Transformers: Regeneration One #87 Review


Regeneration One is back. Other than the comics, Transformers is on break everywhere else. The last game was Transformers Prime, Transformers Fall of Cybertron, the last movie was in 2011, and Season 2 of the Prime TV series is over. (But Season 3 is coming this year!) With so many Transformers titles, one can feel overwhelmed about which one to pick up. Longtime fans should definitely be picking up Regeneration One. In the last issue we saw Grimlock make a deadly deal with Scorponok, and at the end it had the arrival of…Galvatron? This issue is a good read from start to finish, it has some really cool Transformers moments. (The ending!)

Here’s the official description from IDW:

WAR CRY! The conquest of IACON begins in earnest, as SCORPONOK’s game-changing strategy threatens the very nature of what it means to be AUTOBOT… Or DECEPTICON! And HOT ROD begins his own personal odyssey to the very heart of CYBERTRON-where ancient forces are stirring! 

It starts out with Scorponok showing Grimlock how his plan to rewrite the Autobot gene works, and work it does. Highbrow, Brainstorm, and Hardhead have been revived working under Scorponok. Meanwhile on Earth Galvatron forces Starscream to show him what the latter is seeking. What’s inside the Arc is pretty admittedly awesome. Also Hot Rod is further established as the leader, now he’s off for the Primus Chamber. Simon Furman handles the characters really well, making every Autobot and Decepticon different. Optimus is no longer the amazing leader he once was, his time is over according to him, and he’s giving the reigns to Hot Rod. There’s a certain mellowness to it, you can see Optimus has truly stepped down. It’s interesting for longtime fans seeing the great Autobot leader in this light. Grimlock is the main focus of the issue. He’s always been popular, since the G1 cartoon. But never had he been displayed with such cunning. (And humor.) The scene with Crosshairs explaining to him about the Nebulos and his response, “Me not understand even half what you say, but me impressed. Yes.” is just priceless. Scorponok is (so far) the primary antagonist of the arc. He’s not bad, slightly generic, but not bad. He seems to just be a placeholder until Galvatron takes control. (The latter whom has some of the best scenes in the comic.)

Art wise, it doesn’t disappoint. There are no truly standout pages, everything is pretty standard. Galvatron looks good, Grimlock looks good, the facial expressions, such as when Hot Rod hears about Grimlock’s return are really good. The three covers this time aren’t quite as good as the ones before them. The main one shows Galvatron and Starscream staring at something, definitely the best cover of the three. Then again, the second one will probably be the fan favorite. It’s done in the classic style, showing Grimlock’s dino-form staring down at a terrified Crosshairs. The third one is the most interesting, it definitely succeeds in giving the three renegade Autobots pretty psychotic looks as they shoot down some Autobots.

Overall, another great installment of Transformers Regeneration One. Grimlock gets some great page-time, and the words spoken by Optimus are words that should be read by all Transformers fans. We also get to see Galvatron, and the ending featuring S–well, you’ll just have to see for yourself. Regeneration One continues to be the Transformers title you should be reading.

4/5


My name is Daniel (@Destroyer_199), the main guy for comic reviews here at Unleash the Fanboy. I was born in 1995 in the Big Apple, spent my formative years in Staten Island, and currently reside in the awesome state that is New Jersey.

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