A few months back, I came across Transformers: The Manga, Volume 1. Not knowing much about the serialized manga from Japan’s TV Magazine, I grabbed a copy, not quite knowing what to expect.

What I got was intensely goofy, incredibly dynamic, and well worth the time spent. The art was amazing, the stories were… well, they served the purpose of cramming as many robots on the page as they could. I knew enough about the Japanese Transformers manga that I didn’t go in expecting anything that would stick with me past reading Volume 1, but I was still glad to have read it.

Tucking in to Volume 2, I was ready for that same level of escape (something desperately needed right now). Not to bury the lede, but that’s exactly what I got.

Transformers: The Manga, Volume 2 collects the “The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!,” “The Headmasters,” and “Super God Masterforce” storylines. If you’re trying to match it up with the Western G1 storyline, they all take place after Transformers: The Movie with Rodimus Prime leading the Autobots, and they all tie in to the Japanese-only animated series The Headmasters and Super God Masterforce.

I’ve seen panels and pages from the Transformers manga for quite a while, but what I was missing from the experience was the translation of the words that adorned each distinctive panel. The Transformers: The Manga series provides an English translation of those old TV pages for the first time.

The Headmasters

The Headmasters, Chapter 1 (Image: VIZ Media)

“The Headmasters” is the more traditional Transformers story, pitting the post-Movie generation characters against one another in battles that take no more than a few pages. Outcomes are predictable (with the heroic Chromedome and his fellow Headmasters defeating the scheming Decepticon Mindwipe and company).

But the dynamic artwork and utter silliness of it all (with everyone yelling “Head On!” as they transform) is engaging in a way we don’t ever see with Transformers fiction anymore. If you’re wondering who’s who or why these characters are highlighted, just check the 1987 Transformers catalog.

The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!

The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast! (Image: VIZ Media)

“The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!” brings even more characters to the fray, with the Headmasters arriving on the aforementioned Planet Beast to save its denizens, the Battle Beasts. These tiny collectible figures were released around the same time as the ’87 Transformers and, in Japan at least, were in the same universe since they were also made by Hasbro/Takara.

Here, we start to see more Japanese-only characters, with the train combiner Raiden (who was only released in Japan) squaring off against Predaking to free the heroic Battle Beasts. We see him in the next issue facing off against a giant robotic squid (because, Japan).

Ricochet and Artfire (exclusive Targetmaster repaints of Jazz and Inferno) also show up for some product placement and, in the last chapter, we see Soundblaster, the Japanese-only repaint/retool of Soundwave. This volume also features my favorite subplot with Sixshot as an animal-loving philosopher warrior who wants to become human (again, because Japan).

Super God Masterforce

Super God Masterforce, Chapter 1 (Image: VIZ Media)

“Super God Masterforce” is where things get weird. This series was a noble attempt by Japanese animators and illustrators to create a mythology that combined all of the late-80s Transformers toys: Pretenders, Headmasters, and Godmasters (known as Powermasters outside of Japan). Most of the characters in this series were never seen abroad (and whose toys have become holy grails for collectors as a result). The focus is on the three human Headmasters Carb, Minerva, and Shuta.

That’s right, human. By using special bracelets, the three are able to transform into heads for Transformer bodies. The Decepticons also have similar technology, with three human orphans they’ve turned into Headmasters. Even stranger, the Decepticons are led by Giga and Mega, humans who turn into Godmasters that power Overlord the giant tank/jet/base combiner (but not like Omega Supreme).

Eventually, the Autobots get a Godmaster of their own with Ginrai, who just happens to look like Optimus Prime, so they make him the leader. Once Ginrai shows up, the manga shifts to him acquiring his multiple trailers so he can power up into Super God Ginrai. Interestingly, once his final trailer shows up, the kids are relegated to piloting it into battle and don’t transform anymore.

The 12-chapter manga loosely follows the plot of the Super God Masterforce cartoon. If you’re familiar with the show, you’ll have no problem with the manga. For someone like me who’s never watched the show, the manga was a bit of a challenge. Not because it was difficult to follow (the reading age is still decidedly younger), but because there always seemed to be a lot more going on outside the plot presented on the page.

It’s still quite enjoyable, however, and it showcases characters we never got to see fictionalized in the West. I also appreciate the presentation of things that would never make it past U.S. censors (like the fact that Giga and Mega were reanimated lovers who’d committed suicide by drowning themselves in the ocean).

Is It Worth It?

If you’re a fan, you’ll love getting your hands on this bit of unexplored Transformers history for the first time. Sure, the storylines aren’t exactly the universe-spanning epics of Simon Furman, but they’re not meant to be. These were serialized comics in a TV guide, after all. The intended audience skews younger so you may find yourself rolling your eyes a bit at the naivete, but if you can turn off your inner cynic, you’ll be rewarded. Plus there’s an extensive art gallery in the back of the volume that will delight every Transformers fan.

Transformers: The Manga, Volume 2 is fun with artwork that’s well worth the time spent. These are familiar characters drawn in dynamic, sometimes cartoony, ways that we never get to see in other comics. At the same time, there’s no denying that the manga style conveys a level of emotion that simply isn’t found anywhere else. For example, the splash page for the first chapter of “Super God Masterforce” (shown above) does an incredible job of depicting the human-level panic that’s often missing from Transformers fiction.

Especially if you’re a fan of the “extended” Generation 1 Transformers universe, you owe it to yourself to check out this chapter of Transformers history. You can pick up your copy on Amazon right now. Do yourself a favor and get the hard copy. It’s worth it.