Transformers Spotlight: Prowl
Written by Mike Costa
Art by E.J. Su
Colors by Andrew Dalhouse
Letters by Chris Mowry
IDW
Price $3.99
Release Date: April 21, 2010

I have been a Transformers fan since I saw the TV ads for the very first Marvel Comics miniseries in 1984. I had not been keeping up with their IDW comics continuity, but was intrigued by the storyline “All Hail Megatron.” In that storyline, Megatron takes over the Earth, and the Autobots are forced into hiding. The Autobots and the humans work together and take Earth back, but there is a lot of damage from the battles. Also, the humans begin capturing all robots, which forces the Autobots to go into hiding. That is the Autobots’ current status quo as this story begins.

This issue of Spotlight — Transformers Spotlight: Prowl — focuses on Prowl, the veteran Autobot that transforms into a police car. I’ve been a Prowl fan since grade school, and his demise in the animated Transformers movie saddens me to this day. Autobot leader Optimus Prime instructs Prowl to go undercover as a police car, allowing himself to be driven by a human police officer. Prowl doesn’t really see the point of this assignment and feels that with the humans trying to capture all robots, the risks are not worth the reward. Prime assures him that his assignment is important, and Prowl yields to his command. We see Prowl in disguise mode and mainly observing. Eventually, Prowl encounters a situation where he has to ask decide if he is ready to risk capture and death to save a human.

I really enjoyed this issue. It was interesting to see the good Autobots hiding from humans. Also, it was interesting to see this version of Prowl, whose personality is much more conflicted and believable than the cartoon version. Mike Costa should be commended for his dialogue. Even though you get the feeling that Prowl will eventually decide to save a human life, the moment doesn’t seem forced or cheesy. Also, Prowl’s original position is understandable. There are a lot more humans than Autobots, and revealing themselves at any time could have disastrous consequences.

E.J. Su should also be commended for his art style. All of the Autobots have very robotic features and movements. It added a hint of “realism” to this giant robot story. I have been away from the Transformers’ comic book universe for a while, but books like this may bring me back full-time. Costa’s story was a bit predictable, but the insight into Prowl’s mind was very interesting.

At its best, the Spotlight series shows different traits or reveals past secrets of the Transformers characters. I now have a different insight into Prowl. This is not the Prowl of my childhood, but a much more interesting, flawed Prowl. I look forward to seeing Prowl’s further adventures and development in the ongoing Transformers title.

Rating: 4 out of 5