Transformers: More than Meets the Eye season two discussion

Post by **Denyer** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 9:29 am

I normally order singles (and trades) but read downloads, which appear in dark corners of the internet as released.

Knightdramon · Post by **Knightdramon** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 11:28 am

I think it depends on the supplier---I know that Travelling Man get their new releases on Thursday, so add shipping on top of that...Friday/Saturday makes sense.

I get releases from comixology on release, then buy the trades from thebookdepository once they are released.

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 4:27 pm

Well I thought that was spectacular! I love the Scavengers, and this issue will probably be one of my favourites (every issue takes time to sink in with me, coz I'm slow).

The attention to detail was sublime. That toy photo on the first page, with Spinister looking away distractedly!

Nothing bad to say, this is a totally excellent product

Selkadoom · Post by **Selkadoom** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 4:55 am

I feel I should ask if anybody is reading RID anymore

Rack 'n Ruin · Post by **Rack 'n Ruin** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 6:47 am

I've picked up the last three issues of TCFKA-RID. They have been generally good, with some very enjoyable bits. Cosmos and Tracks do stuff!

Skyquake87 · Post by **Skyquake87** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 7:03 pm

Sadly, RID lost me with Prowlestator, and Megatron having a cunning plan, so cunning you dress it up and call it a weasel (rightly mocked by dalek in the latest podcast). I did like that 'bookshelf' format , whatsit...Punishment! that was alright.

MTMTE is more my thing, as its imaginative, its funny and it feels real. The way just small lines of dialogue about race, function and Decepticons doing stand up makes Transformers feel more credible. I know a lot of people tend to like their sci-fi po-faced and serious, and about galactic councils and things ruled by committee (why? I work in that environment and its balls) so they can pretend it has meaning and resonance, forgetting those are the very things that make sci-fi impenetrable to people who might otherwise enjoy this sort of thing.

ANYWAY! This was an absolute hoot and I loved it. The opening panels, sending up a lot of the mores of MTMTE and Transformers in general (FOUR HOURS LATER - genius).

Probably just going to repeat what everyone else has said, but slag it, the good bits are worth repeating! Misfire's relationship with Grimlock, the shooty dart game, Fulcrum being happy enough to fart about around the galaxy, Krok just being ... Krok (always liked his character design too), the energex with notes on... fella making toys out of left over scrap "they're all sold on pre-order". Just great, great stuff.

It also made me think that MTMTE could stand to spare an issue or two doing something like this with the vast cast on the Lost Light we've not really seen much of. Although I'm totally lost with whose on there and do increasingly think that the 'cast of 200' might have been a bad idea, given how successfully this book just focuses on a few core characters in much the same way Beast Wars did.

Rack 'n Ruin · Post by **Rack 'n Ruin** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 7:42 pm

I agree that MTMTE focuses on a small number of familiar faces to good effect. I do find the nebulous 180 or so "other" crew members intriguing. For example, why did Grapple sign up? What does he do all day?

I wonder if Jim Bob knows the "rest" aren't getting enough focus, and he might actually be planning on reducing the roster somewhat in the issue 50 related arc, based on the title I've seen floating about. Underbase style massacre? Lost Light lost? I could see the Rodpod and our regular crew being separated somehow from the LL, and the series continues to focus on them only (think Red Dwarf when they were stuck on the Starbug).

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:15 pm

I agree with Skyquake. MTMTE feels (certainly now, the last few issues lost me a bit) rather vital and excellent. I enjoy picking it up probably more so than when I used to get the original comics from the newsagent.

I flicked through an RID TPB in a shop the other day, I only read a few pages but I liked it. I’d certainly be happy to pick it up in this format one day. But if this was Top of the Pops or a concert, then MTMTE is the band I want to see. If RID are playing there then that’s cool, but they’re not the one’s whose name I carved into my arm with a stanley knife.

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 10:05 pm

And 'Four Hours Later'. He needs an award for that!

Death's Head · Post by **Death's Head** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 11:58 pm

Auntie Slag wrote:. If RID are playing there then that’s cool, but they’re not the one’s whose name I carved into my arm with a stanley knife.

(James would so love that. He wouldn't be allowed to say so, but he'd love it.)

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 6:08 am

If I were going to carve one into my arm it'd be RID on the grounds it's two letters less.

Summerhayes · Post by **Summerhayes** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 1:15 pm

Ooh, I liked that! And I'm only a week behind for once.
I was totally expecting to see the DJD right up until the badge dropped down, so I'm keen to find out what Forty Babes is after. Scrap Metal theft? It's a major concern!

Rack 'n Ruin · Post by **Rack 'n Ruin** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 1:23 pm

Summerhayes wrote:Ooh, I liked that! And I'm only a week behind for once.
I was totally expecting to see the DJD right up until the badge dropped down, so I'm keen to find out what Forty Babes is after. Scrap Metal theft? It's a major concern!

Fruitloop Multipuck is acting on behalf of Hasbro, and clamping down (very) hard on third party toy manufacturers.

Continuing my Red Dwarf thought, which MTMTE characters would be good fits for the main characters in Red Dwarf?

I'll go for:

Lister = Swerve, maybe?
Rimmer = Rodimus
Kryten = Magnus
The Cat = Ravage?

Nah. Maybe Brainstorm or Atomizer? Yeah, Atomizer.

Red Dave Prime · Post by **Red Dave Prime** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 2:31 pm

I may have this completely wrong but I always think of Swerve as the fat annoying "mate" in 80's hollywood movies. Kinda Chris Farley stuff but with a bit more awareness. Couldnt see him as lister.

Rodimus as Rimmer? Cant see that. I'd almost go Brainstorm as Rimmer. Or maybe Drift. Rodimus might fit the Lister role better.

Magnus is a perfect fit for Kryten alright and Brainstorm isnt a bad choice for Kat (would go whirl myself given the ego)

I could go with Swerve as Holly.

(and obviously Thunderclash as Ace Rimmer)

Post by **Warcry** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 4:22 pm

Selkadoom wrote:I feel I should ask if anybody is reading RID anymore

I honestly forget that it exists other than when people ask in MTMTE threads if anyone is reading it.

I definitely enjoyed this issue, though I thought that the supposed moral quandary at the end was both a bit forced and a bit of a cop-out. Grimlock is a dangerous enemy who would probably kill the Scavengers immediately if he ever recovered his faculties enough to understand who he was. I would totally vote to jettison him at the first possible opportunity and Misfire is silly not to see it. Like, I wouldn't even need the offer of money to do it, and they're idiots for still having him on the ship to begin with. Though I suppose that's sort of the point where the Scavengers are concerned.

But then Fort Max showed up and made the whole thing moot.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I like Fort Max. But I like seeing characters have to live with the consequences of their actions even more.

I am looking forward to where things go from here, though.

One thing that did sort of bug me, though? Skullcruncher as a stand-up comic. The dude's character profile is basically "dumb cannibalistic serial killer". Couldn't Roberts have flipped through the catalogue a bit deeper and found someone who was actually supposed to be funny? That's a fairly big peeve of mine with Roberts' work in general, honestly. He writes interesting characters but they often have little resemblance to the people whose faces they wear.

Summerhayes · Post by **Summerhayes** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 4:23 pm

Hmm... Magnus might make quite a good Rimmer. Some of the time at least. But an even better Kryten. Maybe Nightbeat as Rimmer (ignoring the competence).
Rodimus as Lister I can see, definitely.
Atomiser is probably the closest to Cat. Or what's - her - face with the firey hat.

Death's Head · Post by **Death's Head** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 4:36 pm

Rodimus is the cat, surely? Sound and fury signifying nothing upstairs. Magnus's insistence on the rules makes him a murdery Rimmer, but I agree he's also got a touch of the Kryten about him.

Dunno about a Lister, mind. Lister's supposed to sum up humanity; the best and the worst of us. He has an easy charm, though, and I'm not sure that describes many Lost Lighters.

Skyquake87 · Post by **Skyquake87** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 6:04 pm

Rack 'n Ruin wrote:Fruitloop Multipuck is acting on behalf of Hasbro, and clamping down (very) hard on third party toy manufacturers.

Ha! Would be awesome if it was this ..!

@Warcry ... "serial killer discovers Primus and turns to stand up" ...?

...no?

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Thu Oct 08, 2015 6:53 am

Warcry wrote:I honestly forget that it exists other than when people ask in MTMTE threads if anyone is reading it.

I have read it, but haven't had time to start a thread yet. I'm a busy man.

Though it did crack the UK comixology top ten for the first time with the latest issue, so someone other than me must be reading it.

I definitely enjoyed this issue, though I thought that the supposed moral quandary at the end was both a bit forced and a bit of a cop-out. Grimlock is a dangerous enemy who would probably kill the Scavengers immediately if he ever recovered his faculties enough to understand who he was. I would totally vote to jettison him at the first possible opportunity and Misfire is silly not to see it. Like, I wouldn't even need the offer of money to do it, and they're idiots for still having him on the ship to begin with. Though I suppose that's sort of the point where the Scavengers are concerned.

But then Fort Max showed up and made the whole thing moot.

I don't know, they followed through on the vote rather than having Max enter before we could see the results, and it was a fairly decisive victory for selling Grimlock. The cop-out will be if Grimlock saves them all next issue and it makes those that voted against him regret it.

I could actually see Grimlock, assuming he remembered being cared for, at least parting the Scavengers without killing them all.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I like Fort Max. But I like seeing characters have to live with the consequences of their actions even more.

I am looking forward to where things go from here, though.

I originally thought it killed the very funny gag Terome and I made in the Chaos Theory podcast about what a terrible security guy Max was (what sort of prison warden uses the prisoners to try and recapture other prisoners? The guy is a joke) they gave him the now defunct job of dully appointed enforcer of the Tyrest accord just to get rid of him.

But thinking about it, dealing with dodgy toy salesmen... Yeah, Max is desperately trying to find work for himself now no one takes the position seriously (Oh, you're the enforcer of that crazy guys accord are you? The job previously held by a religious nut? We should pay attention because?").

One thing that did sort of bug me, though? Skullcruncher as a stand-up comic. The dude's character profile is basically "dumb cannibalistic serial killer". Couldn't Roberts have flipped through the catalogue a bit deeper and found someone who was actually supposed to be funny? That's a fairly big peeve of mine with Roberts' work in general, honestly. He writes interesting characters but they often have little resemblance to the people whose faces they wear.

That's sort of the thing though isn't it, the post war Decepticons are suddenly finding niches for themselves they'd have never even thought of during the war.

It's not as if Skullcruncher is an especially smart comedian either, he's doing obvious crowd pleasing Peter Kay style "Things from the past are a bit silly when you think about them aren't they?" surface level comedy. "That phase policy, what's that all about then?" is basic stuff. The only real trick is hitting on stuff people do remember and will agree is pretty silly creating the laughter of recognition.

[I'm assuming Roberts did this deliberately rather than having a terrible sense of humour]

Plus, writing Skullcruncher as a cannibalistic serial killer when the one and only thing we know about the IDW version is he can work for lengthy periods in close quarters with a small number of Decepticons on a stealth mission without killing, eating or otherwise giving himself away would be a contradiction in and of itself (though tbh, I'd forgotten he was on Nebulos in Stormbringer).

Also, who says he doesn't eat the audience afterwards?

Of course, the likely real reason Roberts has put Skullcruncher in this role is the guy having a new toy out as part of the next wave of "Hasbro give us tremendous freedom as long as we listen very carefully every time they say jump" toy promotion. Look forward to more Skullcruncher comedy early next year, this was presumably just to establish him.

Mind, if Skullcruncher is the extent to which MTMTE gets the Combiner Wars style treatment, we'll have had a lucky escape.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Thu Oct 08, 2015 7:55 am

Oh, and if anyone wants to start declaring the sky is falling, Roberts tweeted this last night:

https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/ ... 7325577216

Mind, it could refer to just about anything: Nearing the end of season 2, or even not be related to Transformers at all. Nick Roche suggested a terminal disease.

Though if Hasbro really are going to push for greater synergy between toys and everything a lot of the appeal may go from working on the book. Imagine trying to work Megatron now being Galvatron's headmaster into the series.