Transformers '84 #0 REVIEW

The format:
This special one-off comics has been released to commemorate the first issue of Transformers from Marvel Comics 35 years. In the format of other comic book #0 issues it's set before the main story of the book begins revealing something new and adding extra information to the origins.

The story:
Simon Furman has written a story that not also ties into the first Marvel US story but also the first Marvel UK story (The Man of Iron story, the only one that got a run in the US). The story ties in well to the former, using some of the same scenes. The latter not as much but it still works.

He throws in a bunch of characters that were released during the original run but never used in the comics (and of those most weren't even used in his UK). The classic G1 characters don't have a lot to do but their appearances work (except one, see spoilers below).

Overall the story reveals an untold secret from the launch of the Ark and answers the question did anyone ever try to find the Ark? It doesn't lead anywhere though. It's self contained and the plot if a bit light on. I had some expectation that this might be trying to set up the potential for a limited series but there's no sign of that.

The art:
Guido Guidi has been producing "retro-G1" art for a while for special projects, such as covers for Regeneration One and a few pages in the Japanese Generations books. This time he gets to do a whole issue in the style and it's wonderful. It has with spot-on renderings of the cartoon models with an inking style that looks very much like the early issues.

This is supported by John-Paul Bove's colours, he uses the old school techniques so we can see the colouring dots and sticks to the Nel Yomtov colour schemes. Tom B Long's lettering uses the square speech bubbles and sparking corners. All around it feels like something from a generation ago.



The spoilers:

The connecting point between the two timelines in the story is the narrator's identity: it's Punch and once you see that it's not hard to tell the story is going to be about secrets and double-crossing. Turns out though that Punch's duplicity isn't the only one in play.

There's a dark secret behind the launch of the Ark: Optimus Prime was using it as a trap for Megatron. He always intended to crash it in order to wipe out the most prominent Decepticons along with their leader. If this feels out of character to you than I'm not surprised, but it gets worse. Prime included quote "so many of [his] finest warriors" aboard the Ark because he felt Megatron would have seen the trap otherwise. And this is where I just don't buy it. I can see Optimus Prime killing himself to stop his enemies but to purposefully use his warriors as expendable bait? He didn't even ask his warriors if they'd sacrifice themselves, only Punch was in on it.

When Powermaster Prime came back Furman seemed quite keen on the idea that he felt guilt for crashing the Ark into Earth, but it was always in terms of bringing their war to our planet. That he was actually feeling guilty for trying to kill Ratchet, Bumblebee, Prowl, Ironhide, Jazz, Grimlock etc (and successfully killing some of the unnamed Autobots seen among the crew) doesn't add anything to the original stories. It just makes me wonder does Furman hate Marvel Comic's Optimus Prime? His depiction of him in Regeneration One was not much better. It seems to be a shock ending for the sake of having a dark secret and the rest of the story would have worked as well without it.