Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Dan Mora
Colors: Mike Spicer
Cover: David Nakayama
Transformers #28 is another impactful issue in what has become an incredible run. Robert Kirkman continues to keep these characters feeling fresh while staying true to what made me fall in love with them in the first place. He balances big changes and ongoing storylines with the same confidence he has shown throughout his career. I will admit that when Daniel Warren Johnson announced he was leaving the book, I was worried. At this point, those concerns have been completely put to rest. Kirkman and his team have delivered one excellent issue after another, and this arc has me reading with gritted teeth and wide eyes.
This is also the issue where the book truly feels like the Transformers of Kirkman. It is filled with moments where brutality and hope collide, sometimes in the same scene. More importantly, it feels like those ideas are being set on a collision course that will not stay theoretical for long. Something explosive is coming.
Megatron Is Coming Apart at the Seams
Megatron fights the Constructicons, believing them to be attacking Sharkticons.
Megatron opens the issue experiencing a moment similar to the episodes Ultra Magnus has been having since his introduction. He relives his trials under Dezimir and Mechanokoar, hallucinating Sharkticons and violently attacking his own Decepticon allies in the process.
He is quickly subdued by the Constructicons before he can do serious damage to the Nemesis, but it is immediately clear that something is deeply wrong. Megatron does not feel dangerous here so much as unstable. One of the central themes of this series has always been whether brutality is a necessary path toward peace, and this storyline feels like the most direct exploration of that question yet.
This is not the Megatron we met at the start of the series. He is broken, both physically and mentally, and he is increasingly defined by obsession rather than ideology. His final act in the issue, the brutal murder of Trailbreaker, makes it clear just how far he has slipped. This is not a calculated act of war; it is violence for its own sake.
A New Magnus Steps Forward
Arcee emerges from her mental test as Arcee Magnus.
Picking up threads from the previous issue, Arcee undergoes the mental trial required to become a Magnus after Ultra Magnus decides that his torture at the hands of Shockwave has left him unfit to serve in that role. Arcee succeeds swiftly and is formally named Arcee Magnus. This is Robert Kirkman planting a flag, and it works. As a big fan of both Arcee and Ultra Magnus, I found that this development genuinely excited me. The redesign of Arcee reflects the shift perfectly. She is bulkier and heavier, which visually communicates the burden that comes with the title.
Although Optimus Prime convinces Ultra Magnus to retain his designation, Arcee clearly steps into the role as the primary Magnus of the Autobots. That title carries immense weight within the mythology of the Transformers and within this book specifically. The added physical mass of her redesign mirrors the emotional and moral weight she is now expected to carry.
The Cost of Surviving
Optimus questions Ultra Magnus’ motives for relinquishing his title.
Ultra Magnus remains one of the most compelling characters in the series. After being rescued from Cybertron by Elita-1 and brought to Earth through the portal of Shockwave, he has struggled to function in combat due to the torture he endured. At one point, he even fled from the Decepticons, hiding in a makeshift fort before being found by Arcee and Beachcomber.
Captured by humans and later freed by an empathetic scientist, Ultra Magnus ultimately rejoins the Autobots in Chicago. Still, he recognizes that he is no longer the soldier he once was. His suffering has fundamentally changed him, and he can no longer serve his allies in the way he believes they need.
It is a grounded and emotionally honest moment in a book about massive alien robots, and it works remarkably well. The portrayal of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder here feels thoughtful rather than performative, and it adds real texture to Ultra Magnus as a character.
Loyalty Begins to Fracture
Soundwave contemplates Thundercracker’s words.
Soundwave, taken prisoner after being found beneath rubble in Chicago, shares a quiet but important scene with Thundercracker, who is now officially aligned with the Autobots. Thundercracker challenges him directly, calling the methods of the Decepticons cruel and unnecessary, and urging him to reconsider his loyalty.
Soundwave outwardly insists that his allegiance has not wavered, but the art tells a different story. We see him reflecting on how his grief over Ravage was dismissed by his so-called brothers. It feels like the first genuine crack in his certainty. Whether this leads to redemption or something messier remains to be seen, but the seed has clearly been planted.
Life Between the Battles
The Cobra chopper lands to pick up Miles Mayhem.
Away from the front lines, Spike and Carly attempt to reclaim a sense of normalcy by returning to the home of Spike and discussing his decision to abandon plans for Berkeley. It is a small moment, but it is a welcome one.
Elsewhere, Miles Mayhem is taken into custody by General Flagg, only to escape using a hidden transforming Viper armor suit and a Cobra helicopter that converts into a jet. This sequence feels slightly out of place in the moment, but it serves as a reminder that the Energon Universe is still very much in play. This thread is clearly being saved for something larger down the line.
The Calm Before the Blade
All the Autobots currently with us at the Ark.
For a brief moment, the Autobots catch their breath. Shredhead has arrived from Cybertron, the Decepticons are reeling from their defeat in Chicago, and there is finally enough Energon to revive fallen allies. A Brady Bunch style roll call of Autobots provides a fleeting sense of relief.
Then the absence becomes obvious. Trailbreaker never returned from patrol.
The scene cuts to Trailbreaker alone in the forest near the Ark, quietly appreciating the beauty of Earth and beginning to understand the love of Optimus for the planet. A snapped twig interrupts the moment. He barely manages to say "Meg" before Megatron strikes, splitting his head apart and consuming his spark. It is savage, shocking, and deeply unsettling. Megatron has arrived, and whatever restraint he once had is gone.
Dan Mora Claims the Book
Megatron rips Trailbreaker in half.
This issue further cements why Dan Mora is such a strong fit for this series. His art is less gritty than the art of Daniel Warren Johnson, but it feels more grounded in a different way. Mora emphasizes clarity, emotion, and scale, which allows the brutality of the story to land without visual chaos.
The death of Trailbreaker is especially effective because of the restraint of Mora. The techno-gore is horrifying, but it is never gratuitous. The weight of the moment comes from how clearly everything is staged and how little Mora needs to exaggerate to make it land.
Final Thoughts and Rating
Transformers #28 is an outstanding issue in an already excellent series. Robert Kirkman has complete command of the tone and direction of the book, and it shows on every page. Dan Mora and Mike Spicer continue to elevate the material with art and colors that are confident, expressive, and consistently impactful.
My only real gripe is the slightly awkward placement of the Miles Mayhem sequence, although I am confident it will feel more cohesive in hindsight as the larger story unfolds.
Rating: 9.5/10
This is the kind of book that makes me wish I had waited to read it all in one sitting. I want the next issue immediately.