Transformers Classics, Volume 5

Transformers Classics #5

by Bob Budiansky, José Delbo (Illustrator), Jim Fern (Illustrator)

The historic comic book roots of The Transformers are re-presented for maximum Cybertronian enjoyment. Collecting issues #51-64, rejoin The Autobots and The Decepticons as their war stretches across the cosmos. Freshly re-mastered and re-colored, these stories are accompanied by an in-depth introduction as well as select issue notes by Mark W. Bellomo.

Genres: Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels

300 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

American comic book writer, editor, and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel's Transformers comic. He also created the Marvel character Sleepwalker and wrote all 33 issues of that comic.

Reviews

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Budiansky's uneven tenure ended here, and not well. Whatever creativity he had left was poured into the flawed but ultimately epic Underbase saga. So his last few stories are not just bad. They are him at his worst. At Budiansky's request, Furman was brought in and with immediate good results. The characters are better and the plot grand. Sure, new toys need to be introduced, but Furman wisely decided to keep a core cast, and he mostly avoided the meanderings that hobbled Budiansky. He also crafted his own lore, tying it to Unicron. The result here is mixed. I think the TV show had the better take on the Transformers origins, but the Primus and Unicron lore is grand and Unicron has a far better origin story. Still, not all is rainbows and sunshine. Furman can be pretty silly, with his reliance on tropes for the Matrix Quest, where we get Moby Dick, the Maltese Falcon, and a western. Also, for some reason this volume cuts into the Matrix Quest arc, leaving the fourth and fifth stories for volume 6.

Still, the future is bright. Budiansky had his moments, of course; nothing here surpasses the Smelting Pool, for instance. Yet, Furman kicked things off strong. No wonder he has been writing these comics for ages.

One small point. Why is Prowl on the cover? He is not in this volume at all. Would have been better to have Ratchet.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

The constant stream of new characters is getting old. You barely get to know them when the next wave comes in. Despite that there was some very good story arcs in this run. Kind of campy at times but hey we’re talking about being from a robot world with human emotions and feelings. Can’t be so serious all the time

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally getting to the Simon Furman stuff!

[Kavinay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof, even Furman gets stuck introducing new characters every month.