More Than Meets the Eye - Ongoing series

[primenova]

Is there a reason for 12? does each relate to an issue of the comic this year? Did James write the bit at the bottom.

[Deleted]

Hopefully my copy will arrive either today or tomorrow in the mail

[Jim]

I'm tempted to more than double-dip in print; how do you get the gatefold and Roche covers? Are they released later?

[chrismcfeely]

The Roche cover is one of the standard five covers (the other four being the interconnected Milne ones) - if your store ordered more than four copies, they should have some of Nick's one. The Gatefold one is a retailer exclusive, which required retailers to order a minimum quantity of the regular covers (10, I think?) in order to be eligible to order it. That's very much case of "either your store did, or it didn't", and if it didn't, to the Internets with you.

[The Doctor]

Future drunken purchase ahoy!

-Ralph

[Jim]

Thanks! Made a diversion via Orbital on the way home and got the Roche cover this time. To the internet for the gatefold.

[Jaymz]

Jan 12, 2012 18:36:30 GMT Jim said:

Thanks! Made a diversion via Orbital on the way home and got the Roche cover this time. To the internet for the gatefold.

Yeah, I was gonna say I still had about 3 Roche covers on the shelf this morning. Didn't get our gatefold incentives yet, so I dunno if any UK stores will have them. Hopefully show up in the next couple of weeks!

[Deleted]

Was in the minority and didn't really like TDoOP, but this relaunch was superb. It's just...crackling with character and pretty much everyone gets a chance to shine. Love how Ultra Magnus 'sees the world.'

Even Drift is likeable.

[Andy Turnbull]

Have a copy on order of a cover from Mr Bax. couldn't see any of the Nick covers on ebay uk. Snagged the five covers from a us seller just now.

Andy

[Jim]

Disposable Heroes seems to have all the covers, but they also seem to have got More than Meets the Eye confused with Robots in Disguise:

www.disposableheroes.co.uk/this-weeks-releases/idw/cat_17.html

They do have FCBD 80.5 listed at 89p though.

[Dave]

I had some catching up to do with previous issues but finally read this last night. An impressive first issue that has set things up well and got me interested in what's going to happen so job done there. There's a lot crammed in compared to some issues we've had - that shouldn't have surprised me but I finished the issue thinking it'd been an extended first issue until James mentioned "the preceding 22 pages".

Lovely looking issue and funny too... the meteor shower and Prowl's plan amongst other things.

Not sure about Whirl just happening to be in the exact spot above Tailgate as he detonates his energon rations when they are trekking across a vast wasteland but I laughed so never mind.

[Deleted]

Annoyingly the postman STILL hasn't brought my issue <<

[The Doctor]

Appears to have sold out in FPE!

-Ralph

[Grand Moff Muffin]

They had four copies, covers B to E, in FPC yesterday but I have ordered cover A from Mr Bax so I resisted the urge to buy (and bought Classics Vol. 2 instead). Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow!!!

Martin

[charlesrocketboy]

It came in through the mailbox and YES! Diverse characters! Complex plot! A big cliffhanger! Mysteries! Mutilated corpses! What more could you want?!

[Dave]

Some sexy MTME pages minus colour/words on Nick's blog here. Hadn't realised he wasn't doing anymore anytime soon though. A shame.

[bertie]

HA HA HA, I have the Roche cover for #1. WOOT!

I can't wait to read it.

[Rich]

A fine, fine comic. Further thoughts when it's had a much needed second reading.

[The Doctor]

The always enjoyable House to Astonish podcast gave it a good review:

www.housetoastonish.com/?p=1232

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

Indeed they did. But co-host Al Kennedy is a fan of old-school Marvel UK Transformers comics.

Andy

[The Doctor]

Dec 27, 2011 19:28:02 GMT jamesr said:

Each to their own, although I will say that I wanted to pay homage to JL issue 1 because - as will become apparent - the two books share a similar sensibility.

So it was more than just 'that looks nice, let's copy it'.

Having now read the comic, and with Magnus reminding me very much of JL Batman, I must now eat humble pie and acknowledge that in this instance the homage does indeed have a point rather than being random.

Hot damn, this humble pie tastes good.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

I am now waiting for him to deck someone with one punch.

Andy

[Jim]

Jan 15, 2012 17:03:58 GMT Andy Turnbull said:

Indeed they did. But co-host Al Kennedy is a fan of old-school Marvel UK Transformers comics.

I have a dim recollection of Paul O'Brien reviewing a Furman Dreamwave comic many moons ago and mentioning he got into comics through the UK run (like so many of us!).

I was hoping they'd review this, listening to HtA is a fortnightly highlight of my commute.

[legios]

Ah, now that was fantastic. Since getting this yesterday evening I have now given it three read-throughs and I suspect a fourth will occur in the next couple of days. (One for pleasure, one for story, one for analysis and probably one just to check I have got all of the jokes.

A great start to the relaunch - did the traditional "gathering the team" schtick with verve and humor, and more importantly did it in one issue and then solidly kicked off the adventure. There is a lot that happens in this issue, and a sense of pace that I have felt has been lacking in Transformers comics for a while. Also, there fact that it wasn't taking itself too seriously and was able to serve up some good jokes is refreshing (I laughed out loud at the idea that Ultra Magnus gets bubble-help when he looks at folks. The headshot joke is a wonderful bit of grey/black humor too).

If the intent was to go for the same sort of tone as the Giffen/DeMattis Justice League then I would say that this issue makes a creditable stab at it.

More than Meets the Eye is off to a fine start so far. Looking forward to issue 2 immensely.

It is so nice to be able to say that about a Transformers comic again.

Karl

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Arrived today, hurrah!

Best Transformers issue #1 since 1984, no question in my mind on that score.

Favourite thing of all: Tailgate - I never saw that twist coming, but it delighted me no end, as it was perhaps the one thing in the issue that reminded me these were alien robots and not human characters. The too-human characters made it feel not very much like a Transformers comic to me, but it was still a fantastic comic in its own right. Also - Tailgate has/had a Microtrailer!

Second favourite thing: The final page. I have always liked having Prowl know more about what's really going on than anyone else, and be the only person fully in the picture on things. And twists that put a whole new slant on things are always good.

Third favourite thing: The way Ultra Magnus views the world. Inspired.

Least favourite thing: Serial use of the term "alt mode" which is not part of my TF vocabulary, as it tends to show prejudice to the humanoid form. In my world, all the configurations of a Transformer are equal. (And they sometimes have more individual character in vehicle mode... thinking "Rock and Roll Out".) And, I suppose, the statement in the editorial that the series will be about "a bunch of mechanoids fighting and bickering". Having been turned off by that in "Beast Wars/Machines" I'd like to see Autobots that are a bit more mature and rational in their behaviour, and leave the irrationality to us humans. But we shall see...

It's a bit redundant now to keep pointing out how much better James Roberts' comics are than all the other IDW issues, so I'll just say I rate this one ahead of "Last Stand of the Wreckers" but behind TDOOP and "Chaos Theory". But that's more a matter of taste than a rating on quality - "Wreckers" was just too sadistic for me, while TDOOP and "Chaos Theory" were just spot on with the serious storytelling, and MTMTE is much lighter. They're almost like three different genres of movie - which shows the versatility of the creators. Being able to write three different types of comic well is showing off a bit...

Thoroughly looking forward to issue #2.

Martin

[Rich]

So, my promised, further comments. I'm sure you've all been eagerly flicking on your computers every twenty minutes to read them and then sighing with disappointment when they weren't there. Or something.

I doubt I'm going to say anything new - the IDW thread alone is about a million pages long already, but there you go.

As Martin says, fantastic first issue. The best since 84? I'm not really great at rating one comic against another unless I have them both to hand - my memory is too feeble - but with hindsight, I think Furman's first issue with IDW, despite feeling a bit slow at the time, went on to set up an excellent run for the comic that grows in my estimation as time goes on, and I loved G2 when I read it for the first time - so being up with those is something, and this comic certainly is, and it may well surpass them, once it too has time to breathe.

I too really liked the the Tailgate subplot, being as I think it was, an excellent joke about the absurd length of time TFs live for, as well as being a nice idea generally. It did though contain my one frustration with the issue - Tailgate's little info screen - I just couldn't work out where it was meant to be.

That minor quibble aside, Nick and Josh were on fine form throughout - I thought the Cyclonus sequence was brilliantly handled. Milne has improved a lot over time (although I'm not fond of his covers for issue 1 at all), but it's a real shame that Nick won't be sticking around.

Back to the writing: Magnus-vision was excellent fun, Prowl's scheming is typically and wonderfully labyrinthine, the twist at the end was all we could have hoped for and the overall premiss seems open to endless possibilities, and it's a while since that's been true. The title and the turbofoxes were great too, and tickled my tmuk pride buttons - I hope to see Underbase entries for each issue of the series! Well played, James.

[Andy Turnbull]

My dead tree edition arrived today.

Shiny on the cover makes me happy. Have read the iPad version several times and it is indeed a stonking first issue and for the first time since IDW's launch it feels like they are not panic button relaunching but doing something that builds on what has gone before.

Shame Nick won't be on interiors any longer but Milne has upped his game and the worst thing that we could have gotten as an outright replacement is Nick-lite so the fact their styles are so different will be of benefit in the long run.

Andy

[The Huff]

Received this very quickly from AC Comics via Ebay on Saturday (thanks!) after ordering it on Thursday.
Absolutely loved this! I remember thinking how eagerly I awaited the LSOTW issues in the same way as the original TFUK series and this is the same as I can't wait for the next issue.
Not a dull moment or boring panel and lots of suspense, in jokes (Brainstorms rub-sign made me chuckle out loud as did the Magnus-Vision and the Red Alert not recognizing Rung moment).
The characters feel real again - I mean, Swerve was only in one panel and he's a favorite already!
Was also pleased that the Liars A-D title has been used again especially as the original fanfic was set in 2012 which is where we find ourselves now.
Am gutted that Nick isn't drawing the entire run but will wait and see how things turn out art-wise. A big Well done to both James & Nick!
Anyone written to the letters page yet?

[jamesr]

Thanks, you guys! Always gives me a buzz to read comments from the TMUK crew.

Issue 1 seems to have been generally well-received, although it's hard to reach comic fans who don't normally read Transformers. Oh well. I hope everyone who picked up issue 1 sticks around, and tells their friends, and develops crippling OCD which means they have to buy a 100 copies every month.

Oh, and Matt - issue 2 contains lots of Swerve. And he gets to say the line of which I am most proud in all my days writing TF stuff.

[blueshift]

Jan 17, 2012 21:43:24 GMT jamesr said:

Issue 1 seems to have been generally well-received, although it's hard to reach comic fans who don't normally read Transformers.

I think that's an understatement if ever there was one! I hope IDW takes note of this positive success as evidence that fans don't blanket hate everything!