“Yesterday’s” Comic> The Transformers #13

I bet they’re going to blame video games.

The Transformers #13

Marvel Comics (February, 1986)

Joey Slick is a courier for the mob who is well respected in his neighborhood but still feels like a loser, When he crosses his boss by betting his money, Joey is about to get offed…until he finds Megatron, damaged after his fall in issue #8. With his new “super gun” Joey goes from mob loser to a major criminal, but soon finds that fame as a supercrook turns out to be less than fulfilling and the way his former neighbors treat him (either with fear by one of his friends or admiration for his criminal acts by the kids) convince him it’s time to give it up…after finally settling matters with his old boss which leads to Megatron being restored after being dropped. If you’ve seen THAT Friday Night Fight (notice a pattern?) you know it ends with Megatron actually respecting Joey for his response and leaves, while Joey goes to prison for his crimes.

What they got right: The story does serve its purpose, the return of Megatron to the war. However it does a bit more, as this isn’t Megatron’s story, it’s Joey’s. While this could be done with any Transformer weapon, and not just Megatron, using Megatron does draw us into the story, which shows that power isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

What they got wrong: This really COULD have been done with a non-living Transformers weapon. Using Megatron only comes into play to give Joey some information and showing Joey’s new mindset at the end.

Other notes: While this story has no bearing on the rest of the series outside of Megatron returning, it’s still a great standalone story. This is where Budiansky shines, showing how in even small ways the presence of the Transformers on Earth changes our lives. Otherwise, Joey Slick would be dead in a gutter somewhere. Instead, he finds that being a loser can sometimes be subjective. To the man that sells fruit on the street, his landlord, and even the kids in his neighborhood Joey was actually a cool guy and they cared about him, while there is no evidence that they were aware of his occupation. Afterwards, he gets everything he ever wanted only to find the kids who admired his throwing arm now wanted to emulate his criminal career while the street vendor was scared of him. His “gang” just mooches off of him. Watching Joey get it all and find it’s not worth having would be interesting enough. It’s a story that wouldn’t be told if Joey hadn’t found Megatron.

Recommendation: While not my favorite of his stories, it is one of mine and one of the best examples of what made Budiansky such a great fit for this series. One of the must read stories of his run.

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