MTMTE #6 (Spoilers)

Post by **Best First** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 3:42 pm

Holy. ****.

[major spoilers below]

This issue packs a punch, even for this series.

Roche is back - but its a credit to Milne that you almost take a while to notice - either way it looks swish.

What i love most about this series is the way it burns through ideas - Max's return and the consequences could have been needlessly strung out - instread we are straight to it, as well as getting insight into Whirl's past, what Rewind has been up to and HOLY GOD LOOK WHAT IS IN THE BASEMENT.

The latter of which is of course laced with irony given what Fort Max would have done with such information.

And of course what looks like 2 deaths. Not entirely sure if Maxi is done for (if not Red Alert's discovery becomes even more interesting) but after only a short life (in canon terms) one has to say RIP to Rung. In a way i guess ill miss him more for what he bought out of others than as a character in his own right but either way he seemed an integral part of the lost light and his demise was a real shocker. Up until the few panals before when suddenly it felt pretty ominous.

Brilliant. Funny. Shocking. Interesting.

Comics Gold.

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:31 pm

That. Was. Awesome.

I literally had to stop reading to take a breath, it made me so excited.

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:27 pm

That was just incredible.

I swear every issue has something in it that genuinely surprises me.

Poor Rung.

And WTF is HE doing in the basement?! Is this the little surprise Prowl put on board?!

Hot Shot · Post by **Hot Shot** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 11:57 pm

Knocked my socks off. And my underwear.

Assuming Prowl puppetmastered this ship into Rodimus's hands, I think it's safe to assume he wants everyone on board dead after putting a sparkeater, him, and who knows what else on board.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 1:22 am

Wow. I mean, wow.

Can this series get any better? I mean, it seemed impossible, right? But this issue actually takes the level of intrigue and mystery up like ten notches.

Solid proof that, if the writer is good, he or she really could write themselves out of a paper bag. Because every issue to date has occurred in the same little setting, the innards of the Lost Light. Six issues in, do we care? Not at all! With writing like this, they could stay on the Lost Light the entire year and it wouldn't matter.

Roberts really is Furman 2.0. It's reminiscent of the Marvel run when Budiansky was so burned out he was writing about Micromaster wrestling matches and Pretenders climbing the Empire State Building. It seemed all was lost, then Simon came to the rescue and revitalized our favorite comic series. Now, enter Roberts and he's doing the same, saving us from the Costas of the world to give us the best TF comics have been in a looooong time, maybe ever.

Now I have to wait an entire month! (Did I just say that? Isn't that just what teenybopper TF fans say? Yikes, I'm giddy with glee!)

Solid "A+" here. Six issues in and there hasn't been even an average issue yet. As BeeFster says, all gold.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 3:57 am

That was... a comic.

Holy **** WHY IS THAT IN THE BASEMENT???!!!

Post by **snarl** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 8:49 am

I am such a ******* **** I couldn't wait till I got it so read all the spoilers.

Which I hadn't been doing, and the Fort Max reveal was class because of it.

So I rather spoiled the bit at the end for myself, although what they were thinking when they did what they did Re that chap at the end, I will never know.

That was Mustard, as has been mentioned already many times.

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 8:59 am

I've read the issue four times now.

It's not only one of the best TF comics written, I'd go so far to say it's one of the best single issues of a comic I've read in a looooong time.

Post by **Kaylee** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 5:27 pm

Perfect.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 5:50 pm

Great issue. I'm not as peeing-in-my-pants-its-so-awesome about it as some other people, but it indeed was great. Nice to see a fingerphone. RIP Scrounge (but Scrounge thought there was "no other like it" You lying SOB Bob! :P).

So it seems as though we should all be just as scared of Red Alert sans psychologist as The Basement.

Obviously the character work is awesome, but I DO feel ready to get back on the main track after all this Pharma/Fort Marx physical/mental health stuff. 'Nother difference between the two: RiD sacrifices coherent characterization to serve the plot, MTMTE loads you up on sugary characterization goodness and dares you to ask for the meat and potatoes of flying around looking for Knights of Cybertron.

Also, IIRC my Marvel TF correctly, Fort Max and spears NEVER ends well, does it? "Fort Max Gets The Shaft." Tee. Hee. You see, he got plowed with a shaft that came out of my underbase and....oh never mind.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 8:28 pm

Mr_Tigg wrote:I've read the issue four times now.

It's not only one of the best TF comics written, I'd go so far to say it's one of the best single issues of a comic I've read in a looooong time.

Have to agree, it's definitely better than 95% of what's out there now.

RIP Scrounge (but Scrounge thought there was "no other like it" You lying SOB Bob! :P).

Awesome.

So it seems as though we should all be just as scared of Red Alert sans psychologist as The Basement.

My feeling is that Red Alert is actually not a bad guy at all, but he's investigating the mystery himself. He might end up being the hero of all this instead of another pyscho bot and we're made to think at the end of this issue he's a turncoat.

Also, IIRC my Marvel TF correctly, Fort Max and spears NEVER ends well, does it? "Fort Max Gets The Shaft." Tee. Hee. You see, he got plowed with a shaft that came out of my underbase and....oh never mind.

I remember it well. Not for Fort Max. But because I thought that was the end of Shockwave. And it was, until Simon resurrected him.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:46 pm

Yaya wrote:
Also, IIRC my Marvel TF correctly, Fort Max and spears NEVER ends well, does it? "Fort Max Gets The Shaft." Tee. Hee. You see, he got plowed with a shaft that came out of my underbase and....oh never mind.

I remember it well. Not for Fort Max. But because I thought that was the end of Shockwave. And it was, until Simon resurrected him.

Ah yes. The shaft rose out of the underbase and speared Fort Max, and then Purple One-Eye was done.

What?

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:58 pm

bumblemusprime wrote:
Yaya wrote:
Also, IIRC my Marvel TF correctly, Fort Max and spears NEVER ends well, does it? "Fort Max Gets The Shaft." Tee. Hee. You see, he got plowed with a shaft that came out of my underbase and....oh never mind.

I remember it well. Not for Fort Max. But because I thought that was the end of Shockwave. And it was, until Simon resurrected him.
Ah yes. The shaft rose out of the underbase and speared Fort Max, and then Purple One-Eye was done.

What?

Pretty much, yeah, that's bout right.

Someone at the IDW made a good point. The thing that really hasn't been mentioned or talked about is how **** Rodimus is as a leader. I mean, the Lost Light is a madhouse and Rodimus is almost indifferent. "Oh well, lost another one. So bout them Knights of Cybertron."

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 1:25 pm

The odd thing is it should feel hugely contrived. For Max and Overlord both turning up on the ship within two issues of each other (and there happening to be someone on board with security tapes from G9 as well). But it works. Go figure.

Rung's death was totally unexpected as well, he may not be toy based but he is Robert's Drift/Mary Sue character (and shows up the difference between him and Costa. The latter's created character is a ninja badass. The former's gets to give voice to the crews innermost thoughts and be part of silly jokes) and I'd have expected him to be bulletproof. Though the "No one [except Rodimus seemingly) can remember his name" thing was really stretched in this issue so this may have been a good thing. It'll be interesting to see where Swerve goes from here now he's an accidental killer.

Because I was going on the train yesterday and my copy hadn't arrived yet I wound up buying it digitally as well as I wanted to read it before any spoilers seeped onto twitter. And I'm glad I did.

Post by **Best First** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 4:41 pm

I always double dip on this - mainly so i can occassionally beat Yaya to the punch.

And cos it is A-mazing.

Assume you mean Mccarthy instead of Costa 'flatable?

Costa didn't really have a Mary Sue did he? Or maybe i just don't remember as i have basically erased that horse sh*t from my brain.

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:15 pm

Best First wrote: Assume you mean Mccarthy instead of Costa 'flatable?

Yep, I got my "TF comic writers who make that bloke who wrote the adaptation of The Big Broadcast of 2006 adaptaion look a genius" people mixed up.

Though based on the For All Mankind stuff (as far into his run as I've read) I wouldn't be surprised if Costa really, really wanted to be Spike even if he didn't create him. He shags women! Drives a Decepticon! Optimus Prime wants to hang out with him like an uncool emo!

Post by **Best First** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:15 pm

Ah, how did i forget Spike?

Because i really really wanted to .

On topic must have read this about 8 times now. Somehow it took me until about the 6th to register that Max was alive by virtue of being in the brig - think i got a bit distracted by the Red Alert overlay.

Looking ahead, as i am deeply excited;

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye Ongoing #7
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Nick Roche (c)
DECEPTICON MONTH! The war's over — but no-one told the DECEPTICON Justice Division! Meet the five deadliest DECEPTICONS in the galaxy. Their sole purpose: to hunt down and kill anyone who has ever disobeyed MEGATRON. Who's their next target?

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye Ongoing #8
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Nick Roche (c)
DINOBOT MONTH! Three years ago, Grimlock disappeared from his prison cell on Garrus 9. Where did he go? What happened to him? One thing’s for certain: the leader of the Dinobots is back—and he's itching to settle some scores!

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Annual 2012
James Roberts (w) • Jimbo Salgado, Guido Guidi (a) • Tim Seeley, Alex Milne (c)
THE ORIGIN OF THE KNIGHTS OF CYBERTRON! Rodimus and the crew of the Lost Light finally reach Crystal City, home to the mysterious Circle of Light. But what they find waiting for them is going to change everything—and not necessarily for the better!

TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE ONGOING #9
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Nick Roche (c)
SHADOWPLAY begins here! One AUTOBOT connects the crew of the Lost Light with pre-war CYBERTRON and the rise of the DECEPTICONs. His name? OPTIMUS PRIME. The past and the present collide as Rewind begins telling his crew mates the most shocking story of all!

Lot going on on that final cover!

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 3:45 pm

Ohhh man.

Is this bimonthly this summer? I could have sworn two issues of the TF comics came out in June.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 12:02 am

Similarly blown away by this issue. I keep trying to explain to non-Transformers fans why they should read it without spoiling it. Robots suffering tragic mental breakdowns, man! Robots with tragic pasts! Robots who meet tragic ends!

I think Roberts is something really special. The difference between him and writers like Costa and McCarthy is the latter two blatantly just looked at Transformers as a gig. It was a milestone on the way to 'greater things'. But Roberts is doing the job he's been training himself for most of his life, and you can tell. He's treating this like his last, best chance to Do It Right, even though he probably has a glorious career ahead of him after this.

I've given up having a favourite character - I like so many of them. And I love how dysfunctional they are. As good as Chaos Theory was, I'm always a little cool to characters like Prime and Megs, with their grand destinies and constantly foregrounded might. I much prefer a story about a bunch of talented misfits who always seem to be one misstep away from extinction.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:13 am

I actually think the crew of the Lost Light with all their flaws and foibles in tow has actually added credence to the authority figures that are Optimus Prime and Megatron. I mean, it becomes more believable that Prime and Megs would have risen to the top now, not really by showcasing how much they actually deserved their position, but rather by showing us how other bots out there, even bigwigs like Magnus, Fort Max, Rodimus, don't deserve it. Suddenly, Megs doesn't seem that crazy anymore, if you know what I mean.

In other words, I think Roberts has added to the legacy of Prime and Megs without even having them in the story.

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 9:29 am

Jack Cade wrote:Similarly blown away by this issue. I keep trying to explain to non-Transformers fans why they should read it without spoiling it. Robots suffering tragic mental breakdowns, man! Robots with tragic pasts! Robots who meet tragic ends!

I think Roberts is something really special. The difference between him and writers like Costa and McCarthy is the latter two blatantly just looked at Transformers as a gig. It was a milestone on the way to 'greater things'. But Roberts is doing the job he's been training himself for most of his life, and you can tell. He's treating this like his last, best chance to Do It Right, even though he probably has a glorious career ahead of him after this.

I've given up having a favourite character - I like so many of them. And I love how dysfunctional they are. As good as Chaos Theory was, I'm always a little cool to characters like Prime and Megs, with their grand destinies and constantly foregrounded might. I much prefer a story about a bunch of talented misfits who always seem to be one misstep away from extinction.

I actually went back and re-read Chaos Theory after this issue (mainly due to Whirl's reference of his assassination attempt on Megatron). Notice that Roberts had even begun planting seeds back then that I hadn't registered before - things that have been expanded on in MTMTE (Triple M get a mention, amongst other bits).

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:23 pm

It is a good summer for TF comics. For the first time since 2007.

The Last Autobot · Post by **The Last Autobot** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 3:14 am

What I really reeeeeeeally like of this series is that you can actually differentiate each character. Each one is absolutely unique. Don´t get me wrong, in Furman´s stories you could tell apart some of them with just a couple of paragraphs. But almost all the rest of decepticons and autobots (who werent Prime, Grimlock, Nightbeat, Megatron, SS, and 5 more) their dialogues were almost interchangeable. Here we know who is who just by reading a couple of lines of what they say, how they say it, and how they look.

Perfect in every way!

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 3:19 am

The Last Autobot wrote: But almost all the rest of decepticons and autobots (who werent Prime, Grimlock, Nightbeat, Megatron, SS, and 5 more) their dialogues were almost interchangeable.

I believe the word you're looking for is.....cookie-cutter!!!!!!

Damn, it just feels good to say that.

Post by **Best First** » Thu Jul 05, 2012 12:34 pm

I'm going to cookie-cut you up punk.

The Last Autobot · Post by **The Last Autobot** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:32 am

My only gripe yet is that re reading the issues, the few crew casualties seem to be too kindly taken.

I don´t expect 10 pages mourning but so far its been like. He died! Whatever! I didn´t even recognize him!

Post by **Best First** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 10:00 am

Yeah i think that is a fair comment.

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 12:46 pm

I suspect we will see a bit more of a fallout from Rung's death.

Poor Rung