham on colors are on display in this issue. When a scene shows Cybertronians or action the team really shines. The scenes where humans are the focus causes the art to fluctuate a bit. It’s still a very pleasing issue but the difference in quality between the different scenes is notable.
Conclusion
The series should not be dropped by Transformers fans as it currently showcasing what is happening with the characters on Earth. The process of exploring Optimus Prime has caused him to come off as unfriendly and manipulative. The character is a idol to many in the series and real life. From here on he needs to work to reclaim this status.
