‘The end’ for Regeneration One officially starts! Does Part One of Destiny bring another quality story further deepening the arc? While not having much action, there’s plenty of stuff to like.

Here’s the official description from IDW:

THINGS FALL APART! The very fabric of the TRANSFORMERS’ universe begins to unravel, as huge and ancient cosmic forces take note of CYBERTRON’s (and the CYBERTRONIANS’) descent into chaos and anarchy. As HOT ROD struggles to hold things together, still reeling from his own game-changing wake-up call, competing destructive forces inch closer to a cataclysmic confrontation. The end begins here.

Scorponok was presumably destroyed by Grimlock’s noble sacrifice last issue in what was one of the greatest scenes of the whole Regeneration One saga. Despite no longer being the antagonist, the effects of his reign lingers. There’s unrest, guilt, and it’s just the complete opposite of a happy society. He was a rather generic villain, but it’s good to see what he did have lasting effects. This issue has some great dialogue as we see Hot Rod being questioned if he’s a true leader.

Simon Furman continues to write a very interesting Transformers lore. Hot Rod had been chosen leader many issues ago, yet he was completely absent during Scorponok’s reign. There’s question if he can truly be a leader, Ultra Magnus’s conversation on that with Optimus was fantastic. Prime is by far the most interesting character beyond the obvious reasons. He’s very passive, almost…old you could say. The writing captures that wonderfully. Back on Cybertron we see the world has gotten grittier. There’s virtually no joy, everyone is sad. The speech by Hot Rod to the citizens was well done, the writing shows how awkward Hot Rod is with being leader. It’s truly something to see the citizens revolt, it’s not every day you see Autobot vs. Autobot.

Andrew Wildman continues to showcase classic Generation One art for a modern audience. Despite being robots, there’s a surprising amount of emotion in the facial expressions. What I like is how well it captures the grim looking Cybertron. The characters have no joy and the planet is beaten up, the art reflects this depressed looking world. The main cover is pretty dynamic, showcasing Bludgeon slicing Cybertron in half. A good metaphor of what’s to come. Cover B is a retro one featuring what’s happening over at Earth. The RI is the most interesting, showing Galvatron in front of an exploding plain.

Overall, another solid issue of Regeneration One. Light on the action, but there’s plenty else to like. Hot Rod has been a questionable leader, that comes to full play here. We get more insight on the Soundwave/Bludgeon alliance, plus we see the unrest among the Cybertron citizens. Regeneration One keeps getting bigger.

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.