Sneak Peek - IDW Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #50 iTunes Preview

Megatron: Rumbled. Speaking of which...

Quint wrote:

Megatron: Rumbled. Speaking of which...

You know, it's lovely to see that, even after starting a war and millions of years of being a genocidal tyrant, Megatron has maintained a playful sense of humour...

(FFS, this better be a trick or a <ahem> long con.)

ZeroWolf wrote:

Quint wrote:

Megatron: Rumbled. Speaking of which...

You know, it's lovely to see that, even after starting a war and millions of years of being a genocidal tyrant, Megatron has maintained a playful sense of humour...

(FFS, this better be a trick or a <ahem> long con.)

Why would it be a trick? Megatron has grown immensely since becoming an autobot, I love him like this and hope that this doesn't change for years yet. They want an evil Megatron? Bring bw megs into the comics

Sigh I really need to find the money so I can get this series again.

Quint wrote:This is likely just building up to a pay day and the only thing up for debate is the nature of his betrayal. Despite my criticism above, I hope it's Roberts that sees this through.

[...] it pains me that random, spoiler-heavy panels/pages, out of both context and sequence, will spread everywhere over the next two weeks, making it nigh-on impossible for readers to approach this exceptionally important issue as the creative team intended. You won't read the issue as it was written or experience it as it was designed to be experienced. Furthermore, sales could take a dent.

So please, if you've happened upon some pages from #50 that aren't 4, 5 or 6, don't share them.

Professor Smooth wrote:I don't know why this happened, but the book was released on iTunes here in Japan. The whole issue, in English, for 950 yen.

I don't want to spoil anything for anybody, but I will say that it's worth waiting for. Not sure if it's possible to use the Japanese version of iTunes from outside the country, but if you can, get on it.

o.supreme wrote:Hopefully with March & June having 5 Wednesdays, they will be able to get back on production schedule. Especially if ever down the road they want to do another crossover event. It would not be very well received to read things out of order.

But then again SoTW #4 is also delayed, and TF vs GI Joe, well that appears like the Ghost of Christmas Future, and really should be put to an end, hopefully soon. Also I talked to one of the comic shop workers. Apparently DC is behind on a number of titles as well. looks to be happening more & more in the industry.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #50
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne & Brendan Cahill (a) • Griffith (c)
THE DYING OF THE LIGHT—PART 1! Since joining the Lost Light, MEGATRON has rejected everything that once made him the most feared and hated Cybertronian of all time. But penitence has a price, and before the ex-Decepticon can find true redemption he must first confront his darkest legacy—the Decepticon Justice Division.
FC • 48 pages • $7.99

Bullet points:
MEGATRON’S past comes back to haunt him—literally!
The D.J.D. are utterly committed to punishing any who abandon MEGATRON’s cause… and now they know MEGATRON is an AUTOBOT!
The masterplan of TRANSFORMER’s geniuses James Roberts and Alex Milne reveals itself!
The story begins here—but you won’t believe where it will end!
Will the Lost Light survive? Nothing is sure!
Variant Cover by Alex Milne!

Noideaforaname wrote:Hasn't everyone died, like, twice already? Starting off a series with "they all DIE" is a cheap tactic to begin with, but MtMtE has had so many fake-outs this just doesn't have the slightest effect.

Noideaforaname wrote:Hasn't everyone died, like, twice already? Starting off a series with "they all DIE" is a cheap tactic to begin with, but MtMtE has had so many fake-outs this just doesn't have the slightest effect.

Randomhero wrote: I'm with you there. I don't believe this in the slightest. The DJD don't give out final requests. Not to their own and absolutely not Autobots. The first pages feel like nothing but Tumblr bait anymore.

Squiddy wrote:

Noideaforaname wrote:Hasn't everyone died, like, twice already? Starting off a series with "they all DIE" is a cheap tactic to begin with, but MtMtE has had so many fake-outs this just doesn't have the slightest effect.

The people who boarded the Lost Light in issue #1 were died and was bought back by quantum shenanigans. Everyone at this point is on their last life. I will say that I feel like James has gotten scared of killing off major characters. He's been hyping up #50 on his twitter for a good while but I just think he likes getting people overly excited....

Randomhero wrote: I'm with you there. I don't believe this in the slightest. The DJD don't give out final requests. Not to their own and absolutely not Autobots. The first pages feel like nothing but Tumblr bait anymore.

First: Tarn did. Issue #39, in the beginning, his latest victim requested to take his mask off as a "last words". Think about it, the LL is a huge ship filled with Autobots. Tarn has a big group of Decepticons with him. When will there be a more perfect time to strike fear onto others about the DJD and their ruthless actions?

Second: What the hell do the first pages relate ANYTHING to tumblr? It's a bleak/dark opening so let's blame tumblr for it? Your logic is confusing...

Randomhero wrote:

Squiddy wrote:

Noideaforaname wrote:Hasn't everyone died, like, twice already? Starting off a series with "they all DIE" is a cheap tactic to begin with, but MtMtE has had so many fake-outs this just doesn't have the slightest effect.

The people who boarded the Lost Light in issue #1 were died and was bought back by quantum shenanigans. Everyone at this point is on their last life. I will say that I feel like James has gotten scared of killing off major characters. He's been hyping up #50 on his twitter for a good while but I just think he likes getting people overly excited....

Randomhero wrote: I'm with you there. I don't believe this in the slightest. The DJD don't give out final requests. Not to their own and absolutely not Autobots. The first pages feel like nothing but Tumblr bait anymore.

First: Tarn did. Issue #39, in the beginning, his latest victim requested to take his mask off as a "last words". Think about it, the LL is a huge ship filled with Autobots. Tarn has a big group of Decepticons with him. When will there be a more perfect time to strike fear onto others about the DJD and their ruthless actions?

Second: What the hell do the first pages relate ANYTHING to tumblr? It's a bleak/dark opening so let's blame tumblr for it? Your logic is confusing...

These are nothing but confessions and requests of where to be buried and how their funerals should be. Not how the DJD work, we saw how they handled the duplicate lost light.

This is cheesy found footage confessions like in Blair witch. The DJD are not recording their last words and requests. The crew themselves are making them, and the line from Red Alert is to throw you off like most of what James does in his writing. he puts a little thing in to keep you focused while he's doing something else. Similar to Shockwaves origin. You read the whole thing and go "there were little clues everywhere!" But you're not paying attention to them because you're focusing on the red white and blue color scheme and going "the senator is ultra Magnus!" That's how James writes.

These first pages are meant for you to go "OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!!!!" And I not feeling it.

Also, it doesn't matter who dies! They have a time machine brief case with paradox locks! It doesn't matter! Why do you think there's a three week time difference? Everyone can die except a couple people, they use the brief case and can literally change the outcome and and Optimus can jump in and everyone is fine because the biggest "F YOU" mcguffin is in their hands.

MTMESkids wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

Squiddy wrote:

Noideaforaname wrote:Hasn't everyone died, like, twice already? Starting off a series with "they all DIE" is a cheap tactic to begin with, but MtMtE has had so many fake-outs this just doesn't have the slightest effect.

The people who boarded the Lost Light in issue #1 were died and was bought back by quantum shenanigans. Everyone at this point is on their last life. I will say that I feel like James has gotten scared of killing off major characters. He's been hyping up #50 on his twitter for a good while but I just think he likes getting people overly excited....

Randomhero wrote: I'm with you there. I don't believe this in the slightest. The DJD don't give out final requests. Not to their own and absolutely not Autobots. The first pages feel like nothing but Tumblr bait anymore.

First: Tarn did. Issue #39, in the beginning, his latest victim requested to take his mask off as a "last words". Think about it, the LL is a huge ship filled with Autobots. Tarn has a big group of Decepticons with him. When will there be a more perfect time to strike fear onto others about the DJD and their ruthless actions?

Second: What the hell do the first pages relate ANYTHING to tumblr? It's a bleak/dark opening so let's blame tumblr for it? Your logic is confusing...

These are nothing but confessions and requests of where to be buried and how their funerals should be. Not how the DJD work, we saw how they handled the duplicate lost light.

This is cheesy found footage confessions like in Blair witch. The DJD are not recording their last words and requests. The crew themselves are making them, and the line from Red Alert is to throw you off like most of what James does in his writing. he puts a little thing in to keep you focused while he's doing something else. Similar to Shockwaves origin. You read the whole thing and go "there were little clues everywhere!" But you're not paying attention to them because you're focusing on the red white and blue color scheme and going "the senator is ultra Magnus!" That's how James writes.

These first pages are meant for you to go "OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!!!!" And I not feeling it.

Also, it doesn't matter who dies! They have a time machine brief case with paradox locks! It doesn't matter! Why do you think there's a three week time difference? Everyone can die except a couple people, they use the brief case and can literally change the outcome and and Optimus can jump in and everyone is fine because the biggest "F YOU" mcguffin is in their hands.

On the other hand, maybe the DJD feels capturing the lost light with Megatron, and show this kind of fear and hopelessness to the world is a more effective message than destroy them in silence. Don't forget the first time it was just ordinary business. now its about Megatron. But who knows?

For me even that I think/hope that the majority of these guys will stay alive, this few pages give the feeling of hopelessness.

What is also interesting that as I see two or three characters says betrayal...by who?

Randomhero wrote:
These are nothing but confessions and requests of where to be buried and how their funerals should be. Not how the DJD work, we saw how they handled the duplicate lost light.

This is cheesy found footage confessions like in Blair witch. The DJD are not recording their last words and requests. The crew themselves are making them, and the line from Red Alert is to throw you off like most of what James does in his writing. he puts a little thing in to keep you focused while he's doing something else. Similar to Shockwaves origin. You read the whole thing and go "there were little clues everywhere!" But you're not paying attention to them because you're focusing on the red white and blue color scheme and going "the senator is ultra Magnus!" That's how James writes.

These first pages are meant for you to go "OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!!!!" And I not feeling it.

Also, it doesn't matter who dies! They have a time machine brief case with paradox locks! It doesn't matter! Why do you think there's a three week time difference? Everyone can die except a couple people, they use the brief case and can literally change the outcome and and Optimus can jump in and everyone is fine because the biggest "F YOU" mcguffin is in their hands.

Mr Skram wrote:Anyone else feel like it was a bit of a letdown? I mean, some cool stuff happened but it's another issue that left me saying "next issue is going to be awesome!" instead of "this issue was awesome!".

ctrlFrequency wrote:

Mr Skram wrote:Anyone else feel like it was a bit of a letdown? I mean, some cool stuff happened but it's another issue that left me saying "next issue is going to be awesome!" instead of "this issue was awesome!".

Yeah, totally with you. It felt like more set up (it was more set up)

Though I found the commentary on prescription drugs interesting and the idea that Megatron hasn't really changed, but his meds are causing it), if we'really going to have a "Megatron didn’t really change, he's still the same" moment, at least it is a plausible and different sort of approach rather than a tired old "I was always evil and this is all part of my plan!!!!" Momen. Howevrr, it may not be that,it could be "this is the door that opened a new outlook, sucks it had to be happy pills, but hey! Hugs!"

I need more coffee, I"m rambly.

ctrlFrequency wrote:If it's a backdoor, it was one set up a long time ago.

I'm actually inclined to think it leads to no where as they didn't even talk about for a long time. I had completely forgotten about it. If anything I think it is more to explore a social issue than to provide an out.

But that being said, i would like it better than the tired old trope that it could be. At least it wouldn’t be ultimate evil plan, it was a rouse, Macguffin.

io9: What’s the journey for you as a writer been like on More Than Meets The Eye over the last 50 issues?

Roberts: Obviously it’s great to be given an opportunity to tell stories featuring characters that you loved growing up, and to add new layers to the mythos. When I think about MTMTE reaching issue 50, it’s not so much that I’m amazed that I’m writing a Transformers comic that’s lasted that long... it’s more that I’m writing an ongoing comic book that’s racked up that many issues. In 2016, that’s a rarity.

[......]

io9: You’ve said in the past that you’ve written the final line of MTMTE already. Where do you see yourself going as a writer after this comes to a close?

Roberts: After MTMTE, who knows? I don’t think I’d move on to more Transformers stories right away—in fact I may find I’ve used up all my best ideas and it’s time to move on. (All of this presumes, of course, that IDW wants me to stick around!) The Transformers script I’m working on right now is the75th, if you count the issues I co-write with Nick Roche and John Barber, and the last thing I want is to find myself running on empty in a few years’ time.

[.....]

io9: Finally, looking back at your 50 issues so far, what’s been your favorite part of the process working on an ongoing series like this?

Roberts: Watching the MTMTE fandom grow and take shape, I think. No-one knew if the book was going to be successful—the first story arc was tailored to 12 issues just in case the whole thing tanked. But I like to think that pretty early on the book found its voice, and that it was a voice that resonated with people who were ready to get very invested in a bunch of sarcastic, mopey, affable, ridiculous and relatable losers.

Randomhero wrote:I have a feeling this is a story that's gonna need to be completed to really see the grandeur. Issue by issue is probably not going to do this story much justice.

MrBlack wrote:

ctrlFrequency wrote:If it's a backdoor, it was one set up a long time ago.

I'm actually inclined to think it leads to no where as they didn't even talk about for a long time. I had completely forgotten about it. If anything I think it is more to explore a social issue than to provide an out.

But that being said, i would like it better than the tired old trope that it could be. At least it wouldn’t be ultimate evil plan, it was a rouse, Macguffin.

Megatron has shown that he has a fear of his head being messed with because of his encounter with Trepan on Messatine. The fact that the fool's energon may be affecting him is probably being used more to cause him additional angst in the story rather than as an actual plot point. In any case, it's obvious that it isn't making him entirely passive, as his first impulse during times of stress is still to lash out (see Minimus Ambus in this issue and Tailgate in #47.