Ok, fair game. Since I'm usually praising MTMTE, it's good to also point out the 'negatives'.
Here are mine.  

-There simply have been too many death fake-outs, and I don't understand why. Out of all the ways to handle a near-death situation, Roberts seems to rely on 'this guy's dead - just kidding, he isn't!' WAY too much - practically every second or third issue.
Rung. Red Alert. Rewind. Tailgate. Ultra Magnus. Ultra Magnus AGAIN. even Pharma (twice) and Tyrest. Swerve if you want to count his Shoomer moment. All those guys Fort Max shot.
The book was off to a good start, but it has quickly lost all credibility when it comes to character deaths. Some nobodies or background characters still die at times, but unlike Roberts' LSOTW, I no longer believe any of the main characters are in real danger.

-I usually don't agree with the 'all the characters are the same witty jerks' critique, but I will have to admit that somewhere halfway through Remain in Light, even for me I felt everybody was cracking inappropriate jokes.

-The way everybody loses their shit whenever Alex Milne or Nick Roche doesn't draw for one issue.
Trust me, you haven't seen bad artwork, or artwork that's inappropriate in tone. Unlike some books (or actually a lot of books) published by Marvel and DC, the shifts in style in MTMTE is nothing.

-The way everybody loses their shit whenever Nick Roche draws an issue. This man is a god and I feel his artstyle works perfectly with the tone of the books. Apparently it's been enough for some people to stop reading. That's petty.

-I like the additional prose stories, but I don't think big plot points should be resolved in them. Sorry, I just don't. I pay for these comic books, so I'd like to see important stuff like Red Alert being brought back online and leaving resolved in the comic.

-i hate how handsome the colorist is. gets on my nerves

-Sometimes I feel Roberts doesn't really care about a certain character, but reinvents them simply because he wants to tell a specific story. He gave life to virtual nobodies, but the longer the comic continues the more it becomes apparent to me he has no problems changing a character into something completely else. So far I've loved his versions of Shockwave, Swerve, Tailgate, Magnus..but there will be a day when he changes a character I don't think needs changing. In fact, it's already happening to people with how he handled Star Saber (who might, or might not be redeemed later on).

 

Man, I agree with so much of this. I was trying to find a way to sum up my feelings about the 'death fake outs' and you did it perfectly, ta.

 

Ugh. I HATE THIS. I've never, nor will I ever understand why writing a character in a way that doesn't agree with the fan's perception of the character makes the overall story bad. Especially when the character barely had any real characterization in the first place. Additionally, writing Starsaber in the way he is currently being written does NOT dismiss the Starsaber character that appeared in Victory. This isn't aimed directly at you Digilaut. I've just noticed a lot of people will automatically dismiss something, or say MTMTE is garbage because their wet dream character looks or acts SLIGHTLY different from their preconceived notion.

I do agree with the death fake outs, but I loved seeing ultra mini in that panel of 21.

 

Don't worry, I didn't feel this was aimed at me directly anyhow.  

Just for the record, let me get it straight: when I say 'negatives', I use that term very loosely. More than Meets the Eye is incredible fun to me, and in fact one of my all-time favorite comic books - and the only comic book that has made me laugh out loud, multiple times.

I bet there ARE people who make a big deal out of it, and feel very strong about this specific point. I don't, but I just wanted to point it out.



I think SMOG said it somewhere (who else!), probably in this thread a few pages back - it's not a problem when a character is taken and new character elements are layered on top of an existing characterization.
Swerve, for example, is described as a metallurgist who's a terrible (intoxicated?) driver - but that doesn't mean he can't be jovial, and open up a bar after the war is over. Same goes for many other characters used, and hey - I actually LIKE Minimus Ambus as Ultra Magnus, so I'm definitely not against new interpretations of characters.


BUT my point was that -it seems- James Roberts, more and more often, has an idea of a story he wants to tell - and instead of finding a character that would suit his need, he decides to reinvent a character that used to be totally different.
I honestly don't care about Star Saber, because very simply put: I don't really know him   but unless Roberts had big plans of brainwashing him into a heroic Autobot leader later on, did that character need such a drastic change from what people normally remember him for? This IS a G1 universe after all, and even if G1 is not one true universe, the appeal for many people is finding versions/adaptations of characters they remember and love - not specifically radical reinventions of characters, that people would be more open to if IDW's Transformers was a completely stand-alone iteration, like Animated, Prime or the Bay movies.  

You are right though, a character given a different/new characterization should never be a dealbreaker to anyone. I don't understand why somebody would go from loving to hating the book on the basis of a favorite character not being portrayed the way he/she wants.  

 

I don't like Roberts being rushed. Some of the story elements were built up to a point and no climax or things that were put in are glossed over to meet a deadline. It is the pacing of stories bother me...

 

-This is more of a fandom Problem but I Don't like how it's Basically become "GAY ROBOTS IN SPACE" To some people, Yeah its there but stop making it seem like its one gigantic space orgy in-between bouts of Soap opreaesqe Who's didling who Drama.

- Id Really like Hound, Perceptor, and Blaster to be more then Wallpaper.

 

Yeah, I think you really just have to stop travelling in certain fan circles. Aside from the Chromedome/Rewind relationship, which was very smartly handled, I wouldn't say that this aspect has been all that prevalent.

Though depending on which tumblrs you frequent...

zmog

 

Just Going into the MTMTE Tag in General really.....

 

This is nearly always the answer. No matter the question.  

 

Definitely agreed. Although Perceptor was used pretty heavily in issue 21.

 

I don't see it as reinvent so much as reinvigorate. I think Roberts is just taking the established personalities and turning them slightly on their ears. With the exception of Star Saber, the rest of the characters haven't been a huge departure from their core personalities.

 

Really? Weird. I guess I mostly just stick to the discussion threads for the issues as they come out.

Yeah, his degree of observance varies... it's best when you see the original personality as the point of departure for an interesting variation or addition. In some cases, there's not really anything. Tailgate for example, shares no traits with his G1 version... well, they're both white. That's about it. That initially bugged me... still does a little, but of course he's grown into a strong character regardless.

But as a general principle, I don't think that any writer should EVER just pull a character out and use him without regard for his original persona. I think it's just bad practice.

zmog

 

Overall, I love the series. Interesting plot, character development, so far very good use of various mcGuffins to build the anticipation.

I have the same concerns about the dialog as many of you. Everyone is just too glib. Works fantastic for some, but I think he has not done enough using verbal styles to differentiate characters.

I also agree that Roberts is overplaying the "death and return" card. Hardly a problem unique to this series in comicdom, but it cheapens the whole thing, makes us jaded about death in the story. "Of, Rewind died. Yawn. Wonder if he'll pop up alive this year or the next?

Not a critique of MtMtE per se, but overall I don't care for how much they've humanized the transformers in the IDW universe. They drink and eat, sleep, hang out in bars, even have love relationships (I don't see it as homosexual, since there generally isn't gender in the IDW universe transformers). I'd like to see transformers as a little more alien, have what about their inorganic physiology makes their psychology different from humans, rather than appearing to be essentially humans who happen to be able router into vehicles (rarely, in MtMtE).

But overall, these issues aside, it's a fine series.

 

To be fair, the biggest part of Tailgate original backstory was, apart from having a magnet that he used to literally 'tailgate' other vehicles to save fuel, was that he can't wrap his head around the fact that Earth machines aren't alive. That could still come into play yet, he's what, 3 months old, and every machine he's encountered so far in his life has been sentient, with the exception of space ships. So there's still plenty of scope for that to come into effect.

EDIT: Also, he's prone to overheating. If it were me, I'd stick that in as a lasting effect of his Cybercrosis.

 

I don't like the redesigns. I'd rather have them be retro or modern toy designs unless they were guaranteed new toys based on the redesigns. Fortress Maximus is acceptable though since he shouldn't look like his original 1987 toy and I want a new toy of him looking like he does in the comics.

I don't like how some characters are neglected throughout the course of the series. Where's Springer and Impactor? What are they doing? Showing them in RiD is also acceptable, even if they don't have an impact on the overall story. The Scavengers should have had a more recurring role. Its been ages since we last saw them properly.

I'm fine with Star Saber's role and personality changing from how we were familar with them but I don't like how they changed Spinister's personality. They should have kept the characterisation of MTMTE Spinister as I do find it amusing but assigned it to another character. Its just wrong being given to Spinister. Originally I thought that Spinister was faking being the most stupidest person in the universe and that he would reveal his true self but this has yet to be.
http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/9/95/MTMTE8_MisfireSpinister.jpg

Its just a way to get him out of the story for the time being. Where else would he go without Chromedome wanting to go find him? He had to die or appear to die for the sake of the story.

Yeah. There's nothing to contradict with his original profile since Tailgate hasn't been to Earth yet. I can imagine IDW Tailgate reacting in that way once they do make it to Earth or somewhere where he could exhibit these personality traits.

You have to remember that Swerve's role was originally written for Bluestreak but Barber took Bluestreak for RiD. I think once the series really got going, Swerve's characterisation and role became more suited for Swerve. Bluestreak wouldn't be caught with a My First Blaster.

Its fine to me. He is who he is. Its a new take on the character that nobody expected. I think its good to introduce concepts that haven't existed before and gives an extra layer to him. Minimus Ambus IS Ultra Magnus. He's just not the first Ultra Magnus. Those other Ultra Magnus aren't that important in terms of the storyline. Except for Minimus Ambus, it doesn't make a difference to Ultra Magnus if he is the first or the fourth. I would have preferred Minimus Ambus to have looked like the G1 white Optimus Prime from the original toy. But even without it, its basically just naming the inner cab robot that we all knew existed something different than Ultra Magnus. Being a further load-bearer with a robot within a robot within armor may have pushed it a little too far though.

To the reader, Cyclonus is a Decepticon even if the character isn't and never has been. It plays on reader's expectations of him by him continually calling out that he isn't a Decepticon; and even other characters in the story think of him more as a Decepticon.

 

Being that he's in a coma, I don't think Springer is doing much of anything…
 

I agree. I'd like to catch up with Springer and Roadbuster. Another character I'd like to see is Thundercracker. He's always been among my favorite Decepticons, and I love what they did with him in the ex-ongoing. I would hope it would happen in a way that made sense, not just brining him back out unexplained. But I'd love to see more exploration of the evolution of his character during his self-imposed exile.

Interesting. I'd like to have seen that. It would certainly have made a lot of sense. It would be interesting to have seen how the plot would have differed (being that he was a gunner, Bluestreak couldn't have played the part of the inept noncombatant). Pity, given how underutilized Bluestreak has been in RiD.

 

Also, Tailgate's role was originally going to go to Powerglide but that was canned due to Powerglide already appearing in the present day.

In my fanfic, I had characters talking to a character in a coma just to keep the comatosed character present in the story. And hasn't Springer been in a coma long enough? I guess like Kup and Optimus Prime, if he were present the story would have to focus around them because they are characters with a strong role. Optimus Prime had to go on his own journey to keep him from upstaging the rest of the characters and story.

 

Exactly right about OP, and probably a consideration for why Springer hasn't been returned. Though it would be very interesting to bring him on in the future. I think he could create a lot of dramatic tension, challenging Rod's authority.

 

Roberts has already had Springer being read to in his coma. Roadbuster read him excerpts from Ironfists blog in Zero Point. Also, how long is 'long enough' for a coma? Some last days, some years, some don't end.

At the end of the day, not every character can be present all the time, some have to take a back seat sometimes. Heck, there's over 200 bots on board the Lost Light, our stories so far have focused on about a dozen of them.

 

RiD and MTMTE does need characters with a strong role but it shouldn't have all of them. People still complain about Kup's absence but RiD and MTMTE may be stronger without him - they would have had a completely different story if he had to be accomodated appropriately in either of them.

I still think Xaaron should have had a strong role after his Marvel comics role. Having him aboard the Lost Light is solely because people remember him from the Marvel comics. But so far he has showed very little of what people liked him for. Nothing at all in MTMTE.

I think there should be an issue of MTMTE focusing solely on the other characters of the Lost Light instead of just having them as background cameos, rarely interacting with the main characters.