Cover detail for Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #16. Hasbro/IDW.
Julian Titus is a writer/editor for PixlBit.com and the host of the Nerds Without Pants podcast. He's also the biggest Transformers fan I've ever met and will be covering IDW's Transformers comics right here on a regular basis. This week, he's reviewing the latest book from IDW...
Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #16, "The Gloaming"
Welcome back to the Roll Out! After a week’s hiatus I’m back with the aftermath of Overlord’s rampage on the Lost Light.
One of the things that have made the Transformers stand out for me over the years is the fact that they are machines with the capability to feel the same range of emotions that we have. This, I believe, sets them apart from most other robots in science fiction. More Than Meets the Eye #16 takes this emotion to a new level, as the entire story centers on how different characters deal with grief.
Variant cover for Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #16. Hasbro/IDW.
Simply put, Overlord did lasting damage to the crew of the Lost Light, and not everyone made it through. Writer James Roberts handles the survivors with care and really hits on their individual personalities. As expected, Swerve hides behind his humor, while Chromedome retreats within himself. The real standout though, is Tailgate. Easily one of my favorite characters in this series, I loved his perspective on the shocking events of last issue. Since he was out of commission for the entire 4 million year Autobot and Decepticon war he’s stunned at how he’s the only ‘bot freaked out by the pile of casualties from one battle. It really adds weight to an already somber story. This is one not to be missed.
Agustin Padilla doesn’t bring quite as much personality to the pencils as Nick Roche or Alex Milne, but to be fair he has to draw a lot of Transformers in this issue. He’s a new face in the Transformers universe for me, but if he sticks around for a few issues I won’t mind. Next month looks to be the start of something big, and I can’t wait.
Last week, Robots in Disguise volume 3 hit shelves. I...really don’t have much to say about this one. This trade opens up with a story revolving around Optimus Pri—sorry, Orion Pax, and it’s a jumbled and confusing mess of a story. This is compounded by one of my least favorite artists to grace a Transformers book: Livio Ramondelli.
Things pick up with the annual, which has some great flashback sections revolving around Nova Prime. These bits flesh out more of the IDW universe backstory, and the art is done in the old Marvel style from when the first comic was just starting off. I’d almost suggest this volume just for that, and if you wanted more information on the Metrotitans from More Than Meets the Eye vol. 3, this book has it.