Optimus Prime #18 Review

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher & Livio Ramondelli

Colors by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Published by: IDW

Well, we didn’t have to wait long to get some answers from the epic conclusion of issue #17, since issue #18 came out on the same day! Hurray!

This review will be very short, and that is by design. Why? Simply because the big revelation of issue #17 leads directly into the entire plot of issue #18. To put it simply, we get a small interlude in The Fallen storyline to learn all about Ony Prime and how came to be where he is right now.

The plot points I will touch on however, all revolve around the history of Cybertron. I’m not sure if this was touched upon in the past, but we essentially get an oral history of Cybertron from the times of the clans to the rise of their civilization. Added to this, is the revelation of just how involved Onyx Prime was in shaping this history.

All of this is expertly illustrated by Pitre-Durocher and Ramondelli throughout. I did enjoy the fact that they have slightly contrasting styles as the story is split between present-day Cybertron (illustrated by Pitre-Durocher) and historical Cybertron (illustrated by Ramondelli). This separation of art styles allows the reader to form a coherent split in their mind between the two time-periods. It’s the one time I enjoy having two separate artists on the same issue.

I don’t usually remark on “Next month on…” pages that appear in some books, but I can’t praise enough how good these have been in the Transformers comics. I’m not sure if these are handled strictly by editorial, but it feels like Barber has a hand in them. This, and issue 17’s, “Next month” features were perfect teases and has built my anticipation for issue #19.