Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #32 – Review

By: James Roberts (writer), Alex Milne (art), Joana Lafuente (colors)

The Story: The crew investigates a familiar shipwreck, only to find that things aren’t quite how they left them. Think of it like a director’s cut…with a rusty blade.

The Review: Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye has always been about the past. From the presence of living fossils like Cyclonus and Tailgate to the influence of Chromedome’s previous relationships to the desperate nostalgia that’s fueled Rodimus and then Megatron’s hunt for the Knights of Cybertron, the crew of the Lost Light has consistently been driven and ruined by past events. This issue we find ourselves on unsteady ground as characters are forced to consider the future in more ways than one.

Pretty immediately upon entering the wrecked Lost Light the crew realize that something’s not right, sending them on desperate searches to determine what happened, if there are any survivors, and if this fate can be avoided. The absence of MTMTE staples proves just how skillful a writer James Roberts is, as he provides the same high level of character work without any of his familiar favorites or missing a beat.

Standouts, as ever, include Megatron and Nautica, but there are some solid moments with Getaway and newcomer Ravage as well. There’s plenty more discussion of Megatron’s defection, but the subject gets a shot in the arm in the form of an actual Decepticon for Megatron to stare down. It’s still amazing how real Roberts makes this transition and anyone who’s escaped from a self-destructive friendship will be able to see a little bit of themselves in the former tyrant. Likewise, it’s great to see the Autobots admit how difficult it can be to hold a grudge.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #31 – Review

By: James Roberts (writer), Atilio Rojo (art), Joana Lafuente (colors)

The Story: Was it Megatron? In the Rod-Pod? With the Fusion Cannon?

The Review: Remarking upon the main cast of Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye, one bot famously observed that, “as far as I can make out, all you do is argue, crack jokes, and get sidetracked doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!” It may hold a scant thirty issues and an annual against the full history of the Transfomers brand, but MTMTE has carved out a well-defined niche as a place where the brand can indulge its sense of humor, its talkative nature, and its love of narrative experimentation. If you need proof, look no further than More Than Meets The Eye #31.

“Twenty Plus One” is a classic bottle episode, a television term for a dialogue-heavy story that takes place in a single location with few guest stars or visual extravagances. The idea was pioneered and perfected by the original Star Trek in an attempt to stretch the budget for other, more effect heavy episodes. Despite their pragmatic origin, bottle episodes are frequently an opportunity for character-building and significant conflict thanks to the difficulty of holding audience attention and their similarity to staged theater. Thoroughly enamored with the trope, James Roberts conducts the issue like an old-time murder mystery, paranoia, prejudice, well-timed power outages, and all.

Stuffing twenty Autobots(?) into close quarters allows Roberts to call upon the myriad tones of MTMTE all in one issue. Fittingly, the best elements of this story are generally the highlights of the series: a blurred, honest line between comedy and drama; a complex but easily followed plot; razor-sharp dialogue; and a contemplative approach to the social and political aspects of being a Transformer being notable examples.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #30 – Review

By: James Roberts (writer), Alex Milne (art), Joana Lafuente (colors)

The Story: “You’re out of order! You’re out of order! The whole trial’s out of order!”

The Review: As Megatron’s trial comes to an end, James Roberts takes the opportunity to make it something to remember. It’s pretty impressive when a Seacon invasion is the least interesting part of a trial!

Punctuated with cruel cliffhangers that are all rewarding enough to justify themselves, the flashbacks in MTMTE #30 will keep you on the edge of your seat. Megatron is a natural star and you’ll find it hard not to sympathize with Cybertron’s imperialist mass murderer. Far from the cowardly conqueror of the 1980s or the cackling madness of G1 Galvatron, Roberts writes an intense, Byronic Megatron. Tortured without seeming self-indulgent, Megatron’s inability to accept a failed life presents all kinds of fascinating ideas and propels the story forward, taking him from masterful manipulator to broken old warrior for justice and more in the span of half an issue.

Likewise, Roberts brings the best out of Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime. With a splash of humor and an appropriately straight face, each of the truckformers act as a voice of reason, even as their actions inspire a fist pump or two. Optimus is especially interesting. The mythic connection between Prime and Megatron is strong and you can feel Optimus, almost desperately, trying to nurture what he sees growing in Megatron’s spark.

While every scene in the book could probably be described as character-driven, Roberts really shows off how strongly he can structure an interaction. Exposition, character, and comedy are woven throughout the entire script and moments like Ratchet’s final line to Rodimus hit you like a punch to the gut.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #29 – Review

By: James Roberts (writer), Alex Milne (artist), Joana Lafuente

The Story: “You have five seconds to talk me out of doing something spectacular”

The Review: Freed somewhat from the last issue’s need to hook new readers and establish new plot threads, Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye is feeling a bit more like itself this month. While the jokes and character development still come at a breakneck pace, there’s a little more space to explore.

It’s nice to see that Megatron can remain an intriguing part of the series without dominating the page. This issue is largely focused around Trailcutter and Chromedome, in the present, and Rodimus in the past. Trailcutter’s story is a great example of how easily Roberts can make comedic plots into something that feels legitimate and meaningful, both to the character’s arc and the larger narrative. Meanwhile the addition of Nightbeat continues to pay off as his investigation with Chromedome introduces even more wrinkles into one of the most beloved and affecting running plots the series has.

The entire present section of the story runs exceedingly smoothly and contains plenty of the series’ trademark humor. Trailcutter is especially gifted in this latter regard, even setting up an editorial caption’s punchline.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #28 – Review

By: James Roberts (writer), Alex Milne (art), Josh Burcham (colors)

The Story: Megatron ended the war with a badge and fought it with a canon, but he started it with a pen. Only now does he look down at the story he’s written to find that it’s a tragedy.

The Review: Say what you will about IDW’s handling of the Transformers brand, but it’s been a while since you could honestly say that they’re getting stale. John Barber and James Roberts have done an impressive job of recombining the desperate elements of the classic franchise in new and fascinating ways. Two years of reconstruction and five months of “Dark Cybertron” and transformers is trying something new again. Last week Optimus Prime set off for Earth to find that the more things change the more things stay the same and before that, Transformers: Windblade showed us that the classic TF political reformation story need not be a series of grandiose battles but can thrive using simple effective character work. Both reintroduce classic elements of the mythos, but move in new and interesting directions.

In this new world that the it falls, most of all, to More Than Meets The Eye to keep the spirit of the past few years alive and the shared universe expanding.

Caught, like all of the Dawn of the Autobots issues, between “Dark Cybertron”’s fallout and the present day, MTMTE #28 returns us to the Lost Light and its group of rag-tag crusaders. The roster has changed slightly, but the ship’s character remains the same.

Transformers: Dark Cybertron Finale – Review

By: John Barber and James Roberts (writers), Phil Jimenez (layouts), Brendan Cahill (pencils), Brian Shearer (inks), Josh Perez (colors)

The Story: At the end of time all things are possible. Up is down, black is white, past and future are one and the same, and Megatron even finds himself indulging in “heroic nonsense.”

The Review: “Dark Cybertron”. What a long, strange event this turned out to be. I remember reaching the half-way point and thinking that this was only really exciting because it was supposed to be. This was the culmination of my IDW Transformers, in the late Furman days, and yet it dragged on. Could a story come back from an opening that sluggish?

With a smirk worthy of Starscream, himself, John Barber and James Roberts have answered, “yes.”

To quickly address the content of my opening paragraph, this issue does not redeem six, eight, ten issues of bided time, though it provides important context for much of it. Indeed this whole affair might have worked better without the branding, as this is less a finale for “Dark Cybertron” and more of one for the whole of IDW’s phase 2, possibly even one for the entirety of this universe so far.

There’s a lot going on this month but Barber and Roberts do an excellent job of keeping the action clear. Transformers; especially Transformers filled with Headmasters, comics-only characters, and other relatively obscure bots; can sometimes have trouble differentiating among their larger casts, but not only are all of the characters visually and narratively distinct, many of them are effectively reintroduced for new and confused readers – and not an infodump in sight!

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #27 – Review

By: John Barber & James Roberts (writers), Andrew Griffith (art), Josh Perez (colors)

The Story: Shockwave’s final gambit forces us beyond Autobots, beyond Decepticons, beyond Megatron’s wildest imagination.

The Review: It feels like forever since “Dark Cybertron” started, but as we close in on the end, things are starting to come together. With Shockwave’s gambit revealed last issue, things have gone from bad to worse. Not bad considering that we started with the return of Nemesis Prime and the extermination of the Cybertronian race.

RiD #27 opens with an extremely clever reveal that reminds us the kinds of great comics concepts that the Transformers brand can and often does play with. From there Barber and Roberts begin setting up their finale. The massive casts of both series come together for this clash and everyone has a part to play. It’s an impressive design, but at times it can feel like the issue slows down to accommodate the sheer number of bots involved.

That said, it’s not the big picture that’s important. While the book loses energy to focus on Soundwave or Metroplex’s individual locations, the character work remains extremely strong. Even minor characters like Dreadwing are full of life. And though the positioning could have been handled a little better, the matchups themselves are pretty great. It’s a little weird seeing Jhiaxus take a backseat to his former pupil, but his strategy suits him perfectly. We get to see our favorite Autobots, Decepticons, and even a beloved Predacon take on fan favorites like Shockwave and Bludgeon. Each one has their own sinister style and seems to promise a solid conclusion to one of the series’ major threads.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #27 – Review

by James Roberts, John Barber (Writers), Alex Milne, Brendan Cahill, Livio Ramondelli, Brian Shearer (Artists), Josh Perez (Colorist)

The Story: It’s the time for celebration on Cybertron, as the crew of the Lost Light returns in triumph. However, not everyone is up for good times, as debts, incriminating evidences and general hatred don’t make for a nice ambiance for everyone.

The Review: This is probably the nicest of issues in the whole Dark Cybertron storyline. While the crossover wasn’t bad by any means, the rather odd pacing and the constant jumping around did not make for the most satisfying reading experiences that both MtMtE and RiD can be sometimes. Good ideas were thrown around as well as some impressive character moments, yet those were amidst some huge events that weren’t the most fantastic or even that good to begin with. While not a mess, the Transformers certainly had some better comics in the past.

What makes this issue a different beast, though, is the fact that it celebrates the very fact that the cast of both ongoing titles are finally brought back together, alongside other characters that weren’t always around. With both John Barber and James Roberts using this to the book’s advantage, many confrontations and nicer moments that were long time due are shown, such as Ultra Magnus arguing against Prowl due to the Overlod incident, Swerve finally meeting Blur and other scenes are things that fans of the franchise should find satisfying in many ways.

Using the very continuity they established as well as past one, the exchanges between most characters feel satisfying, but also character-defining, with Prowl being on the defensive, Ultra Magnus striving to let go of his Tyrest Accord connection, Soundwave’s devotion to Megatron and many other seen in plenty of nice interactions. Some are actually amazing, with both writers showing a depth to Megatron that makes his imminent inclusion in MtMtE an anticipated affair, inserting a code of honor, a new depth and simply some relatable qualities to what was essentially known before as a tyrant, a token evil character.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #26 – Review

By: John Barber & James Roberts (writers), Andrew Griffith & Livio Ramondelli (artists), Josh Perez & Livio Ramondelli (colors)

The Story: Well That’s Just Prime or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Matrix.

The Review: As this issue opens, Iacon is infested with a death plague and Orion Pax finds himself at the mercy of Nova Prime. With only one-third of the crossover remaining, this would be a fine time for the climax to begin, or at least for things to finally start happening. Thankfully, that’s exactly what this issue provides, if not quite in the expected fashion.

This is probably the most exciting issue of “Dark Cybertron” so far, but it seems that no one told the writers. Though the content of the issue is a step above, the constant switching between settings feels more than a little artificial. Stepping away from the Orion/Nova showdown mid-punch is a strange choice, especially if it’s only to check in with Ultra Magnus. It also doesn’t help that the artists drawing the two halves of the book couldn’t be more different, but more on that later.

Barber and Roberts cushion the blow by having dialogue trail from one sequence into the next, however this technique is most effective when the dialogue comments on each scene differently and the issue is rather hit-and-miss in that regard.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #26 – Review

by James Roberts, John Barber (Writers), James Raiz, Atilio Rojo, Livio Ramondelli (Artists), Josh Perez (Colorist)

The Story: Prowl begins to strategize how to fight back, while those in Metroplex try to find a way to help the others.

The Review: It’s never a good thing when a storyline, an event or a crossover slows things down. Whenever a title get stuck with a story that isn’t normally its own, it’s hard not to anticipate the return to normalcy, to the regular casts and problems that the writer has planned for them.

This is majorly how I feel with the Dark Cybertron crossover, which in itself is not a bad thing, as it is filled with plenty of characters I enjoy and ideas that are genuinely interesting. The problem, here, lies in many smaller ones that manage to slow things down, with the execution being in the way of some of these concepts.

What this issue does exceptionally right, though, is the characterization. Be it the growing dissatisfaction of Bumblebee over how people treat his decisions, Megatron and his strange vision of how he serves the Cybertronian, Prowl and his decisions or Starscream and his growing despair, there are several character arcs that come to a certain climax here, which is in itself a very satisfying progress.

Another aspect which is rather great is in how the tension and some of the situations are being set up wonderfully, with the Metroplex situation reaching a new step, the war against Shockwave getting farther and the rampage being even higher. The stakes are high, which bodes very well in term of actions for what might follow up next.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #25 – Review

By: John Barber and James Roberts (writers); James Raiz, Atilio Rojo, and Livio Ramondelli (artists); Josh Perez and Livio Ramondelli (colors)

The Story: Spread across two universes, Bumblebee, Orion Pax, and Ultra Magnus all find themselves in the belly of the beast.

The Review: Things are looking pretty grim this issue; Orion Pax and Rodimus are captives of Nova Prime; the Lost Light and crew are beset by a horde of murderous mini-cons; Iacon is burning; Megatron has been bisected; and, perhaps worst of all, Shockwave informs us that “we are far from the endgame.”

Yes, even at this late stage, Shockwave still stands amidst his Crystal City headquarters twirling his metaphorical mustache, awaiting the beginning of his mysterious master plan. Luckily for the cyclopean Cybertronian, his scenes feature someone eager to steal the spotlight. Galvatron is a delight in this issue. His grumbling is simultaneously intimidating and humanizing and helps to highlight the line between the mostly Golden Age bots that are part of Shockwave’s conspiracy and the post-war factions who oppose them. The scenes in Crystal City are probably the issue’s most exciting and benefit from a cast that includes strong personalities like Megatron, Bumblebee, and Waspinator.

Atilio Rojo provides the art for the Cybertron sequences. His style has a clean, traditional Transformers look and seems well suited to some of the more dramatic compositions featured in the issue. That said, at times the bots don’t look quite mechanical enough, their slender forms resembling humans in armor a bit too much. This problem affects Galvatron far more than any of the others, but Starscream remains rather off model and the normally hunchbacked Jhiaxus is looking mighty generic. Despite these problems, Rojo does provide a number of lovely close-ups that not only avoid his misteps but are extremely expressive.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #24 – Review

By: John Barber and James Roberts (writers), Robert Gill and Livio Ramondelli (art), Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Livio Ramondelli (colors)

The Story: Shockwave proves that you don’t need a face to smirk as Cyclonus makes a new friend.

The Review: “Dark Cybertron” has been full of interesting moments but, so far, it’s moved at a fairly leisured pace. Though the stakes are increasingly apocalyptic, there’s definitely been a sense of preparation rather than action.

With its fifth chapter, “Dark Cybertron” is finally beginning to pick up steam. Shockwave’s plans have been millions of years in the making but finally they begin to come to completion. The consummate master planner, it doesn’t bother the cycloptic Cybertronian one bit when a joined Autobot-Decepticon coalition bursts through his wall.

Though it’s hard to tell what’s occupying some of the bots, especially as Shockwave’s troops are handily outnumbered, the issue opens with a suitably impressive battle scene. The book focuses in on individual conflicts, allowing for good character work and solid storytelling. It even has Waspinator. The team dynamics are strong and familiar, even if I’m getting a little tired of Prowl complaining and Bubmblebee…well, bumbling. Shockwave gets the best of it though, absolute arrogance apparently being eminently logical.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #24 – Review

James Roberts, John Barber (Writers), Atilio Rojo, James Raiz, Nick Roche, Livio Ramondelli, Robert Gill (Artists), Romulo Fajardo Jr. (Colorist)

The Story: Ultra Magnus and the crew of the Lost Light meets some violent Ammonites, Starscream deals with people losing faith in him and the team in the dead universe discuss things.

The Review: Enjoying something is not necessarily a proof of its quality. Being able to love something for the greatness inside despite its fault is always something nice to see. It’s something that can go with every form of media or culture, which means comics aren’t expelled from this particular vision. There are many comics that some could consider bad, yet for nostalgic reasons or because of other inscrutable definitions, one can learn to enjoy something for what it is.

This is pretty much how I am feeling right now for the big crossover that is Dark Cybertron. It’s really not as great as MtMtE can be sometimes and there are numerous faults in terms of storytelling and presentation, yet there are several elements that do manage to entertain throughout each issues, with this one not being any exception.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #22 – Review

By: John Barber (writer), Andrew Griffith and Levio Ramondelli (art), Priscilla Tramontano and Levio Ramondelli (colors)

The Story: Soundwave vs. Shockwave beneath the crust of Cybertron in an ancient city WHERE TIME AND DEATH HAVE NO MEANING!!!!!!

The Review: I admit that I’m a little sad to see another month go by without an appearance from Starscream, especially after the prolonged delay between issues 20 and 21. All the same, if you’re in the mood for beloved Decepticons and can’t get a Starscream, you can’t go wrong with Soundwave and Shockwave or, as some of you might know them, the tape guy and Sark.

Though Soundwave’s claim to fame for many is his highly processed robotic voice, this issue has done away with it and instead reveals that, even in this more talkative form, still energon runs deep. Early depictions of Soundwave in the mini-series era emphasized the  self-serving and sly nature found in his original toy tech specs, while, after All Hail Megatron, he tended towards a cartoon-like robo-loyalist persona. This story, for it does continue from last month’s issue, leaves us with a clever amalgamation which I think fans of the character will appreciate. He hasn’t had much time to shine, but I think we finally have an iconic version of the IDW Soundwave.

The Transformers: All Hail Megatron #1 – Review

By: Shane McCarthy (writer), Guido Guidi (art), Kris Carter (colors), Neil Uyetake, Chris Mowry (letters), Klaus Scherwinski, Trevor Hutchison (covers)

I’ll say it again; IDW’s run on Transformers has been hit or miss. All Hail Megatron has a lot of potential to be a hit, and if the creative team can keep it up through issue #2, I’ll be more convinced. The basic setup is that Megatron is running the show on Earth. There are no Autobots, and we of course aren’t equipped to fight off The Decepticons. How these events play out will be key as to whether or not the series is successful (in my mind).

One of the things I like best about the comic is Megatron, himself. Megatron is a bad dude, and we get to see this a number of ways. We see him take out a skyscraper with one shot of his arm cannon, we see his followers terrified of failing him, and we see him sweep away Earth’s defenses with an insane amount of ease. Shane McCarthy does a great job of setting up the next several issues with minimal dialogue. The reason for The Autobots absence is hinted at, but not totally explained which is a good choice for issue one. I’m also thankful that we don’t get a lengthy tear-filled monologue as to why Prime is down. It’s a powerful moment that resonates better without any potentially cheesy dialogue.

Not since Pat Lee and Brad Mick have The Transformers looked so detailed in their G1 forms. Guido Guidi does an excellent job of showing the devastation the ‘Cons unleash while making everyone stand out from the wreckage. Megatron walking through the fire while laughing is my favorite shot, very Terminator-esque, very cool. I love the various covers to the comic as well. Trevor Hutchison’s feel like political propaganda posters, though I hope the story doesn’t go that route. Klaus Scherwinski’s covers have more of menace to them, especially the one with Megatron holding Prime’s head. The different covers peak my interest for different reasons and all are strong in presentation.

All Hail Megatron #1 is an excellent pilot and does everything a good first issue should. It sets up the world quickly and efficiently while leaving you wanting more. How does Megatron seize complete control of the planet? How did he take out Prime? Why haven’t The Autobots attempted to save us? I want to know, and if you read this comic, so will you. (Grade: B)

– Ben Berger