Review: Transformers/Back To The Future #3

Just when you thought comics couldn’t surprise you, the Great (Cavan) Scott and Juan Samu remind us what ‘More Than Meets the Eye’ really means with this incredible crossover. With the perfect balance of elements important to each property, just the right amount of humor and an ending that is as natural as it is shocking this team is creating something truly great.

Decepticons have used time travel to change reality to their favor with humans working hard labor for them and Biff Tannan acting as a willing middle manager. Rather than simply focusing on the stalwarts for these crossovers, Optimus, Bumblebee and Megatron, this crossover is mixing things up and this issue focuses heavily on the Constructicons and Rodimus along with the newest Transformers created by the time ripples. Gigawatt is the Delorean transformed and even more fun is Skilz who is a transforming hoverboard. Using the Constructicons creates a much more grounded villain that is a feasible foe for the Doc Brown and the McFlys. Even in this alternate timeline, Biff is a double dealing villain and in spite of Doc rescuing him with his Alpha Wave Ionic Nullifier, Biff turns on the heroes again as soon as he has a chance.

Biff is the star of much of the issue, from playing both sides, to scoring an Exo-Suit, mixing metaphors and of course meeting his end in a waste bin its massive fun seeing him play out familiar villainy in unfamiliar circumstances.

Scott and artist Samu have an amazing energy added to the action. Samu loves altering panel sizes to create a feeling of movement and along with insane colors by David Garcia Cruz and especially Candice Han creates a style that truly pops off the page. Skilz and Gigawatt get their moments but we definitely could have used some more Gigawatt in this issue. It would be interesting to see more of the personality of the Delorean transformed. The real capper to the issue is the twist ending of the issue, where the Decepticons have a massive surprise with the Clock Tower itself transforming to face our heroes. This book is shear pleasure, going beyond nostalgia into solid story telling with old friends and unexpected new ones. Cavan Scott and Juan Samu are giving readers an incredible gift in this well executed crossovers and here’s hoping this miniseries will lead to more.

Writing: 4.8 of 5 stars
Art: 4.7 of 5 stars
Colors: 4.7 of 5 stars

Overall: 4.7 of 5 stars

Writer: Cavan Scott
Art: Juan Samu
Colors: David Garcia Cruz and Candice Han
Publisher: IDW Publishing

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.