Comic reviews: IDW More Than Meets The Eye ongoing

[i_amtrunks]

No true spoilers as yet, I'll save them for tomorrow or Friday.

Saddest issue of MtMtE. Some big character driven personality reveals, more Swerve than you can poke a stick at, some story based reveals that have been heavily alluded to and a bonus! There is a 4 page text interlude told from Rung's perspective that is used to help setup for #14.

I think the interlude is very clever. It helps fill in gaps about Rung's recovery without using any pencilled pages, great way to include written material that would have otherwise been cut and lost to the readers.

I was expecting a light hearted romp/adventure, and there was a light hearted adventure, but peppered throughout were some panels that made me feel sad/sympathetic for the characters within.

It's going to be upsetting (not sure if this is the right word) when everything setup in the last year gets torn asunder.

[Paulbot]

I agree, this issue was so sad. I thought maybe that was my own perspective colouring my view. Still humour and jokes, both visual and verbal, but not what I was expecting.

I thought Guido's was a good choice for fill-in art. His characters and panel choices fit with the overall book's feel.

There was what I thought was a Star Trek TNG reference, but on second thought it reminds me of a Bumblebee and Carly scene from the G1 cartoon and I wonder if it was intentional.

I'd still like to know a bit more about Swerve's injury/recovery. Maybe it's in the text story. I've not read it yet but it was a great surprise. A whole other story? This book is already a long read compared to other modern comics and now they give us more? We're being treated with this book.

[i_amtrunks]

I'd still like to know a bit more about Swerve's injury/recovery. Maybe it's in the text story. I've not read it yet but it was a great surprise. A whole other story? This book is already a long read compared to other modern comics and now they give us more? We're being treated with this book.

It's all Rung. All the time.

Wonder if we'll ever get anything more than a later prose story to fill in the gaps with Swerve and Rung's injuries. Stuff starts going down next issue (notice no Brainstorm, Chromedome in this issue? What are they up to?)

[BigTransformerTrev]

Everyone said this was 'one of the funniest TF comics ever!'

I just got my issue today (I live in the bush so I am behind the rest of you with receiving stuff). While there were humorous parts which were quite good, I certainly didn't think this was the best or indeed funniest issue of MTMTE I had ever read. I had been expecting so much more with the holo-humans, was disappointed when it amounted to visiting one bar.

That said, when an unconscious Ultra Magnus transforms and the whole truck alt-mode is upside-down, laughed my posterior off!

[GoktimusPrime]

That's why I avoid spoilers -- lets me judge a comic on its own merits without bias from other people's opinions. I enjoyed this issue, a sort of "breather" from the action of the main story. The only thing that sort of bugged me is how Ultra Magnus allowed Swerve to convince him to switch off his inhibitor ... seems a bit out of character for him, but I suppose he only expected to have the drink 'relax' him and not knock him out. Totally in character for Whirl to give him that drink though. I like how they put a text story at the end; it helps to fill in some 'holes' in the story and flesh out stuff that happened between issues that we hadn't seen before (the moment where Rung was still unable to speak, but mustered enough willpower and energy to place his finger over his mouth to "shush" Swerve up was rather amusing ). Also feels reminiscent of the text stories we used to get with the G1 Annuals (only without intermittent artwork ).

I need to have a closer look again, but do the IDWformers drink from their mouths or a fuel port? Cos one thing I really liked with G1 was how they 'drank' fuel from ports (usually in their chests, RE: scenes at Maccadam's Old Oil House). As a kid I thought it was so cool showing robots behaving more like machines and not like humans or other organic life forms. I've always loved subtle moments like which remind us how otherworldly and inorganic the Transformers are. The text story does this too with Rung's comments about self-meditation and marvelling at the miracle that is mechanical life. It's made me appreciate Rung a bit more as a character (still not a huge fan of him though... where's the toy?!? When was the last time we saw him transform??).

I agree the moment where they all used Magnus as a trampoline was hilarious (and again helps remind the audience that these really are alien mechanical beings who would have their own "medical myths"). I also found their human avatars to be pretty funny too - especially Tailgate and Whirl's. But I really liked how this issue fleshed out Swerve more as a character... that beneath the veneer of being this chirpy happy go-getter lies someone who's no where near as happy as he presents himself to others... that he's actually quite depressive on the inside (and seems to use his affable façade to compensate or disguise his inner pain). A bot who's arguably fallen victim to his own naïveté and unrealistic or false hopes/expectations?

[kup]

I was also disappointed that the avatars did not have a bigger role and that they did not look much like the cover.

Overall a nice and amusing story but not really great. I did like Whirl's and Tailgate's avatar though

[i_amtrunks]

Screw waiting to give time for others to read, only a handful of us visit here anyway, so why not go straight to the meat and gore.

Overlord is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.

Still driven by his one desire and nothing more, but geez has he been on a slow burner plan that just happened to pay off for this issue. He has outplayed Megs, Shockers and, well everyone. Funny how he technically wants the same goal as most Autobots, yet will not side with them ever...

As for additional content, we get Chromedomes story, nearly the whole backstory, but not enough that if he were to die I'd be peeved, there is still alot more there. Add to that we get to see why Prowl's memories were messed up and easily accessible to Bombshock. The fact these two writers obviously collaborated well and in such detail and the editors do a good job of ensuring issues are spoiler free until the correct moment, means the interplay and connectedness of these stories is astounding. (one mention, the editors misspelt Guardian droids!)

Those of similar disposition to me will have more reason to dislike Drift, why he was privy to the going ons and as an agent of Prowl surprises me, and there must be some reasoning behind it. We get in story confirmation of Shock and Ore's involvement with Prowl. They were meant to help convince Chromedome to do what Prowl wanted him to, no mention of any sabotage. Still a mystery as to what did happen to red Alert, could it be that Drift had something to do with it? Brainstorm is also in on everything, and his lab is once again brilliant. 50 foot naked humans being questioned by Chromedome twice in a lifetime!

One thing I felt was weird was that not only did the Autobots rebuild Overlord after all they went through to take him down, it was Bumblebee's idea, and Prowl went along with it before the breach of his mind. WTF? I get it was to try and find out where the Sixers came from, but it seems a daft thing to do.

Background characters I noticed: Pharma, Mirage, Momus (I don't know, but bet he comes back / is important later on), thought one of the miners may have turned into Hoist later on, but doubt it on re-read. Impactor, Springer Ironfist, Megatron (Gladiator and leader of cons), Shockwave, (flashback), Starscream, TC, Soundwave, Brainstorm (Institute).

I cannot see good things happening to the crew of the Lost Light. Overlord is out, Tarn and the DJD are on their way and we now know that Tarn is a phase sixer (Heretech?)

it's a great read, a long read and I must say I bet there is a heap I missed out on. No Swerve, Rewind, UM, Whirl etc. So it is not a funny read at all. it's the big setup and backstory issues before the proverbial hits the fan.

[Lord_Zed]

I enjoyed this issued more than the last few. I enjoyed the battle of wills between Overlord and Chromedome. I particularly enjoyed the Chromedome backstory, painting him as shade of grey Autobot like Brainstorm, instead of the usual do-gooder. I hope they don't predictably kill him now, as I worry for 1987 and beyond Transformers, they have hard lives, not like the 84-5ers they get killed then come back to life a few issues later.

There were some issues, but overall it was good and ratcheted the tension back to 10.

I wonder though, thinking of Tarn and the DJD. Is he hunting Overlord, or Drift?

[GoktimusPrime]

Quite an enjoyable read. A few minor things about it bug me... but overall a good read. What the hell's a "Gaurdian"?

[i_amtrunks]

Very short turn around for 15.
The preview has me concerned about everyone's favourite mile a minute talker and any other minibots. The only one we know for certain survives the next few months vents in Skids, and even then he may not survive much longer than that. Others must survive, but not many.

If its not the DJD that comes to the rescue, it'll have to be Grimmers and the Decepti-floaters...right?