When people dare to complain about modern Transformers stories, they often single out the human characters and how they drag the spotlight away from the glorious Cybertron titans they paid their money to see. Optimus Prime is enough. Bumblebee is enough. We don't need Spike or Sparky to stretch the narrative. Just give us the 'bots.

And yet, Daniel Warren Johnson, the virtuosic cartoonist behind Extremity, Murder Falcon, and Do a Powerbomb!, could not imagine telling his Transformers story without Spike and Sparky. Why? The humans are at the forefront of this week's podcast as we reflect on Daniel Warren Johnson and colorist Mike Spicer's first six issues and their catastrophic climax.

Johnson sees Optimus Prime as the ultimate dad, and he wants to tell his ultimate dad saga while simultaneously reintroducing the Autobots and the Decepticons to Image Comics readers. His Transformers create a significant branch in Skybound's ever-expanding Energon Universe, which includes other titles like Void Rivals, Duke, and Cobra Commander. Telling an emotional and singular story while supporting the most exciting event in comics is a herculean task, and thankfully, for all his readers, Johnson is absolutely up for it.

After we pour ourselves over Transformers issues one through six, we invite Daniel Warren Johnson onto the show for a hearty debrief. We discuss the humanity at the core of his story, why Sparky was always Optimus Prime's parallel figure, and what we can expect after the heroic and tragic events of the sixth issue.

Transformers 7 is currently on comic stands, while the trade paperback collecting the first story arc will arrive on May 21st. Catch a preview of Transformers 8 on Skybound's website. You can continue this conversation by following Daniel Warren Johnson on Twitter, Instagram, and his Website.

As always, Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader, sponsors our Referrals segment. This week, we selected two comic book titles on the site that satisfy this episode's themes. We won't spoil what they are here, but if you click the links below, you'll be immediately escorted to those books.

Other Relevant Links:

Robert Kirkman, Joshua Williamson, and Daniel Warren Johnson at SDCC
Appreciating Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers, an essay
Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly on Duke
The Ultimate Do a Powerbomb! Daniel Warren Johnson Interview
The Ultimate Beta Ray Bill Daniel Warren Jonson Interview
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Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

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Daniel Warren Johnson on Transformers: Robots in Disguise

Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast