“Yesterday’s” Comic> The Transformers #19

“All I wanted to do was get my mail.”

The Transformers #19

Marvel Comics (August, 1986)

Wonder what Grapple was doing since issue #14? He was building Omega Supreme. Now “programmed for life” thanks to the Creation Matrix, he’s ready to protect the Ark. However, Optimus wants the Devastator Combiner tech and concocts a plan to learn his secrets; a plan that the Dinobots feels leaves them out of the fight again and decided to secede from the Autobots. As Prime makes his move Megatron goes to welcome the new Decepticons from the Space Bridge only to learn that Autobots made it through and the Ark is vulnerable…or so he think. Optimus’ fake attack on the Decepticon pit do lead to learning the secret of the Constructicon transformation but Skids is attacked and believed dead thanks to Ravage (searching for an escaped Donny) and untimely human intervention.

What they got right: If you’re really going to have more than one thing go it on, have them interconnected. This is where Furman keeps failing and Budiansky succeeds here. The battles are well done drawing-wise, and seeing Optimus not only strategize to get the information he wants but his reactions to what happens to Skids makes sense from a leadership perspective. Even Megatron comes off as competent compared to Shockwave.

What they got wrong: Yomtov’s shading shortcut is on display many times and the art is worse for it. Too many times characters in the background are all blue-gray and really doesn’t serve the art. Worst examples are the opening splash where all of the functioning Autobots are introduced to Omega Supreme, where only Omega, Grapple, and Optimus are colored, and a scene where Optimus jumps fist-first into a gun battery, where you can’t tell where Optimus ends and the platform begins.

Other Notes: Skids’ fate, and that of Donnie, will be explored in the next issue. While Skids always questioning Optimus seemed a bit forced it will not pay off in the future so it’s also a bit meaningless. The Autobots Megatron saw are Blaster and his crew from #18, who will appear again in a few issues…a lot worse for wear. The Dinobots leaving will play a part starting in #27.

Recommendation: The debut of Omega Supreme and how the Autobots got their hand on Combiner technology, plus Skids and the Dinobots, make it a must read event but beyond that it’s a good story if you want a lot of battle scenes so it’s worth taking a look at.