‘Transformers’ #20: It’s Megatron’s World, We’re Just Living In It – Review

The next arc of the series kicks off in Transformers #20. Befitting the big moment to which the previous arc ended — the proper introduction of Megatron to the series — this issue is focused on the immediate impact his return has on the rest of the characters, within both the Deception and Autobot camps. In that, it serves as a better showcase for the character than his flashback spotlight in the previous issue, and also gives the issue a narrative spine to better support the book’s many, sprawling plotlines.

Transformers #20 is essentially bookended by confrontations between Megatron and two winged Decepticons. It opens with Astrotrain hurtling headlong in train mode into Megatron’s chest, in a panel illustrated in glorious detail by Jorge Corona.

Megatron welcomes the challenge, giving Astrotrain the chance to extract the vengeance he’s been seeking since early in the series. At the backend of the issue, Megatron orders the restoration of Starscream’s legs, just to put him on relatively equal footing (pun intended) when Megatron proceeds to beat the crap out of him.

These two sequences — beyond just being further examples of the series’ penchant for gritty, fist-pounding robot-on-robot violence — serve as a perfect showcase for Megatron: his twisted sense of honor, his determination, his raw ferocity and martial prowess (especially given he bests both his foes with literally one arm while looking through Lazer Beak’s eyes).

Even his ability to enforce his will over others when being wielded in his gun mode is shown. This issue tells us everything we need to know about this version of Megatron in a far more entertaining way than his previous spotlight issue dedicated to the same.

Megatron’s presence looms large even when he’s not on panel — we see that, in the wake of last arc’s events, the Autobots are strengthening the defenses of the Ark, resurrecting the Aerialbots and bringing Jetfire home. Yet even a pitch from Spike on the power of hope and the childlike demeanor of the Aerialbots aren’t enough to shake Optimus Prime’s grim mood in the wake of Megatron’s return and the pressing mystery of his own violent outburst.

Daniel Warren Johnson writes a believably dour Optimus, making us feel the weight of his anxieties on his shoulders, while also managing to make Spike’s pep talk believable but not corny, and the Aerialbots charmingly-innocent but not cartoonishly so.

Other subplots get mild advancements: on Cybertron, Metalhead launches into action to help Carly with his already-trademark enthusiasm, while the series’ ties to G.I. Joe are furthered by the reveal of a notable Joe overseeing the captive Ultra Magnus. But the unquestionable star of Transformers #20 is Megatron, and in doing so, it starts the new arc off on an ominous but compelling tone.