Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #33

Well, it’s been a good ride and Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #33 winds down on its first real plot after Dark Cybertron. While the latter didn’t set much of a standard, More Than Meets The Eye continues to raise its own bar.

The official description from IDW:

REVELATIONS! The fate of an entire planet hangs in the balance as MEGATRON races to solve the dark riddle of Sector 113. As unseen forces move in for the kill and old friends reveal their true colors, the AUTOBOTS realize that everything—everything—is a lie. All this…and an open briefcase.

This issue picks up on the last cliffhanger and continues to impress. While other titles – and, to a certain extent, Robots In Disguise – would simply go for piles of action, More Than Meets The Eye understands the wider setting and themes. The Lost Light crew has always balanced humor, drama and occasional emotional themes alongside the bigger plot and action. More Than Meets The Eye #33 is no exception. There are enough twists and turns throughout, but it delivers some very satisfying moments.

If I haven’t said it before… James Roberts is the best thing to happen to IDW’s Transformers titles. Roberts writes the characters as very real people, rather than machines. Various scenes and interactions here showcase examples we are all familiar with, highlighting characters brilliantly. Specifically, interactions between the likes of Rewind and Megatron are classic examples of saying more with less, while there are two pages near the end, devoid of nearly any dialogue, that might just steal the show for long time readers.

Visually, I spoke last time about the high quality art and it continues to be impressive here. Alex Milne has an eye for technical detail and the pencils go well with the mechanical nature of the title. Yet it’s the wide range of color and shading, from Joana Lafuente, that really sells this title. Even the larger pieces offer plenty to see and look into. The art quality has jumped in the last few issues and it’s still going strong.

All in all, I’m very impressed with this issue. If you just wanted robot on robot fight scenes, this isn’t the title for you. If you want integral writing with a real sense of emotion and charm, then by all means give this a look.