Transformers 12: When Things Get Good, Back Up (Review)

With Transformers 10 and 11 we seemed to make progress to unleashing the true face of the Ascenticons as Megatron transforms their symbol into the symbol that will later be worn by the Decepticons. Things began moving fast, but in Transformers 12 not only do we slow things way down, we even back the time line up a couple of issues.

Cover 2 Cover

Both covers look sharp as always, but they do a good job of foreshadowing what the issue is about and who it follows.  The bot on the cover is a new transformer by the name of Nautica.  This issue introduces us to her and follows her story from a few issues back. She possesses a cool design for the cover.

Transformers 12: Backing the Story Up

Like I stated, for Transformers 12, we are actually backing the timeline up to the time just before issue 10. We leave Cybertron and travel to Sentinel Prime’s flag ship as it returns to Cybertron. We see Prime’s mind set on the happenings on Cybertron. Starscream shows up, so we know there’s treachery afoot, but we also meet our character of the issue, Nautica.

Nautica stands alone from other transformers in that she enjoys organic life and learning their ways. She makes connections where other bots would ignore the life form as lesser. In many ways she sympathizes more with the Voin and organics than her own people. Along with her bodyguard, Road Rage, who I believe is female even though she looks like a recolored Skids, Nautica begins an investigation based on something she hears from a recording.

The Long Road To Something

To be honest most of Transformers 12 drags. It feels like a whole lot of set up for very little pay off. The end picks up a bit when Nautica and Road Rage discover there is a rogue Thraal wandering the ship with an AI device. They accidentally kill the Thrall when Road Rage pounces on him and then end up blowing up the device.

The fact someone attempted to destroy Prime’s ship is cool. It means the fingers of war are stretching out beyond Cybertron. With Starscream on board anything becomes possible, yet he never fled the ship, so maybe he didn’t plan this. Either way Prime will not be happy.

If Nautica becomes a key part of the story going forward, it will make this issue more likable, but if she turns into a one and done character, Transformers 12 becomes a very forgettable read.