Optimus Prime #20 Review

Writer: John Barber
Artist: Kei Zama
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: July 11, 2018
Cover Price: $3.99
Review by Chris Groves

"The Falling," Part 5. Optimus Prime has faced defeat before and come back... but he's never seen anything like this. Beyond life, beyond death-only the wisdom of an old friend can save him. Meanwhile, Victorion battles Devastator... and only one will survive.

The return of Bumblebee!  One shall rise, one shall fall, but who will destroy them all?



Optimus Prime and Bumblebee are in the crystal city trying to find their way back to the fight with Onyx Prime, but along the way, we learn why the Autobots follow Optimus.  We are shown that Optimus isn’t always the most moral leader during peacetime, but it is during wartime that he commands respect.  

This explanation gives a good reason why I haven’t like him since he stepped down as the leader at the beginning of this ongoing.  When Optimus is wrapped up in politics, he splits his followers based on his decisions (like annexing Earth), but when there is war he thrives on those who believe in him. 

The flipside of the story has Arcee and Victorion fighting Devastator and the others Onyx has sent.  I enjoy Arcee slashing bots and the Victorion/Devastator fight was cool. I Josh’s color for this issue.  He brought mood and emphasis with contrasting bold colors.  

Bits and Pieces:

Overall, this issue tied elements from Spotlight: Shockwave and Dark Cybertron to this endgame and is a good character issue for Optimus Prime himself.  

8/10