Transformers #35 — David Nakayama’s cover sets the stage for Skybound’s next big swing

Wheeljack is buried in his work while Cybertron bleeds. Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard deliver the latest chapter in the Energon Universe, where secrets in the lab collide with chaos on the front lines. A high-stakes drop that demands your attention.

There is a specific kind of tension that comes from knowing what’s happening in the room while the character in the scene is completely in the dark. That is the delicious setup for this latest drop from Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. We are deep in the Energon Universe, and Skybound continues to prove why they are the definitive voice for these mechanical heroes. This issue lands with a quiet but terrifying premise: while the world burns, one mind is trying to build the solution.

The action is split between two distinct wavelengths. Out on the battlefield, the surviving Autobots are holding the line against a Decepticon assault that shows no signs of slowing down. It is desperate, kinetic, and exhausting. Meanwhile, tucked away in the Cybertron Shard, Wheeljack is hard at work. He is so focused on his secret projects that he has no idea his friends are fighting for their lives. It’s a classic comic book contrast—creation versus destruction—and it makes every page turn feel urgent.

Jason Howard’s art here is a masterclass in pacing. He moves seamlessly between the chaotic sprawl of combat and the claustrophobic intensity of the lab. The inks by Mike Spicer add a gritty texture that grounds the sci-fi elements in something tactile. You can feel the weight of the metal and the strain of the characters. It’s not just shiny robots hitting each other; it’s a war with consequences and a scientist whose isolation might be his greatest vulnerability.

What makes this issue such a compelling read right now is the emotional distance between our two focal points. You are watching Wheeljack tweak a screw or calibrate a machine, fully unaware that every second he spends in his lab is a second the Autobots have to endure alone. That dramatic irony is where the story lives. It pulls you in because you want to scream at the page, to warn him, but you’re trapped in the narrative just like everyone else.

Keep an eye on the David Nakayama cover variant. It captures that exact feeling of looming dread better than most interior pages can. It’s subtle, atmospheric, and hints at the scale of the problem without giving anything away. This is the kind of book that rewards close attention, and with the current pace of the series, it’s the perfect time to jump in and see where the lines are drawn.