IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review

Wednesday, April 30th, 2014 3:49AM CDT

Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al Views: 43,674

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Trial and Error
(Spoiler free-ish)

Synopsis
CERTAIN DEATH, HERE WE COME! MEGATRON assumes control of the quest to find the Knights of Cybertron—a quest that has never before been so urgent, so personal, and so likely to end in tears. An incredulous Lost Light crew is left asking the same thing you are: how exactly did it come to this?

Credits!

Story

This week in the third beginning of Dawn of the Autobots, we finally get back to the Lost Light ship, and the events between Megatron becoming its new captain and the defeat of Shockwave in Dark Cybertron - though we flit between the two settings, taking a look at how Cybertron reacted to buckethead donning the red instead of the purple, and the beginning of his trial.

Well, they're best of pals

James Roberts shakes up the crew of the ship, too, adding some new faces like Nautica and Riptide to old friends like loudmouthed Swerve (who actually appears to have toned down a little, or has he?) and dutiful Ultra Magnus. Dynamics have changed, there is very expected tension on board, but not as much really, as everything seems to have solved itself in the time since the trial - more or less.

The Tyrest Tiara, now in stores

Swerve and Rodimus still hold some of the best lines, or at least some of the best dialogue happens around them. Nautica is a really interesting addition to the crew, and one that speaks to my linguist self, but as expected, it's Megatron that holds centre stage - in his sessions with Rung, in the preparation to the trial, in his reflections and in his actions, there's definitely a lot more than mee-- fine, sorry.

What indeed..

The issue definitely does a lot of packing of multiple threads and plots. A lot of them. In terms of action, nothing actually happens except for one brilliant scene over a number of pages, because everything has happened in the six months leading to this issue and moment, and the six million odd years before that. But in that void of action, a lot happens.

Art

As far as the art is concerned, Alex Milne returns to pencils and inks, and in something that seems almost impossible, increases the amount of detail we were used to seeing in the pre-Dark Cybertron run of the series! The double-page spread with the beginning of the trial is astonishing, and the panelwork between the multiple time frames excellently executed.

You can actually see people's houses

Everything is helped by colourist Josh Burcham, who makes sure the linework really pops or shines where needed. There are some amazing sequences, one in particular, where the colours prove that red is not a single hue at all, and each character really comes through with their own deco - and again, that trial scene is ridiculous.

So is this, to be fair

Tom B. Long continues on the legendary lettering, from fonts to effects, to graffiti to captions and more fonts - it's always a good thing to get good lettering, especially non-intrusive, art-complementing lettering. Word. Three excellent covers, too, with Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente on A, Milne and Josh Perez on B (thumbnail) and Livio Ramondelli on interlocking RI!

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

All the packing I mentioned earlier? That's both the strength and, for lack of a better word, weakness of this issue. Flitting between time frames can be distracting, though both the storytellers do it well, and the plotting has seeded so many different things that you will have to read it multiple times. Including the whole first season, too.

That's.. pretty accurate

The art team have upped their game in terms of everything, and Roberts has gone all the way back to the very first issue of More Than Meets the Eye, and picked up some unanswered questions from there. Will we finally see answers to them though? Eventually? Maybe? Perhaps? ..please?

½ out of

Credit(s): IDW Publishing, Va'al

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Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570066)
Posted by 1984forever on April 30th, 2014 @ 6:14am CDT

MR Optimus Prime wrote:Not that we'll see Transformers actually TRANSFORM in these books anyway.

Yup. Not 1 transformation in the whole book. How is this TRANSFORMERS? it was a good read... but it ain't Transformers.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570067)
Posted by Burn on April 30th, 2014 @ 6:21am CDT

1984forever wrote:
MR Optimus Prime wrote:Not that we'll see Transformers actually TRANSFORM in these books anyway.

Yup. Not 1 transformation in the whole book. How is this TRANSFORMERS? it was a good read... but it ain't Transformers.

I'm sure someone would explain it to you, but I highly recommend they not waste their time.

Move on people. >:oP

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570101)
Posted by ScottyP on April 30th, 2014 @ 8:47am CDT

4.5/5? Confirmed - Va'al will never give a 5/5 again

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570109)
Posted by Va'al on April 30th, 2014 @ 9:20am CDT

ScottyP wrote:4.5/5? Confirmed - Va'al will never give a 5/5 again

I was going to give it 5-.
But re-re-re-re-re-re-reading it, it felt too crammed to be perfect.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570113)
Posted by ScottyP on April 30th, 2014 @ 9:35am CDT

Va'al wrote:
ScottyP wrote:4.5/5? Confirmed - Va'al will never give a 5/5 again

I was going to give it 5-.
But re-re-re-re-re-re-reading it, it felt too crammed to be perfect.

You're probably correct, I still have excitement goggles on. Been what, 6 months since a proper MTMTE issue? I was more than ready.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570118)
Posted by Stormrider on April 30th, 2014 @ 9:47am CDT

I like the artwork a lot. I am always excited to see more details of Cybertron. Megatron switching sides is a refreshing take on the series.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570120)
Posted by Mindmaster on April 30th, 2014 @ 9:49am CDT

ScottyP wrote:4.5/5? Confirmed - Va'al will never give a 5/5 again

Va'al uses his 5/5's very sparingly. I don't think he'd even give his girlfriend a 5/5.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570125)
Posted by ScottyP on April 30th, 2014 @ 9:56am CDT

Mindmaster wrote:
ScottyP wrote:4.5/5? Confirmed - Va'al will never give a 5/5 again ;)

Va'al uses his 5/5's very sparingly. I don't think he'd even give his girlfriend a 5/5. :P

I hope he has more than 5 to give her >:oP

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570197)
Posted by Zarmat on April 30th, 2014 @ 2:53pm CDT

Don't see the issue how the comic series have been going, sure it's not everyone cup of tea and I can respect that, but I personally love what direction they been going.

I love generation 1 as much as the next fan (Also probably this year alone watch the whole series back to front half a dozen times) but as some said its not a serious show and the on going story (when there was one) was horrible and couldn't keep it facts right.

The TV shows over the years have been a hit and miss with me, the latest one Transformers Prime I liked but didn't go as far in depth with its lore as I would of liked to have seen which is naturally due to the limits of a TV show.

The IDW comics by far is starting to be my favorite transformers series, its has evolved past the typical Autobots vs Decepticons, it has gone to great detail whats been going on from the past few millions years till now and I think this new step puting Megatron in command of the lost light as a Autobot is a great idea since I feel ever since all hail Megatron we havn't seen nearly enough of him let alone get to know what makes IDW Megatron who he is and this has put him in the spot light finally.

Those are my thoughts anyway, sorry if I rambled on a bit there

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570198)
Posted by Burn on April 30th, 2014 @ 3:00pm CDT

Mindmaster wrote:
ScottyP wrote:4.5/5? Confirmed - Va'al will never give a 5/5 again

Va'al uses his 5/5's very sparingly. I don't think he'd even give his girlfriend a 5/5.

He might not, but I sure did!

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570213)
Posted by Va'al on April 30th, 2014 @ 4:15pm CDT

Zarmat wrote:Don't see the issue how the comic series have been going, sure it's not everyone cup of tea and I can respect that, but I personally love what direction they been going.

[...]

its has evolved past the typical Autobots vs Decepticons, it has gone to great detail whats been going on from the past few millions years till now

That is precisely what I really enjoy about these comics too. They are rooted in a 30-year spanning tradition, use the resources they can use, and pushes them in new directions.

What have we had so far, thematically, and overtly so?

Genocide, same-sex relationships, asexuality, gender issues, eugenics, classism, racism, *character development*, creation myths, faith, pros and cons of progress and scientific advancement, popular culture and its impact, friendship, war, democracy and fallacies of it, *actual real-life politics*, intertextual references to both itself and previous incarnations of the franchise.

Does it always do it well? No. But the writers, from Roberts, to Scott, to Barber, to McCarthy, Furman, Roche, Holmes, Dille, Metzen, even Costa, are doing it. Some more successfully than others, but they are doing what the medium allows them to do.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570236)
Posted by Stormrider on April 30th, 2014 @ 7:10pm CDT

Zarmat wrote:Don't see the issue how the comic series have been going, sure it's not everyone cup of tea and I can respect that, but I personally love what direction they been going.

I love generation 1 as much as the next fan (Also probably this year alone watch the whole series back to front half a dozen times) but as some said its not a serious show and the on going story (when there was one) was horrible and couldn't keep it facts right.

The TV shows over the years have been a hit and miss with me, the latest one Transformers Prime I liked but didn't go as far in depth with its lore as I would of liked to have seen which is naturally due to the limits of a TV show.

The IDW comics by far is starting to be my favorite transformers series, its has evolved past the typical Autobots vs Decepticons, it has gone to great detail whats been going on from the past few millions years till now and I think this new step puting Megatron in command of the lost light as a Autobot is a great idea since I feel ever since all hail Megatron we havn't seen nearly enough of him let alone get to know what makes IDW Megatron who he is and this has put him in the spot light finally.

Those are my thoughts anyway, sorry if I rambled on a bit there

I was thinking similar things after reading this review. IDW series has done a great job of breaking down the stereotypical barrier that the Autobots are good and the Decepticons are evil. I am glad that they are exploring new avenues.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570241)
Posted by Mindmaster on April 30th, 2014 @ 8:11pm CDT

Burn wrote:
Mindmaster wrote:
ScottyP wrote:4.5/5? Confirmed - Va'al will never give a 5/5 again

Va'al uses his 5/5's very sparingly. I don't think he'd even give his girlfriend a 5/5.

He might not, but I sure did!

Pictures or GTFO.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570278)
Posted by durroth on April 30th, 2014 @ 11:56pm CDT

is whirl still on the ship? please tell me whirl and cyclonus are still on the ship

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570442)
Posted by ScottyP on May 1st, 2014 @ 12:38pm CDT

durroth wrote:is whirl still on the ship? please tell me whirl and cyclonus are still on the ship

Yes, yes they are.

Burn wrote:
Mindmaster wrote:
ScottyP wrote:4.5/5? Confirmed - Va'al will never give a 5/5 again

Va'al uses his 5/5's very sparingly. I don't think he'd even give his girlfriend a 5/5.

He might not, but I sure did!

Wow, that really escalated quickly!

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570448)
Posted by Va'al on May 1st, 2014 @ 12:45pm CDT

I am no longer suprised at anything involving my allegedly personal life.

Someone tried putting together posts about all the stuff that went missing during the issue - and it's ridiculous. :shock:

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570495)
Posted by Deadput on May 1st, 2014 @ 2:34pm CDT

Va'al wrote:Someone tried putting together posts about all the stuff that went missing during the issue - and it's ridiculous.

Wait what?

I don't get it i'm kinda a slow person.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570504)
Posted by Va'al on May 1st, 2014 @ 2:42pm CDT

mirageandjazz1197 wrote:
Va'al wrote:Someone tried putting together posts about all the stuff that went missing during the issue - and it's ridiculous.

Wait what?

I don't get it i'm kinda a slow person.

Found the posts again.

A lot of speculation, definitely spoilers, and very minute details.
Part 1: http://purajobot935.tumblr.com/post/843 ... -i-mention

Part 2: http://purajobot935.tumblr.com/post/843 ... warned-for

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570512)
Posted by Deadput on May 1st, 2014 @ 3:05pm CDT

Va'al wrote:
mirageandjazz1197 wrote:
Va'al wrote:Someone tried putting together posts about all the stuff that went missing during the issue - and it's ridiculous.

Wait what?

I don't get it i'm kinda a slow person.

Found the posts again.

A lot of speculation, definitely spoilers, and very minute details.
Part 1: http://purajobot935.tumblr.com/post/843 ... -i-mention

Part 2: http://purajobot935.tumblr.com/post/843 ... warned-for

Thanks this is interesting.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1570557)
Posted by steviebops on May 1st, 2014 @ 6:13pm CDT

I thought it was mostly a great issue, although referring to Chromedome as 'widowed' undoes a lot of the subtlety of that relationship.

The fembots were handled well enough, I'd hate to see such a great comic become an avilicious SJW soapbox.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1571853)
Posted by daningotham on May 6th, 2014 @ 9:54pm CDT

This was the first issue of Transformers I have picked up since I was a kid in the 80s. I must say I LOVED it! Wow, can't wait to read it again. I have no idea about what has transpired previously but they did a really good job of catching me up. And I will be buying the trades to get caught up. Megatron as an Autobot is strange but I am interested to see how it plays out. Can't wait to see what happens next. Oh, and the artwork was awesome.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1573398)
Posted by Susha on May 12th, 2014 @ 4:45pm CDT

Reding mtmte 28 was...
like drinking water after crossing a dessert.

I'm just so glad we're done with this crossover and we can finally get back to Roberts brilliant writing.
Hip hip!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USFr5VeLQ2o

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #28 Review (1573583)
Posted by Susha on May 13th, 2014 @ 1:29pm CDT

Burn wrote:
1984forever wrote:
MR Optimus Prime wrote:Not that we'll see Transformers actually TRANSFORM in these books anyway.

Yup. Not 1 transformation in the whole book. How is this TRANSFORMERS? it was a good read... but it ain't Transformers.

I'm sure someone would explain it to you, but I highly recommend they not waste their time.

Move on people. >:oP

i'ma gonna go right ahead and pretend i didn't read this and answer:

10 pages later...

But seriously this episode was ... great. I'm not sure if as good as LSOTW but it sure as hell beats all the comics i've been reading this year. and may i say. I was silently scared shitless of reading it. I was sure I wasn't going to get to see Roberts/Milne again. But no it was all there, Roberts awesome humour and storytelling and Milnes pen, which almost makes me forget about Roche.

And tbh, storytelling and worldbuilding requires for character definition, and Roberts is one of the few who manages to do worldbuilding in a fun AND intersting manner. If transformation is not on the spotlight for an issue, who cares. This idw run has enriched/given so much to the tf universe that I don't really even understand the point, in fact I only get it if you haven't read the whole run since #1. I mean, besides shadowplay and rewinds/chromodomes romance, we've had the best attempt to a cybertronian disease since scraplets (i will always cherrish that issue...)...

I have only one negative comment about this issue....
I wanted to send Megatron to the shrink in my photocomic... too late now...