read: tf mtmte
Transformers: More than Meets the Eye
So... if you've been keeping up with me lately... I've been getting into Transformers.
Brain filled with robots. Sorry. I'm slowly working through TF content at random and at my own pace.
One thing that I've gotten through is More than Meets the Eye, and it's something that I feel that I should leave a review on because of its reputation. I think I first heard about MTMTE around the end of its run, sometime when I was in high school, and it was the first time that I had heard people praise anything about Transformers. Or heard anyone mention Transformers outside of the movies. Didn't pique my interest enough for me to actually look into it, but I did make a mental note, like, oh, I guess there's something in there that's meaningful and the franchise isn't just an old playground for 80s liners.
My verdict after reading MTMTE: yeah, it holds up. I can't say that it hits its targets all of the time (batting average is a 0.75 for me) or that it aged especially well, but the stories are executed with such ambition and sincerity that I can still admire the vision even during its misses. This is the best Trek since DS9. With all the lovable, aggravating political flaws of the average Trek series. The banter is endearing, the quick turns are sharp, and the complications of the alien robot war are at least not written in a way that's completely grating, even at its most confused moments. Did the humanization of the old bucket head work? I don't know, but I couldn't look away.
Art wise: the compositions are smart and readable. I'm not sure how much was determined by Roberts and how much was determined by Milne, but they did a great job. The style developed by the art team is distinctively clean and Milne drew a lot of hot and cute and scary robots. I'm more partial to Burcham's muted palettes and atmospheric habits, but Burcham and Lafuente are both skilled colorists.
All in all: this comic is pretty good at being a comic and worth reading for that merit, at least.