Purchasing the licence to begin producing the Transformers’ comic adaptations in late 2022, Skybound Entertainment released the first issue of the new comic’s run early October 2023. Returning the robots in disguise, not for the first time, to a heavily ‘G1’ inspired context and design philosophy, ‘Energon Universe’ is set to be a strong adaptation of the long-standing franchise based off of the premiere. 

Easily the strongest element of Energon Universe, as with seemingly any adaptation of the Transformers, are the little moments that define the characters. Within the first couple of issues that are already released there are many instances of Optimus Prime, leader of the autobots, being deeply humanised by his sympathies for other beings. Tying strongly to the character’s roots, which have been progressively lost over the 40 years of his existence, Optimus is once again more of a fatherly presence, fighting for justice and to protect those who are dear to him.

Specifically the way that death is handled in the comic so far is commendable both from a character building standpoint and a thematic standpoint. Optimus is portrayed as fully understanding the weight of death, being burdened by the losses he has suffered in the never ending war for Cybertron; he is a character that feels the pain of every loss that happens around him, no matter how small. This is contrasted by Starscream, stand-in leader of the Decepticons in the mysterious absence of Megatron, being written to lean into his psychopathic nature. Between gunning down unconscious combatants in cold blood, gleefully squishing humans in his hands (on several occasions), and being unconcerned by the nature of death when it is not his, he is the polar opposite of Prime. 

By not being afraid to show the true unambiguous villainy of the Decepticons, writer Daniel Warren Johnson succeeds in making the Autobots all the more human. As millenia old alien robots, presenting the Transformers in a context that is in any way relatable for not only the human audience, but also characters within the comic, is important. Why should we care about their conflict and side with the Autobots? By scaling the fight down to 5 combatants on either side and reducing the stakes to spats over Energon (Transformer fuel) and protecting contained populations of Earth, the scope of the story is made understandable and easy to follow, with a strong investment and core.

Acting as the main penciller for the comic as well, Johnson’s art conveys the action and slower moments well. In fight scenes the Transformers use dynamic actions that present interesting choreography in a way that is easy to follow panel to panel. Optimus Prime suplexing Starscream will never not be entertaining. Having very robotic and blocky character designs act in very fluid and dramatic positions is a challenge that is met well, with the vast majority of panels being visually pleasing. Occasionally, digital stretching makes certain poses seem odd but this is a problem that is easy to overlook and therefore permissible. 

The colours, done by Mike Spencer, likewise bring a large amount of life to the comics. Each panel’s colours are judiciously chosen to present vibrant landscapes representing the beauty of Earth, and the dramatic tensions and losses of war in the same vein. Likewise, the intentional lack of colour used at certain points for the background highlights certain visuals well. Having Optimus, a primarily red character, appear on a black background, framed by the fire of explosions, in a certain panel of Issue 1 to highlight the gravity of a loss he has experienced, works phenomenally well in conveying the emotion of the scene. This attention to the use of colour is consistent throughout.

Despite only being two issues into its run as of the time of writing, Skybound’s Transformers: Energon Universe poses itself as a welcome expansion of the Transformers franchise. The writing and art understand the characters and their history perfectly, and are presenting them in a way that is both faithful to the past but stylised and recontextualised in a way that is entertaining for fans new and old. It is a series to follow, and one that high hopes are held for.

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