Seibertron.com Reviews Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye Ongoing #15
Tuesday, March 19th, 2013 3:07pm CDT
Categories: Comic Book News, Site ArticlesPosted by: Va'al Views: 30,865
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(Spoiler free-ish)
Synopsis (or ask Swerve)
DEATH IN THE RANKS! Rodimus and his crew are confronted by the enemy within—and not everyone will survive the encounter. Everything has been building to this: all-out war aboard the Lost Light!
Story
We know what's going to happen – Overlord has escaped, a massacre is imminent. Roberts, though, approaches the inevitable scenes cautiously, craftily building up those thirty minutes which Chromedome needs to exit the cell. Well, sort of. He kills someone off, then gets back to the build-up.
The inhabitants of the Lost Light are still carrying on their own personal storylines as the storm hits. A lot is happening in those thirty minutes, and Roberts makes sure we are all left waiting to find out what was going on befor-- AWOOOOOGA.
The entire crew reverses to the Medibay to stop the Phase Sixer. And I mean the entire crew. Every shape serves a purpose. There are, of course, notable exceptions: Ultra Magnus makes quite the comeback from his so-far obsessive self, readers will be pleased to see. And both him and Fort Max are pivotal to the issue (and what is that blueprint in Brainstorm's lab?).
The humour typical of Roberts' stories so far is still present, before the big fight scenes and even during, but they really don't detract from the action or the tension. If anything, they add an extra layer of 'humanity' to the entire crew, leaving readers completely at loss towards the end. This reader, at least. Swerve is, as usual, the comedy relief, and while a lot of the humour does happen before the battle scenes, he pops up again mid-fight, fulfilling his role. A nice touch of referential comedy on Roberts' behalf, too.
Art
Milne provides the pencils, but EVERYONE ELSE is working on inks and colours. Seriously. Marc Deering, Brian Shearer and Phyllis Novin collaborate with Milne on the inks, and the three Js (Burcham, Perez and Lafuente) are on colours. And the effect is gorgeous.
The artwork conveys the scale of what is happening aboard the ship, and the colours have the task of adding the deeper emotional power of Roberts' script. The final panel, with no words, no borders, white background, delivers a wrenching, devastating blow to even the most tempered heart of steel. The last time I felt this emotional about a comic was with Craig Thompson's Blankets. A note on the lettering, too: in the most recent issues, Tom B. Long has taken Mowry and Lee's work further, finding his voice in playing with typography, and adding even more emotion to the lettering and fonts. Especially with pain and anger. There's a lot to say about someone who can write ARGH in a unique way each time.
Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead.
One minor complaint – the Overlord situation seems to be dealt with pretty swiftly. I'm sure there is more to come, or I'd like to think that at least, but one issue to build up and one to climax the event feels a bit reductive.
But I suppose that is the price to pay to have such an emotional story be told in amidst all the action and fighting. And it is feelings that really leads the plot in the issue. Overlord is the cataclismic catalyst to Chromedome's tale, who is ultimately the real major character of Under Cold Blue Stars.
Alongside that, I hope that all the cut-off actions of the various crew members will be explored later in the series, revealing Tailgate's creation, Fort Max's apology, Perceptor and Rodimus' conversation about matrix mapping. Especially the latter.
To sum up, this issue is not for the weak-hearted, the emotionally-involved, the casual, the fan, the long-time and attentive reader. No, wait – this is precisely the right issue for you. If I were to choose my favourite issue from IDW so far, spanning all series, Under Cold Blue Stars would be it. It has action, humour, pain, deaths (at least four) and everything that has made More Than Meets the Eye such a good read since its inception.










(and for the first time, those Autobot symbols look like tiny hearts waiting to be shattered)
This article was last modified on Friday, March 22nd, 2013 10:46am CDT
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Posted by The Collecter on March 19th, 2013 @ 3:23pm CDT
(although it would have been cool if they used it on Overlord and turned him into a SG decepticon thus making him a good guy)
Posted by The Collecter on March 19th, 2013 @ 3:26pm CDT
Nemesis Maximo wrote:Swerve pushed the button. Epic fourth-wall breaking foreshadowing? I think so.
Sorry to disapoint, but the fourth wall breaking already happened when Swerve said, "I did it off-panel"




Posted by Va'al on March 19th, 2013 @ 3:28pm CDT

Posted by sabrigami on March 19th, 2013 @ 3:31pm CDT

On a brighter note, excellent review Va'al. You and Blurrz know how to make a nice exceedingly teasing but not spoilery review

Posted by Blurrz on March 19th, 2013 @ 3:33pm CDT
Va'al wrote:There may or be not be more on that. I'm not committing to anything here.
This issue still blows my mind every time I read it

Posted by Va'al on March 19th, 2013 @ 3:35pm CDT
sabrigami wrote:On a brighter note, excellent review Va'al. You and Blurrz know how to make a nice exceedingly teasing but not spoilery review
Thanks!

We do try.
Posted by Va'al on March 19th, 2013 @ 4:12pm CDT

Posted by gothsaurus on March 19th, 2013 @ 4:20pm CDT

Posted by Neurie on March 19th, 2013 @ 4:55pm CDT
"Don't let them take Skids" I think was the line if I remember rightly.....
The colours used on this issue are fantastic. Suprised the death toll is quiet so low considering it is Overlord.
Those who are now in the giant scarp heap in the sky will be sorely missed.
Posted by gothsaurus on March 19th, 2013 @ 5:06pm CDT

Posted by Neurie on March 19th, 2013 @ 5:29pm CDT

Id love a MP Skids and Sunstreaker and official genration Headmasters. Considering how many companies are making them Habsro must know they would sell. Especially based on Roches designs
Posted by Stormrider on March 19th, 2013 @ 9:29pm CDT
Posted by sabrigami on March 20th, 2013 @ 12:01pm CDT
---------------------------------------------------------------
I expected one thing going into this comic, and that was expecting to come out of it an emotional wreck. I expected to be sad to the point of crying. I did not expect to come out of this angry and defeated. Very angry and defeated.
Angry at what? One word. Sword. WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT SWORD DOING THERE!? How did it even get there? Drift was near the med bay with Ratchet, how did one of his swords get down to the Time cell to conveniently screw things up? Unless there is another bot with swords I'm unaware of? I also don't remember that sword being in the door when CD finally got out. How did it get there? Rewind didn't have to die... he just didn't

Beyond my anger is just defeat. As soon as I saw rewind climb into the cell I knew it was over. the sword won, it was just all over. There was no stopping it. LSotW flashed into my mind as the scenes played out. When the Wreckers watched Impactor walk into the building with a gun, they all looked away and bowed their heads. they knew what was coming, so did I. I was utterly defeated by this ending. I couldn't stop it. I could barely read it. I just looked away and blinked back tears.
Dying in stupid pointless ways indeed.
PS. I may post less ranty things later once I stop feeling so miserable about this. Guess in the end it just goes to show how effective the art and writing was. Kudos to the creative team, you destroyed me

Posted by Va'al on March 20th, 2013 @ 1:16pm CDT
Posted by KingJames on March 20th, 2013 @ 1:40pm CDT
-Ratchet
"You like finger drills? I wanted needles but - oh I'm sorry. I meant to ask: any last words"
- Overlord
My two favorite quotes a must read I really enjoyed it and I haven't picked up a book since ongoing.
Posted by Blurrz on March 20th, 2013 @ 2:59pm CDT
Posted by PrymeStriker on March 20th, 2013 @ 3:03pm CDT
Blurrz wrote:Legless Drift,

Armless Chromedome,

RIP Magnus





I haven't even read this comic, and I love it already.

Posted by KingJames on March 20th, 2013 @ 4:15pm CDT
Posted by sabrigami on March 20th, 2013 @ 4:25pm CDT
KingJames wrote:You see Overlord use the sword on Magnus and he's dragging it when Fort Max hauls him away. It's barely noticeable
Good eye there. I was about ready to hate drift forever lol.
Well, now that I've calmed down a tad and the sword issue is sorted out, I have to say it was still very well done. I can only hope that rewind isn't really gone. No one in comics ever seems to die that way. Unless you see their spark snuff it there's always hope...I hope

Yeah, I'll start to love it more once the emotional pain settles a bit. Wild ride, this issue.