It is extremely difficult for me to read the 80s Marvel US or UK comics.
The writing was meh in most, and of course, being a licensed property, the typical art for the inside of the books was never much to talk about and the artists on the book varied in their sticking to any Sunbow model sheets they might have been given.
I suppose Bob Budiansky did his best though with the limitations. I just never jived with the comic.
Oddly, there were many times when top talent did covers though, as there are some really great memorable ones from that era.
Case in point #8.
The cover would have been pretty typical for 1985 with the exception that Kyle Baker inked it, taking it up several notches.
And the inside was saved by Baker’s inks, elevating the battle between Shockwave and the Dinobots beyond what then artist William Johnson put into the pencils. Ratchet was visually excellent in this issue. (He was a much larger character in the early comics than he ever was in the show.)
I remember being so sad that Baker didn’t seem to have a permanent assignment inking or illustrating the book after this issue.
What is also sad?
As is course for the time, and even following the animated series, we only get Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge on the cover. No Swoop or Snarl.
Artists: Mark Bright and Kyle Baker