While the Transformers franchise has been in existence steadily since it first hit America back in the early ‘80s, it still seems to primarily carry that ‘80s atmosphere, no matter how it’s updated or changed every few years. Whether the ever-popular giant robots transform into cars, airplanes, gorillas, spaceships, or two-headed flying tigers, they still manage to hang onto the essential elements. Ask anyone who’s even remotely familiar with the Transformers mythos, and they’ll be able to tell you about Optimus Prime and Megatron, even if they’re fuzzy on the other thousand or so characters which have sprung up across four or five different and distinct generations. However, though there have been plenty of cartoon series, several different comic books, and uncounted toys to flesh out the brand, the fiction aspect of Transformers has mostly been left alone, until now.
Transformers Legends is the first (to my knowledge) anthology to collect stories about the various aspects of the Transformers universe, from Generation 1 to Armada, from Beast Wars to Robots in Disguise. No stone is left unturned in the process, and the thirteen stories within certainly manage to offer something to please any fan of the franchise, no matter what era they most identify with. Fan favorite Simon Furman, long credited with telling some of the most dynamic comic stories of the original Transformers, is featured with his story, “A Meeting of Minds,” which looks at a pivotal moment in the Beast Wars/Machines era, when one Megatron met another, to devastating effect.
Another standout story is Alexander Potter’s “Redemption Center,” in which the quintessentially treacherous Decepticon known as Starscream is granted a second chance at trust, companionship, and a sense of belonging. In a true question of nature versus nurture, he has to decide between factions and loyalties while struggling with the dictates of his programming.
Other stories look at the Minicons (John J. Miller’s “Something Robotic This Way Comes”), the popular robot known as Bumblebee (Jennifer A. Ruth’s “Joyride”), the many incarnations of Optimus Prime (Sean Fodora’s Prime Spark”), and the strange history of the Armada universe (John Helfer’s “Fire in the Dark”). All in all, this is an excellent anthology for fans of the Transformers universe, touching upon enough facets of the concept to please just about any fan. However, this is definitely a collection for fans; newcomers might be lost amidst the unfamiliar names and references scattered throughout.