Transformers, Vol. 5

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View books by Bob Budiansky, Don Perlin.

The wilderness years begin. - Rated
With Optimus Prime out of the way in the previous volume, 'Showdown', Bob Budianski wastes no time here in getting rid of Megatron and starting things afresh... to the detriment of the stories. For the first couple of years, the two leaders stood supreme (despite being temporarily beheaded and lost, respectively) but now they are gone. Permanently. Well, for a couple of years.

Grimlock is quickly named the new Autobot leader and it is in these stories that the characterisations given by Bob Budianski and Simon Furman most jar. While Furman's interpretation of the new leader is of a likeable, rebellious anti-hero who reluctantly accepted that he was one of the good guys, Budianski's is of a completely unlikeable, almost psychotic tyrant with a speech problem who would really fit in better with the Decepticons. I know which I prefer.

In truth, 'Breakdown' isn't too bad a US volume, although it's largely downhill from here until Simon Furman's debut in the already published 'Primal Scream'. Okay, so the Mechanic isn't the best of the human supporting cast (why does he constantly wear welding goggles...?), but he's fun enough. The Scraplets, whose presence disrupts the lives of the on-the-run Blaster and Goldbug in the later stories here, are a fantastic creation (a Transformer disease!), and while Blaster comes across as almost suicidal at some points, the things he's experienced in the past few months give this plausibility. Even Trypticon works a lot better than he might. But overall it's not hard to see that Budianski was quickly running out of ideas, which will be confirmed in 'Treason'...

Overall, then, a worthwhile read for Transformers fans, collecters of the books and nostalgia freaks like me... but newcomers may be wondering why the Transformers are still revered after twenty years...