Transformers: Windblade #1 – Review

By: Mairghread Scott (writer), Sarah Stone (art)

The Story: Typical, Starscream ran on a platform of bringing change, and yet he’s still a jet…

The Review: Despite a slow start “Dark Cybertron” came to a triumphant conclusion, one that leaves the Transformers universe in a particularly interesting place. That said the changes were centered around a few important characters. Unlike “The Death of Optimus Prime” very little was torn down by “Dark Cybertron” and instead we find ourselves in a period of building. As the Lost Light prepares for another voyage and Robots in Disguise prepares to return to a more traditional setting, what will become of Cybertron?

Thankfully, despite my worries and a bit of ambiguous dialogue, Transformers: Windblade #1 finds Starscream still in control of Cybertron. The series treads familiar but lively ground for the franchise, setting our titular heroine up as an idealistic civil servant within the hierarchy of a corrupt Cybertron – very much in the tradition of Orion Pax.

Although she fits a familiar archetype, Windblade is thankfully original. From the first panel Mairghread Scott sends a tidal wave of characterization crashing over the book’s pages. Windblade may not have been particularly well-defined during “Dark Cybertron” but after just one issue you’ll feel like you’ve known her forever. She’s an everyman without the neutral mask that normally plagues the concept. She’s optimistic, nervous, grounded, naïve, and eager to do something meaningful, all standard heroic traits but Scott combines them in such a way as to carve out an incredibly specific character for her. The result is endlessly charming.

So clearly Scott can write characters. That’s a handy skill, but it practically seems like overkill when you then hand her a handful of Cybertron’s best. Slug, Blurr, Waspinator, Swindle, Rattrap, the list goes on! They’re all charming and welcome additions to the series, but the best writing is saved for the big names.

Chromia makes for an excellent companion and the differences between she and Windblade are believable and promising, but even she can’t compare with Scott’s Starscream.

Now, I fully admit my bias towards Starscream, but I don’t think it matters much, for while it is my hope that some of the moral complexity from “Three Monologues” reemerges, the Starscream present in this issue is amazing. Scott knows just how to balance Screamer’s subtlety and ego. He’s that very particular jerk who’ll admit to anything once he knows he can get away with it. You just know that it’s going to come back to bite him eventually but, in the moment, Starscream is actually kind of terrifying, perhaps even more than Megatron.

The final piece to the puzzle is Ironhide who, by long-term design or by fortuitous brilliance, presents one of the issue’s most interesting evolutions. I won’t spoil it but the direction that Scott takes the old soldier is just the kind of inventive sci-fi scenario that has kept the Transformers brand fresh. Best of all, it doesn’t wallow in cliché. There was an obvious way to take this, but Scott’s interested in defining character, not just getting the story out there.

As if that wasn’t enough, Sarah Stone’s art leaves an instant impression. Those looking for a traditional Transformers aesthetic will be out of luck but, especially in such a character driven series, the gorgeous manga-inspired style seems a perfect fit for the tale at hand. It’s kind of like the classiest version of Transformers Animated you could imagine…just…without the chins…maybe eyes instead.

Stone seems equally adept at drawing Cybertronians of all forms, from the soft curving lines of Windblade’s face, to Ironhide’s rounded angles, to the jagged parts of a jet mode. Her Starscream has a magnificent twisty quality that calls out his duplicitous nature instantly, despite the lack of curving lines.

There’s also her coloring to consider, which is frankly stunning. A product of Japanese toy developers from the 80s, the Transformers lean towards some bright primary colors often as not and Stone is all too happy to give them all the pop their birth decade demanded. Beautiful reds and yellows frame Stone’s trademark cyan, providing a kick that makes this book stand out instantly. The bold colors make it all the more noticeable when Stone is playing with the tone of the scene. Use of white and gunmetal becomes a conscious and impressive statement instead of a basic reality of drawing Cybertron.

It’s worth mentioning that certain bots, Slug especially, are occasionally hard to recognize in this new style. I expect that readers will adjust to this soon enough, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if certain characters aren’t immediately recognizable to those used to the harsher style that Transformers has typically favored.

One other thing I really appreciated about this comic was the willingness to try interesting things visually. While some, like a notable use of sepia, are not terribly risky, others, like a spread of Windblade and Metroplex or a cracked panel from our heroine’s point of view, bring a jolt of energy to the page. Shredded panels, whipping clouds, and hazy memories help bridge Scott’s script and Stone’s intense artwork.

The Conclusion: Transformers: Windblade is a political thriller with characters who just happen to be robots. While the low stakes of this introductory issue might turn some readers off, this is a fantastic first issue and everything a pilot story need be. The characters are deep and the art is lush in a way that few monthly books can boast. Mairghread Scott has already proven that she’ll never have to defend her Transformers cred, but it’s amazing how well she steps into this continuity and how quickly she makes Cybertron her own.

It has its minor quirks and might not appeal to all tastes, but Windblade #1 is an incredible debut for this mini-series. Those of you who want it, you can keep your mindless racist explosionfest, this is my Transformers.

Grade: A

A Thought:

• While I’m loathe to even put the thought in your mind, this was a controversial series; the true introduction of female transformers to the IDW universe, written by the first woman to pen an official Transformers comic and drawn by a female artist. Even knowing the intense scrutiny this series would be under, the pair tell a story without a major battle scene, drawn in a colorful manga-inspired style. This is about as girly a Transformers comic as it gets and yet this book is outselling Batman #30 on iTunes! Snyder and Capullo did a great job on that issue, but I’m not surprised.

   See that? That’s what progress looks like: awesome comics.

– Noah Sharma