Transformers #25 Comic Book Review
A new phase in the Transformers Energon Universe begins.
Published October 2025 by Image Comics
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Dan Mora and Jorge Corona
Colorist: Mike Spencer
Letters: Russ Wooton
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Storyline Overview
Issue 25 starts with a ginormous temper tantrum. Megatron is irate and abusive as he takes out his aggression on his fellow Decepticons. Without giving away too many spoilers, the Autobots gave the Decepticons a pretty good ass whooping after the events in the previous 24 issues. To be fair, though, the Decepticons did quite a bit of damage to them physically and mentally. The Autobots barely made it out alive.
Both sides limp into Transformers issue 25 looking to regroup and start fighting again, because otherwise, this would be a very boring comic book series. I can't speak for the rest of my readers, but I didn't play with Transformers in a "nice" way. They didn't sit around a table and sip tea while discussing Care Bears plotlines. No. They fought and ripped the arms off each other and stomped on Ewoks and crushed Lego people and battled each other (and everything else in my basement) because that's what Transformers do! THEY FIGHT! And they transform into neat cars and jets... and THEY FIGHT TOO!
Megatron gives a pep talk to his wounded warriors and reminds them that they fight for peace. Then he throws a badly damaged and generally disloyal Starscream into the garbage. What a dick.
Cut to the Autobots part of the storyline, and we see Optimus Prime and his fellow Autobots cleaning up the mess from the previous 24 issues of nonstop chaos and murder. Human civilians are in need of help, and of course, the goody-goody Autobots give it.
Then, several strange (but probably important) things happen in quick succession. Soundwave shows up, and Optimus Prime lays him out like a bitch. The ark disappears and reappears. Wheeljack finds what, I assume, is going to be Grimlock. And the U.S. military shows up and expresses great interest in getting to know the Autobots.
But, wait, that's not all! There's more! But I'll leave that for you to discover. Suffice to say, this issue sets the stage for the next two years' worth of Transformers comics and poses more questions than it answers.
Writing
Energon Universe creator Robert Kirkman takes the writing reigns from Daniel Warren Johnson and, presumably, steers the next Transformers story arc more in the direction of the Energon Universe as a whole. I find this a bit of a letdown after the incredible Transformers-focused previous 24 issues, but then again, I haven't seen where he intends to take this.
Perhaps, at some point, just endless fighting back and forth over the same bullshit gets old (which is how I felt about the IDW series after a while.) This is why I always threw Ewoks and Jawas into the mix when playing with my Transformers. They'll never resolve their differences, but stomping on Ewoks makes everyone feel better. It's a small victory. Can Image get the Ewoks license?
I have come to enjoy this modern 1980s revival from Image and Skybound, and read Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Void Rivals. Transformers have, over the past two years, been the strongest series in the Energon Universe with the best artwork, most interesting characters, and coolest character reveals. All involved have done a spectacular job revitalizing the Transformers comics, and I think it will be hard for them to top the past two years of work. That being said, I plan to continue reading!
Issue #25 is pretty dull compared to the past several bloodfests, but it's just setting the stage for whatever happens next. And I, for one, eagerly await the return of Grimlock and the Dinobots.
The Artwork
Transformers #25 is broken into two short stories, a Decepticon story and an Autobot story. Jorge Corona's work on the Decepticon part of the book is incredible. I can stare at his gritty, jiggy, action-infused artwork all day. It perfectly captures the Transformers, especially after they've all been beaten to a pulp. I love how he draws Devastator in particular.
Mora's work, by constast, is much happier and more manga-ish. It captures the optimism of the Transformers after their narrow victory. The colors also help to convey this divide between good and evil.
Like usual for this series, the modern paper quality is excellent, and the artwork pops off the page and looks outstanding. The Transformers look great... though I wish Corona would have drawn the entire issue (it's a personal preference.)
Conclusion
My conclusion is that before you read Transformers #25 you should go back and read the rest of the Energon Universe series from the beginning. I think they're all available in trade paperbacks by now (and maybe even hardcover?)
Each issue seemed to reveal a new character or characters, and that's a huge chunk of the fun. So, to dive into issue #25 after they're all banged up and demoralized isn't going to make much sense unless you know how they got to be that way. You really need to start at issue #1 and feel the sense of excitement, victory, and loss in issues 23 and 24. It's a ride.
As a single issue, this one doesn't stand out. I'm hoping that Kirkman doesn't turn Transformers into a Void Rivals spinoff because, quite frankly, it's better than Void Rivals. I'd rather see Void Rivals and the new G.I. Joe series bow before the Transformers because Transformers has been the standout star of the Energon Universe. Don't screw it up.
Comic Book & Beer Pairing
Sadly, I didn't have a beer with this issue. Maybe I'll read it again, soon, and have a beer with it then. I'll report back...
Review written by Mark Bussler, October 23, 2025.
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