Transformers was my favorite comic book series of 2024. Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona made every issue of Transformers impactful. Whether it was from the action choreography to important decisions that had to be made, there is no doubt Transformers was excellent in 2024. How will 2025 start off? We got a chance to check out an early copy of Transformers #16. Find out how things kick off with our advanced review.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
Artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Sara Stern
Letterer: Rus Wooton
TRANSFORMERS #16 SOLICITATION
“Autobots vs Decepticons vs SPOILER!” – Image Comics & Skybound
REVIEW
Transformers #16 kicks off the new year by showing exactly why it is one of the best comic books on the market right now. There is no slowing down. And after all that has happened over the year plus that is to be expected. The Autobots and Decepticons are all in such spots that you are excited by the unknown of the direction that this will lead to.
A big part of the unknown sensation is how many different sides we see throughout Transformers #16. While all the characters fall under the Autobots or Decepticons umbrella both groups have become splintered. But unlike before, it is not because they are simply in different areas. The decisions that have been made thus far have caused relationships to be altered in big ways on both sides.
How unpredictable things are makes the Godzilla-level battle that we end up getting in Transformers #16 even more chaotic. The Autobots and Decepticons were already big but not like the two combatants that we get. Jorge Corona does such a great job making every step these two titans take as they battle feel like earthquakes are being caused. Seeing the Autobots turned into what felt like human size really got over the scale when you remember our protagonists’ size.
Speaking of the Autobots, the way Transformers #16 continues Optimus Prime character arc is intriguing. There is something that is clearly up with Optimus Prime. What that is a question for both Optimus himself and the reader. It’s certainly not a state that you would expect to see Optimus Prime in. But because this is not what you expect from Optimus’ character your even more interested in where this is all leading to
That said, having such unpredictability was best showcased with how Starscream is shown to act throughout this issue. Starscream is such a wild card that at all times you don’t really know what he will decide to do. This unpredictability is elevated by his current form that Corona really gets over how much the character has been through.
Then there is the ending of Transformers #16. The moment you get to the final page of this issue your left wondering how you didn’t think that was coming. It is both an obvious and surprising direction to go. Hitting both is credit to Johnson and Corona’s ability to get us immersed in the story.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Transformers #16 is exactly how you set the tone for a new year. From beginning to end everything that happens has a sense of importance. That importance is built on what happened in the previous fifteen issues of this series.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10
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