Scan barcode
michaelclorah's review against another edition
4.0
via NYPL - pretty entertaining, if snapppy, tongue-in-cheek dialogue and robots smashing each other is your thing. It works for me.
kenyuen1's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first time reading a Transformers comic book in a long time. Kind of feels like entering a long-running story in the middle.
The art is gorgeous and stuff, but the story is a bit hard to follow. I heard good things about the series so I'll check out volume 2.
The art is gorgeous and stuff, but the story is a bit hard to follow. I heard good things about the series so I'll check out volume 2.
karenchristine's review against another edition
Tror jeg er lidt for investeret i det her...
karenchristine's review against another edition
Ved ikke rigtig hvordan man anmelder en tegneserie om transformers?? men altså, den var overraskende humoristisk. Tak til Ida for at få mig til at læse om bøsserobotter, jeg hyggede mig...
hdbblog's review against another edition
4.0
Well, I can definitely say that this remains my favorite of the two series! It's honestly because of the thin line that James Roberts walks between tragedy, and humor. Let's be honest, these aren't always the happiest stories. Despite the fact that the war is over, well, it's not really over. Lines are still drawn in the sand. Hatred still exists. Our characters still die. Sometimes in ways that are a bit hard to stomach. If you don't think that you'd feel sad for a non-human character dying, let me assure you that you are dead wrong. Whether these characters are human or not, they have the kinds of personalities that draw you in and make you care. It's evil. It's brilliant.
I'll bet money you know someone like Magnus. Overly serious, possibly OCD. The life of the party? Not so much. You probably also know someone like Swerve, who is over eager and tells terrible jokes. Or someone like Rung, who tries their best to help others to such an extent that they often end up getting hurt themselves. Trust me, these characters are easy to fall into step with. They come alive, and I can't deny that I'm absolutely hooked. It's testament to how well this is written that I actually like some of the Decepticons. Yup, they may have been evil at one point, but now they're just as lost as everyone else. And... this motley band of buddies is kind of funny too.
What I liked most about this volume is that it's actually bunch of short story arcs all threaded together. Each one shows a little piece of something different that's currently going on. We have a mysterious plague that Ratchet and his crew have to figure out how to solve. That particular one almost made me cry. What a brutal way to go! Then, we have the crew of the Lost Light, where Skids is trying to figure out what memories he's missing, and poor Rung is having one hell of a day. Finally, there's our Decepticons in the panel above. Trying to band together, trying to get home, still kind of awful to one another. Yet, again, funny.
I'm really enjoying how Roberts takes the time to set up these relationships between characters. You can see who genuinely cares about others, who separates themselves from the group, and who just doesn't know how to belong. I can't deny, my emotions were all over the place this volume. I should have been prepared. I wasn't. I tell you, I'm more invested in this than you know.
I'll bet money you know someone like Magnus. Overly serious, possibly OCD. The life of the party? Not so much. You probably also know someone like Swerve, who is over eager and tells terrible jokes. Or someone like Rung, who tries their best to help others to such an extent that they often end up getting hurt themselves. Trust me, these characters are easy to fall into step with. They come alive, and I can't deny that I'm absolutely hooked. It's testament to how well this is written that I actually like some of the Decepticons. Yup, they may have been evil at one point, but now they're just as lost as everyone else. And... this motley band of buddies is kind of funny too.
What I liked most about this volume is that it's actually bunch of short story arcs all threaded together. Each one shows a little piece of something different that's currently going on. We have a mysterious plague that Ratchet and his crew have to figure out how to solve. That particular one almost made me cry. What a brutal way to go! Then, we have the crew of the Lost Light, where Skids is trying to figure out what memories he's missing, and poor Rung is having one hell of a day. Finally, there's our Decepticons in the panel above. Trying to band together, trying to get home, still kind of awful to one another. Yet, again, funny.
I'm really enjoying how Roberts takes the time to set up these relationships between characters. You can see who genuinely cares about others, who separates themselves from the group, and who just doesn't know how to belong. I can't deny, my emotions were all over the place this volume. I should have been prepared. I wasn't. I tell you, I'm more invested in this than you know.
hdbblog's review against another edition
5.0
Let me start a slow clap for this volume, if I may. I absolutely adored it! Is it possible for a series to just get better? I'm terrified that it can't keep riding this high, but I think James Roberts might prove me wrong. There's so much goodness wrapped up in Volume 3 of More Than Meets the Eye. I was given so much back story. Events that happened before the war, the way some of our characters met one another, even the reason that personalities are the way they are currently. What's more brilliant, is that all of this information was given to me by way of our amazing characters sitting around, drinking, and telling stories. What could be better?
Remember how I keep mentioning how much real life issues make their way into these two Transformers series? Well, if one is more about politics, then MTMtE is the one that's more about common rights and the idea of religion. Some of the characters are highly religious. Some don't care at all. Still others are summed up in the panel below. That the world around us can be appreciated, no matter what you believe in. That last line in the panel hit me hard. So much truth, all in a comic.
I love following the growth of these characters also. Swerve, whom up until now has been a jokester above all else, almost broke my heart in this volume. Watching him talk about his guilt over harming someone he considers a friend, just floored me. It's so nice to see that these characters are multi-faceted. They don't always fit in just one box. They aren't afraid to break out of that shell if it's needed. Although, truth be told, sometimes that's a terrifying prospect. Like, for instance, when Ultra Magnus smiles. SMILES. *shudders*
So anyway, what all my rambling is really leading up to is that this was my favorite volume so far! I still love this series more than anything, and it's just being proven to me over and over again that James Roberts is a stellar writer. More.
Remember how I keep mentioning how much real life issues make their way into these two Transformers series? Well, if one is more about politics, then MTMtE is the one that's more about common rights and the idea of religion. Some of the characters are highly religious. Some don't care at all. Still others are summed up in the panel below. That the world around us can be appreciated, no matter what you believe in. That last line in the panel hit me hard. So much truth, all in a comic.
I love following the growth of these characters also. Swerve, whom up until now has been a jokester above all else, almost broke my heart in this volume. Watching him talk about his guilt over harming someone he considers a friend, just floored me. It's so nice to see that these characters are multi-faceted. They don't always fit in just one box. They aren't afraid to break out of that shell if it's needed. Although, truth be told, sometimes that's a terrifying prospect. Like, for instance, when Ultra Magnus smiles. SMILES. *shudders*
So anyway, what all my rambling is really leading up to is that this was my favorite volume so far! I still love this series more than anything, and it's just being proven to me over and over again that James Roberts is a stellar writer. More.
hdbblog's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, I LOVED this volume. Hands down, this is my favorite so far. More Than Meets the Eye is still the superior series for me, but above and beyond that was the fact that this whole volume stole my breath away. I wish I could dish about absolutely everything that happens, but then there'd be no reason for you to read this. So, I'll do my best to highlight.
First off, so many layers have been slowly peeled back from these characters. James Roberts has created such depth, even in characters like Swerve. He's my favorite, because of his sense of humor. However I've learned so much about him these past volumes. That he has a deeper set of emotions. That he uses humor sometimes to disguise those. That, even poor Swerve gets lonely.
Another great example of this is Ultra Magnus. I shared the panel where he smiled, which was so totally out of character for him that it was almost terrifying. However there's more underneath that tough and strict exterior. This volume really dove in to what Ultra Magnus is, what he used to be, and how he just doesn't know what to do with himself. He wants to be liked, he's just gotten used to being feared instead. Truth time? I feel for him.
Oh, and then there's the whole idea of relationships that extend beyond just friendship. I find in interesting that I never considered that there might be actual deep relationships in this story. It's probably because I started out this whole journey with the idea that robots don't have feelings. Well, I was definitely wrong. I'm happy about that. And I've learned so much about all of these characters that the fact that they might be happy together? Just makes me smile. And weep. This time, it definitely made me weep.
There's been a lot of destruction, and even some death. I've mostly gotten used to it. In this volume though, it reached a new level. So far, James Roberts has made it feel like most of the time characters can come back. They can be saved. They might be gone for a while, but it's okay because there's always possibility. This time, I don't think that will happen. Poor Chromedome. The final set of panels in this story almost killed me. Does that tell you how invested I've become?
*wistful sigh* So good. So good, and so sad.
First off, so many layers have been slowly peeled back from these characters. James Roberts has created such depth, even in characters like Swerve. He's my favorite, because of his sense of humor. However I've learned so much about him these past volumes. That he has a deeper set of emotions. That he uses humor sometimes to disguise those. That, even poor Swerve gets lonely.
Another great example of this is Ultra Magnus. I shared the panel where he smiled, which was so totally out of character for him that it was almost terrifying. However there's more underneath that tough and strict exterior. This volume really dove in to what Ultra Magnus is, what he used to be, and how he just doesn't know what to do with himself. He wants to be liked, he's just gotten used to being feared instead. Truth time? I feel for him.
Oh, and then there's the whole idea of relationships that extend beyond just friendship. I find in interesting that I never considered that there might be actual deep relationships in this story. It's probably because I started out this whole journey with the idea that robots don't have feelings. Well, I was definitely wrong. I'm happy about that. And I've learned so much about all of these characters that the fact that they might be happy together? Just makes me smile. And weep. This time, it definitely made me weep.
There's been a lot of destruction, and even some death. I've mostly gotten used to it. In this volume though, it reached a new level. So far, James Roberts has made it feel like most of the time characters can come back. They can be saved. They might be gone for a while, but it's okay because there's always possibility. This time, I don't think that will happen. Poor Chromedome. The final set of panels in this story almost killed me. Does that tell you how invested I've become?
*wistful sigh* So good. So good, and so sad.
4saradouglas's review against another edition
3.0
The story was pretty good and the dialogue was better than most graphic novels I've read, but I found myself confused kind of often. I didn't know all of the back story for these characters and I also found them hard to tell apart at times. I'm sorry, but one orange and white robot looks like every orange and white robot! Overall though, not bad!
markthulhu's review against another edition
5.0
Well, that was fun!* And slightly confusing, given that I've had nothing to do with Transformers since owning a very small collection of toys back in the 80s and early 90s**. Still, I held on tight, enjoyed the ride and came out on the other side wanting more. And more I shall have!
I'm sure there's far more here to enjoy for longtime fans but newcomers should be assured that it is well worth the effort to put your trust in the writers and just jump straight in. The characterisation of the different Transformers is rich enough that backstory and continuity aren't really necessary to sink your teeth into the here-and-now of the story.
I never thought that comics based on licensed properties could be this good. Shame on me! Good comics are good comics, and this comic was damn good.
*Fun enough for me to write a review, which I've never bothered with before!
**I did however have a whole mess of Mighty Machine Men. 80s nostalgia only works if your childhood self happened to fall on what would eventually become the cool side of pop culture.
I'm sure there's far more here to enjoy for longtime fans but newcomers should be assured that it is well worth the effort to put your trust in the writers and just jump straight in. The characterisation of the different Transformers is rich enough that backstory and continuity aren't really necessary to sink your teeth into the here-and-now of the story.
I never thought that comics based on licensed properties could be this good. Shame on me! Good comics are good comics, and this comic was damn good.
*Fun enough for me to write a review, which I've never bothered with before!
**I did however have a whole mess of Mighty Machine Men. 80s nostalgia only works if your childhood self happened to fall on what would eventually become the cool side of pop culture.
markthulhu's review against another edition
4.0
"It's got giant robots fighting - how bad can it be?" were the quickly forgotten words I said to the friendly staff at my local comic shop when someone mentioned the "Real Steal" movie. Machines punching machines! Other than "Short Circuit 2" (the last time a movie made me cry) robots fighting can only ever be a good, good thing. In homage to this axiom, I tag any Transformers comics I read with "giantrobotsfighting". How pretentiously reductive! The "Dark Cybertron" crossover was alright but to be honest, there was far too much of the robots punching robots. This volume brings things back on track and has plenty of robots talking and making jokes and finding out more about who they are and what they mean to each other. All of the good stuff that I've come to expect from James Roberts writing these characters. I don't remember much about what happened (it's been a few days, a few drinks and I tend to have a poor memory for the things I read) but I remember how it made me feel, which was damn good. Damn good!