Transformers: Robots in Disguise #20 – Review

By: John Barber (writer), Andrew Griffith (art), Priscilla Tramontano (colors)

The Story: Starscream deals with a lack of respect, the bloodthirsty media, and even sabotage as he leads Cybertron through the first night of his reign. Yes, that Starscream. In charge of Cybertron. It’s gonna be a long night.

The Review: IDW’s Transformer series have come a long way since the days of back to back miniseries, but they’ve rarely been as innovative as they are now. You may have heard good things about Transformers: More than Meets the Eye, James Roberts’ sleeper hit. Its sister title, Robot’s in Disguise, hasn’t received the same praise, but that might change soon.

With Optimus Prime resigned from his post and Megatron captive, Cybertron is finally seeing a sunrise without war, but the long road to rebuilding is just beginning. Though readers of the title have seen Bumblebee’s attempts to maintain order against Decepticon radicals and social division within the populous, all that recently changed when Starscream was declared the chosen one and banished any bot unwilling to relinquish their old alliances.

As treacherous as ever, Starscream is at once a perfect and terrible administrator. John Barber turns the beloved Decepticon backstabber into a pragmatic reformer, determined to better the state of his people, and himself along with them. He’s still Starscream, but he puts in a legitimate effort to channel his traitorous tendencies into something positive.