Review: Transformers #9

Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers #9 is a heart-stopping, action-packed masterpiece that will leave you breathless! I literally felt tired after reading this! The issue delivers nearly non-stop excitement, with Johnson’s script and Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer’s visuals bringing the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons to life in glorious fashion.

The issue’s pacing is relentless, with barely a moment to catch your breath as the Autobots face off against the Decepticons after Shockwave and Soundwave open up a portal between Earth and Cybertron. Johnson's ability to maintain such a large cast of robots in disguise is stunning, with our usual suspects getting some awesome character moments and new characters on both sides being introduced into the fold. The amount of emotional punches Johnson has thrown our way throughout the series’ still young run has probably been one of the biggest surprises for me so far and this issue delivered another audible gay-gasp from me.

Beyond the Transformers, I appreciate the effort Johnson is putting into Spike and Carly’s stories to keep a human aspect at the forefront of a series that could easily devolve into a robot-only story. Spike’s selfless decision to surrender himself to the Autobots was a major moment and showed us how much he’s willing to put on the line.

Corona’s artwork is truly the star of the show. Each panel is meticulously crafted, with intricate details and dynamic layouts that propel the story off the page. I was worried how a new artist would be able to handle this series after Johnson’s artwork became a staple of this new run and have been insanely impressed with how seamlessly Corona has been able to keep things consistent while adding his own flair. Wrestling robots have never looked cooler. Seeing Optimus Prime get tombstone piledrived wasn’t something on my 2024 comics bingo card, but here we are. And boy did it look epic!! Add in Spicer’s eclectic color palette and you have the makings of some of the best visual storytelling around.

Transformers #9 is a must-read for fans of the franchise and comics in general. Johnson's passion for the series shines through on every page, even more than it has in the past, making this a truly unforgettable issue.

Rating: 9/10