Transformers #68

Don't let the decent looking art on the cover fool you. There are no words to describe the absolute terrible nature of this issue. I don't have any complaints with the writing of Simon Furman, but the artwork done by Dwayne Turner is without a doubt the worst, most disgusting, wretched, filthy, vomit inducing abomination to ever disgrace any Transformers comic. For Turner's Transformers artwork alone, this comic is terrible despite a good story.

This story is called The Human Factor. It brings back long time human character G.B. Blackrock (he was a main character in the early run of the comics). He is currently looking for a man named Hector who has a unique power to tap into energy sources and create powerful energy bursts. This man had singlehandedly defeated the Decepticon Micro Master Air Strike Patrol. In fact, it looks as if this super human knocked them off line for good. Blackrock has also assembled a new team of super humans (The Neo-Knights) to aid him. Currently, there are two members, Thunderpunch and Rapture. Meanwhile, Starscream appears and is also searching for Hector as he wishes to tap the powers of the human for his own purposes. At the same time, Starscream is being tracked by another robot.

Hector is located by Josie Becker (a.k.a. Circuit Breaker). She tries to get him to to join her in destroying all robots, and she tells him her story of how the robots ruined her life (Shockwave attacked an oil rig she worked on way back in Transformers #6, which resulted in her becoming paralyzed and forced to rely on her exo-armor to move). At this moment, Starscream and the Neo-Knights locate them. Circuit Breaker attacks Starscream (she remembers him from issue #9). The Neo-Knights battle Starscream and defeat him. All three sides state their desire for Hector. Starscream offers him power, Circuit Breaker offers him fame, and Blackrock offers the chance for him to fight for what is right. Hector decides to join the Neo-Knights as Dynamo, and Circuit Breaker decides to focus her grudge on only the Decepticons and also joins the team. When Starscream awakens after being placed in a trance by Rapture, he discovers that the robot who has been following him is none other than the long thought dead Shockwave who offers to join with Starscream to take over the leadership of the Decepticons!

The story is pretty good in that it introduces the Neo-Knights, follows Starscream's new schemes for Decepticon leadership, and reintroduces Shockwave. All of these characters will actually play a large part throughout the remainder of the comic's run. However, Turner's artwork is again just awful. He didn't do bad with the human characters, but his depiction of the Transformers literally ruined this issue. I simply can't read because of the terrible artwork. Again, this is sad because the story is actually interesting. It's one thing to have a bad story (parts 1 & 2 of the Matrix Quest), but if you have a good story with art that makes you want to be ill, that's not a good combination. If you can stomach Starscream looking like ... who knows what, you will enjoy the comic's story. However, you have been warned. To the best of my knowledge, because of the negative reaction to Turner's artwork, he NEVER again did the artwork for ANY issue of Transformers over the next twenty years (it seriously was that bad). Simon Furman has also gone on record saying this was the only issue he has ever worked on that he was disappointed entirely by the results. I guess it goes to show that you really can't judge a book by its cover.