As its Halloween time I thought I’d share this Friday The 13th sketch I did recently of Jason Voorhees. I’ve always been a fan of the Friday 13th film series so I thought this piece would be perfect to share with you all at Halloween. I’ve tried to capture the haunting and menacing presence that Jason has when he’s lurking in the shadows. I’ve been totally blown away by your response to the art I’ve posted recently. Thank you so much for all your encouragement and comments. Happy Halloween everyone!
Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook
Transformers #1 heralds a brand-new era for the robots in disguise. While the fate of Cybertron remains a mystery, Optimus Prime, his fellow Autobots, and their Decepticon enemies awaken on their crash-landed spaceship to find themselves stranded on planet Earth. True to form the Autobots and Decepticons age old conflict erupts with a vengeance once more, and this time Earth is about to get caught in the crossfire! Spearheading Image Comics new Transformers ongoing series is Eisner-winning creator Daniel Warren Johnson (Extremity, Do a Powerbomb, DC’s Wonder Woman: Dead Earth), who is handling both the writing and artistic duties, with colors by Mike Spicer (Stillwater, Murder Falcon).
The announcement that Hasbro and Skybound Entertainment were launching a new shared universe for their two most popular brands, Transformers and G.I. Joe, with a new shared “Energon Universe” was warmly welcomed by fans of the properties. Transformers #1 builds on that premise as Johnson ably captures the epic scale, rich characterisation and raw power that personifies the world of Transformers.
Johnson’s tautly paced scrip quickly sets the stage as teenager Spike (a familiar character of the classic 80’s animated Transformers series, though one with a far darker backstory here) and his girlfriend Carly become embroiled in the Transformers arrival on Earth. Spike’s relationship with his father is strained due to a personal loss, so he goes on a stargazing date night with Carly, and they soon discover the Transformers crashed spaceship. This new Transformers comic series is essentially a soft reboot of sorts, with Jetfire arriving at the wreckage of the Ark from essentially where we saw him back in Void Rivals, so he has no knowledge of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons, and it is Jetfire who ultimately revives the Transformers. The Autobots and Decepticons soon take stock of their situation on Earth in Transformers #1, while Spike and Carly can only look on in astonishment. Starscream seizes the opportunity to strike at the weakened Optimus Prime and it’s not long before the Autobots, along with their new human companions, are forced to retreat.
As you’d expect, Daniel Warren Johnson brings his distinctive kinetic infused artwork style to the fore. The action and combat between the Transformers is fast, furious and surprisingly brutal. Page layouts are a tad plain and unfussy, but they get the job done well enough. The Transformers look great, with a rugged, hulking physicality, however the human characters aren’t quite as well rendered, and some may find Johnson’s sketchy style a little bit too rough around the edges for their liking in some instances. Mike Spicer employs a somewhat muted color palette full of rich earthy tones and cool metallic primary hues to accentuate the battered and war-torn Transformers, while Rus Wooton does a fantastic job lettering the densely layered, and exposition heavy dialogue.
Several familiar Transformers characters are showcased throughout this action packed first issue, and there’s some pretty surprising casualties along the way as well! With their war renewed the battle lines are soon crossed as the Transformers set their sights on replenishing their energy supplies, those closest to Spike are in mortal danger, and humanity’s only chance of survival rests with Optimus Prime himself.
This is a new age of Transformers unlike any we’ve seen before; yet it’s also one that feels strikingly familiar as well. Johnson is clearly crafting a very traditional style Transformers story here, one specifically geared towards new readers as well as fans of the comics, fondly remembered animated series, and the iconic 1986 Transformers movie. The result is a refreshingly back-to-basics approach by a creative team that clearly have a life-long love of Transformers. I’ve been a fan of Transformers right from the days of the old classic UK Transformers weekly comics, Image Comics / Skybounds new Transformers #1 was a joy to read for an old-school nerd like me. There’s plenty for fans old and new to enjoy as well and I look forward to seeing what Daniel Warren Johnson has in store for our favourite Robots in Disguise!
Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook