REVIEW: ‘Transformers Galaxies,’ Issue #6

Transformers Galaxies #6 finishes the story of Cliffjumper and a tale of mistaken identity in “Wannabee,” Part Two. Published by IDW Publishing, written by Kate Leth and Cohen Edenfield, with art by Alex Milne, colors by David Garcia Cruz, and letters by Jake M. Wood and Val Lopez, this issue immediately follows the last. Deathsaurus fooled the alien locals, the Probats, into thinking that Cliffjummper was their past savior, Bumblebee, in order to smooth over Energon negotiations. However, Cliffjumper caught onto this ruse and now Deathsaurus wants more energon and is willing to kill the locals for it. In this issue, Cliffjumper won’t stand for the destruction of the local people so Deathsaurus reveals Cliffjumper’s true identity while also framing him for multiple crimes. Now Cliffjumper is on the run; can he evade the locals while also trying to stop Deathsaurus’s rampage?

Cliffjumper has had a hard time throughout his life. He’s been in Bumblebee’s shadow since he was forged and is often just an afterthought to most Transformers. The dialogue, art, lettering, and coloring all convey this efficiently and precisely to make you really feel sad for Cliffjumper and sympathize with his plight. It’s what really makes this story stand out against the previous arc and possibly arcs to come. And it’s what also makes Cliffjumper such a great character in this arc. It would be so easy for Cliffjumper to give up in the face of adversity, especially when on the receiving end of Deathsaurus’s brutality. But he doesn’t despite how he’s been treated, which says a lot about his strength of character.

I also really appreciate that we get more information on the story in the current ongoing Transformers 2019 comic series. Although Transformers Galaxies is an anthology that is in the same world as the new reboot, I didn’t expect to see much of a tie-in since this arc was so short. But, we get a bit of a feeling for the political atmosphere on Cybertron and in general how Cybertronians tend to disregard organic life. But, although we get some sense of what’s going on in the other comic series, this series can be read all on its own.

After reading the first issue in this arc, I wasn’t sure how the creators would flesh this story out and make it impactful, especially a story that needed to start and end in only two issues. However, this issue effectively elaborated on the history of the Probats, gave us even more background on Cliffjumper, and ended in a quite satisfactory way. It really says something about the writers when they can create a world and finish a story in just two issues.

The technical side of this issue is extremely well-done. I’m always a fan of Milne’s art style; he has a way of creating expressions on Transformers that are hard not to empathize with. The action scenes create a sense of movement from panel to panel that is smooth and easy to follow. The colors by Cruz support the tone of the panels and the great use of shadows makes for some ominous scenes. The lettering by Wood and Lopez is easy to follow and doesn’t clog the panels. I really appreciate the use of different panel outlines to indicate flashbacks/memories. Overall, the creative team did an amazing job in creating a comic that is so coherent and impactful.

For something so short, we get a great story that is both emotionally impactful and entertaining. Although this arc, and issue, aren’t filled with a multitude of events that convolute the story, the creators still manage to create an intricate culture surrounding the Probats and give a great background to Cliffjumper.

Transformers Galaxies #6 is available now wherever comic books are sold.