Transformers #4

Another heartfelt issue that manages to remind us why we should always adore the kind of hero that's gentle and strong of character. Read Full Review

Transformers is a powerful comic book and Daniel Warren Johnson is its undeniable Allspark. Read Full Review

As has been the case with seemingly every Energon Universe story so far, there is a wild cliffhanger setting up something Transformers fans probably never even thought to expect. One that sets up a potential wild new status quo. That's the beauty of this series. It's all wide open and DWJ and Spicer haven't failed to obliterate expectations at every turn. Read Full Review

While Humans and Autobots join forces to save Spike Witwicky's life, Carly and Cliffjumper discover a surprising kinship in Transformers #4. Read Full Review

TRANSFORMERS #4 delivers fast-paced action and cool wow moments to make every page turn worth the cover price. Daniel Warren Johnsons realistic approach to Transformers on Earth reads like a gripping war story, and Johnsons eye for dramatic panels hits with impact every time. Read Full Review

'Transformers' has set an incredibly high bar for a comic like this and it continues to deliver month after month. Read Full Review

I was a bit iffy on the series when it launched, but I'm all in after Transformers #4. The series keeps improving with each issue and really creating a unique voice for itself. Read Full Review

From the momentum you open Transformers #4 your attention is grabbed and not let go of until you finish the comic book. Picking up where the previous issue ended, the race to save Spike's life is felt right away. The incredible chase as an injured Optimus Prime race to save Spike while being chased by the deadly Starscream. This concerning situation carries the entire Transformers #4 the best issue of the series thus far. Read Full Review

Whether the art and colors work for you or not is a matter of taste; what cannot be argued is the fact that the robots are instantly recognisable, both visually and in tone; there is no disguising those facts! Read Full Review

Another issue, another solid storytelling chapter of this opening Transformers story. Good character moments and continuously great art easily carry this one along. Read Full Review

Final Thoughts While the art may falter a bit in this issue, the heart and soul remain the characters. Cliffjumper and Carly are forming quite a bond, Optimus has finally decided to go on the offensive, and Spike and Sparky have reached a marginal level of understanding with each other. Its going to be interesting to see how the next few issues play out as we get closer to the eventual finish line for this volume. Read Full Review

derbycomics

Jan 10, 2024

This young series made the rounds on multiple “Best of” 2023 lists after only three issues, yet Transformers #4 may be the best issue yet. I’m not ashamed to say that I haven’t loved this series as much as others have so far. Yes, it’s been a very well made comic book thanks to Johnson’s script and art, as well as Mike Spicer’s colors. But I chalk the limits of my love up to the lack of sentimentality I feel towards Transformers as franchise, having been born just too late for it to have been a staple of my childhood. But wow, this issue hit me hard. Daniel Warren Johnson got me all caught up in my feels and made me care so much about these darn robots, that jerk. This issue was dripping with emotional heft, with a severel y damaged — emotionally and physically — Optimus Prime reminding everyone why he’s a respected leader by making truly heroic decisions. Johnson’s writing for the entire issue is superb, but Optimus’ scenes are especially meaty with a level of sincere poignancy that I have not yet felt in this series. I felt the weight saddling Optimus’ shoulders leading the Autobots. I felt his pain faced with the death of a potential friend. I felt it all. One of my favorite scenes involved Optimus making a small child’s day after obliging them with a transformation. Optimus wasn’t the only one to get some meaty scenes either. This is densely rich, heavy issue for all involved, even Sparkplug and Carly. If anything, the impact from this issue was the culmination of Johnson’s character-building, and the building of relationships between these characters, over the first three issues. If possible, Johnson may have pushed his art even further in this issue. Raw emotion is visible in characters’ faces which makes the words hit that much harder. One of my favorite panels in the issue sees Optimus watching on, helpless, as Spike’s condition deteriorates and the tension, heartache, and suspense is fully palpable. Another panel that made my jaw drop happens closer the end of the issue after Optimus finds a renewed sense of purpose and gears up for the fight ahead. In this panel we see Optimus with a brand new design that looks freaking AWESOME. And holy crap are the action scenes intense! Gosh, I’ve gotten this far and I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned the action yet. It goes to show you just how GREAT the quieter scenes were. Johnson gloriously choreographs clashes between the Autobots and Decepticons. This is seriously some of the best action in this series to date, in part because we only get one wrestling-inspired moment out of it (one of my least favorite parts of the past few issues). There are certain issues in every comic book series where you have an “aha” moment and fully realize a creators vision. I’m pretty Transformers #4 was that for me and I am now fully on board with where Johnson and Spicer are taking me. These characters are now ones I’m invested in emotionally and the stakes immediately feel raised. This was a payoff issue in the truest sense and we, as readers, hit the jackpot. more

ResearchReader

Jan 12, 2024

While I could fill up this entire room just drowning DWJ in compliments (all of which he would deserve), I will instead point out the highlights of this issue (just the best of the best otherwise I would say this entire book is a highlight). 1) StarScream is messed up. Like enjoying Warcrimes killing people in hospitals with a machine gun level messed up. DWJ went hard. The early scene filled me with disgust and dread which most books fail to do even when the try. His art and the brutality go hand in hand. 2) Optimus Prime is written so well and so in character. That hospital generator scene got my kind of misty eyed. It was great. 10/10/ 3) Follow up brutality by the Decepticons to their own kind in complete contrast to Prime was an effective way to emphasize how different they are. This is some ace level writing. 4) Little moments like Carly and Cliff Jumper or the dad and Prime are so heartwarming. My only regret is that DWJ will not be the indefinite writer for this series. He is hands down the best writer currently out there. more

Toonstrack

Jan 24, 2024

Jazz? Yeah 10/10 This book is firing on all cylinders. Its not super deep, doesn't have to be. Its exactly what transformers needs.

SneakyToaster17

Mar 17, 2024

I’m impressed by the nuance injected into Transformers, for crying out load. I’ll leave it at that.

Comics Code Authorities

Mar 17, 2024

If IDW is reading THIS is how you do the Transformers. 2 factions of big robots at war and nothing is safe. Starscream shows his disregard for any life here by tearing Skywarp apart for spare parts, showing he cares for robot life no more than humans. Optimus Prime meanwhile shows he's the complete opposite, concerned for his fellow Autobots, but also willing to risk himself to get the power the hospital needed to save his new friend Spike. Every issue of this series delivers, and these days you can probably say that about fewer comics than ever. I have no difficulty whatsoever believing the talk that this series is crushing the competition. As long as comics like this are still being made then good comics are still possible, even today.

LeonReadsNRates

Jan 10, 2024

There's really not much review to be done here. Are you a transformers fan? Then you are already reading this comic. Are you new to transformers? Cool! Then you should definitely be reading this comic. It's got everything you could want; action, emotional highs and lows, returns of fan favorites and the characters are positively on point. Daniel Warren Johnson's art style may be a little more of an original take on the art but his action panels are so slick, it's hard to complain about it. Transformers ending up in the hands of Skybound has been one of the best things that's happened to the franchise in some time! Recommended!

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• maljoss
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maljoss - Jan 12, 2024

Pretty much said it all. I watched the cartoon as a kid, but the comics never interested me. I checked out issue 1 becuse of DWJ. If you told me last year that my most anticipated comic of each month would be Transformers, I'd have lauged in your face. Guess the laugh's on me, becuse this comic is excellent.

maljoss

Jan 12, 2024

This comic is awesome, and this series is fantastic. IF someone told me a few months ago that Transformers would be my most anticipated comic of each month, I'd have laughed at them. Looks like DWJ is getting the last laugh, though. The storytelling on display in this issue is top-notch. The art is great. Combining DWJ's sketchy style with throw-back transformer designs shouldn't work, but it does. The charaterization is excellent. The action is wonderful. Each scene has weight and emotional impact. Mike Spicer is killing it on the colors. The characters pop; everything looks great. The only comic reading experience I can compare it to is reading One Piece. Seriously.

DDJamesB

Jan 11, 2024

Another really solid issue. It has some emotional beats and good mix of action.

Screaming Enigma

Jan 18, 2024

Another really good issue here. I wasn't as into this was the previous one, but I still enjoyed it a good amount. My main gripe with this is that I felt that the first half just went by really fast and I don't think it took enough time to let the reader process what was happening. However, the second half of this was great and I really liked when things slowed down a bit.