Transformers, Vol. 2: New Order

Transformers US Titan Collections #2

by Bob Budiansky, Ricardo Villamonte (Illustrator), Herb Trimpe (Illustrator)

Continuing Titan’s collections of the very first Transformers comics, chronicling the civil war between the heroic Autobots, led by the noble Optimus Prime, and the evil Decepticons, ruled by the crazed Megatron! Teenager Buster Witwicky has been given the power of the Creation Matrix by Optimus Prime, who currently lies in the hands of the Decepticons. Their leader, Shockwave, plans to use Prime to create new, even more powerful Decepticon warriors... so that they can steal the Earth’s fuel resources! But little does Shockwave know that his plan will be threatened by forces both within and without his team, as the Dinobots make an explosive return, Starscream’s treacherous nature surfaces, and the Transformers meet their human nemesis — Circuit Breaker!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 25, 2003

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

[Jdetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would again point out that, while these aren't great comics, Bob Budiansky certainly didn't take the easy way out. Rather than setting up a status quo between the Autobots and Decepticons and allowing them to simply fight each other, like the cartoon did, he created more of a continuing story, taking risks....throughout this entire run of stories, neither Megatron or Optimus Prime are in charge of their respective factions. I respect that, and the plotting here is generally good. There's also some really nice art on a few issues by William Johnson. On the more negative side, we see the beginnings of Budiansky caring more for human characters than for the Transformers, with a few issues told more through their eyes. That gets much more annoying starting with the next trade, but it never works as well as letting the robots carry the story.