I read issue 28 with the radio on, right after RID 28, during a planned blackout (repairs). With RID 28, I had it on Loveline, and was able to easily follow the comic book. Within 3 panels of MTMTE 28, I had to change to another station because the content of the book was so engaging that I couldn't absorb it and have someone talking at the same time. That's a sign of a good book, when it draws your mind to it, when your attention demands to focus on it because you want to get everything out of the story.
The characterizations continued to work, there were quips and there was pathos and drama. The plotting however was stuck in the mud without a goal at all, and that was distressing. The trial story seems to be going somewhere, and perhaps we'll get a deconstruction of Megs as well discover what brought him to captaining of The Lost Light. But the "now" storyline was dead in the water and dragged. There were also a few scripting issues that weren't clear enough on first pass, such as Rewind's message being edited - the letters on the wall disappearing was subtle, the scream in the message was entirely unclear - which suggest a greater driving force in this plot, but got lost in between the cracks and really shouldn't be. The story should be shrouded in mystery because it's mysterious, not because it's a little incompetent. Oh, and I have to call out the bullshit constant smiling from the fembots, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT???
Still, definitely sticking with this book for a while. And that letter from Roberts, holy geez there buddy, don't let them give you ritalin.
andersonh1 wrote:Issue 28
I have two fairly major problems with the latest issue. The first is something that I'm sure Roberts is aware of, given the quote at the beginning of the story, and that is that we as readers are being invited to understand, to sympathize with Megatron. We're invited to see things from his point of view and to care about what happens to him.
But I don't care. I'm with Rodimus... try the guy, execute him and then have a party. The only downside is that after he's snuffed out billions of lives that he can only die once. The scales can never be balanced. I have no empathy for Megatron at all, no matter how understandable his political movement was at the beginning or how good his intentions were. He became a monster.
I think you misunderstood the point of that quote, it wasn't meant to suggest sympathy, only understanding of the person behind the evil. Nowhere in this book are Megatron's actions as a Decepticon being cast as sympathetic, I think you're projecting.
Sparky wrote:I find it interesting the only reason Whirl is still alive after millions of years of war is because Megatron issued a special order for the Decepticons to spare him in order for Megatron to kill him personally. Kinda reminds me of Cyclonus threatening to kill him at the start of MTMTE's run.
Are you sure that's why Megatron ordered him untouched? It went unsaid, I took Megatron's words at face value, that he appreciated what Whirl did for him, how Whirl's violence opened Megs' eyes to the ways of violence and that he was grateful. Granted, he did say "for a long time" he was grateful so perhaps not. But it's interesting either way.
I also have to say don't have a problem with the "witty banter". It's part of the charm book, having some fun with itself despite how serious the situation often is. Although I have to say I think Rodimus saying the population would suicide by face-palm when the Cybertron citizens actually realize they put Starscream in charge was a bit out of place. I still thought it was funny, but just seems a little too.. human pop culture.
Agreed on the witty banter, but I actually liked the face-palm suicide gag, that sort of thing has fit with actions we've seen in the book before, and the face-palm is hardly a new pop culture thing, it's just the name that's new. If we had never used that term before seeing it in this book, we'd know what Roddy was saying because it's a human reaction, a natural gesture.
anderson wrote:It's Optimus that dies and comes back, don't forget. I'm not sure Megatron does that nearly so often.
Megatron died in RID and came back. Died before RID and came back too. It's been a good few years for Megatron to die and come back.
Being too pop culture related is one problem. I like the banter when the characters are relaxing in the bar or just hanging out, but there are times when it's used and it just isn't appropriate. It kills all the drama in a scene because the characters are being self-aware and making asides and joking when something dangerous is happening. It's just overdone sometimes.
As I said in the other thread, these folks have been through millions of years of danger, they've grown a little callous to life-and-death situations where decorum is involved.
Dominic wrote:More than Meets the Eye #28:
Mostly set-up. The big question, as Anderson pointed out, is how Megatron ended up getting command of the Lost Light. Roberts seems to be splitting the arc between "then" and "now". The questions about Megatron taking command will likely be answered in upcoming issues. Roberts notes that the upcoming run of books will generally be about revenge. I am willing to give Roberts and "More than Meets the Eye" another chance. (I will probably make a decision sometime during quarter 3 of this year, when DC ramps up for "Future's End" and I make a decision about "Earth 2", when DC launches "Multiversity" and/or if Marvel pushes a "Crisis" style relaunch. I want to keep my pull-list relatively small.)
Over-all, I like this more than I liked "Robots in Disguise" #28.
Grade: B
Pretty much spot-on.
