Past Perfect: More Than Meets the Eye # 36!

THE start of the New Year is an auspicious time to read one of the best Transformers issues—ever. Already known as the best-written IDW continuity series, “Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye” (“TF: MTMTE”) gives writer James Roberts the space and opportunity to do whatever he wants. This issue is an example of why that is always a good thing.

            “TF: MTMTE” # 36 begins on Cybertron four million years ago, with a group of Autobot outlaws, led by Orion Pax, are protecting the Alyon region from attack. Then, they are interrupted by the sudden appearance literally out of nowhere by a group of Transformers readers will recognize as members of the crew of the Lost Light: Rodimus, Chromedome, Whirl, Tailgate, Cyclonus, Rung, Rewind and Sky Byte. They have clearly traveled back in time. “’Sup,” Rodimus says.

            Then we get a flashback—or a flash-forward in this case—on the Lost Light. They’ve figured out that Decepticon double agent Brainstorm has gone back in time to the time frame of 1^st Cycle 502 to assassinate Pax—who would later become Optimus Prime—and win the war for the Decepticons. Led by an uncomfortable Megatron, they agree that the only way to stop Brainstorm is to send their own team back in time. They also have to be careful, as they can’t change the events of the past either. “Chromedome’s got it covered,” Rodimus says.

Big Ideas: More Than Meets The Eye # 33!

“Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye” (“TF: MTMTE”) # 33 should be dubbed “The Explanation Issue,” because writer James Roberts literally explains everything that’s been going on in the series, all the way back to the beginning. He explains both the big ideas (the disappearance and the subsequent reappearance of The Lost Light) and small details (a certain crewmember’s faceplate). And he does so with style. After the events of last issue, the surviving crew of The Lost Light have boarded the other Lost Light and found a lot of mutilated Cybertronian corpses as well as the ship’s engines surrounded by quantum foam. The big shocker is that they have found the previously-dead Rewind—alive but unconscious. It is notable that the crew has been shrunk to the point that there are only six Autobots left (Megatron, Skids, Getaway, Nautica, Nightbeat, Nautica, Riptide) plus the discoveted stowaway Ravage. From the suddenly spacious roll call page on, “Slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken” is a blow to the head and a kick to the stomach. As they work to revive Rewind, Nautica, thanks to a joke by Riptide, figures out the mystery of The Lost Lights and manages to explain it in a satisfying manner, with a little help from Nightbeat...

Present Tense: More Than Meets The Eye # 32!

Wow, it feels like forever since the last issue of IDW Publishing’s “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye” (“TF: MTMTE”) How many mega-cycles has it been since “TF: MTMTE” # 31? The answer is 12.387 mega-cycles (that’s 48 days for us non-Cybertronians). That wait feels especially long considering that “TF: MTMTE” is the best of IDW’s TF comic series, and that writer James Roberts has the crew of the Lost Light is the middle of a major mystery. Good thing “TF: MTMTE” # 32 is here or fans would start breaking the Tyrest Accords in frustration. “Slaughterhouse” is an apt title for this issue as the remaining crew of the Lost Light have just discovered that all those on the ship’s original crew have vanished, as has the ship itself. But the accidental skeleton crew led by disliked captain Megatron and the detective Nightbeat are surprised to find an older, virtually destroyed version of the Lost Light has appeared covered in quantum foam, meaning –time travel! As the survivors enter the dead hulk, they discover body after body of dead Autobots (including Ultra Magnus, Tailgate, Drift, Ratchet, among others) in various states of mutilation.

Vanishing Points: More Than Meets The Eye # 31!

Wow, just when you thought James Roberts couldn’t write a better, more jam-packed issue of the excellent IDW Publishing series “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye” (“TF: MTMTE”) # 31. Not only does this issue go back to the earliest issues Roberts wrote for IDW and answers many questions that TF fans didn’t expect would be answered so soon or so well. The issue starts with a flashback two years back, where we see Drift, Riptide and Pipes trolling New Iacon for a new ship, encountering a group of rogbots who communicate by moving their fingers. Drift succeeds in acquiring a ship—which is soon renamed The Lost Light. So that’s where that came from. Back to the present, the Autobots (Megatron is now officially one of them) are floating in shuttles (and Rodimus’ Rodpod) after the aforementioned Lost Light started to disappear part and part, before vanishing completely. Swerve and Skids kibitz. But even before they can get around to figuring out what happened, there is a sudden blackout on the Rodpod. When the lights come back on, several of the crew have vanished into thin space air. An upset Tailgate points a pistol at Megatron and soon guns are drawn in an old-fashioned (if space-set) Mexican standoff.

Ghost Ship: More Than Meets The Eye # 29

IT is clear from the brand new characters page that “Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye” (TF: MTMTE) # 29 is barreling straight into the depths of its first post-“Dark Cybertron” story arc as part of “Dawn of the Autobots.” The issue’s Cover A, by the series’ penciller Alex Milne, shows not only the two important characters for the issue, but also the different moods, with a glowering Megatron towering over a humorous and tiny Tailgate. The scary and funny moods work all throughout the issue. Written by James Roberts and illustrated by Milne, “World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air” continues the events from last issue. The Lost Light is out to space again in its search for the Knights of Cybertron and Cyberutopia, but with Megatron as the ship’s captain. Very quickly we get a taste of Megatron’s new leadership as he stomps around the ship issuing orders and fixing problems. He is scarily effective. The fact that Swerve does the summation of the past issue’s events all by himself confirms the issue’s intent to amuse. Meanwhile, Tailgate (welcome back! Plus he has an IDW-accurate toy now!) has just awakened from recovery and is shocked at all the changes even as he earnestly tries to lighten the mood.

Switching Sides: More Than Meets The Eye # 28

Each of the three covers to IDW Publishing’s “The Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye” # 28 features something jarring which Transfans have never seen before: Megatron as an Autobot. That’s not an alternate reality Megs; that’s the actual Megatron rocking an Autobot badge. This is the third and last of the three series that constitute IDW’s “Dawn of the Autobots” story arc; one of the Autobots apparently dawning is Megatron. How did he do that? That’s explained at the end of the “Dark Cybertron” story arc, when he and Prime joined forces to defeat Shockwave’s universe-threatening plans. Part of the genius of James Roberts’ plot for “TF: MTMTE” # 28 is that it deals with what happens next. The story, called “World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace,” is ostensibly set six months after “Dark Cybertron.” The series picks up from where the original “TF: MTMTE” series left off, as the starship The Lost Light has obviously been rebuilt and re-crewed for it to continue its original mission of finding the Knights of Cybertron and the legendary Cyberutopia. There’s just been one change. The Lost Light has a new captain: Megatron.