Transformers #6 by Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer, and Rus Wooton is one of the best single issue releases of the year so far. Since the very first issue, this comic has dealt with themes of morality and mortality, with every subsequent issue going on to deepen and further those ideas. This issue ends the comic’s first storyline, but also provides a climax for these ideas that’s sure to get the reader’s eye watery.
Johnson takes on the roles of both writer and and artist on this book, concluding the storyline he’s been expertly crafting for the past five months. The story picks up with last issue’s Devastator reveal, with mayhem ensuing. All the Autobots try to escape, with Carly taking Cliffjumper on a detour. Starscream is filled with bloodlust as he battles Optimus, and Optimus does his best to keep Sparky and everyone else safe. He’s put out of commission pretty early on into the issue, with Starscream taking cover as well. This gives us time with some of the other characters here.
Optimus’ character arc reaches a full climax here, and he gains something new to fight for, as do all the Autobots. Johnson constantly impresses with his ability to really flesh out each character, with everyone having their own sets of wants and goals that morph and shift as time goes on. The Decepticons are as ruthless as ever, but that gives way for each Autobot to not just change how they feel about them, but about themselves.
The star of the show here is Cliffjumper. He has an internal struggle in this issue in a battle with Carly by his side, and it leaves him feeling lost. All the Autobots do. Every character is more than meets the eye. What do they fight for on this foreign planet, and why do they continue this fight in the cycle that it has been fought in? Optimus is more understanding now as a result of this, and our human cast has evolved greatly as well. Carly is terrified and angry, but you also have Sparky who has a beautiful change of heart. Every character feels special, and is handled with a beautiful love and care. These characters constantly contemplate throughout this series if they’re happy warriors, or if they ever were.
Onto the art, Johnson excels here with the help of Mike Spicer. A benefit of writing and drawing seems to be that you know exactly what you want something to look like and that you’re able to execute it yourself. Johnson does just that constantly. Every panel is concise and detailed beautifully, with this issue even containing a couple of fun references to past Transformers works in the art itself. Johnson usually goes above and beyond for fight scenes, and this comic is no exception. Every blow is felt and you can feel the weight behind every last one.
Spicer and Johnson are an incredible duo, as Spicer does a great job muting some of the colors on the Autobots to really make that battle damage show. He also does an incredible job making sure the lighting in certain scenes adds to emotional beats. The light emanating from a character’s spark is a call to another character, and that message really gets across through it. Not to mention the coloring on the insane action pages that really make each character and their actions pop. There’s this fantastic page where Optimus is in battle, guns blazing, with a myriad of colored sound effects on a yellow background that just looks awesome.
Rus Wooton also does a great job in differentiating the Transformers from the humans. His lettering fits Johnson and Spicer’s style incredibly well. His letters quite literally look as though they’re popping out from the art itself, and that’s exactly how it would look if those characters rose from the page and began to talk. It’s an amazing match.
Overall, this issue provides a thematically and visually stunning experience that’s sure to tug at your heartstrings. This comic deserves every bit of praise it’s been receiving over the last few months. Johnson, Spicer, and Wooton all pitch in to tell this story that’s moving and memorable in a way that will have you going back to it for weeks to come.
