“THE TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE” #19 REVIEW

The Transformers:

Robots In Disguise #19

Written By: John Barber
Art By: Dheeraj Verma

 

When it comes to comics (and films for that matter), most of the recent Transformers output has been pretty stale. Many other Transformers comic series hint at interesting concepts for the mythos, but provide cardboard characterization and relatively lifeless art. The Transformers: Robots In Disguise #19 proves yet again, that it is the oasis of the franchise, providing the loveable camp of the animated series’ and human qualities of the Cybertronians.

The issue starts off with narration from Waspinator who, if you’re a 90s kid like myself, holds a special place in our Beast Wars-loving hearts. Barber pulls off the tricky dialogue of the character, and successfully plants seeds for the next storyline.

Barber manages to keep the story moving while creating pathos for the characters. As Optimus (now called Orion Pax) explains that he does not want others to follow in his warrior lifestyle, Barber has the characters explore a new world, balancing both character work and spectacle simultaneously. He continues to humanize the characters by having Hardhead explain the cruel experimentations of Jhiaxus.

Unfortunately, Joana Lajuente’s colours really bog down the issue from dazzling the reader with the exotic locale. Even the characters, who are penciled well by Dheeraj Verma, lack that colourful spark, particularly on the page with the gigantic Titan and Monstructor.

Besides the detractor of the muted colour palette, The Transformers: Robots In Disguise #19 brings equal parts joy and intrigue, as the animated series’ that sparked our interest in the franchise managed to do.

Score: 8.0/10