IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review

Wednesday, March 4th, 2015 5:16AM CST

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Posted by: Va'al Views: 40,115

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(W)Rung Timing
(Spoiler free-ish)

Synopsis
JOURNEY'S END! Across time, across space, from prewar Messatine to postwar CYBERTRON—it's all been heading towards this—the moment when the fate of the AUTOBOTS and the DECEPTICONS is sealed. At the heart of it all: three killers, two outcomes... and one terrible, terrible choice.

Here's an unrelated image

Story

What we really get in More Than Meets the Eye #38 is three conclusions. The end of the Elegant Chaos arc, under Days of Deception; the end of the Cybertronian trilogy according to James Roberts, started in Chaos Theory (2011); the end of the world as someone knows it. How we get there, though, is a whole other journey.

Yeah, it was

There was a strange feeling running through my head as I was reading the issue, the same sense of unease that I had found in the other parts of Elegant Chaos, as if it was just building and building, without really reaching its climax - and it feels even more the case in #38. Discussing it with others on the staff, we believe we've cracked that mutual feeling: this is really not about the action, or even the story itself.

Good

What Chaos Theory, Shadowplay and Elegant Chaos offer are is a an exquisite series of character developments and spotlights, retreading older paths and forking ways, in the wider frame of time travel and end-of-the-world threats. We get, then, to see the origin of Megatron, but also Whirl and Orion Pax; of Rewind, Chromedome and other relationships formed and lost; of Rung's historic constant, and much more beyond that; of Rodimus' leader skills; of quantum jump technology; of the whole MTMTE series.

Thank you Whirl

If you're looking for a semi-linear, action-based story that revolves around and solves all the questions it poses, you may not want to read this just yet. Go back to 2011, and read the three parts from there up to today. This book deserves more of your time than just one read, and sheds a lot of (fragmented) light on what came before it. Give it time.

Art

The story, the arc, the events, are really about the characters, then - and Alex Milne's character work is probably the most appropriate combination that could've been had. Yes, the backgrounds and settings are as great as always, but it's the body language, the positioning, the interactions, the facial expressions that truly stand out here.

...

Combine that with the fantastic colouring work provided by Joana Lafuente, and the bodies and faces no longer need to speak for themselves, as the hues of colour, saturation and gradients seeping into the scenes offer not only background but also mood settings and indications.

I mean, come on

There is also plenty of space, from the title pages, to the captions, to some of the speeches, for Tom B. Long to flex his fontastic fingerskills, including a number of action-heavier scenes in the latter half of the book. While we've seen the decorative RI cover by Jeffrey Veregge already, the thumbnailed B cover, by Nick Roche and Josh Burcham really makes sense post-reading, too.

Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

I'd like to thank ScottyP for teasing out some of my own thoughts on this issue, as we briefly discussed why it did and didn't work at certain turning points. And I think I've highlighted most of those further above. But, in no particular order, I hope you pick up on the following: Rewind, Brainstorm, Tailgate, Perceptor. Some major, some minor, but all part of the intricate web of personalities that characterise the Lost Light crew.

Oh, and there's jokes too!

There are some very powerful, emotional moments in the overall arc of the issue, and sometimes it can feel as though there are maybe too many, too different and all together. But they have just enough time, and space, to work out, compared to other endings by Roberts' storylines - and then you have that very last page. Good luck.

out of

Credit(s): IDW, ScottyP, Va'al

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Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1658715)
Posted by budmaloney on March 4th, 2015 @ 11:10am CST

Just read it. I can't say it enough MTME is the best thing since cubed energon!

Only thing was that Rewind killing Megatron didn't have the consequences you'd expect. Instead he was justified. It felt a bit immature. I know they want to show more Domey and Rewind scenes, but seriously, the entire universe could have been destroyed because of that action.

MTME's art is always awesome, the expressions and all are what make this series perfect, despite not meeting certain plot expectations.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1658773)
Posted by Samsonator on March 4th, 2015 @ 12:27pm CST

Wow, all the full-circle craziness in that issue.
Rodimus builds the Lost Light's engine, creating the Lost Light as we know it
Brainstorm's Sparkeater Gun, in the hands of Cyclonus, creates the Sparkeater in the basement
The crew records the message from the future that was in the first issue
Megatron is (as was speculated) a spark from the future in a body from the past

Also the bit at the end in the alternate functionist timeline where Rung is about to go full-on revolutionary? Brilliant.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1658779)
Posted by ScottyP on March 4th, 2015 @ 12:40pm CST

budmaloney wrote:Only thing was that Rewind killing Megatron didn't have the consequences you'd expect. Instead he was justified. It felt a bit immature. I know they want to show more Domey and Rewind scenes, but seriously, the entire universe could have been destroyed because of that action.

I disagree on that one. This scene takes the character from feeling like an outsider traveling with Transformers to making him feel like a Heroic Autobot in every sense of the word. The point I got out of it was that he shoots Megatron to save the rest of the galaxy, even if it totally screws up Cybertron. This is Optimus Prime level self-sacrifice kind of stuff, big picture stuff that gives some credibility to the wisdom others seem to look towards him for in other parts of the story.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659001)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on March 4th, 2015 @ 9:34pm CST

All I can say is: wait, what? What just happened?

Okay, so ...I'm not even sure where to start.. From a writing standpoint, it al felt a bit rushed to me. Taken holistically, it's better, but somethng of an un-epic conclusion.

Now, I loved the ironic bit at the end where Perceptor talks about parrallel universes. And Back to the Future? Awesome. But I am kind of sad to know the origin of the cryptic message at the end of the first issue. Although it is time travel, so jutified.

But now, has Megatron always been a point-one-percenter? It would stand to reason, but that part was still somewhat vague to me.

Also, how did Brainstorm go from dying to suddenly he's okay in a cell in the Lost Light?

And when is Drift coming back aboard?

Goddamn time travel.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659056)
Posted by 1984forever on March 5th, 2015 @ 12:13am CST

The worst story arc in TF history is finally over. I'm wondering if Roberts will focus on the same old characters so relentlessly in the next one. Chromedome, Rewind, Whirl and Tailgate are the new Prime, Megatron, Starscream and Bumblebee in IDW. I'm just thankful that children don't have to see Roberts trash in physical form when they get some of the upcoming Combiner Wars merchandise.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659132)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on March 5th, 2015 @ 5:11am CST

Why do you continue to read it if you hate it so much? All you do is bring suffering to yourself and others. Same old characters? Roberts has been writhing these characters for five years tops, whereas Prime, Megs, Screamer and Bee have been the focus of stories for THIRTY YEARS.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659145)
Posted by 1984forever on March 5th, 2015 @ 5:58am CST

Nemesis Maximo wrote:Why do you continue to read it if you hate it so much? All you do is bring suffering to yourself and others. Same old characters? Roberts has been writhing these characters for five years tops, whereas Prime, Megs, Screamer and Bee have been the focus of stories for THIRTY YEARS.

Five years with the same characters! They never did that in G1. They wrote about somebody for maybe a year or two and then we got a break. Roberts uses the same old Autobots nearly month after month. It hurts him to write about Decepticons. If he uses 'cons they have to be castrated like Overlord, or driven half-crazy and turned Autobot like Megatron!

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659203)
Posted by ScottyP on March 5th, 2015 @ 8:16am CST

Nemesis Maximo wrote:Also, how did Brainstorm go from dying to suddenly he's okay in a cell in the Lost Light?

And when is Drift coming back aboard?

Goddamn time travel.

Probably saving more of the first question there for later.

Also, I'd expect "soon" is the answer, they just had to tie up EoS first.

Finally, yeah, in the overall scheme of things, the time travel here was executed cleverly and served the needs of the plot, but I'm glad it's over. A bit worn down on the extra dimensional/hyper spatial/paradox hula hoop stuff.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659223)
Posted by Russimus Prime on March 5th, 2015 @ 9:03am CST

So, I know that the post script is "alternate Functionalist timeline," but, I have to wonder if Sweep is that universe's equivalent of Brainstorm. We never saw him in the past (though I know that would/could have created even more difficulty in a story telling manner) and I wonder if Sweep working for/around Quark lead to the infatuation he spoke of. Let alone is desire/need to prove himself and his work.

Over all I must say that I haven't been as excited to read an single issue of a comic book as I was for this one in quite some time. Well done Roberts and Milne, a truly complimentary partnership. Milne not only sets the scenery for Roberts' words but furthers the story visually and in certain cases is just as important as the spoken word.

While I grew up on G1, and have often times considered myself a G1 purist, IDW (particularly Roberts) has created a universe so vast and rich that IDW is becoming my favorite continuity. For all the haters, IDW has now run well beyond the length of the original Marvel continuity, and in many ways has surpassed it in terms of story telling and art. Nothing against Furman, Wildman, Budiansky, Senior et all, I love your work and grew up on it, but this is a more evolved universe and story.

Certainly there have been missteps in the IDW universe, Drift: Empire of Stone being one of recent memory (someone said it simply read as words and pictures and I couldn't agree more), they are trailblazing here in Transformers terms.

Beat Roberts up for "focusing on the same characters," but lets face it, he has made people care about characters that no one cared about before. Obviously MTME has Rodimus, Magnus, Ratchet and now Megatron anchoring the story but he has made us care about many other "fringe" characters. I had always liked Cyclonus, but he has become a very intriguing character that has grown from his experiences. Drift is a far more interesting character with Roberts writing him. Chromedome, Rewind, Whirl, Tailgate, Swerve who cared about these guys before this MTME? And don't forget Rung. While he maybe a self indulgent "Mary Sue" of a character he also serves as a bit of a window into this Transformers universe for us the reader. As he is the character out of place, if you will -not being from the original G1 continuity.

I'm ranting...

Well done Roberts and Milne, I look forward to what the furthering adventures of the Lost Light crew.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659295)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on March 5th, 2015 @ 11:45am CST

1984forever wrote:
Nemesis Maximo wrote:Why do you continue to read it if you hate it so much? All you do is bring suffering to yourself and others. Same old characters? Roberts has been writhing these characters for five years tops, whereas Prime, Megs, Screamer and Bee have been the focus of stories for THIRTY YEARS.
Five years with the same characters! They never did that in G1. They wrote about somebody for maybe a year or two and then we got a break. Roberts uses the same old Autobots nearly month after month. It hurts him to write about Decepticons. If he uses 'cons they have to be castrated like Overlord, or driven half-crazy and turned Autobot like Megatron!

Which is exactly why this is better than G1 in every way. Instead of only one or two or on rare occasions three episodes devoted to somebody who wasn't Optimus or Spike or Rodimus, we have this thing called character developement.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659404)
Posted by MrBlack on March 5th, 2015 @ 3:59pm CST

Nemesis Maximo wrote:All I can say is: wait, what? What just happened?

Okay, so ...I'm not even sure where to start.. From a writing standpoint, it al felt a bit rushed to me. Taken holistically, it's better, but somethng of an un-epic conclusion.

Now, I loved the ironic bit at the end where Perceptor talks about parrallel universes. And Back to the Future? Awesome. But I am kind of sad to know the origin of the cryptic message at the end of the first issue. Although it is time travel, so jutified.

But now, has Megatron always been a point-one-percenter? It would stand to reason, but that part was still somewhat vague to me.

Also, how did Brainstorm go from dying to suddenly he's okay in a cell in the Lost Light?

And when is Drift coming back aboard?

Goddamn time travel.

Megatron's status as a point one percenter has been hinted at in the past, and I think Roberts straight out said it on Twitter at some point (consult TFWiki). It seemed pretty obvious that the spark Brainstorm had with him would end up being Megatron's spark since the beginning of this storyline, although it was interesting to see that Whirl of all bots was the one who put it in him.

Brainstorm always exaggerates. He was hurt, but not dying (Cyclonus even said he would be fine at the beginning of the issue).

It looks like Ratchet convinced Drift to come back in the last issue of Empire of Stone. I would guess that the mini takes place a bit after the current MTMTE arc. There is an upcoming issue with Ratchet holding the crew on the cover, and I surmise that this is where Ratchet leaves to find Drift.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659634)
Posted by 1984forever on March 6th, 2015 @ 6:21am CST

Nemesis Maximo wrote:
1984forever wrote:
Nemesis Maximo wrote:Why do you continue to read it if you hate it so much? All you do is bring suffering to yourself and others. Same old characters? Roberts has been writhing these characters for five years tops, whereas Prime, Megs, Screamer and Bee have been the focus of stories for THIRTY YEARS.
Five years with the same characters! They never did that in G1. They wrote about somebody for maybe a year or two and then we got a break. Roberts uses the same old Autobots nearly month after month. It hurts him to write about Decepticons. If he uses 'cons they have to be castrated like Overlord, or driven half-crazy and turned Autobot like Megatron!

Which is exactly why this is better than G1 in every way. Instead of only one or two or on rare occasions three episodes devoted to somebody who wasn't Optimus or Spike or Rodimus, we have this thing called character developement.

That's YOUR opinion. IDWs characters have developed Into characters who are not even real Transformers! Nothing has surpassed G1. G1 was a craze back in '84, it was Transformers mania! No one feels that way about MTMTE. Roberts book is so great in your opinion, but it can't even outsell the original Marvel run that so many G1 haters claim is so poorly written. Transformers as a whole now is just another franchise, it can't measure up to G1. It has no passion.

Roberts' Megatron is feeble, the DJD are weak carnival sideshow freaks, and every Autobot on the Lost Light has aluminum siding for armor plating. Roberts has gone soft since the Last Days of the Wreckers. I feel like I'm reading "Archie" every time I pick up an issue of MTMTE. Only with Betty and Veronica replaced with Chromedome and Rewind.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659655)
Posted by ScottyP on March 6th, 2015 @ 7:47am CST

MrBlack wrote:There is an upcoming issue with Ratchet holding the crew on the cover, and I surmise that this is where Ratchet leaves to find Drift.

Hmm, I always assumed that his conspicuous absence in this latest arc was just him away being pals with Drift on another planet. Seems with his smarts they'd have consulted him on some of this time travel business, but then again they didn't really bother Nautica much with it either.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659846)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on March 6th, 2015 @ 4:53pm CST

1984forever wrote:
Nemesis Maximo wrote:
1984forever wrote:
Nemesis Maximo wrote:Why do you continue to read it if you hate it so much? All you do is bring suffering to yourself and others. Same old characters? Roberts has been writhing these characters for five years tops, whereas Prime, Megs, Screamer and Bee have been the focus of stories for THIRTY YEARS.
Five years with the same characters! They never did that in G1. They wrote about somebody for maybe a year or two and then we got a break. Roberts uses the same old Autobots nearly month after month. It hurts him to write about Decepticons. If he uses 'cons they have to be castrated like Overlord, or driven half-crazy and turned Autobot like Megatron!

Which is exactly why this is better than G1 in every way. Instead of only one or two or on rare occasions three episodes devoted to somebody who wasn't Optimus or Spike or Rodimus, we have this thing called character developement.
That's YOUR opinion. IDWs characters have developed Into characters who are not even real Transformers! Nothing has surpassed G1. G1 was a craze back in '84, it was Transformers mania! No one feels that way about MTMTE. Roberts book is so great in your opinion, but it can't even outsell the original Marvel run that so many G1 haters claim is so poorly written. Transformers as a whole now is just another franchise, it can't measure up to G1. It has no passion.

Roberts' Megatron is feeble, the DJD are weak carnival sideshow freaks, and every Autobot on the Lost Light has aluminum siding for armor plating. Roberts has gone soft since the Last Days of the Wreckers. I feel like I'm reading "Archie" every time I pick up an issue of MTMTE. Only with Betty and Veronica replaced with Chromedome and Rewind.

How can you say that they're not even real Transformers? That has no base in fact. That's YOUR opinion. The fact that they're Transformers isn't just a gimic anymore, it's a natural part of their lives. Everyone (except you) on this thread has been eagerly awaiting, anticipating, salivating over the release of this issue, and when you say that no one feels anything for the series, I am insulted.

And this has outlasted the original comic. And who here has said the original comic is poorly written? I certainly havn't. Some of my favorite stories were from the Marvel UK run. But this isn't just a redrawn, recolored version of Furman's scripts.

Roberts' Megatron isn't just some lunatic card-carrying villain with a new WMD every week. Here, he actually has motivation and purpose.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1659850)
Posted by SW's SilverHammer on March 6th, 2015 @ 4:58pm CST

Nemesis Maximo wrote:
1984forever wrote:
Nemesis Maximo wrote:
1984forever wrote:
Nemesis Maximo wrote:Why do you continue to read it if you hate it so much? All you do is bring suffering to yourself and others. Same old characters? Roberts has been writhing these characters for five years tops, whereas Prime, Megs, Screamer and Bee have been the focus of stories for THIRTY YEARS.
Five years with the same characters! They never did that in G1. They wrote about somebody for maybe a year or two and then we got a break. Roberts uses the same old Autobots nearly month after month. It hurts him to write about Decepticons. If he uses 'cons they have to be castrated like Overlord, or driven half-crazy and turned Autobot like Megatron!

Which is exactly why this is better than G1 in every way. Instead of only one or two or on rare occasions three episodes devoted to somebody who wasn't Optimus or Spike or Rodimus, we have this thing called character developement.
That's YOUR opinion. IDWs characters have developed Into characters who are not even real Transformers! Nothing has surpassed G1. G1 was a craze back in '84, it was Transformers mania! No one feels that way about MTMTE. Roberts book is so great in your opinion, but it can't even outsell the original Marvel run that so many G1 haters claim is so poorly written. Transformers as a whole now is just another franchise, it can't measure up to G1. It has no passion.

Roberts' Megatron is feeble, the DJD are weak carnival sideshow freaks, and every Autobot on the Lost Light has aluminum siding for armor plating. Roberts has gone soft since the Last Days of the Wreckers. I feel like I'm reading "Archie" every time I pick up an issue of MTMTE. Only with Betty and Veronica replaced with Chromedome and Rewind.

Roberts' Megatron isn't just some lunatic card-carrying villain with a new WMD every week. Here, he actually has motivation and purpose.

Also it has been established that he's an old dude, even by transformers standards. I mean if you where in like 40 to 50, would you still want to carry on with senseless bloodshed that perverted your original beliefs for so, so many years.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1660760)
Posted by Prowl4 on March 8th, 2015 @ 8:07pm CDT

I have to say the last ten issues of mtmte have felt like pure filler. The resolution could be seen a mile off yet still didn't explain how and why brainstorm is a decepticon. It felt like big build up for nothing. Chromedome and rewind have fast become extremely annoying and tiresome I don't care much for them. Alex milnes art is beautiful. Now we've to put up with livio ramondelli for a while

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1660804)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on March 8th, 2015 @ 10:24pm CDT

That's a good way to put it, Prowl4. Big build up, flat ending. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did immensely. But I agree with you.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1660857)
Posted by Prowl4 on March 9th, 2015 @ 4:55am CDT

Nemesis Maximo wrote:That's a good way to put it, Prowl4. Big build up, flat ending. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did immensely. But I agree with you.

That's exactly it. Roberts has said on twitter brainstorm being a con will be explored but they're really dragging it out now. I have expected a khan like scene with brainstorm in the cell and rodimus or ultra magnus questioning him.

I think since hasbro start making toys of the comics they've dictated the stories as mtmte used to have great resolutions and build up to a great finale whereas this arc and dark cybertron fell flat on their faces.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1660883)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on March 9th, 2015 @ 8:56am CDT

Prowl4 wrote:
Nemesis Maximo wrote:That's a good way to put it, Prowl4. Big build up, flat ending. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did immensely. But I agree with you.

That's exactly it. Roberts has said on twitter brainstorm being a con will be explored but they're really dragging it out now. I have expected a khan like scene with brainstorm in the cell and rodimus or ultra magnus questioning him.

I think since hasbro start making toys of the comics they've dictated the stories as mtmte used to have great resolutions and build up to a great finale whereas this arc and dark cybertron fell flat on their faces.

Well, I thought the Slaughterhouse arc ended pretty good, that was a few issues. As far as Dark Cybertron, I did feel that some of the cameos by new toys were shoehorned pretty obviously, but I wouldn't go as far as to Hasbro is TRULY dictating the storylines. More like the characters, perhaps.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1661423)
Posted by Prowl4 on March 10th, 2015 @ 4:46pm CDT

I'd have to disagree nemesis maximus I think hasbro is dictating I mean look at the quality of story in the last six months in comparison to 1-2 years ago. Chromedome and rewind have become seriously unlikable.

Toys have been shoe horned in like sky byte rhinox tankor and rattrap but I'm glad to see scoop get used.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1661431)
Posted by SW's SilverHammer on March 10th, 2015 @ 5:03pm CDT

Prowl4 wrote:I'd have to disagree nemesis maximus I think hasbro is dictating I mean look at the quality of story in the last six months in comparison to 1-2 years ago. Chromedome and rewind have become seriously unlikable.

Okay i've been seeing this so much, how are they unlikable?

Prowl4 wrote:Toys have been shoe horned in like sky byte rhinox tankor and rattrap but I'm glad to see scoop get used.

Soooo, you don't like characters that have been "shoe horned" into the comics but you like a character who was shoe horned into the comic? Also sky byte and rattrap have been in the comics before their toys. Rhinox and tankor? Not so much, but for Rhinox he was a character in a flashback, and they've established Tankor's just some dude you'd see on the streets.

Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #38 Review (1661452)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on March 10th, 2015 @ 5:46pm CDT

Prowl4 wrote:I'd have to disagree nemesis maximus I think hasbro is dictating I mean look at the quality of story in the last six months in comparison to 1-2 years ago. Chromedome and rewind have become seriously unlikable.

Toys have been shoe horned in like sky byte rhinox tankor and rattrap but I'm glad to see scoop get used.

See, I personally feel as though the story quality has remained steady for MTMTE, but has improved (marginally) for TF(RID).

While I agree with you about Rhinox, at least he had an expository reason to be there, given the animosity towards animal robots and his line. But Crosscut makes me cringe.

So I half agree with you.