THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

CURRENT TRANSFORMERS COMICS FROM IDW PUBLISHING

Transformers Regeneration One #92
Reviewed by Blackjack

”Maybe the one enflaming things – is you. By giving them exactly what they want.”
Actually a pretty solid, fun issue. The main portion of this issue is just the fight between Team Blaster and the Mayhem Attack Squad, and I do like how Blaster is given screentime which is intertwined nicely with Soundwave’s plot to destabilize Cybertron and make way for Bludgeon’s Warworld. I do like how everyone is riled up by what they think is the Gene Key’s effect, giving Soundwave’s little push of a subsonic irritant enough of a grip to cause violence everywhere. It’s also good to see Blaster take charge and be more like his Marvel self – he isn’t quite Wolverine again yet, but still a lot more entertaining to read than the more cartoon-based lifeless plank he ended up being in the late Marvel issues. Huffer is easily the star of the show, punching Snarler to the ground in one blow (and later beating up Roadblock) which certainly is a memorable scene. I don’t think Huffer has ever done anything really. I do like the totally random change of focus from main players like Hot Rod and Soundwave and Bludgeon to Blaster and nobodies like Huffer and Carnivac. It’s a harmless action issue with a bit of moving the plot forwards and I like it. Prowl’s also a nice little perfunctory prick who gets in Blaster’s way with the best of intentions, and the poor guy’s been sidelined throughout the entire series and it’s nice to see him do something.

We also get to see Kup and Roadbuster argue, and I do like the little character moment for pragmatic ol’ Kup, who’s just so frustrated with everything he just wants to punch these random protesters down. Granted, the idea of them blockading a street when the cars can just transform and walk past is kind of moronic, but Kup’s argument over constantly being compared with the now-dead Springer is a good, short one.

We get a little bit of Hot Rod’s little search for Grimlock, though not too much to feel repetitive. Galvatron and Bludgeon, though… they’ve been travelling through space, like, for half a year now, and having them do that giant one-page full body shot with half Bludgeon and half Galvatron? No impact at all.

I suppose my biggest problem is Optimus Prime’s conversation with Spike and the humans, which dragged on for a bit too long than it should. Acting true to his spiritual predecessor Circuit Breaker, Spike just acts like a jerk and tries to murder the shit out of Optimus Prime before stopped by newly-introduced character Linda Chang. We spend the good portion of a page just seeing her get Spike to stand down and rattle off the rules and regulations of ‘Little America’, and somehow Optimus still tries to talk to Spike, who apparently forgets his extreme bigotry to answer ‘wife’ sheepishly. It’s a weak joke that falls really flat. The proposition Optimus is saying, and Spike’s immediate rebuttal is better written, though, so the entire scene isn’t as pointless as it initially seems. The one in the beginning, though? Completely needless. We could have just reduced everything into two panels of Spike threatening Optimus next to the human settlement before Blackrock shuts him down. Spike is needlessly a two-dimensional ass, and I don't like him.

There is distinctive character focus on several minor characters, some great scenes, and of course Optimus and Spike, and some foundation is laid out for the Warworld plot. It’s an issue I actually rather enjoyed. Also to note that this is Andrew Wildman’s last outing for a Transformers comic, and the art here is pretty decent… aside from the obligatory bad faces here and there, of course. I have come to associate faceless heads with Wildman. I would like to say I’m sorry to see him go, but Wildman’s half-hearted art has been a constant disappointment throughout the Regeneration One series, so I’m definitely rather excited for Guido Guidi to take up art duties.

Other than that note, while not much important happens, it’s an unexpectedly fun issue and a well-needed break from the banality of the Scorponok arc… though sadly it probably won’t last much longer.


Silverbolt’s side-effect is apparently a Nucleon-boosted hypersonic burn, basically allowing him to go really, really fast uncontrolled in alternate mode. (Also, apparently Sky Lynx’s talons can stretch really, really far.) Huffer’s, as demonstrated this issue, can cause molecular meltdown with his very touch, and Blaster has hypersensitive audios. Blaster is shown to use this ability to mess with Roadblock internal gyroscope… which seems redundant because his old electro-scrambler can do so as well. It’s all redundant, though, since the four (alongside Slag) have received new bodies, though Blaster still apparently retain his abilities.

The Mayhem Attack Squad here is made up of Carnivac, Snarler and Roadblock (who showed up a couple issues back). While both Carnivac and Snarler have shown up in the US series, they are only established as members of the Mayhem Attack Squad in the UK continuity. Carnivac now extends any ‘R’ on any word he says that ends with the leter-rrr.

Blaster refers to his days as part of the resistance on Cybertron, which is first shown way back in Transformers #17. He seems to have regained his Wolverine-esque personality from the Marvel comics which he kinda lost in favour for a more cartoon-inspired personality near the rear end of the Marvel series.

‘Fang’ is the name of a minor comic-original Decepticon from the iconic Target: 2006 arc. The Fang here, beyond sharing the same green colour, seems to share no similarities with the original Marvel UK Fang, lacking his distinctive spikes and having a totally different head.

Presumably Soundwave has departed the Warworld and arrived on Cybertron earlier than Bludgeon on his personal shuttle since the events of last issue.

At the end, Bludgeon quotes ‘Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!’ from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.


Sky Lynx’s head is all sorts of messed up.

As Huffer punches Snarler, his hind hooves are blue like his fur instead of yellow. His tusks are almost consistently miscoloured as blue other than in one panel where he’s threatening Huffer.

How would Bludgeon know Shakespeare? Granted, he is the type to read up on literature but he’s never been on Earth.