IDW Transformers More than Meets the Eye #22 Preview

I have a feeling I'm going to like this issue.....

Wow...."Decabots"? Seriously???

Why isn't James Roberts a CEO or Mayor at Hasbro?

Can't wait till Wednesday.

YoungPrime wrote:Wow...."Decabots"? Seriously???

Why isn't James Roberts a CEO or Mayor at Hasbro?

Can't wait till Weds.

I have a feeling we've already seen these new characters' designs, actually..
Will say more in the review, but I'm pretty sure that's what it is.

Va'al wrote:

YoungPrime wrote:Wow...."Decabots"? Seriously???

Why isn't James Roberts a CEO or Mayor at Hasbro?

Can't wait till Weds.

I have a feeling we've already seen these new characters' designs, actually..
Will say more in the review, but I'm pretty sure that's what it is.

What the green guys?

Yeah they're that upcomming Generations deluxe combiner that's releasing with Armada Starscream. But I'd be really surprised if the name on the box is indeed 16444/9 or any other type of arithmetic.

YoungPrime wrote:

Va'al wrote:

YoungPrime wrote:Wow...."Decabots"? Seriously???

Why isn't James Roberts a CEO or Mayor at Hasbro?

Can't wait till Weds.

I have a feeling we've already seen these new characters' designs, actually..
Will say more in the review, but I'm pretty sure that's what it is.

What the green guys?

Yeah they're that upcomming combinger that's releasing with Armada Starscream. But I'd be really surprised if the name on the box is indeed 16444/9 or any other type of arithmetic.

Hah, that would be quite the reference.

But yes, I do think the 'minicon combiner' is an Ammonite soldier. Which makes me want the figures even more.

Va'al wrote:

YoungPrime wrote:

Va'al wrote:

YoungPrime wrote:Wow...."Decabots"? Seriously???

Why isn't James Roberts a CEO or Mayor at Hasbro?

Can't wait till Weds.

I have a feeling we've already seen these new characters' designs, actually..
Will say more in the review, but I'm pretty sure that's what it is.

What the green guys?

Yeah they're that upcomming combinger that's releasing with Armada Starscream. But I'd be really surprised if the name on the box is indeed 16444/9 or any other type of arithmetic.

Hah, that would be quite the reference.

But yes, I do think the 'minicon combiner' is an Ammonite soldier. Which makes me want the figures even more.

I was trying to match up the insignia of "16444/9" with the Deluxe figure in question but it appears to be a different bot. But judging from issue #24 of More Than Meets The Eye, we haven't seen the last of these guys.

16444/9 is probably the numerical design number for the toy. All the toys have them and I believe some have them stamped on the boxes(my FOC Blaster has 3193/1 and C-1602A for example).

Does look like a great issue

Ha! A superior race of transforming robots! Well, it's a big universe. They were bound to find such a race eventually.

Synopsis

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: THE MOVIE! When the Autobots set off on their mission to find the Knights of Cybertron, RODIMUS gave REWIND a simple instruction: film everything. The result is a documentary that will forever change your perception of life on board the Lost Light. Discover RUNG’s secret! Meet the greatest Autobot of all time! And learn what SKIDS really got up to on Hedonia!



Story

We were told by the solicits and various interviews with James Roberts that this would be a breather issue, an actual 'filler' comic (for those of you who love throwing the word about), and it definitely does do that. But it does a little more too, both in terms of looking back, fleshing out and dropping some hints at what Dark Cybertron might bring.



Roberts has plenty of time and space in this issue to work his humour and dialogue, without falling into the tonal discordances that occur during big emotional moments or fight scenes. Setting the story mostly during downtimes allows him to just play around with characters and episodes we've seen so far. And the individual panels format really brings out the more idiosyncratic lines by the Lost Light crew.



But, as I said, there's a little more to that. We're introduced to an (apparently) even more advanced and belligerous mechanical civilisation, the Ammonites and the Terradores, which seem to be multiple combiners of adorable little minicon-sized robots. Or are they? Are they hiding anything? Is there.. more than meets the eye?



The issue overall is definitely a recap and a pause, but there are two moments that make it fit even better in the path to Dark Cybertron. The Thunderclash episode and the Hedonia expanded story were actually blended together fairly well, while still having the 'these are just two things that happened' feeling about them. And find out Rung's altmode.

Art

As mentioned, teased and prodded at for quite a while now, this issue marks the return of James Raiz on artwork duties, and it's definitely different from Milne or Roche's approach. Raiz has a darker, heavier touch to his lines, while still not losing in details. Some readers will complain, but I personally like the different style.



Josh Burcham works quite nicely with Raiz's darker style, bringing a light touch and a touch of light to the heavier lines in the pencils and inks. He works particularly well with the different camera perspectives, shifting tones slightly for the Rewind vs Lost Light security camera shots.



The lettering doesn't have to do too much in the issue, but Tom B. Long still has some nice moments, in the style I've come to expect from him. All in all, I like the different texture of the artistic side of the issue, and don't think it detracts anything from the story or its details.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

As I mentioned above, we get to delve a little into the life of some of the major cast members of the Lost Light, expanding on some episodes, almost answering a couple of questions and preparing the stage even if very briefly, for what is ahead. And Rung's altmode. And be prepared for some really, really silly humour.



The art might not appeal to all readers used to the Milne or Roche approaches, but I would still suggest considering it as how Rewind sees the world through his camera - Raiz does a great job in picking up on the artistic qualities of the entire run, and reproduces them perfectly, in his own style.

A final comment, though, to this final issue of what Roberts calls Season 1 of MTMTE. I can't shake off the feeling that this and the prose extract from #21 could have somehow been shrunk together, allowing for some more light on the Tyrest situation. In any case, it's a good issue, and one I think we'll need once we lose cast members (as Roberts has, as per usual, teased).

aaaahahahaha, looks like the Circle of Light shares Seibertron's opinion of the Lost Light Crew members

Hypershock wrote:aaaahahahaha, looks like the Circle of Light shares Seibertron's opinion of the Lost Light Crew members

Yeah, Roberts does play on fan-reactions a lot.

Va'al wrote:

Hypershock wrote:aaaahahahaha, looks like the Circle of Light shares Seibertron's opinion of the Lost Light Crew members

Yeah, Roberts does play on fan-reactions a lot.

Yes, I got the feeling that Tyrest's belief that he could reach Cyberutopia by killing all the KOs was a parody of my belief that Transformers would be purified if every character after G1 season 1 was omitted from existence.

As for the art on this issue... Booooooo! I'm tired of seeing banged up wrecks in the pages of Transformers. Raiz needs to consult with Floro Dery on the correct way to draw these characters.

That was a damn good read, and I haven't really been a fan of this book.

And it's not too often I laugh out loud while reading a comic, but Whirl "ending the 16 million year old war" and the reveal of Rung's "alt-mode" was too hard not to laugh at.

One thing I couldn't work out was Magnus' reaction to Thunderclash's praise. Just could not work out what was going on in that frame.

Burn wrote:That was a damn good read, and I haven't really been a fan of this book.

And it's not too often I laugh out loud while reading a comic, but Whirl "ending the 16 million year old war" and the reveal of Rung's "alt-mode" was too hard not to laugh at.

One thing I couldn't work out was Magnus' reaction to Thunderclash's praise. Just could not work out what was going on in that frame.

He hugs him. The big softie.

There was a time before Dark Cybertron and Autobot Megatron, in IDW's Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye. A time before Drift was exiled, and a time during which James Roberts had imagined an extra interaction between him and medic Ratchet in issue #22 - one that you can now read below as a New Year's gift from the writer himself! For all intents and purposes, this is essentially fan-fiction, as it was never approved or included, but you can start reading below, and the full piece here.

The following was cut from MTMTE #22 (the documentary issue) for reasons of space - it would have taken up five pages. But as you can see, it was written up and ready to go. It was never seen or approved by John Barber or Hasbro, let alone published, so it's not canon (it's headcanon to me, though).

The lead-in to this scene would have been a to-camera interview with Drift in which he would have bemoaned Ratchet’s lack of a sense of humor. I’d originally written it – or something like it – for issue #13, but again it had to go when more important things took up page space.

FIRST PAGE

1 / Drift walks into the medibay, where Ratchet is waiting with Rewind. Ratchet looks troubled and pensive. He’s leaning on one of the circuit slabs.

DRIFT: You wanted to see me.

DRIFT: Am I ill?

RATCHET: You’re fine. It’s me.

RATCHET: Close the door.


2 / Ratchet in the foreground, looking at the floor. Drift in the background, in front of the closed door, hand on the door activation pad, looking at Ratchet.

RATCHET: This is—

RATCHET: You’ll appreciate this is particularly difficult
for me to talk about, however…

RATCHET: You may be many things, but—until your
next massive personality shift—you’re not one to gloat.


3 / Drift stands opposite Ratchet, looking worried.

DRIFT: Okay, I’m worried now.

DRIFT: What is it? Is everything alright?


4 / Cut to Drift being interviewed.

DRIFT: I’d never seen him so worried.

DRIFT: And he was being nice—to me.


5 / Back to the medibay, as Panel 3. Ratchet is looking at his hands.

RATCHET: It’s my hands.

RATCHET: Pharma’s hands.

RATCHET: I mean the hands you, er, liberated from
Pharma.

RATCHET: The rogue doctor we met on Delphi. Who’s
now dead.


6 / Cut to Ratchet being interviewed.

RATCHET: I don’t know why I added that bit.

I sincerely hope this somehow makes it's way into the season 2 annual.

Well it wouldnt becuse its being shared now. Thats like handing out the script to a movie to the public before releasing it. It doesnt work like that. James is sharing it because its a scrapped portion of something published. If it was going to be officially published in MTME he would not have shared it

A while back James Roberts gave us the script for five pages that were cut from MTMTE #22. Now MTMTE colourist Josh Burcham has actually created the missing pages on his Deviantart Account: http://dcjosh.deviantart.com/ Enjoy

We reported James Roberts' deleted scene from IDW's Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #22, featuring Drift and Ratchet - so it's only fair that we also show you the great work that artist Josh Burcham has done with the script! Check out the mirrored pages below (thanks to a tip from fellow Seibertronian leokearon, and drop by Burcham's deviantArt page for more.

Ohh, I needed that. Ah, I feel better now that I got my dose of MTMTE.

THIS IS HEADCANON NOW! This lil scene adds so much to Drift and Ratchet now and I love it.

LOL! He went full anime with Drift and Ratchet's Badges.

Nisus wrote:LOL! He went full anime with Drift and Ratchet's Badges.

yes he did i dont know what to say this doesnt fit int otransformers series at all for me something i expect mr bay to put int o his transformers movies not expect to see in comics this is dumb comedy for transformers, transformers animated series it can fit into but everyhitng else no way never known rachet and drift to have sense of humor and drift is skinny looking

is it me or does the art style of these deleted scenes remind anyone of the art style of Termination and A Common Foe

Autobot tap out wrote:is it me or does the art style of these deleted scenes remind anyone of the art style of Termination and A Common Foe

Yep, same artist.

Va'al wrote:

Autobot tap out wrote:is it me or does the art style of these deleted scenes remind anyone of the art style of Termination and A Common Foe

Yep, same artist.

so that is why

This is proof that there is a GOD, and that he loves MTMTE.

Really great piece of dialogue given full treatment with inspired art; I really enjoy these kind of off the books collabos.

I say this belongs in the extras gallery for the next MTMTE trade. Come one IDW make it happen

synapse wrote:I say this belongs in the extras gallery for the next MTMTE trade. Come one IDW make it happen

Totally agree. This is friggin' awesome.

this is wonderful. this is why like our fan community

Hah, it's pure sillines, but this would've been awesome to see in the comics only because Ratchet gets to punch Drift in the face. Cool that we got to see some artwork done for it at least.