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Transformers More Than Meets The Eye Volume 2 Review

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Volume 2 continues the saga as many more plots are unveiled. Transformers is as huge as it ever was with a big film coming out and all of these comics that have popped up. Not to mention that they still have the ongoing Rescue Bots TV show and another one coming soon. This comic series takes place after the legendary Autobot vs Decepticon war finally ended and we get to see how Rodimus’ group is handling things. This comic would have been really fun except it really jumps from one tone to the next. It can be really happy and then become very dark in an instant. This didn’t work for More Than Meets The Eye.

The plot is a little tricky because of all the various plots that are lying around. This volume brought 5 comics and I shall try to mention most of the big plots since each issue usually focuses on one in particular. In one of the comics; Ratchet is worried because his hands aren’t working as well as they used to. Then he gets a message from an Autobot area so he goes with a few other robots to see what’s happening. It turns out that a plague is infecting all of the residents there, but it must have been deliberately started. Who would do such a thing!? Meanwhile, a lot of robots are on the run from the Decepticon Justice Division. They like to hunt down Decepticons that turned their back on the cause or are just deemed unworthy. A group of Decepticon survivers known as the Scavengers have been doing all right on their own. They haven’t heard that the war is over and they have no idea who won. So, they are playing it safe and are prepared to make the journey home. That is….if they can survive an encounter with the DJD!

Back on the ship; an old Autobot legend suffers from a big breakdown and he decides to take it over. He takes two Autobots hostage and tells Rodimus to take them back to Cybertron. Rodimus doesn’t want to do this since he needs to find those legendary knights already. He may have to make the toughest decision yet, but he’ll need to be careful because the hostages aren’t very durable. Elsewhere, one Autobot decides to open a bar, which could bring trouble at some point. There’s also an Autobot who wants to be a Decepticon so Rodimus and Ultra Magnus would like a few words with him. Cyclonus also appears briefly and he definitely doesn’t seem trust worthy.

I have to say that Drift is easily the best Autobot in this comic and one of the best overall. His sword techniques are swift and he continues to prove that he’s one of their best fighters. I would have liked for him to have gotten a bigger role, but it’s good enough as a starting point. There aren’t many Transformers who use swords so it’s always a good change of pace. In a way, Drift keeps the Autobots from losing their place in the grand scheme of things.

Rodimus Prime gets a pretty small role, but he is still the leader so I’m sure that he’ll get some props. He handled the Autobot pretty well when they speak about him changing sides. Rodimus’ strategy for freeing the hostages was a little on the dicey side and he doesn’t mind destroying comrades who’ve lost it so I can’t say that he’s as compassionate as Optimus. That being said; few are at this point. All of the Transformers are willing to win at any price and if Optimus were still around; there’s a chance that he would be like that as well. They haven’t been on Earth in a while; which could have helped them to lose their compassion.

Ultra Magnus gets a decent role and he’s not a bad guy. He’s pretty serious about the rules, but Ultra Magnus was being pretty considerate about it. I would probably like him to do some more fighting at some point, but there hasn’t been much action for the main squad. Perhaps in the next volume.

Whirl is also one of the more likable Autobots in this volume. He definitely doesn’t get one of the happier situations, but he takes it in stride for the most part. He’s constantly talking back to his oppressor and he never gives in. It would have been nice to see him get more of a fair fight, but the important thing is that he tried. Whirl’s design is also pretty fun and I can’t say that I recognize him from any other Transformers media that I’ve encountered. Well, it’s good to meet a new Transformer!

I’m not going to address the Autobot who goes crazy by name for obvious spoiler reasons, but he still gets a pretty big role so I felt that he deserved his own paragraph. It was pretty surprising to see how much this guy has changed, but it’s just another reminder of how dark the times have gotten for the heroes. It feels like almost everyone has been traumatized by some sort of event or are just being super cheerful to pretend that none of it is happening. I can’t say that this comic will help me gain any respect for this Autobot and I’m just glad that he has appeared a lot in other media so that I can still like him in the long run.

Ratchet is one of the few main characters that I really know from the TV shows. He’s always had a big role so it’s good to see that he’s still got it. He’s starting to feel his age and it makes sense since Ratchet is one of the originals. Soon, he may need to pass on the medical torch to someone else. At least he does pretty well for himself in this comic. He’ll never be one of my favorites, but he’s a good character and that’s good enough for me.

As the volume cover insinuates; this is a pretty dark time for the Transformers and the villains get to call a lot of the shots. That’s where the comic drove itself down a few pegs. The dark tone of the comic may not be out of place in itself, but it goes way too far. If all of the deeds were happening to humans instead of robots; the rating would likely be lower. There is basically one torture per chapter. It just keeps on happening. Autobots or Decepticons are isolated and then they have to endure this for long periods of time until they’re put out of their misery. A group of Decepticons messed with one guy for ages as they melted him; ate him; and then started blasting him.

It’s not something that you really need to see in a comic; especially over and over and over again. If I’ve said it once then I’ve said it many times, but comics, shows, movies, and games are for fun and escapism. Dark or Light themes work, but not something to unnecessarily drastic. It’s not fun to see the villains get away with so much and it’s easy worse when a “hero” does it. (Hange) They may be robots, but they apparently still have pain sensors and they seem to have a lot of energon to spill out. Transformers has gotten more gritty over the years and even Transformers 3 is an example of this. It makes you miss the good ole G1 days. Grimlock’s situation is also pretty sad, but it’s not terrible if you’ve only read this comic. Seeing how it happened would likely be another story.

It’s a shame because the actual plots are very interesting. It’s impressive to see the author juggle so many characters across various planets. It’s part of why the Transformers Multiverse has always been so interesting. There are always more characters to read about and the adventures never end. This series may be trying to be modern and appeal to a new crowd, but it just needs to find its roots and go back to the glory days.

The art is very good for this collection and I would say that it’s far better than any art that I’ve seen in recent comics. All of the character designs are spot on the backgrounds have a lot of detail. This volume may have its weaknesses, but artwork is definitely not one of them. From fight scenes to conversations; the art only helps to enhance the comic and make it more enjoyable. Art will always be a critical factor in a comic.

Overall, More Than Meets the Eye may have seemed like a decently cheerful series in the last volume, but it’s done a complete 180. Without popular characters like Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumble Bee, Soundwave, Starscream, Wheeljack, and others; it’s up to the next generation characters to hold up the fort. Most of them are pretty good so that isn’t a problem, but I expect the Autobots to start fighting back in the next volume. They need to stop all of this senseless destruction from happening and create the peace that they’ve been fighting for. Volume 3 needs to lighten up on the tone a bit and get back to the fun action that the franchise is known for. I’m confident that it will step things up. Aside from the excessive violence; this comic was still pretty fun and its interesting to see where all of the plots will end up. This is definitely something that most Transformers fans will want to read since you will be missing out on a lot of plots if you skip it. That being said; if you don’t like to see the Transformers go through a lot of pain; then you may want to stick with the main Regeneration series (Light hearted for now anyway) or take a chance on the next volume. It appears to be a dark hour for both sides of Transformers so I don’t know how the author plans to help them get out of this hole. The legendary knights may be needed after all.

Overall 5/10

Transformers vs GI Joe Review

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It’s time for another one of the Free comics from this year’s event. This comic is the start of a whole new series where these two popular franchises will duke it out. Since it is the first issue; we don’t get to see them fight all that much, but it is the set up. It also serves as an alternate retelling for both sides so that the continuity fit. Unfortunately, the art and character personalities take the comic down a few notches.

The plot involves the Joes as they are taking down a Cobra base and thoroughly enjoying it. None of them are actually taking it seriously, but Cobra is still pretty confident since things are going according to plan. The plan changes a little because Bumblebee and Starscream are duking it out. The Decepticon has a pretty huge advantage and explosions ripple across the area. Will the Joes be able to finish off Cobra Commander and still have enough energy left to take on a Decepticon?

The plot itself is decent, but the dialogue can be a little painful. Duke and Snake Eyes spend most of their screen time flirting with Scarlet. It’s sad enough that such an epic commander like Duke would be doing this while on a mission of life and death, but Snake Eyes? Snake Eyes is supposed to be the quiet and tough ninja that does what must be done. Not only does he ditch the mask, but Snake Eyes talks a lot. He makes many puns and jokes while showing off the fact that he’s not as professional as he used to be. Snake Eyes gets a lot of hype for his reasoning skills, but then he throws an ordinary grenade at a huge robot. I don’t believe that this was a very smart move.

The ending is pretty sad for the heroes. Bumblebee has a pretty sad fate in store for him and the Joes have a man down. Hopefully, Duke will bounce back from this and look good again. That way, the rest of the Joes can follow suit. The first issue is supposed to make you want to pick up the series, but I can’t say that this one did anything for me. It just wasn’t that fun to read.

The artwork is pretty bad and at times it feels as if it’s a fan comic. I really have to say that the art is some of the most underwhelming that I have seen in ages and the bandages scene was particularly hard to look at. I actually had to make sure that this was the official comic as I was reading it. Art is something that can really help a comic if done right and these drawings just bring the issue down.

Overall, Transformers vs GI Joe may have just been called GI Joe: Attack on Cobra! The Transformers cross paths with the Joes for a second, but they’re mainly involved in completely different plots. Naturally, this is because it’s only the first issue, but it doesn’t change the fact that we didn’t get a whole lot of interaction. I wouldn’t pick up the next issues based on this one and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to the casual reader. Start off with the Transformers and New Avengers crossover instead.

Overall 5/10

Skyward Midnight Tiger Review

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It’s another one of the Free Comic Books from this year’s big event! This issue features two stories and I can safely say that the second one was a lot more fun than the first. The Midnight Tiger is just a great concept and the first one lacked that…epic feeling I suppose. It’s mostly a flashback with someone explaining how things got this drastic. Intriguing for some, but it didn’t work for me. Since it is only a single issue, I don’t get invested enough to learn all of their names so I won’t be using them, but if I ever read a sequel; then I will do so. All right, time to launch into them!

The first story involves one of the 4 legendary Berserkers. These guys are tough as nails and they are virtually invincible. Unfortunately, one of them is quickly defeated and he is actually dying. Before he passes away, he tells the kids that they will be the new chieftains of the group. He also drops the shocking fact that the 4 Berserkers used to be one group until a group of strangers came in and completely annihilated them. Confused and hurt; the four of them split away and became enemy tribes. The issue ends with the kids deciding that no outsiders will ever be welcome there just as the real main character is about to head inside with his pet dog and cyborg pal.

The issue would have been a little more fun if we had gotten to enjoy a nice fight. Maybe we could have seen how this legendary Berserker was injured. I also would have liked some more screentime for the kid and his dog. The problem with the whole issue being about the story is that stories don’t work if we don’t really care about the characters as of yet. We are told that the Berserkers are tough, but since one has already been defeated….I just don’t buy it. The art wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything amazing either. The series looks like it could be a fun read, but I am a little worried since a dog will be one of the main characters.

The other story is a lot better and it’s about a kid who lives in a world that is infested by heroes. There’s even an app that lets you know if a metahuman brawl is about to take place. One day, the kid tries to help a hero take down one of the super villains and he gets fatally injured for this. The hero manages to transfer his powers into the kid, but will this be the right decision? The main character loves his new found abilities and he quickly develops a costume so that he can assist the heroes and save the world!

Well, this one was definitely a lot better. I didn’t like the main character because he is so quick to lie to his father and test out his new powers. It was a scene that was expected, but still pretty unheroic. He assured his dad several times that he wouldn’t get out of bed and he immediately goes outside and starts to jump around. Aside from that, I do like the concept a lot and I’m always up for some more heroes. The designs for both the hero and the villain were decently good and the art is also pretty solid. This is a good way to get new readers on board and I would definitely have some good expectations for the series based on this. We even have the government involved!

Overall, this was a good batch of stories thanks to the second one. The first one could have used a little more danger and excitement. The second one was really good because it was a well rounded story that had solid artwork and a very good universe around it. I would recommend giving the Midnight Tiger a shot since it could be the next big thing.

Overall 6/10

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Volume 1 Review

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My Little Pony Friendship is Magic is one of those franchises within the master My Little Pony franchise that has always seemed very intriguing. It got a huge fan base in a really short amount of time and it seemed to be even more well received than the last show. I’ve always told myself that I would check out the show at some point since it seemed to be a pretty good one, but in the end I decided to check out the first collection of comics. It took a while due to library issues, but now I finally got to read it. I can see why it’s a hit, but is it something that I would recommend? Time to find out!

This collection deals with the Mane ,6 (Pun intended!) as they are having a good time when they realize that something isn’t right. It would appear that the Changelings are back and they’re ready to take over. They’re led by Queen Chrysalis who wants revenge on the ponies for what they did to her in the TV series and she’s going to take it out on Twilight Sparkle. This way, Celestia will be devastated and then nobody can stop her! It’s a very ambitious plan, but can it succeed? The Mane 6 don’t think so and they head off to fight her in what could be the ultimate showdown!

That’s the plot in a nutshell. I’m going to talk about the Mane 6 and discuss who was the best and who was the worst. Let’s start with the best, AKA….Pinkie Pie! Pinkie Pie is pretty awesome and I have to say that she blew the other 5 ponies out of the water. She made them look like novices compared to her and she had a trick up her sleeve for all scenarios. The costumes idea was brilliant and the fact that she was able to carry them around with her was even better. She definitely knows what she’s doing as she even prepared super sticky gum to trap the enemies. Unlike the others, she doesn’t take the insults too seriously and just keeps on bouncing back. Power wise, she doesn’t’ seem as skilled as the others, but then again…it’s not like she’s trying. To her, the whole thing is a game and that’s partially why she’s so cool.

The 2nd best pony would be Rainbow Dash. To be honest, I figured that she would have been the best, but she’s still high up. The fact that she can fly is a big advantage and I like how she always makes things difficult on the other ponies. At one point, one of the ponies complains that nobody is listening to her so then Rainbow Dash says something along the lines of, “What did you say?”. It was a classic troll moment and Rainbow Dash pulled it off wonderfully. Not to mention that Rainbow Dash didn’t really forgive the others when they had their group apologies and she talked the toughest against the villains although she couldn’t really back it up.

Next up, we have Twilight Sparkle. She’s a pretty fun character and I wouldn’t really say that there are any negatives with her except for the fact that her magical abilities seem to be useless against even the weakest of opponents. She is regarded as the leader and I suppose that she fits the bill, but she’s not quite as likable as Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie. She definitely has potential with her spells, but she needs to learn how to properly wield them in a fight. Twilight Sparkle is also the most gullible from the 6 ponies so she definitely needs to work on that.

In 4th place, we’ve got Applejack. I’m definitely not a big fan of her and it’s really because I’m mentally picturing a very thick accent. I’m not sure how she actually sounds in the show, but I can definitely imagine it. Technically, she’s not a bad character, but I can’t think of much pros for her either. She’s around and I’m glad that she talks tough, but I always have trouble remembering that she’s one of the Mane 6. She seems like she’s more of a supporting character than the other ponies.

In 5th place, we’ve got Rarity. Rarity is definitely not my type of character since she worries about looking good during a fight and doesn’t seem to take things in stride. In a fight, Rarity doesn’t seem like the ally that you’ll want and she needs to have her “Pony Up” scene already. Things got personal for her in this comic, but you may forget that as you’re reading.

Finally…we’ve got Fluttershy. I really wanted to like her a lot, but she represents some of the things that I really don’t like in my blog fighters characters. She’s very shy and timid but when the going gets tough, Fluttershy has the meanest face of them all and she scares the others. To go into this, I don’t like when any character is typically comic relief/shy and can quickly switch into “serious” mode and then frightens all of the characters. A good example of this is Isshin Kurosaki and the 1st Hokage. If you’re going to be serious, then be serious and likewise for comic relief. The two can mix, but not usually. It’s why I really don’t like when Goku shouts at his friends during a “tense” moment and they all quickly obey or fear him. Unfortunately, that’s what happens with Fluttershy and it seems like it happens in the show as well. (Fluttershy rage moment. Fans of the show will automatically know what scene I’m talking about) That being said, she’s not a bad character…she’s just not my type of character. I can’t really root for her, but I’m glad that she likes animals.

I don’t have much of an opinion on Spike. He was around…that’s about it. I did like Princess Celestia in this comic since she was so rude and condescending to the Mane 6. When Spike went to tell her what was happening, she was very stern with him and rudely pointed out that she was busy as she blasted some poor villains into oblivion. Once she did show up, (Conveniently after the battle was over) she seemed completely sarcastic the whole time and I don’t think that the Mane 6 even realized it. Definitely a solid way for her to make an entrance. The Cutie Mark Crusaders weren’t great either as they joked around a little too much considering what their inevitable fate was.

I did not like Queen Chrysalis and she actually brought the overall rating for the comic down. If any comic could avoid the animal violence cliche, I would have thought that My Little Pony could, but apparently I was wrong. Queen Chrysalis violently destroys an animal in the comic to show how “evil” she is. She is definitely evil, but you can’t take her seriously since she’s used for comic relief throughout the whole comic and she doesn’t act like a villain. The fact that she was draining the happiness from the animals all around with the Changelings was actually pretty dark for the series and unnecessarily so. You feel bad for the animals since the ponies evidently do not care enough to liberate them and they’re basically doomed without even knowing it since they don’t seem to have a brain in this series.

The climax was intense, but it was hard to know who to root for. The ponies were tricked very easily and I have to say that their bonds are pretty fragile. The Changelings had a field day with them and fooled them so easily that I was shocked. I didn’t think that the Mane 6 would fall for something like that and it was definitely an eye opener. Queen Chrysalis was definitely superior to the ponies in terms of power and Twilight Sparkle’s super power at the end was basically plot hax. Most comics fall into that hole, but I hope that she will not use the powers of friendship as a crutch.

I do have to say that the art was pretty bad. Exaggerated facial expressions are one thing, but this one had at least a dozen per page. The art just felt sloppy overall and did not feel like it was intense enough for this series. The facial expressions are part of the reason why I could not take some of the ponies seriously in this version. There’s also the fact that they were losing to a human level opponent and that Twilight Sparkle’s attacks proved to be ineffective. The art is the main turnoff from the comic as the dialogue is pretty strong for the most part.

One character who deserves his own paragraph is Derpy. The comic gave her some major props and I can already see why she’s one of the greatest characters in the franchise. Derpy was the last pony to fall against the Changelings and I like to believe that he was already fatigued from defeating dozens of other opponents. You can’t help but feel bad for her since the Mane 6 ignored her plight and didn’t even try to help her. With “friends” like those…… Anyway, I’m definitely ready for some more Derpy action. Derpy definitely means business and isn’t the type of opponent to go down without a fight.

Overall, the animal violence is what destroyed the comic in the end. It was the tipping point that led to an overall negative score, but it should be noted that the comic was still decent. It may not have been quite as good as I was expecting, but considering that this is only volume 1, it can only go up from here. The main things that should be changed are the artwork and the animal violence. With those things out of the way, this comic could have easily gotten a 6 and beyond! The actual characters are fun and I look forward to seeing more of Derpy in the future. After reading this comic collection and being introduced to the MLP FIM franchise, I can finally say that I am a fan. It’s fun and suitable for all ages. (Not the comic. I’m talking about the show. The comic is a little too graphic for little kids due to animal violence and I would wait until the kids were teens for them to read it) The comic actually reminded me a lot of Strawberry Shortcake and fans of that show will like this one. I recommend this comic to fans of the MLP series as well, but if you want to see happy animals portrayed in a way that’s at least 20% cooler, check out Pokemon!

Overall 4/10