IDW reviews 8/25/21 – Transformers Shattered Glass #1
Shattered Glass is one of the more unique premises to come from the Transformers universe in a while. The series, from writer Danny Lore and artist Guido Guidi, reimagines the Autobot/Decepticon if the Autobots were evil and the Decepticons were heroic.
Sure the naming aspect is a little screwy. By default, it would be hard to imagine heroes with deception as their root word, but if readers will go along with it, the concept still works.
Instead of tackling a comprehensive look at this universe with an origin tale, Lore drops readers right into the midst with a spotlight on Blurr. Through Blurr, Lore explains the status quo with Optimus Prime, Goldbug and Prowl divvying up Cybertron. Only extremely harsh and treacherous conditions separate the various zones.
I did want to know more about the origins of this war and why Prime, Goldbug and Prowl have set themselves apart from one another. Hopefully, Lore will explore that further in subsequent issues.
Blurr is a bounty hunter bringing in wanted Decepticons dead or alive. Ratchet gives Blurr a new mark and it’s a high profile one in Megatron’s lieutenant Starscream. It’ll be fascinating seeing a Transformers story where Starscream isn’t plotting to overthrow Megatron and is instead fiercely loyal.
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Lore sets up a fun scenario to align Starscream and Blurr, but it’s clearly just a matter of time before Blurr betrays him. The excitement largely comes from reading through Blurr’s perspective while actually rooting for Starscream for a change.
Guidi’s art is solid. There’s a few switches to the standard designs of some characters to make the differences between their classic counterparts more pronounced. The action is easy to follow and the detailed backdrops make for dangerous settings.
Colorist John-Paul Bove, with assists from Ed Pirrine, have the toughest challenge. So much of the standard Generation 1 characters are synonymous with their colors. Altering colors in the regular universe means an all together new Autobot or Decepticon. From that sense, it’s somewhat disorienting trying to determine if background characters are significant players with a color palette switch.
Shattered Glass kicks off strong with an engaging opening act that shows the potential in this series with its distorted reflection of the Autobot/Decepticon war.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Photo Credit: IDW
Pick up the Transformers Shattered Glass Optimus Prime and Ratchet figures on Amazon.