Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Transformers Regeneration #100
IDW Comics
Furman, Wildman, Senior, Guidi, Baskerville & Bove
The blockbuster finale of the original Marvel Transformers series comes to an epic conclusion. This isn't the ending that Furman would have scripted twenty years ago had the series run its course but it certainly is one befitting of the times and all of the changes this property has seen over the years. The book lands at six bucks for thirty pages of story, a full cover gallery, a short story and a couple of good-bye letters. It's not the greatest of Furman's work or the best Transformers comic but it is one to check out despite the price point.
The finale comes down to Rodimus Prime and his resolution of the multi-verse. This is a tough way to end the book because it's a very abstract ending. It's not a straightforward story by any means and the nature of the "ending" certainly is only one possible stopping point to any given timeline. This lines up well with the idea that there are multiple continuities that any given reader could follow. There are a few epic battles in the book but much of what occurs seems to be centered on Rodimus.
The book begins with some of the key Autobots battling mysterious shadows that seem to suck the life out of the Autobots that they come in contact with. There is some symbolism here but the execution behind it feels like this is just a means to thin the group down to a few key players. While this is occurring Spike takes on his own demons and Ultra Magnus has his final showdown with Galvatron.
The book simply doesn't have enough room to close out all of the plot threads so it focuses on a few of them while the others kind of get brushed aside. The main idea behind the ending is that this timeline ends, but the characters and their stories certainly do not.
One of the drawbacks is the artwork. The idea behind having three teams of seasoned Transformer artists is a fine idea but when put next to each other in a book the styles do not blend well. The book would have been better served sticking with one style. The book does shine in multiple spots, particularly the emotional ending with Rodimus and Optimus and the conclusion of the Magnus and Galvatron duel. The book looks very good, but fell short of the consistency I've come to expect in a much anticipated book such as this.
Furman wraps up his run on Tranformers that he began some twenty-five years ago. The evolution of his storytelling is quite impressive. The finale uses some very complicated ideas to get across a simple point. Just because a story ends it doesn't mean that the imagination can't take the characters and their stories even further. Whether it's another comic, a book, a movie or a short story, people and their ideas will always find a way to push the ball ahead. The goal line that Furman leaves the ball here is a good one and feels like the ending the book should have had but didn't get the chance all those years ago. I recommend checking this out and going back re-reading Furman's fifty issue run from Marvel to IDW.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
