Destro, the founder of weapons manufacturer M.A.R.S. Industries, has joined Cobra to study the energon power source. However, such a discovery cannot satisfy his hunger, as he wants to achieve his personal goals instead of simply providing the new organization with weapons and technology. While the dangerous Crimson Twins move into Destro’s orbit and obliterate his plans, Cobra might not last long. Dan Watters and Andrei Bressan demonstrate the rocky and fragile alliance between Destro and Cobra Commander that will impact Cobra’s future in Destro #1.

After appearing as a side character in the previous Energon titles, Destro finally gets a miniseries to flesh him out more as a character and dive into Cobra’s early days. Watters has a firm grasp of his warmongering nature and desire for power as he takes over for Darklonia for profit and not for Cobra. Watters dives into the ideological and power struggle between the two leaders, where Destro wants to be viewed as an equal to Cobra Commander and not as his subordinate. Cobra does not exist as the singularly driven organization we remember but is derived from a series of loose alliances vying for energon.

I also enjoy how Watters is diving more into the villain’s aspect of the world, especially with getting Destro’s point of view after seeing Cobra Commander’s. With more of a focus on political struggles and arms races, Destro #1 provides a different title flavor for the Energon universe. However, the overall pacing of the issue felt a bit basic, with the dialogue shining as the overall plot feeling akin to simply setting up the chess board. Compared to the other two miniseries, it does lack the overall exciting action, but I wish the plot beats hit much harder due to how Watters characterizes Destro. 

Much like the plot, Bressan’s art did not immediately grab my attention and did not stand out. Unlike the art in the other Energon titles, it feels like the weakest so far. Bressan’s work does not suit the tone of the series and the vibe that Watters is going for with his writing. However, colorist Adriano Lucas and letterer Rus Wooton are bright spots who deliver strong work.

Although not as strong as the previous Energon works, Watters and Bressan delve into the devil’s soul in Destro #1. With an excellent understanding of character voices, another section of the Energon universe gets explored. Hopefully, the energy picks up in the next issue cause I am interested in the title’s premise. Overall, I wish there was more narrative meat on the bone and more substantial art.

Story: Dan Watters Art: Andrei Bressan
Color: Adriano Lucas Letterer: Rus Wooton
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.2 Overall: 7.3 Recommendation: Read

Skybound provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle