Advanced Review: Elita Shows Her Prime Side in ‘Transformers' #32
TL;DR: Jason Howard joins the Transformers team and draws one of the most chaotic, satisfying fights. Kirkman’s story moves a little too fast, but Elita Prime shows off her new status as the leader of the Autobots in a fast-paced issue.
Creative Team:
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Jason Howard
Colors: Mike Spicer
Letters: Rus Wooton
Publishers: Skybound & Image Comics
Full Review:
The Autobots arrive back on Cybertron and are trying to stay undetected behind enemy lines. That situation has a lot of potential for slow-burn tension, but Kirkman’s script doesn’t let things breathe. The danger arrives immediately, and the issue would have been better with a few more pages of build-up before everything explodes. Kirkman pulls in Decepticons from other corners of Transformers history. The introductions also happen fast but the characters are memorable. The rapid pace of things is my main pain point with this week’s Transformers #32.
Once the fighting starts, though, Howard’s art takes over. He shows an awesome ability to make a crowded battlefield come to life without being overwhelming. Mike Spicer's colors help with the commotion on the page, using different color palettes to keep your eye moving without the pages turning into chaos. Rus Wooton's sound effects have weight to them. This is a creative team that knows how to bring action to life.
Elita-1’s ascention to Prime status has been building up since her confrontation with Optimus and it pays off here. Howard gives her the panel real estate to show her capabilities with this new power and the visuals land big time. It does not disappoint.
Transformers #32 is a great-looking, action-heavy issue that I wished had given itself a little more room. Howard and Spicer are an excellent team to handle a war on Cybertron, but the quieter moments have always been some of this series’ best beats. It felt like it was missing to really provide the full weight of the situation, but I’ll give this team the time they deserve as this arc plays out.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
