Graphic Novel Review: Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye, Vol 1

Title: Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye, Vol 1
Author(s): James Roberts
Illustrator(s): Alex Milne, Nick Roach
Publisher: IDW
Pages: TPB; 145
Recommended Age Group: 16+
Release Date: June 13, 2012
Source: Comixology (Purchased)

Issues 1-3, plus the on-shot Death of Optimus Prime.

Transformers saga begins here! More Than Meets The Eye reunites the fan-favorite creative team behind Last Stand of the Wreckers and sends the Transformers on an epic quest to the farthest reaches of the Transformers Universe and beyond! Also includes the one-shot Death of Optimus Prime.

What a good way to kick off the year it was! I can’t say enough how impressed I am with the depth and breadth of these comics. James Roberts’ writing is something special. I came into this a brand new reader. My previous knowledge comes only from a few cartoon episodes. Yet, I was embraced by the story line. Roberts held my hand, and shared with me some of the past so that I could catch up. I loved that! I never once felt lost, and that’s an amazing feeling.

Oh, and the characters! It’s not fall in love with each and every one of them. Rodimus, with his well meaning but not so well thought out plans. Ultra Magnus, with his overly serious demeanor (he’d hate me for even mentioning it). Whirl, with his broken, slightly (read: extremely) violent personality. And my new favorite character, Swerve! Oh yes, Swerve and I share a very similar sense of humor. He’s the comic relief most times, and I adore him for it. People are always telling him to just shut up. I’ll tell him to keep right on talking.

This volume had so much packed into it. I learned what happened to Optimus Prime, since I had NO idea who Orion Pax was when I read the single issue I had before. What an interesting turn of events! I also learned why there are two ongoing series right now, since half of our brave characters have decided to stay the course on Cybertron and half, the half I’m reading about now, are on a quest. I had to do a double take. Two sets of these to love and pine over? Oh dear. I’m going to be broke, very very soon.

The way that these are written, the way the characters interact, the brilliant way everything is explained, everything just comes together to form a series that I’m completely hooked on. If you had asked me last year if I’d ever read Transformers comics, I’d probably have said I wasn’t interested. I take all of that back. All of it. These are rich with their own history. Vivid, and full of real life relationships and issues. I want it all.