Rodimus Prime and a ragtag bunch of Autobots are cruising the spaceways aboard their starship The Lost Light in search of the vaunted Knights of Cybertron.
And then Chief Justice Tyrest has to go and screw things up for everyone. What is his grand scheme?
And where does Star Saber fit into all of this?
Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #19 (IDW)
If you didn’t already hate or love to hate Chief Justice Tyrest before, this issue should cement the deal for you. Nobody respects a sucker punch artist. Even if it’s Ultra Magnus on the receiving end:
Speaking of Ultra Magnus, this issue reveals a notable chunk of the bot’s history: more specifically the concept behind the character. Apparently the Ultra Magnus we’ve known all these years hasn’t always been the same Autobot — different robots have donned the armor and filled the role of the “Immortal Lawman.” You know, sort of like certain James Bond fans subscribe to the whole “multiple 007 agents all with the name James Bond” theory. You’re still not off the hook for that whole “I can’t deal with that right now” line from Transformers: The Movie though, Magnus.
We’re even given a glimpse of his upcoming replacement. What is this, Robocop?
Whether the concept sits well with you is probably going to come down to personal preference and how much of a hard-on you have for Ultra Magnus — either way, the idea makes sense and you have to laud writer James Roberts for his creative flair.
Roberts has constructed an interesting narrative packed with unique takes on formerly insipid characters and solid characterization for ones we haven’t seen much of before. My only gripe lies with how much exposition and dialogue he crams into each panel: I’m not asking for Liefeldian spreads every few pages and am all about thoroughly explaining what’s going on — but a little more show and less tell would have me reading certain spots to myself that drag in the sweet, melodious inner monologue of a Scatman Crothers as opposed to Ben Stein.
8.0
- Solid artwork by Alex Milne.
- Great characterization and storyline.
- Characters we don’t usually see in the spotlight have interesting roles.
- Too much dialogue and exposition crammed into too small a space at times.
Is it Good?
There’s plenty of set-up and dialogue in this issue and although it’s all good, it puts a damper on the pacing at times. That being said, Roberts has done a solid job writing. The storyline is interesting, the characters are fully realized, and… what the hell, am I actually rooting for Rodimus? A guy who once didn’t shower for a week as a kid in fear of scuffing my Optimus Prime temporary shoulder tattoo? (No, that didn’t take place last week. I swear.)
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