Transformers: Trial by Fire

Transformers: Trial by Fire 

By Bob Budiansky, Jose Delbo and Frank Springer (Titan Books)
ISBN 1-84023-950-6

The Titan Books collections of the Transformers tales which took America by storm more than twenty years ago are worth another look as the Major Motion Picture looms large. Since the mutable mechanoids are experiencing something of a revival the publisher’s recent collections of the best of the UK comic adventures are also sound reading choices for the younger reader, and I’ll get to those too.

Trial by Fire reprints the four issue miniseries that introduced the “Headmasters” line of toys to the reading universe and numbers #38-39 from their US Marvel monthly comic of the 1980s. Fortress Maximus brings his war-weary band of Autobots to the utopian world of Nebulos, tragically leading the marauding Decepticons of the evil Scorponok there too.

The cosmic civil war of the Evil Decepticons and benevolent Autobots was the entry level strip for many of today’s most dedicated comics fans – and some professionals – and hopefully they can work their simplistic magic for the next generation too!

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