I'll confess it. There was a moment, back in 1987 when I realized that my brother had a cooler toy than all of the ones I had. I didn't care for his sports stuff, or his building blocks, but he had gotten an Optimus Prime for Christmas and I was taken by it. The whole idea that a truck could turn into a talking robot and that it wasn't only on my TV but in my living room was stunning.
I wanted that truck so bad. I still want that truck so bad. I've been sort of a tomboy ever since and I love it. I have an enormous love for Back to the Future and I love every movie that has a car chase in it… so when IDW announced The X-Files: Conspiracy series and that it included Transformers, I was immediately hooked.
Warning - SOME spoilers ahead!
I have to confess, too, that I have yet to read any other Transformers comics, but this issue reminded me of how much I love them. Paul Crilley nailed Bumblebee's sense of humor and Optimus' fatherly nature, and explained their universe without thoroughly confusing the readers that might have no clue of what a “Decepticon†is. I also believe that in terms of characterization, the Gunmen felt real and true to the universe that has been developed throughout this series. I especially liked the character development that he allowed for Langley and Bumblebee; it raised the stakes and gave motivation to the characters to respond to the situations they were presented. They stole the show.
The story, which I won't explain in much detail for a change, is simple and it grabs you from the start, moving forward along the path of the Lone Gunmen's mission: to save us from a virus that might wipe out the US in just one week. I was very pleased with Dheeraj Verma's work at the pencils, though I still have problems with how Byers' portrayal turns out in some of these. Don't get fooled though, this issue has very creative use of the art, with a style that suits the genre like a glove, presenting us with great visuals that supported the storytelling in a clever way and the especially breathtaking colors by Joana Lafuente. I think in terms of the look of this issue, that is the one thing that I couldn't get enough of. Amazing job.
As it turns out, Frohike, Langley and Byers manage to make a solid team with the amazing alien vehicles, saving Ratchet from the claws of Skylogic Systems, the sinister organization that seems to be behind the whole pandemic. They also find a way to get a sample that will help Scully and the CDC work on a possible vaccine to fight off the impending catastrophe - that is, if a final threat doesn't stop them. The last few frames set the cliffhanger for next month's issue, which features The Crow.
The issue features with three great covers; the standard one by Miran Kim, a dark subscription cover with art and colors by Dheeraj Verma and Joana Lafuente, respectively, and a third and last RI cover with art by Joe Corroney and colors by Brian Miller of Hi-Fi Studios.
I continue to enjoy the way Conspiracy is being written, though I can understand why this might not be everyone's cup of tea if you don't enjoy the comedic tone that may seep through some of the pages. I am very satisfied by this issue though, the fourth out of six in this series, and I'm really looking forward to the next one.
You know the drill: rush over to your local comic store, shop and pre-order. You can also enjoy these via Comixology. In case you might want to drop IDW a line about these comics you can do so at their twitter or even via email at