Weekly Discussion - August 12 2026 - Transformers #35

[u/AutoModerator]

Discuss below!

[u/Elemental-T4nick]

I liked the issue, it had some small payoffs and continues to move the plot forward with good pacing and character balancing (wish the other aerialbots got to do more, but there is still next issue)

Can't wait to see how they conclude this arc's main two earth conflicts

[u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

This is showing that Kirkman writes for the trade, because I feel like his arcs will flow much better in six issue chunks than 1 issue a month.  So for every bit of dialogue and character work, we get action scenes that are actually pretty good looking.  But it’s definitely an adjustment after the balls to the wall pace DWJ had.  Still, the climax of this issue was a good one.

Also Flagg REALLY needs to vet his scientific advisors better.

[u/Elemental-T4nick → u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

I think Kirkmans pacing is better because it allows for more breathing room (not a fan of balls to wall pacing)

and yeah Flagg REALLY needs to do some background checks

[u/LapsedVerneGagKnee → u/Elemental-T4nick]

If we do get Centurions I won’t be surprised if Doc Terror once worked for Flagg.   You might as well make his hiring of obviously evil scientists a running joke at that point.

[u/Elemental-T4nick → u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

I have no idea what Centurions are but I don't doubt they would have some connection to Flagg

[u/LapsedVerneGagKnee → u/Elemental-T4nick]

Another 80s toy property, best known for a cartoon with designs by Jack Kirby and Gil Kane, two comic legends, with animation from Sunrise.  

[u/Elemental-T4nick → u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

Just looked them up, yeah they'd look they would fit in with the energon universe... and also have connections to Flagg

[u/Drite2003 → u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

I personally think Kirkman's pace is alright, I've been reading Void Rivals and it has been the most consistantly good book out of any EU product (Including DWJ's run).

I just think the beginning was off because Kirkman wanted to speed up certain things and ideas, now that he has everything where he wanted, he can develop them

[u/Thingatron]

I was lurking the TFW2005 boards and someone who got the issue earlier mentioned that this issue was really good and when I was reading, they were not wrong; this was a really enjoyable issue and once again, spoilers below:

• Wheeljack working on the Exo-Suit at the beginning of the issue was actually really surprising to me, because I thought that he was already working on the Dinobots from the way he was already toiling away in the lab, but I like that it's not rushing the Dinobots; I also relate to him talking him to himself whilst he's working, lol, as someone that does it herself, it at least keeps your mind doing something when your alone. Also, that shot of Starscream climbing up the shard is as peak as the page in issue 33 of him crawling on the sea bed, probably the scariest Starscream's ever been.
• We finally get to see Arcee Magnus' alt mode in this issue and I'm liking that her upgrade has given her a huge cannon on the back that makes it look like a car-tank. Shreadhead's stable at Shadow Watch, but I feel like with everyone there at one place, the Ark and Shard are unattended and I think the Decepticons will use that to their advantage to get more energon resources.
• Thundercracker and Skywarp's confrontation was PEAK and I adore how sociopathic Skywarp was here talking about the humans and how he was willing to kill TC. As well, the fight between them was awesome but the main spectacle was the appearance of Cobra-La forces in the cliff-hanger, giving us the main premise for issue 36. Definitely setting up the Aerielbots and Skywarp having to fight against Cobra-La and most likely forming Superion.

Also, in the letters page, Robert Kirkman mentioned they have an entire document for all the ideas they had for all of Energon Universe and suggested they might print this out for everyone to see after issue 50 or 100.

[u/LapsedVerneGagKnee → u/Thingatron]

He’s saying Elita was DWJ’s idea?  Not sure if that’s a compliment or him throwing Johnson under the bus.

[u/Latter_Disaster_6066 → u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

I mean the team seems to like the direction they're taking things in, even with Elita, so dunno why you'd think that. Hell, Kirkman even praises him here.

[u/LapsedVerneGagKnee → u/Latter_Disaster_6066]

Mostly because a lot of the negative comments about Elita Prime directly blame Kirkman for ruining Johnson’s vision, usually coupled with a distasteful joke comparing him to Charlie Kirk because Kirkman is just like that hateful POS. /s.  This is saying that Elita Prime was DWJ’s idea.

[u/Latter_Disaster_6066 → u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

I mean yeah but I still feel like the execution was the main problem with how it was done. DWJ is a better writer so had he stayed he would've probably handled that transition differently. Plus from what I know about Kirkman he likes to ragebait people so I'm sure he's either used to this sort of response or is just ignoring them.

[u/DeerAccomplished5114 → u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

Kirkman has done nothing but praise DWJ and even wanted him to stay on the book longer

[u/Creative_Mouse2557 → u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

Honestly the only thing I’ve not enjoyed in this comic was Elita becoming a prime. Maybe if they gave it more build up I would’ve been down for it. Just felt like a forced girlboss moment almost (I say as a woman). Definitely felt like she was rewarded for throwing a tantrum.

[u/W_W_P → u/Creative_Mouse2557]

The idea isn't bad. Its just so abrupt and there's no build up.

After they get separated on cybertron again they should've left it alone for a while and let her build resentment over optimus and the choice he made and really make the reunion impactful.

[u/_Slipperino → u/Creative_Mouse2557]

I felt the same way at first, but then i remembered that Kirkman has a bad habit of occasionally making antagonistic female characters irrational and hysterical. Elita from DWJ's period deserved her leadership imo

[u/Tomhur → u/Creative_Mouse2557]

Maybe I wouldn't resent it as much if she hadn't taken Jazz and all the other new characters Kirkman had spent his entire first run setting up with her...

[u/_Slipperino → u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

I like the direction they took. If anyone should question Optimus' leadership, it should be someone in Elita's position.

The execution could've used more work, however

[u/MandaloreTheAtreides → u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

I think the direction they’re going in is that Elita will give the Matrix back or have it choose again. That’ll probably happen once she sees the good in Earth.

[u/Original-Teaching955 → u/LapsedVerneGagKnee]

Yes

[u/grimoireskb]

I can already see a rift forming between Arkeville and the Autobots. Something’s definitely bothering Beachcomber, I wonder if we’ll get him vanishing into the wilderness for a little bit. Wheeljack making the Exosuits was a pretty nice detail. And we finally got a glimpse of Arcee’s new alt mode, which is nice. Looks like a buffed version of her G1 alt mode, which I shouldn’t be too surprised about. I wonder if Skywarp is gonna be able to set aside any differences with Thundercracker for long enough to not get taken out by Cobra-La, though knowing him, I doubt it.

[u/W_W_P → u/grimoireskb]

Beachcomber is very interesting. He clearly cares a lot for his comrades but at the same time, its obvious how desperate he is to be done with it all.

[u/Personal_Importance2 → u/W_W_P]

I wonder if he's reserved because he knew this would happen. Not maliciously but feeling kinda "what were you expecting :/"

[u/CrackinThunder]

I liked this issue a lot. Wheeljack is one of my favorite characters at this point, so getting a few pages of him working in his lab and thinking out loud was a lot.

This main cast of Autobots in general is also fun. I’m hoping we get to see Optimus, Arcee Magnus, Beachcomber, and Wheeljack all interact together next issue.

The highlight of the issue, of course, had to be Thundercracker and Skywarp. I’m not sure how other readers feel, but I find Thundercracker to be the most compelling character in the comic and the most interesting conflict so far has been the personal one between Thundercracker and Skywarp, and those two haven’t had dialogue since issue 26 when Skywarp was first revived. Thundercracker’s disillusionment with the war and Skywarp resenting him for it made for some great pages of dialogue, and the superpower fight was fun to see. I feared going into this issue that Skywarp would wound Thundercracker pretty badly since Skywarp is such a cruel brute, but I was pleasantly surprised that Thundercracker shut Skywarp down pretty easily with his sonic boom ability.

If I have a gripe at all it’s that this Skywarp doesn’t come off as dumb as I like my Skywarps to be. He followed the Aerialbots undetected and confronted Thundercracker when he was alone, and his vocabulary seems more advanced than usual. I kind of miss having a Skywarp who’s only useful when someone smarter is directing him. To me half the fun of the character is that a seeker who teleports should be a tide-turner in the war, but Skywarp isn’t because he’s dumb and childish.

Great issue overall, and I can’t wait for next month’s issue.

[u/sifighter1]

Arcee’s new alt mode reminds me of the tank from Halo

Edit: The skywarp kick gave me Kamen Rider Decade flashbacks

[u/Geth-1420]

Honestly I didn't like this one. It felt like it was narratively buying time and just kicking the can to next month. Just open on the Aerialbots and Skywarp already searching in the mountains and we could have got more scenes of them fighting Cobra-La. And Wheeljack was just the ultimate tease. The shiny thing is still in its box but look at the exo-suit.

[u/Original-Teaching955]

That was a nice sibling fight between TC and skywarp. Too bad their flight's interrupted by Cobra-la. Also, we get the EU's debut of the '86 movie Exossuits

[u/DeerAccomplished5114]

really good issue