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IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review

Wednesday, November 26th, 2014 12:59PM CST

Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: Va'al   Views: 65,001

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Error. Please Repeat.
(Spoiler free-ish)



Synopsis
Days of Deception begins with… PEACE AND HAPPINESS! To be honest, there's not much we can say about this issue without giving away the life-changing events of last issue. What we can say is this: everything’s fine. There’s no conflict, no sadness, no angst. Why is this a problem?

Transformers News: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review
..s fine


Story

Timelines have met each other and collapsed. Old friends and lovers are reunited, though something is obviously not quite right yet. Other friends and allies have revealed a different set of colours entirely. And as we explored some of the past events last issue, we delve once more in the days before the Decepticons were a thing - or do we?

Transformers News: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review
Ah, good old days


James Roberts' script is heavy. This is an issue that will require time to spend on reading, rather than a quick skim-through. The play on the different time settings is clearly marked, and cleverly linked, though that is not the critical part of the connection between the two, as what they have in common may in fact be diverging once more, but further away than expected.

Transformers News: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review
Megs channelling Roberts (and readers)


While in the present Megatron finally had a bit of a breakdown aboard the Lost Light, as the rest of the crew investigate Brainstorm's doings (and part of the yellow briefcase's secrets are sorta kinda revealed!), the past sees Rewind and Minimus Ambus dealing with Functionists, and the cunning and seditious Dominus Ambus himself.

Transformers News: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review
Understatement of the Year


Does something feel off yet? It seems like something is a little off. No? Make sure you read *everything* that takes place in the issue, as details are constantly changing, for what seems to be a very good reason indeed in the grand scheme of things, and the upcoming Elegant Chaos event in particular, for which this issue a prelude of sorts.


Art

Alex Milne and Brian Shearer, with the latter helping on inking duties, have some great visual fun, despite everything happening in the script as it already is. A lot of Unicron Trilogy body types have been spotted, without being subtle at all, already in the first couple of pages, and there may be a reason for all of it being there after all. Though character design does not stop at that, with some twisted ..er.. twists elsewhere, too.

Transformers News: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review
Plus a Dredd Bot


On top of the busy script and busy backgrounds, colourist Joana Lafuente clearly had a busy time coordinating all the multiples of the same type of Cybertronian, yet marking them as individual entities (much to the ruling classes' disappointment, one might guess). I am very impressed at the result, especially with the final product in hand.

Transformers News: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review
Where's..?


Tom B. Long keeps on keeping on with the fantastic letter work, making sure to maintain the space that Roberts does not leave to the art, and . The issue also comes with an excellent array of variant covers, on top of the ominous Milne/Josh Perez main one. In the thumbnail is the eerily appropriate Nick Roche/Josh Burcham Functionist, and make sure to keep an eye out for the Andrew Griffith 30th Anniversary special incentive art, too.


Thoughts
Spoilerish ahead

It's mind-bendy, it's space-bendy, it's time-bendy - it just pushes the envelope and watches it bend for most of the plotlines being teased up to this point, and some intriguing social commentary to boot. Out of all of this week's releases, this is the most dense and emotionally compromising, without any doubt, so be warned before you dive into it.

Transformers News: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review
Everything is fine


We vaguely know what has happened with the Functionist Council in the past. We've seen something of Brainstorm's character so far. We know what Rewind used to do in the days of Dominus Ambus, and the House of Ambus overall - be ready to have all of that questioned. Again. And again. Elegant Chaos is here.

. :BOT: :BOT: :BOT: :BOT: :BOT: - out of :BOT: :BOT: :BOT: :BOT: :BOT:
Credit(s): IDW, Va'al

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Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1624887)
Posted by ZeroWolf on November 26th, 2014 @ 1:41pm CST
Wait 5-?

Can't wait to get this tomorrow, may re-read everything up to now as well :D. Though what you said about the UT cameos makes it seem that armada Megatron will appear.
Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1624908)
Posted by SW's SilverHammer on November 26th, 2014 @ 2:49pm CST
Multiple Universes are for Hacks ~ Perceptor

so, I know most haven't gotten the chance to look through their copies, but i'm going to put something out there, did anyone notice her?
Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1624914)
Posted by Va'al on November 26th, 2014 @ 3:03pm CST
Oh, very much so SW.

There is a brilliant fan art piece I spotted earlier today, I'll put the URL in spoiler tags right here:

https://38.media.tumblr.com/bf049aac025fe0de3d65db99d003bd99/tumblr_nfnkl3qEtc1s0bve9o1_500.png
Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1624917)
Posted by SW's SilverHammer on November 26th, 2014 @ 3:20pm CST
Va'al wrote:Oh, very much so SW.

There is a brilliant fan art piece I spotted earlier today, I'll put the URL in spoiler tags right here:

https://38.media.tumblr.com/bf049aac025fe0de3d65db99d003bd99/tumblr_nfnkl3qEtc1s0bve9o1_500.png


The part that caught my notice wasn't so much that the character model was a feminized Rung but that Minimus and Rewind used the feminine pronouns in common use; which brings two mind 2 things. 1. were there other experiments of Jhiaxus that we don't know about provided she falls under the "Frankenstein Created Woman" origin. Or 2. There are naturally female transformers as stated by Windblade and Chromia about the Caminus lost colony; however in this alternate timeline, there are genders in Functionalist society. Which stated by rewind and Chromedome after rewind had a stroke, lasted a few million years more than the standard timieline's functionalist society in this new timeline.
Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1624928)
Posted by Va'al on November 26th, 2014 @ 4:46pm CST
I was always on board with the second of those statements, to be honest with you.

But what does this mean in terms of timeline alignment? Will one take over the other, but not in the way we think it already has? Will there be a timequake? A timeshift? Another word with time in it?
Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1624933)
Posted by SW's SilverHammer on November 26th, 2014 @ 5:02pm CST
Va'al wrote:I was always on board with the second of those statements, to be honest with you.

But what does this mean in terms of timeline alignment? Will one take over the other, but not in the way we think it already has? Will there be a timequake? A timeshift? Another word with time in it?


The time warp? Its just a jump to left and a step to the right after all.

well perceptor stated that the briefcase time machine kept the former reality stable enough for brainstorm to put his hands on his hips, pull he's knees in tight and pelvic thrust his way into the past, thus over coming the paradox. It possible the with the mention alternate universes are bullshit, that the other lost light seen in the slaughterhaus was a consequence of brainstorms tampering with the past, as seen by the other rewind's stroke and those events were part of the new timeline establishing itself.
Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1624934)
Posted by Nemesis Maximo on November 26th, 2014 @ 5:06pm CST
Va'al wrote:Oh, very much so SW.

There is a brilliant fan art piece I spotted earlier today, I'll put the URL in spoiler tags right here:

https://38.media.tumblr.com/bf049aac025fe0de3d65db99d003bd99/tumblr_nfnkl3qEtc1s0bve9o1_500.png

Image
Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1624938)
Posted by ZeroWolf on November 26th, 2014 @ 5:36pm CST
Va'al wrote:Will there be a timequake? A timeshift? Another word with time in it?

As I've said all along what about time wars ;) for Roberts being a big fan of the uk marvel stuff a homage of sorts to that series biggest arc isn't out of the question.
Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1625283)
Posted by AudioKnightsTheatre on November 28th, 2014 @ 8:50am CST
We see here what Cybertron is like with the Functionists in control(operating from a giant Transformation cog and themselves Empurata'd, I suppose, to the point of making their decisions and actions logical and cold and to remove a more compassionate or emotional effect), and the issue almost beats you over the head with how their entire system is bent on What You Turn Into aka The Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy. They seek to become perfect; to find the perfect shape('Til All Are One?) and are essentially experimenting with the population to find it.

Megatron's speech in the previous issue(captured so delightfully well by Chris McFeely here on his Towards Peace bit: http://www.SoundCloud.com/TheAudioKnightsTheatre - sorry, shameless plug) and the action of the rebel who threw her incendiary device fashioned from her own transformation cog(and why "females" in this continuity now? Did they never exodus because of the absence of war?) coupled by an "innocent" question posed by Roberts in the Twitter thread, seems to point to a theme of "Transformation Is Bad" - that this culture which exists with a natural ability to change into alternative forms is hindered by this very gift, in that they discriminate based on how this gift is used. We've seen Gorlam Prime and Beast Machines, of how evolution played a part in learning to change shape, but in a series ABOUT Transformers, it shines a light on what it really MEANS to be able to Transform.

The characters in "our" universe are comfortable in their alt modes; First Aid and Ambulon both led happy and fulfilling lives without needing to transform into something else - they found a use without needing transformation cogs.

When the Circle of Light left Cybertron to spread its message, when Nova Prime left to conquer, it seems the mechanical viewed the organic as inferior and it seems partly because of that inability to change shape.

I'm starting to ramble now, but I wonder what Roberts is building to, with this commentary on transformation. I Also need to read Eugenesis. It's on my list.
Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1626262)
Posted by ThunderThruster on December 2nd, 2014 @ 7:28am CST
Just 1 random thought that occured reading the comments so far: with the shift/atlterations in the timeline, and the inevitable rectifacations to come, is this the "maguffin" that could be used to return Scrapper to the living for Combiner Wars? (ala the episode of Red Dwarf, where they change the timeline, restore the timeline, but for an unknown reason Rimmer was alive instead of a hologram)
Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1626266)
Posted by ZeroWolf on December 2nd, 2014 @ 7:56am CST
I thought of something similar for how Defensor was going to take part in combiner wars as well since all his components are on the lost light. Though I want prowl to stay with the constructicons, he's a much better character like this.
Re: IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 Review (1626314)
Posted by ThunderThruster on December 2nd, 2014 @ 9:46am CST
Agreed, him being a part of Devastator has been awesome.

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