TRANSFORMERS #11, by Image Comics & Skybound on 8/14/24, begins the next battle for the survival of two worlds when the Autobots embark on a stealth mission to save Jazz and Cliffjumper.
Credits:
- Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
- Artist: Jorge Corona
- Colorist: Mike Spicer
- Letterer: Rus Wooton
- Cover Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: August 14, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of TRANSFORMERS #11:
First Impressions:
Transformers #11 is a banger of an issue from front to back, top to bottom, and side to side. Daniel Warren Johnson cranks out a script steeped in complexity and depth to demand your attention. The characters here are more real and relatable than some humans you’d meet on the street, so hang on to your hearts for another great issue.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left the Transformers in issue #10, we learned how Beachcomber was marooned on the Moon for thousands of years during the onboard battle between Decepticons and Autobots. After hitching a ride on the Apollo lander during the 1969 Moon landing, Beachcomber decided to live a life of peace on a tropical island before he was pulled into the current conflict. Meanwhile, Shockwave activated a massive teleportation device to bring Cybertron into Earth’s orbit.
In Transformers #11, the issue begins with a shocking sight. Beachcomber uses a jet-propelled surfboard to approach the mammoth teleportation ray shooting from the ocean to the stratosphere. We see Cybertron’s arrival isn’t complete, so any disruption could cleave the planet in half.
What a way to start an issue. Daniel Warren Johnson somehow makes the absurd believable by giving you cool moments on a micro and macro scale to prepare you for the thrill ride to come.
The issue cuts to an intimate moment between Arcee and Ultra Magnus while the latter slowly recovers in the Autobot base. Elita One interrupts the moment by accusing Arcee of cowardice for leaving Cybertron, prompting Arcee to respond with her fists. Elita One leaves just as Optimus and Wheeljack enter to discuss how much Energon they can expend to heal Ultra Magnus.
This scene with Ultra Magnus is deceptively complex. It creates an undercurrent of dramatic tension between Arcee and Elita One. Carly walks in on the argument and realizes that Ultra Magnus’s debilitated state could happen to Jazz and Cliffjumper, and Optimus is again tasked with making a difficult choice – fully heal Ultra Magnus or revive more Autobots. Every piece of this scene stacks drama and conflict with no easy answers.
Elsewhere, the Decepticons repaired the portal Elita One damaged in the previous issue, allowing Shockwave to return to his fortress on Cybertron and confirm the Energon his equipment shipped reached his storage facility. Meanwhile, Elita One, Wheeljack, and Optimus conclude Shockwave has enough Energon to turn the tide of the war. Carly chimes in to refocus everyone’s attention on saving Cliffjumper and Jazz, but Elita is enraged at the thought of her fellow Autobots potentially left to die on Cybertron when Shockwave returns in force.
Daniel Warren Johnson uses Elita as the face and voice of the toll that comes with a prolonged war. She’s hurt, conflicted, and angry that her compatriots may die, having fought for nothing for so many years. The emotional strength of the comic takes a big hit through Elita’s suffering as a war-weary soldier.
Soon after, Elita approaches Arcee to make peace. With their argument smoothed over, Elita and Arcee join Optimus to decide on their next steps. Fortunately, Optimus has a plan to take out the Nemesis for good with an unusual attack.
Meanwhile, Beachcomber returns to Spike with a report on Shockwave’s giant teleportation ray. Spike is determined to help in any way he can, but Beachcomber is resigned to never again engaging in violence. Together, they agree to find a way to help that doesn’t involve killing.
Combined, these two scenes are about accepting what was and what is while choosing to forge the best possible path forward. The personal choices, and there are a lot of them, from Johnson push the Autobots, Carly, and Spike to move toward their fate with courage and determination. This is really mature stuff.
The issue ends with torture, a surprise, a heel turn, reinforcements, and a heartbreaking retreat.
Overall, Daniel Warren Johnson delivers another killer issue that’s steeped in complex themes, emotional depth, tense drama, high stakes, and more. This series keeps getting better and better.
Artwork and Presentation:
Jorge Corona’s art delivery is top-tier in this issue. You wouldn’t expect transforming robots to be able to emote with such clarity, but Corona makes it work. Corona’s character designs remain on point, the facial acting and gestures work beautifully, and the large-scale visuals look epic, as they should. Corona continues to prove he was the right choice to take over for Daniel Warren Johnson on art duties.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
This Transformers title is still billed as part of the interconnected Energon universe, but we have yet to see an appearance from any G.I. Joe character since the first arc. It does come across as odd that worldwide events are playing out without the hint of a Joe or Cobra operative in sight, but perhaps there will be some connecting crossover in the near future.
Final Thoughts:
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TRANSFORMERS #11 is another banger of an issue with cool characters, high stakes, epic visuals, surprisingly complex themes, and emotional depth. Daniel Warren Johnson is giving this series his all, and Jorge Corona’s turn as the artist on the title is turning out to be an absolute win.
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