COBRA COMMANDER #5, by Image Comics & Skybound on 5/22/24, concludes the miniseries with an alliance between Cobra Commander and Destro, and the beginnings of a galactic war.
Credits:
- Writer: Joshua Williamson
- Artist: Andrea Milana
- Colorist: Annalisa Leoni
- Letterer: Rus Wooton
- Cover Artist: Andrea Milana, Annalisa Leoni
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: May 22, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of COBRA COMMANDER #5:
Plot Analysis:
It’s usually a good sign when the ending is almost as strong as the beginning. Joshua Williamson’s tale about Cobra Commander’s exploits certainly ends well enough and sets the stage for greater interconnectedness with the Energon Universe.
When last we left Cobra Commander in issue #4, his torture at the hands of the Dreadnoks ended with the intervention of Nemesis Enforcer. When it seemed the Commander had everything he needed to fulfill his pledge to Golobulus, Nemesis Enforcer turned on the Commander on Golobulus’s orders to take the Energon discovery for himself. However, Cobra Commander anticipated the double-cross and killed Nemesis Enforcer.
In Cobra Commander #5, we catch up with famed arms dealer and head of M.A.R.S., Destro, when he investigates a series of attacks against his facilities. His men bring forth a captured attacker, a Dreadnok named Ripper, with a message requesting a meeting.
Destro and his men fly a helicopter to the coordinates contained in the message and are met by a hail of sniper fire, destroying the helicopter and killing most of Destro’s men. Cobra Commander emerges from the shadows with an offer to tour his secret base.
Below a nondescript town, Cobra Commander has built a gigantic manufacturing facility that infuses tech with Energon power to create super-powerful weapons. As a demonstration, Cobra Commander shows off what one of Destro’s captured B.A.T.S. can do after an Energon infusion. Destro is impressed with the results and agrees to join the Commander’s newly-formed Cobra organization.
Elsewhere, the dead hull of Megatron turned out to be not so dead after all. The former Decepticon leader escaped Cobra-La, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Golobulus orders his troops to capture Cobra Commander and return him to Cobra-La, while Pythona heads off in an organic spaceship to discover Megatron’s homeworld to devise a plan of attack against the Transformers.
Character Development:
Consistent with the previous issues, Cobra Commander is more clever than many give him credit for, and he’s not afraid to dream big. As far as elevating Cobra Commander into a Class-A threat, Williamson succeeds with this alternate origin story of the formation of Cobra.
Artwork and Presentation:
Generally speaking, the art is… fine. Andrea Milana’s art style gives the characters and setting the right look and feel, but the pencils/inks are sketchier than we’d like to see in what should be a high-caliber comic.
Art Samples:
Pacing and Structure:
In terms of pacing, Williamson keeps the story flowing quickly, perhaps a bit too quickly. Not a single panel is wasted with unnecessary fluff, and where Cobra Commander ends up at the end of this issue compared to the end of issue #4 is almost worlds apart.
That said, the finale takes a few shortcuts to get across the finish line. How did Cobra Commander get a force sufficiently large enough to attack M.A.R.S facilities around the world? How and when did Megatron break out of Cobra-La? When and where did Cobra Commander capture Destro’s B.A.T.S.?
There’s nothing wrong with a time jump forward, but there are too many important developments to gloss over so casually.
Thematic Exploration:
The theme of this issue is all about power. Who has it, how do they leverage it, and what do they plan to do with it? It’s clear Cobra Commander plans to rule the world by playing a long game, so every move he makes is intended to grow and consolidate power.
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
This issue, more than any of the previous ones, fully ties the developments into the interconnected Energon universe. Megatron is back in play. Cobra-la forces are headed for Cybertron, and Cobra officially formed into an international force with Transformers tech providing the catalyst for all of the above.
Final Thoughts:
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COBRA COMMANDER #5 elevates Cobra Commander as a Class-A villain and serves as an origin story for the formation of Cobra, heavily integrated with what’s happening with the Transformers. For the most part, Williamson sticks the landing, albeit with an uncomfortable number of shortcuts to cross the finish line, and the artwork is perfectly serviceable.
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