Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies is an American comic book limited series written by Simon Furman, drawn by Guido Guidi and published by IDW Publishing. Based on the Transformers franchise by Hasbro, the series is meant to be a prequel to the continuity established on both the original comic book by Marvel Comics, and the alternate comic book by Marvel UK.
Plot During the ongoing Cybertronian Civil War between Optimus Prime's Autobots and Megatron's Decepticons, internal conflict emerges as Shockwave identifies Megatron himself as a hindrance to the Decepticons' ultimate goal of planetary domination. While Optimus Prime and his team of recruits embark on a mission to intercept a catastrophic asteroid belt capable of annihilating Cybertron, Megatron leads a group of Decepticons in pursuit. The mission, however, appears to serve purposes beyond planetary defense, potentially aligning with Shockwave's own agenda. The unfolding events are also linked to a mysterious secret connected to Earth in the eleventh century.
The story is narrated from the viewpoint of Punch a.k.a. Counterpunch, an Autobot infiltrating the Decepticons.
Publication history In 2019, IDW Publishing originally released the miniseries Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies miniseries written by veteran Transformers writer and co-creator Simon Furman, drawn by Guido Guidi and colored by John-Paul Bove.
The series a prequel to the original comic book series published by Marvel Comics, intended to fuse its continuity with the alternate Marvel UK series.
Issues IssueWriter(s)Artist(s)Colorist(s)Letterer(s) Publication date#0Simon FurmanGuido GuidiJohn-Paul BoveTom B. Long August 21, 2019#1 July 15, 2020#2August 19, 2020#3September 2, 2020#4October 28, 2020
Reception The initial issues received mostly positive reviews, with Ricky Church of Flickering Myth praising the writing and art, while Alexander Jones of Multiversity Comics says issue #0 is "a joyous exploration into the history of the Transformers." At ComicBook.com, Jamie Lovett wrote that as the series went on, it lost some of the charm it started with, feeling that it was a "love letter to the original Transformers comics" and "not meant to bring in new readers." Lovett gave high praise to the detailed artwork, which was true to the original comics.
+ Issue Publication date Rating Reviews Reference #0 August 21, 2019 7.6/10 3 #1 July 15, 2020 5#2August 19, 20207.7/103#3September 2, 20204.0/101#4October 28, 20206.0/10Overall6.6/1013
Collected editions TitleMaterial collectedPublication dateISBNTransformers '84: Secrets & Lies Transformers '84 #0 Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies #1–4 Bonus materialFebruary 17, 2021
References