Transformers: Shattered Glass

Transformers: Shattered Glass (2021) #1-5

by Danny Lore

SHATTERED GLASS. A dark reflection of the Transformers universe, where the heroes you once knew are now monstrously evil… Megatron and the heroic Decepticons battle the evil forces of the Autobots in a twisted tale by Danny Lore and Guido Guidi that's more than meets the eye! Many kilocycles after the Cybertronian War destroyed Earth, tyrannical Autobots dominate their homeworld, and the freedom-fighting Decepticons struggle to survive. Blurr, an Autobot bodyscrapper, seeks his next Starscream, who is carrying valuable information that could reignite the war! Meanwhile, a guilt-ridden Megatron weighs the choice of whether to continue fighting, at the risk of losing what little they have left. And when Megatron and Starscream find themselves in the sights of a twisted Autobot warlord and his top lieutenant, the world will be left in shards!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction, Comic Book, Sequential Art

122 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 26, 2022

Reviews

[Tia Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the comics of this series and I am honestly completely blown away. What I thought was going to be a dark take on the Transformers where the roles of good guys and bad guys were switched, ended up giving me the biggest feels for these robots. Between the art and the storyline, you really feel Starscream's hope for a better future, and the desperation of his quest that spreads to those around him - even those on opposite sides. I won't lie, the last issue made me shed a tear at the ending. The dialogue in this is some of the best the franchise has ever had. I hope that everyone gives this run of Shattered Glass a chance, both regular fans and those new or returning to the franchise, as the premise alone and the direction the story takes is an emotional rollercoaster I was hooked on all the way to the end.

"Even in your last moments, you forgave me for my weakness. And all you asked is that I believe in your dream. Again and again, you gave me a chance to believe, to live and fight for that dream. And I was always too scared to take your hand. Until it was too late." - Jetfire.
Please excuse me while I go cry in the corner now.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a story that riffs and “elseworlds” the transformers world this story feels pretty weak but as a stand alone robot fighting robot story it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the art, colorful and full of life. The dialogue is well written if a bit robotic ;), I don’t really read this as the decepticons are the GOOD guys and the autobots evil, it felt like neither group went THAT far away from their roots- Optimus is a jerk and hungry for power but doesn’t really act nearly as evil as Megatron has in the past. If someone is a real transformers fan they would probably get more out of this than me who is so new to the characters but this was a nice read.

[Cristhian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buen concepto (los Decepticons siendo los oprimidos por los Autobots? Suena perfecto). Lástima que el flujo y la falta de construcción de mundo no fue suficiente.

Ma parece que hay una segunda parte (Shattered Glass II), con suerte mejora ese aspecto. Ya veremos cuando salga el TPB.

[বোন রোদ · Rating 2 out of 5]

3.9/10

Don't take that for a bad rating, I'm just really harsh. It didn't make me sob like a baby or hit me with an earth-shattering twist or all that so it's not getting above a 6.

This comic was actually lovely. I don't want to call this gayer than MTMTE or LL. I mean, LL had trans rep, it's hard to get gayer than that. But the Skystar (or maybe starfire would be a better ship name, with the character's name being Jetfire here?) was impeccable. Basically the central axis of the first half of this comic. The Megastar was also notable, in its least toxic incarnation, which actually made me consider shipping it. And the Wheelratch was a tasty addition.

Just, gay all around, good plot all around, and if it weren't for the penultimate issue having that Flamefuck idk I forgot her name, it might even edge into a 6/10. I just really fucking hated her.

My main peeve with this comic is how much it'll just kill off so many unimportant characters who were named the panel before, and then half the time someone important dies (which is, admittedly, often) they're actually revealed to be alive later.

Still. the wreckers' last stand may have had better writing, and its sequel, but nothing was more perfectly gay than this one.

(Yes I'm declaring it, this comic was gayer than the LL duology. Here, half of the plot relates around romantic tension LMAO)

[Mike Esposito · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10
This is another Transformers elseworld where the conceit is that the Autobots are a militaristic, authoritarian race while the Decepticons are freedom fighting rebels. it’s a really interesting concept, seeing a cruel Optimus Prime and an idealistic Megatron. But where this comic shines brightest, is with Starscream. For most entries in the franchise, Starscream is a treacherous, self serving weasel. Here he is characterized as hopeful for the future, an eloquent smooth talker and quite sympathetic. Tragic even at times.
Art is always great and for switching between artists, surprisingly consistent.
It’s easy to make an alternate story where the heroes are villains and Vice versa very stale and obvious. This is infused with just enough political idealism and characterization to make the idea and characters alike interesting throughout.

[Jarred · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great take on a mirrored universe story arc (what if decepticons were the good guys and autobots the bad guys). A little background knowledge of characters and basic plot only makes this more enjoyable, as you can see the characters morality flipped, but writing and plot structure done to corner the characters choices into similar choices they’re true self would have made anyway (for instance the normal sneaky/betrayal oriented character is written to be hyper-loyal, but plot manages to force him to flee and abandon friends in the name of greater loyalty to mission, same actions, but flipping the reasoning). Looking forward to a sequel series.

[Adelaide Metzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished 8/13/23 - Mmmmmmm!!!! What an AMAZING execution to a "What if...?" concept. I didn't know what to think at first and was hesitant to see if this was going to be a gore-fest like Last Stand of and Sins of the Wreckers just for the fact that everyone's beloved Autobots are now despicable monsters. And although there are 2 or 3 gruesome scenes, the main focus of this story is how Starscream wants to make a difference and make a better future. AND THE WRITERS AND ARTISTS KILLED IT! They got so hooked to this version of Starscream and Megatron that I was devastated during the climax! I loved these versions of the characters so much and I cannot wait to read the next one.

[Kylie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I heard about Shattered Glass, an alternate universe where Autobots were the badguys, I was super intrigued. I feel like the story in this fell flat because it had a cliffhanger. There is a second miniseries, but I think it would have been best as a longer series on it's own. Still, the story is pretty self-contained. The characters are well written, and I felt so much heartbreak in the last issue. Don't expect much Optimus or Megatron - it's more of a Starscream and Jetfire/Skyfire story. It's great seeing these characters in a different view. The art was fantastic! Looking forward to reading the second miniseries to see where the cliffhanger goes.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt a bit messy and disjointed and some of the parallel sequences in two different timelines were a bit confusing to read through. Glad I finally can understand some of the weird naming of characters that appears in the MtG crossover set. The Jetfire/Starscream relationship is fun (shades of queerness abound), but it also needed a little more time to develop outside of basically a single issue. The contextual framing of this whole inverted alliances story was also something I wanted fleshed out just a little bit more, as well as what was going on with Earth and Cybertron. Essentially, some clarity in the writing and the plotting would have been greatly appreciated.

[James Bowman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in a "Mirror Universe" of the IDW Transformers, this posits a world where evil Autobot warlords rule over Cybertron, while the heroic Decepticons form a scattered, broken resistance against them. Unfortunately, the story doesn't live up to its premise. The strongest element is the dynamic between the heroic Starscream and evil Jetfire, which is very well-executed... but everything else is only vaguely defined, and we seem to be expected to fill in a lot of the blanks in the backstory ourselves. This could have been a lot better. (B-)

[Aidan]

First issue has a great twist, but overall this was overwritten and a thin rehash of IDWs golden age with recolored characters. The novelty of seeing how the moral switches manifested wore off a little past halfway, and the writing was often confusing in how it jumped around in time. Guido Guidi’s art is solid if not exceptional, and the caption boxes overcrowd the page. Guidi never really leans into a particular tone or style. He has an alternate cover in the back that looks very 80s anime influenced which is sick, and I wish he leaned into that style more here to give it a bit of a punch.

[Swapnil Dubey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this new concept where the roles are reversed for Autobots and Decepticons. Goldbug and Starscream both are the highlight of the show. Apart from that I liked the BLURR and Jetfire's role. Only negative is that it leaves you on a cliffhanger and have no idea when will we be getting the further story.

[Jonah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it! I would agree with other reviewers that the plot can feel a bit clunky, but it explores the character development and motivations very nicely.
- a highlight for me is that Jetfire’s character is explored beyond his connection to Starscream. I feel it’s quite uncommon to see that in other comics/shows.

[Fynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...And I'd forgotten that Starscream's words always had the power to shake me."

"I've had enough. I would rather have his voice than these causes."

"All I know is that every meter of space between him and me is a kilocycle's worth of agony."

Fellas... is it gay to... whatever Starscream and Jetfire had going on?

[Kavinay · Rating 3 out of 5]

+1 for Rambo Soundwave

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

The colors are washed out, and the narrative just barely keeps my interest.

[Michael Coyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The visuals in this book are stunning. The storyline is beyond exceptional. It inverts and twists traditional Transformers lore in a satisfying and somehow beautiful way. This is a masterpiece.

[Melissa Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite was the Jetfire (Skyfire) and Starscream story.

[youstillrelyonGARLIC · Rating 5 out of 5]

evil optimus prime hits different ngl. great book

[Adelyn Lievanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

sg Starscream and Jetfire changed me as a person I think

[Vic · Rating 5 out of 5]

These Romeo and Juliet robots altered my brain chemistry. I haven’t felt like this since I watched Kubo and the Two Strings. The art slapped too 15/10