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Transformers: Autocracy #1
12 CHAPTER DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE SERIES! IDW Publishing proudly presents a new digital comics event five million years in the making: TRANSFORMERS: Autocracy. This 12-part series will be released as 8-page chapters every two weeks starting January 18th and running through June. Each episode priced at $0.99!
Long ago, on the planet Cybertron... as dissident Decepticons rise up to battle the Autobot leadership, ORION PAX leads a counter-terror strike team. But when a routine mission goes awry, Orion starts on an incredible journey to the heart of Cybertron's Autocracy.
Long ago, on the planet Cybertron... as dissident Decepticons rise up to battle the Autobot leadership, ORION PAX leads a counter-terror strike team. But when a routine mission goes awry, Orion starts on an incredible journey to the heart of Cybertron's Autocracy.
13 pages, ebook
First published January 18, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 28, 2014
Madefire is a new way to enjoy digital comics. Each issue or more appropriately, each episode, cost twice as a regular digital issue from Comixology which is understandable because of the work put in every episode. It is the extra production that makes each Madefire issue a evolutionary leap from the usual digital comics I read are the animated panels and sound effects.
As great a reading experience Madefire could be, in my opinion, it lags behind the Comixology experience. Aside from the more affordable books, it doesn't have the smart panel or Guided View technology that Comixology has. If Madefire had this, it would definitely the best digital comic reading experience ever, but that is not the case.
For my first Madefire comic, I read the first issue of Tranformers: Autocracy which was free and it looked awesome. The transition between panels was mediocre, unlike the Comixology experience but the animation of the panels was top-notch. The Livio Ramondelli art was already excellent but the animation gave it more depth. The signature transformation sound when a Transformers morphs from alt-mode to robot mode and vice versa was the icing on the cake. It defined the experience me.
Story-wise, it delved on Optimus Prime's history before the great Autobot-Decepticon war, when he was Orion Pax and he was for all intents and purposes a police officer. This new Transformer back-story that originated in the IDW Comics gave the Autobot-Decepticon dynamic a new spin. The Decepticons were the freedom figthers and the Autobots were the fuzz and there were civilians in the mix who were tired of the corrupt government the Autobots served under.
The story is interesting and I wouldn't mind getting more episodes of this digital exclusive title but it is the art and the Madefire effects that really makes this win for me.
As great a reading experience Madefire could be, in my opinion, it lags behind the Comixology experience. Aside from the more affordable books, it doesn't have the smart panel or Guided View technology that Comixology has. If Madefire had this, it would definitely the best digital comic reading experience ever, but that is not the case.
For my first Madefire comic, I read the first issue of Tranformers: Autocracy which was free and it looked awesome. The transition between panels was mediocre, unlike the Comixology experience but the animation of the panels was top-notch. The Livio Ramondelli art was already excellent but the animation gave it more depth. The signature transformation sound when a Transformers morphs from alt-mode to robot mode and vice versa was the icing on the cake. It defined the experience me.
Story-wise, it delved on Optimus Prime's history before the great Autobot-Decepticon war, when he was Orion Pax and he was for all intents and purposes a police officer. This new Transformer back-story that originated in the IDW Comics gave the Autobot-Decepticon dynamic a new spin. The Decepticons were the freedom figthers and the Autobots were the fuzz and there were civilians in the mix who were tired of the corrupt government the Autobots served under.
The story is interesting and I wouldn't mind getting more episodes of this digital exclusive title but it is the art and the Madefire effects that really makes this win for me.
July 2, 2026
Alright, before I give my personal recap: holy fuck. Like, holy fuck. This comic should have a trigger warning. There are detailed drawings of people being killed and beaten up, very violent police brutality and apathy amongst the police, and detailed drawings of people suffering. It's also just the way they talk about some of these people. It's in a really violent and dehumanizing way. I know they're robots, but still. Trigger warning for anyone who's had to deal with police brutality, violent classism, witnessing murder, assault, or gun violence. Imma have individual TW for each issue I read bcuz, if I remember correctly, they're ALL like that.
Other than that, it's a good comic. In a previous review of a different Transformers issue, I said that this was boring, but re-reading it now, I like it. It's fun seeing a darker side of Optimus where the goal isn't to keep him as a violent killer, but to see him grow into the forgiving and hopeful Prime that we know today. It isn't shy about showing the brutality of a corrupted government and how the supposed “good guys” uphold it. It's really nice seeing that in a Transformers comic because Transformers has always been dark. It's literally about war. They just had to tone it down so kids could watch and would buy toys.
A major issue though I have is just the art style. It's muddy, it's hard to tell characters apart sometimes, and they can't be as expressive. Not really something good in a comic, where you sometimes need to see expressions and definitely need to tell people apart. But, it isn't that bad. The story is still good. Anyways, personal recap time!
-Cybertron is currently in a world where most of the bots alive distrust the Autobot government because they feel as if they failed them (smthn I think most of the world can relate to now tbh). Orion Pax, while aware of this, still stays true to his Autobot oath, even if others currently despise him.
-I like the intro. It shows Optimus Prime rebuilding himself after an injury. He says that he would feel better, but he doesn't feel anything because of a gaping hole in his chest. “Like his spark has been dimmed.” Optimus still has his optimistic traits, but we already see that we're going to see him struggle with that in this issue
-Orion Pax, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Hound, and Prowl are hunting down a target in Nyon - a place where the Autobots are DEFINITELY hated. Bumblebee feels uneasy because Nyon used to be a great city, and Prowl explains to him the situation and says that anyone here could be an enemy. Bumblebee feels guilty and Ironhide says that the only way to deal with dissidents is to blow them up into smithereens. Wow. I wonder why people don't like the Autobots right now 🤔
-They catch their target, Swindle, selling Autobot weapons on the street. The Autobots surprise them and go in firing. One Decepticon tells Pax he'll never take him alive, and Pax orders Bumblebee to shoot him. I should keep count of shots that would've made this series rated R I'd they weren't robots, bcuz they show a detailed drawing of the bullet going through his robot skull 🫡.
-Gee, I sure hope this won't haunt Bumblebee later!
-Swindle tries to escape, but Silverbolt (Autobot) manages to locate him and tell the Autobots where to aim. The Autobots start shooting indiscriminately, endangering the civilians. Bumblebee shouts that they should protect the civilians and Swindle laughs, saying that him and his Prime (Zeta Prime) are crushing people under the heels everyday. Orion Pax tackles Swindle. He orders to tell Swindle all he knows about Megatron and his Decepticon terror cells, but Swindle just tells him that he can't fight what they [the Decepticons] can't fight what they represent, which is a new age and a new Cybertron. Optimus cuts him off, saying that the Decepticons represent an age of murder and enslavement.
-He then proceeds to brutally beat Swindle in front of a crowd of civilians. All while saying, “Your friends can't hide from justice forever!” 😐
-Swindle's quotable moment: “You don't see it. So hell-bent on stopping the Decepticons. Take a look around - you and your system made us what we are. All these people! They're all Decepticons now! Face it, Autobot - you're not just part of the problem… You are the problem.”
-Orion holds a blaster to his face while Swindle yells at him to prove him right. Bumblebee stops him, tackling the blaster out of his servo (yes I'm going to use their terminology bcuz I'm a nerd). He tells him that he attacked an unarmed civilian and that it's no wonder they hate him. Orion says he did what he had to, and Bumblebee tells him that he lost control. He asks what's wrong with him because he's been acting out of touch lately, but Optimus is then caught in a fiery blast
-Hound realizes that it's one of the stolen weapons. Prowl spots the bombers running off, but Orion Pax tells him to stand down because they have what they came for. Ironehide suggests that they leave and Orion agrees, saying that these buildings can be rebuilt, but the trust that the civilians had for them can't. Because it's the future Optimus Prime, he has to say: “Autobots - roll out!”
-The last shot shows Laserbeak flying over them.
Other than that, it's a good comic. In a previous review of a different Transformers issue, I said that this was boring, but re-reading it now, I like it. It's fun seeing a darker side of Optimus where the goal isn't to keep him as a violent killer, but to see him grow into the forgiving and hopeful Prime that we know today. It isn't shy about showing the brutality of a corrupted government and how the supposed “good guys” uphold it. It's really nice seeing that in a Transformers comic because Transformers has always been dark. It's literally about war. They just had to tone it down so kids could watch and would buy toys.
A major issue though I have is just the art style. It's muddy, it's hard to tell characters apart sometimes, and they can't be as expressive. Not really something good in a comic, where you sometimes need to see expressions and definitely need to tell people apart. But, it isn't that bad. The story is still good. Anyways, personal recap time!
-Cybertron is currently in a world where most of the bots alive distrust the Autobot government because they feel as if they failed them (smthn I think most of the world can relate to now tbh). Orion Pax, while aware of this, still stays true to his Autobot oath, even if others currently despise him.
-I like the intro. It shows Optimus Prime rebuilding himself after an injury. He says that he would feel better, but he doesn't feel anything because of a gaping hole in his chest. “Like his spark has been dimmed.” Optimus still has his optimistic traits, but we already see that we're going to see him struggle with that in this issue
-Orion Pax, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Hound, and Prowl are hunting down a target in Nyon - a place where the Autobots are DEFINITELY hated. Bumblebee feels uneasy because Nyon used to be a great city, and Prowl explains to him the situation and says that anyone here could be an enemy. Bumblebee feels guilty and Ironhide says that the only way to deal with dissidents is to blow them up into smithereens. Wow. I wonder why people don't like the Autobots right now 🤔
-They catch their target, Swindle, selling Autobot weapons on the street. The Autobots surprise them and go in firing. One Decepticon tells Pax he'll never take him alive, and Pax orders Bumblebee to shoot him. I should keep count of shots that would've made this series rated R I'd they weren't robots, bcuz they show a detailed drawing of the bullet going through his robot skull 🫡.
-Gee, I sure hope this won't haunt Bumblebee later!
-Swindle tries to escape, but Silverbolt (Autobot) manages to locate him and tell the Autobots where to aim. The Autobots start shooting indiscriminately, endangering the civilians. Bumblebee shouts that they should protect the civilians and Swindle laughs, saying that him and his Prime (Zeta Prime) are crushing people under the heels everyday. Orion Pax tackles Swindle. He orders to tell Swindle all he knows about Megatron and his Decepticon terror cells, but Swindle just tells him that he can't fight what they [the Decepticons] can't fight what they represent, which is a new age and a new Cybertron. Optimus cuts him off, saying that the Decepticons represent an age of murder and enslavement.
-He then proceeds to brutally beat Swindle in front of a crowd of civilians. All while saying, “Your friends can't hide from justice forever!” 😐
-Swindle's quotable moment: “You don't see it. So hell-bent on stopping the Decepticons. Take a look around - you and your system made us what we are. All these people! They're all Decepticons now! Face it, Autobot - you're not just part of the problem… You are the problem.”
-Orion holds a blaster to his face while Swindle yells at him to prove him right. Bumblebee stops him, tackling the blaster out of his servo (yes I'm going to use their terminology bcuz I'm a nerd). He tells him that he attacked an unarmed civilian and that it's no wonder they hate him. Orion says he did what he had to, and Bumblebee tells him that he lost control. He asks what's wrong with him because he's been acting out of touch lately, but Optimus is then caught in a fiery blast
-Hound realizes that it's one of the stolen weapons. Prowl spots the bombers running off, but Orion Pax tells him to stand down because they have what they came for. Ironehide suggests that they leave and Orion agrees, saying that these buildings can be rebuilt, but the trust that the civilians had for them can't. Because it's the future Optimus Prime, he has to say: “Autobots - roll out!”
-The last shot shows Laserbeak flying over them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2015
Excellent story and execution about liberation. The pacing was fine but the climax felt a bit rushed. Everything from the set designs, the vibrant colors, etc. turned Cybertron into a character in itself. Love the classic 80's look of the transformers and the paperstock is of great quality which helps gives them a modern feel. That, plus the job Ramondelli did with the saturation allowed them to pop off the page despite his unusual contrast approach. There were few moments where like the earlier films I had to double back to decipher what what going on during the action panels. Overall, this origin was so well told I had to give it 4 stars.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews