Jul 10

More than Meets the Eye #31 Recap – The bottle episode

TF_MTMTE_31_cvrAThe term “bottle episode” refers to an episode limited in the number of characters and its setting, originating with the 1960s Star Trek where the term referred to episodes only shot on the starship Enterprise. More than Meets the Eye shares one thing with that old classic sci-fi series, in that it also takes place in outer space and since Roberts likes to use other TV series terminology, like splitting his issues up in “seasons” and “multiple episode story arcs” it wasn’t surprising when he announced that he was making a “bottle episode”, to be a bit of calm before a greater storm.

 Spoilers ahoy!

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Jun 25

More than Meets the Eye #30 Recap – How do you solve a problem like Megatron?

TF_MTMTE_30_cvrSUBThere’s a saying…In a lot of different languages that something that’s good is well worth waiting for. With this latest issue of More Than Meets the Eye; I was starting to doubt that. With over a month to wait for the resolution to the cliffhanger and story hooks from last issue, I was going a little loopy. Well, the wait is finally over and here is the promised end to the first mini arc, where we would finally find out how Megatron ended up where he is right now and let me tell you, it’s made me like the character in a way I did not think possible.

Spoilers ahoy!

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Jun 05

WTFMarvel? – Simon Furman & Jose Delbo’s Brute Force Returns!

Deadpool-Bi-Annual-001-674x1024-2f5c5Comic Book Resources just dropped the news that an upcoming Deadpool special will feature the little-know Marvel characters Brute Force! Why am I posting this on a Transformers site? Because Brute Force, a book that got a whopping four issues out of its initial 4-issue limited series, a toy comic with no actual toy to tie in to, was created (at least in part) by Bob Budiansky, written by Simon Furman, and drawn by Jose Delbo.

In the last days of the 80s, with Transformers and G.I. Joe winding down, Marvel decided they wanted to put some of that talent they’d used to create characters and storylines for Hasbro into making their own “toyetic” IP that they could then license to a toy company. Brute Force was the result.

Back in 2012 I spoke to Furman about the series over on the comic retrospective blog 80 Page Giant (Where I also do a podcast!), and honestly that alone may be the most extensive information on the series you’ll ever find. Go take a look at that, then click over to the CBR article on the Deadpool special and see what plans they have now for the Marvel-owned toyline that never was!

Jun 04

WTFHasbro? – Knights of Unicron Set Is Most 80s Thing Ever

What’s the most 80s thing you can imagine? If you said Transformers dressed up as a glam metal band, Hasbro is right there with you. According to ETOnline (for some reason), Hasbro’s big Transformers San Diego Comic-Con set is called Knights of Cybertron, and it features Optimus Prime, Megatron, Jazz, and Soundwave (all based on the FoC Deluxes) with wild hair, zebra print scarfs, and bright-colored fringe. The set also pulls out the Laserbeak and Ratbat guitar and keytar molds from Transformers Animated and includes toy-scaled microphones.

Hey, at least it’s not based on a Robot Chicken sketch.

Rock on over to their site for pictures of the full set in all their 80s glory.

Jun 03

WTFTakaraTomy? – A Transformers/Evangelion Crossover For Some Reason

TFEvaWHYYYYYYYYTakaraTomy has strange ideas for Transformers. While Hasbro is putting together award-winning TV shows and working with Hollywood studios, TakaraTomy is…making toy sneakers and caps that turn into Optimus Prime.

And sometimes they do strange, inexplicable crossovers, like toys that change from iconic Transformers vehicle modes into Disney characters. And then there’s this: Crossing Transformers with the influential, deeply psychological 90s anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. Like a fanfic on a GeoCities site circa 1999, the Autobots are teaming up with NERV to take down a Starscream-possessed Angel Sachiel. Why? Because TakaraTomy is doing a limited-release Masterpiece Optimus Prime in Unit 01 purple and green, which is already bad enough without having to fanfic things up. At least it’s limited to 1000 pieces.

You can check out the official page for the crossover here, though I think even Google Translate will be hard-pressed to make any of it actually make any sense. I’ll be off in a corner being appalled on behalf of Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno.

Jun 02

Michael Bay Catches Up To 10 Years Ago, Realizes Linkin Park Is Over

Finally catching up to the rest of Adult America, Michael Bay has grown out of his Linkin Park phase and brought in Imagine Dragons for Transformers: Age of Extinction. It’s also reported that Skrillix will be helping out with the SFX for the new film.

Barring the video getting copyright-smacked, you can hear the new song, “Battle Cry”, right here:

May 14

Review: More than Meets the Eye 29 – Story Hooks

TF_MTMTE_29_cvrAOver one year ago I attended a writing class and one of the lecturers brought up the term “story hook”; something, a mystery or an unanswered question that keeps us readers invested in the story and compels us to keep turning the page to see what happens next. With Roberts’ choice to have storylines from both six months ago as well as the past, he has created a pretty good “hook”. We see that Megatron has somehow ended up as the new captain on the Lost Light without any clear answer to how this came to be, so we eagerly follow the proceedings in the past, during the trial to see how on Earth Megatron will dodge the death penalty that everyone seems to clamor for and end up leading the expedition that Rodimus himself started…

Spoilers below!

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Apr 30

Review: More than Meets the Eye #28 – The one with Megatron on the cover (Spoilers!)

TF_MTMTE_28_cvrAThis issue comes out on the 30th of April, which is close enough to my birthday (one day, but who’s counting) that I consider it an early birthday present…And it is quite the present!

When I first held an issue of this comic in my hands it was the characters that made me fall in love with it, their relationships and their trials and tribulations with the main plot, the search for the Knights of Cybertron as an excuse to put all these robots together in one confined space. Now that MTMTE is entering its author-named “second season”, 25 issues with one overarching plot line, it is the characters that still jump out and grab me.

Spoilers below the cut!

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Apr 16

Review: Windblade #1

TF_Windblade01_cvrAIt was kind of a given that I’d like Windblade . With Mairghread Scott and Sarah Stone making it the first Transformers comic outside of fanzines and message boards with an all-female creative team, with it introducing a new female Transformer who’s not only pushing IDW to diversify their cast but pushing Hasbro to diversify their toyline as well, it would have taken some epic blunders for me to dislike it.

Despite all it has going for it, Windblade could have still been as mediocre as so many other comics on the shelves today and in the past decade. It could have been a great idea bogged down with a bland story and muddy, unreadable art. It could have failed to hold a candle to the other excellent Transformers comics currently running, More Than Meets The Eye and Robots in Disguise. It could have challenged my desire, my need to like it.

I’m happy to say that’s not at all the case.

Spoilers ahoy!

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Mar 26

Transformers Dark Cybertron Review: Closing the Book [Spoilers below cut]

DRKCYBRTRN012_cvrAToday marks the end of Dark Cybertron, the first real big event in Transformers comics, spanning many months and 12 issues, including both Robots in Disguise and More Than Meets The Eye. One of my esteemed colleagues on this website has already chimed in with his thoughts on this crossover event and he did not have a lot of good to say about it. I endeavor here to give my own thoughts and perhaps offer a slightly different viewpoint.

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