If you know me, you know I’ve been a Transformers fan since the very beginning, immediately falling in love with the cartoon, the toys and their Marvel Comics-powered lore as soon as I discovered them. I regularly read the weekly UK Transformers comics back then too, barely aware that parallel adventures were taking place across the pond (and firmly within the Marvel Universe too!).

Transformers ’84 is a deliberate, nostalgic throwback to those first comics – written by one of the most popular and well regarded writers in the history of the franchise, Simon Furman. With artist Guido Guidi’s brilliant 80s-homaging artwork and the classic Ben-Day Dot style of colouring from John-Paul Bove, you could be forgiven for thinking that the comic really was published back in 1984 – the stylistic choices are carried out so successfully that it genuinely does feel like a real 80s comic.

Even Furman’s story, taking in a clandestine trap being laid by Optimus Prime during Earth’s Middle Ages, feels like a tale from a bygone era. It’s cleverly constructed, impressively detailed fun – and even features some excellent, surprising insight into the motivations of a few of the franchise’s most beloved characters.

As a Prelude (hence the #0 numbering) it works really well too, with the situation set up by the end of the issue being very intriguing indeed. Excellent stuff.