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In relatively surprising comics news from IDW Publishing this week, we continue the horror romance sitcom space saga with political undertones that is Transformers: More than Meets the Eye, as it reaches its 42nd issue! Full preview available below, with Seibertron.com review going up later tomorrow - keep your optics tuned, and discuss this post in the Energon Pub.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #42
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a & c)
“We should’ve known. Being happy: always a sign that somebody was about to die.” —From Knight Quest: The Quest for the Knights, by SWERVE of Helex.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The quest for the Knights of Cybertron reaches a new epoch!
Love, war, pain, pathos, and laughs as only MTMTE can deliver!
Variant Cover by Naoto Tsushima!

rut ro raggy

steve2275 wrote:rut ro raggy

Let's get outta here Scoob!

Well, I was sort of right about Nautica and Firestar? Sigh, not really.

TGS1985 (From the #41 Discussion Thread) wrote:My interpretation is a little different. I think what's going on between Nautica and Firestar can be sum up as one's the awkward wallflower while the other's pretty Ms. Popular. They're friends, no question about that, but from what I can tell Nautica does sort of have some jealousy towards Firestar and Firestar is oblivious to this fact.

Well at least I can be happy Roberts isn't as predictable as I thought he was going to be.

Also, Transformers dancing... The most majestic (I.E. First panel of the preview) and the most awkward (I.E. third page) form of dancing I've seen, lol.

That's a lot of pages to to say "I can dance" and ""Camiens are forced to have friends"...

Lipstick, flirting, dirty dancing ...... next comes screwing, with big screws.

Randomhero wrote:That's a lot of pages to to say "I can dance" and ""Camiens are forced to have friends"...

yeah...uh...kinda agree. With the pages shortened already, I think they need to be a little more careful of this kind of fluff. I mean character development is good...but maybe this part could have been prose?

It's not like the dancing was that great to see...actually it was cringtastic.

Oh well, its still a great comic and I like developing Nautica.

Optimizzy wrote:

Randomhero wrote:That's a lot of pages to to say "I can dance" and ""Camiens are forced to have friends"...

yeah...uh...kinda agree. With the pages shortened already, I think they need to be a little more careful of this kind of fluff. I mean character development is good...but maybe this part could have been prose?

It's not like the dancing was that great to see...actually it was cringtastic.

Oh well, its still a great comic and I like developing Nautica.

Eh, I see your point. But it still beats them just standing or sitting during the whole thing.

And while it was nice to learn more about Nautica, I was more excited to learn more about Caminus.

1) The Performing Arts are favored over Science (which, if you think about it, is really interesting for a race of mechanical beings that can transform into vehicles).

2) Caminus main religion is a little zealous when it comes to social concepts.

Not to mention both concepts seem to be polar opposites to Cybertron's, where the practice of Amica/Conjunx Endura is uncommon and where there are a lot more celebrated scientists (Wheeljack, Perceptor, Brainstorm) than artists.

HA! Love a whole page dedicated to a Skids and Nautica dance. That's classic!

Why do these things only attack idiots??? OWWW!!!

I'm really looking forward to this issue. Love MTMTE!

TGS1985 wrote:

Optimizzy wrote:

Randomhero wrote:That's a lot of pages to to say "I can dance" and ""Camiens are forced to have friends"...

yeah...uh...kinda agree. With the pages shortened already, I think they need to be a little more careful of this kind of fluff. I mean character development is good...but maybe this part could have been prose?

It's not like the dancing was that great to see...actually it was cringtastic.

Oh well, its still a great comic and I like developing Nautica.

Eh, I see your point. But it still beats them just standing or sitting during the whole thing.

And while it was nice to learn more about Nautica, I was more excited to learn more about Caminus.

1) The Performing Arts are favored over Science (which, if you think about it, is really interesting for a race of mechanical beings that can transform into vehicles).

2) Caminus main religion is a little zealous when it comes to social concepts.

Not to mention both concepts seem to be polar opposites to Cybertron's, where the practice of Amica/Conjunx Endura is uncommon and where there are a lot more celebrated scientists (Wheeljack, Perceptor, Brainstorm) than artists.

Yes and no. It doesn't have to be just standing, just what needs to be said and move on. James can be really great at that or not (standing in a cell for three issues in remain in light)

Cybertron isn't too different , yes there's posdibly morel scientists but the only one to be none religious is Jetfire and ratchet and maybe Optimus, his past self at least. Even shockwave the most science driven logical scientist was religious to an extent. Personally three pages was too much to say we're forced to have friends.

steve2275 wrote:rut ro raggy

If Ravage doesn't jump into Nightbeats's arms going "It's a g.. g.. g.. ghost", I'll.. well, I'll... I'll make an audible noise of disgruntlement.

That cover with Ravage is one of my favorites in the last few years - RAVAGE!

Randomhero wrote:Yes and no. It doesn't have to be just standing, just what needs to be said and move on. James can be really great at that or not (standing in a cell for three issues in remain in light)

Cybertron isn't too different , yes there's posdibly morel scientists but the only one to be none religious is Jetfire and ratchet and maybe Optimus, his past self at least. Even shockwave the most science driven logical scientist was religious to an extent. Personally three pages was too much to say we're forced to have friends.

Didn't meant to suggest the Transformers as a whole were non-religious, just that the Camians seem to be are a lot more than Cybertronians or that their religion plays a more significant role. Like for example I have Christian friends who have never attended church and those that never miss it. I have Jewish friends who eat Pork and Shrimp and those who only eat kosher. That's how I see the difference between Cyberton and Caminus.

...Nor did I mean to suggest the Camians are religious radicals in any way, in case anyone was thinking that. In fact I think the scene between Skids and Nautica where they discuss what happens if Camians don't find a best friend does a good job of preventing such a distinction.

I doubled post somehow. Sorry.

TGS1985 wrote:I doubled post somehow. Sorry.

I seem to do that all the time.

As far as "practicing" religions, I find that concept bonkers. "Yeah I believe in this particular faith...but it has little to no bearing on my life". What?? Lol

It's like buying Xbox gold but not playing any multiplayer games. What's the point then?

I love seeing world building too but I'm too aware of filler space when the story needs to get going. Having them talk about it without taking up huge panels would have been better imho.

I think they found the nest.

Synopsis
“We should’ve known. Being happy: always a sign that somebody was about to die.” —From Knight Quest: The Quest for the Knights, by SWERVE of Helex.



Story

Hitting the 42nd issue, More Than Meets the Eye also reaches the conclusion of the first arc post game-changing Elegant Chaos, and the two heavy pauses in between - but beyond the puns involving murder on the dance floor and other Sophie Ellis Bextor lyrics, what horrors does the Vis Vitalis hold? Read on!



James Roberts's script takes some time in this issue to use a previously trodden ground and path to actually send us in a new direction, at least for some of the characters involved. If space thrills are part of the manifest plot, it's the latent threads that really shine through, with a series of twists that are more humorous than horrorous.



Nautica in particular gets some very nice development, and we're enabled to see her in action and in her own element even when facing the multiple, very different moments of clash with other characters (threating or not) in the issue. Nightbeat is another spotlighter, and one that reveals how MTMTE actually operates after all.



However, the issue does not feel as though it reaches the full throttle of what the arc could've done, despite what it does do. Not entirely sure what I was expecting, and this was definitely not it of course, and welcome though it may have been, *something* felt off. Perhaps the shortness of the arc? More below.

Art

Visually, the horror is palpable. Even with the opening dance scene, we are plunged back into the Alien-esque side of story; and forget the Sparkeater from early on in the series, the creatures that Alex Milne conjures up in this issue are the stuff of someone's twisted, shifting yet somehow strangely enticing nightmares - despite, or perhaps also because of, the barnacles.



In fact, there is a wonderful echo of the recently cancelled Hannibal series, also due to the stunningly elaborate colour work by Joana Lafuente, giving all the hues of terror - and its complete opposite in the resolution of the plot-thread, as we enter the final act of the story.



Tom B. Long, as seen above, just keeps shining, too. Some of the highest peaks of tension in the story, and their consequences, just look great in the voices that he helps shape out with the lettering. And on the cover front, the main Milne/Josh Perez variant sets one tone, the vibrant Nick Roche/Josh Burcham Nautica (thumbnail) sets the other, Naoto Tsutshima and Yamaishi capture the atmosphere of the latter part of the issue, and we get SDCC exclusive Combiner Hunter Chromia, by Sara Pitre-Durocher.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

The concluding issue to this post-Elegant Chaos arc undoubtedly has a lot of heart and charm (perhaps charisma, too?) in its doings, both from a character perspective, and pacing for invested readers, particularly in the concluding act. It does also, however, feel very quick, and perhaps pleasingly so - leaving a small blip of satisfaction in a wider comedown from the Ratchet issue (eventually, I know). I am still unsure as to what it is that did not convince me as much.



While things do happen, especially in the character-developing and relationship establishing sections, I cannot shake the feeling that this may have been the most 'filler' arc we have seen so far in the MTMTE series. However, there is just enough lightness and much needed self-undermining and humbling humour to create a dangerously uneasy feeling of content, as we subtly Swerve into the next arc...

I did not like this story or issue. I had some problems with the first part and those problems were present in this issue as well. It hinders on dialogue telling us everything that's happening instead of showing us and the twist with the "villains" was almost too sci-fi and doctor who/red dwarf for me.

It did nothing honestly and well, like a lot of Roberts stories pre dark Cybertron, was rushed to get to the ending only to find out doesn't have enough time to give a satisfying ending. I said before with the preview that 3 pages to tell us Camiens are forced to have friends and nautica can dance. There is way too much dialogue and dialogue boxes to tell what is going on during "action" scenes.

I was really turned off a third way on.

I'm along similar feelings as Randomhero, but without the well-explained rationale for my feelings. It did indeed feel a bit 'off'. Art was top notch, although I thought the creatures filling so much of he page and the darkness made things difficult to follow.

The finale was less than satisfying to me.

I'm also chuffed at the way Countdown (and other characters less established) were thrown in for fodder and quickly disposed of. But I always wanted someone to pick up the old golden disc plot from long, long ago, and continue it. Now, at least, Countdown's piece of that possibility is gone. Which I suppose is good because it's another nail in that coffin of possible expectation for me. Although in comics, death is rarely ever a permanent condition.

As always Va'al thank you for your review and wordsmithing.

"Wonderful, they're still attacking us, but now they're on fire". That may very well be one of the funniest lines I've read in awhile.

I do admit the resolution did seem a bit strange, it worked. not completely but it worked and it was kinda funny. I'm also happy we have new Lost Lighters, though how Rodimus and Thunders work together may get interesting. Also, WTH happened to Swerve?!? Next issue deals with a disappearing Swerve and a new cyclonus avatar and a planet chasing the ship! Things about to get real

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I do admit the resolution did seem a bit strange, it worked. not completely but it worked and it was kinda funny. I'm also happy we have new Lost Lighters, though how Rodimus and Thunders work together may get interesting. Also, WTH happened to Swerve?!? Next issue deals with a disappearing Swerve and a new cyclonus avatar and a planet chasing the ship! Things about to get real

The thing with Swerve was a quantum leap reference. It's how that how would end an episode. Also it's Luna one

Randomhero wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I do admit the resolution did seem a bit strange, it worked. not completely but it worked and it was kinda funny. I'm also happy we have new Lost Lighters, though how Rodimus and Thunders work together may get interesting. Also, WTH happened to Swerve?!? Next issue deals with a disappearing Swerve and a new cyclonus avatar and a planet chasing the ship! Things about to get real

The thing with Swerve was a quantum leap reference. It's how that how would end an episode. Also it's Luna one

How do we know it's Luna 1? I haven't heard or seen a thing. It only says a planet. It could be anything. And how do we know for certain that it is just a cute joke and not Swerve legitimately disappearing? For all we know, this is a new planet and Swerve was kidnapped by that planet

So turns out that Firestar is a "Liar, Liar, head on Fire," which I think is for the best as we didn't really need another "bad ass" character on top of Rodimus and Thunderclash.

Other than that, damn the art is so good! Like when Megs and Rodimus show up and anything involving neon party lights...

Also, I can really appreciate the influence music has with Robert's work, but at same time find it frustrating because we have such drastic tastes in music. During the end I was literally like, "Who? Huh? Whatza? Ok I'm might have heard of them... No idea. Ah! Heuy and the News. I know of them! Aaand now you lost me again..." I don't know if it can be all chalk up to a UK/USA thing but I wouldn't mind see a few more main stream (but not necessarily modern) musical references.

Overall I felt it was a nice 2 part filler, but I too am ready to get back on the search for the Knights and for more action. Especially considering how behind MTMTE is having not even caught up to the now completed Combiner Wars.

Randomhero wrote:The thing with Swerve was a quantum leap reference. It's how that how would end an episode.

KNEW IT! Love it.