MTMTE is a masterpiece, but what about other IDW Transformers titles?

I just cannot get enough of IDW's MTMTE (More Than Meets the Eye) title.

Over the weekend, I pulled Volume 1 of the TPB from my shelf and began re-reading it, again, for perhaps the 6th to 7th time, if not more.

Saturday brunch with E - Lobster Brioche with curly fries and MTMTE volume 1. Does-not-get-any-better. Thank you James Roberts.

I have previously talked about MTMTE being the best thing for TF comics since sliced bread, that by any other name, it would still be just as magnificent. However, I have not said too much about other titles and why MTMTE is so much better - after all, things do not stand alone and can only be 'better' or 'worse' relative to other things and in its appropriate context.

Here, I will discuss my thoughts on prior and present IDW Transformers titles. Except for life-action-movie related titles, I have read them all. It is my belief that having read them all, I'm in a (relatively suitable) position to compare them. I will make an effort to be objective, but tastes and all are pretty subjective matters so I may not succeed in being objective.

A full collection of all IDW's Transformers titles in TPB form (I do not have TPBs that reprints either Dreamwave's or Marvel / Marvel UK's materials however)

I won't go into the background of what led to MTMTE and it inter-relation with other IDW titles (if any). If you want to read into the development background, check out either TF Wiki or The Gassy Autobot's blog here and here.

So here we go, after the jump, my thoughts on the other IDW Transformers series'... [spoiler alert]

Gone a few rounds with the DJD... my second D-309: Black Shadow

A week or so ago, i was walking around the toy shops and stopped by a shop that I typically do not stop at - because they don't really sell Transformers or TF related stuff.

One (ahem 2?) of Megatron's Phase-Sixers

Was looking around and in one cabinet, at the very bottom level and all the way to the back, I saw a Black Shadow pretender shell. I quite surprised myself because the cabinet was not even lit.

I quickly enquired about the piece. At first the shop owner said that if there is no price tag, then its not for sale and for display only. I was like 'no, no, its just that black piece; it looks in bad condition but I am "mildly" interested....'. He took it out, looked it over and said, 'yeah, ok, I'll sell it. But there are no parts or weapons at all. You sure you want it?'.

E's Hot Toys Catwoman and Ravage

E is a Ann Hathaway fan.

When she saw Dark Knight Rises and Ann Hathaway as Catwoman, she decided she wanted this Hot Toys Catwoman figure. She pre-ordered it almost a year ago at Hot Toys' HK flagship store and only got the figure relatively recently.

This is E's first Hot Toys figure and only our second ever 1/6th scale figure - the only other 1/6th scale figure we have is Batman, The Dark Knight version. As you can see, it deserves a shelf all on its own.

A few days ago, E was playing around with the figure and decided that Catwoman needed to be surrounded by kitties. The closest kitties at hand were.... some Ravage figures.

Robot Heroes Ravage and Catwoman.

MTMTE by any other name would still be the greatest Transformers comic series, ever

After 21 issues of this stella series published by IDW, I felt it was time for me to get off the couch and write something about it. Well, actually it's that and the inspiration I got from The Gassy Autobot, that made me write this.

What is MTMTE? 

It stands for 'More Than Meets The Eye' and is a comic series written by (the now great) James Roberts, illustrated by (the marvelous) Alex Milne, inked by (the super) Brian Shearer and coloured by (the bad boy) Josh Burcham.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Here are 18 of them - my preferred covers for MTMTE #1 to #18.

It's probably very difficult to describe how great a series MTMTE is without going into spoilers and details about plot points, dialogue and the legendary writing quality. 

I could say that it is the 'best thing since sliced bread', but that wouldn't really help much either. So, here are 2 simple enough illustrations from my perspective at least...

One - I often pick it up to re-read almost immediately after finishing an issue (or a TPB). In the span of a week, I would have re-read that issue 4-5 times, including re-reading a number of randomly picked previous issues.

Two - Near about volume 3 of the TPB, I decided that this series was so good, I had to go out there an buy all the individual issues - to better experience it in its original form.

Now, the 2 points above might appear insignificant to many, however, for me, they were huge. I have been reading comics since even before 1984 and have read a lot of DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Valiant, Image, other indie comic series over the last 30+ years. Among all of these, there has not even been a handful of incidents where I would immediately pick up and re-read an issue I have just finished. Typically, I would only pick up something to re-read after a month or 2, or, never going back to re-read stuff. For a number of previous TF series' like All Hail Megatron or Transformers (ongoing), I was inclined to just throw the TPB into the bin and never see it again (such was my frustration). To this day, I have never re-read or even flicked through any of 'All Hail Megatron' or Transformers (ongoing), except for ongoing #22 and #23, which were written by Roberts. To want to re-read MTMTE immediately, is epic for me.

My Transformers Trade Paper Bags

In respect of point 2 - I have nearly 5000 comics by 1994 and back then have decided to stop buying individual issues in favour of the cheaper and more easy to store Trade Paper Bag reprints. So, yes, it has been close to 20 years that I have not bought individual issues for any comic series. The only exceptions where I bought individual issues are - some of the early Dreamwave ones (who didn't buy these, if anything for novelty at the time), Spotlight: Optimus Prime, Spotlight: Sideswipe, Batman #608 to #619 (Hush storyline), Superman: Unchained #1 and... the MTMTE series. Therefore, also pretty epic that I'm buying the MTMTE individual issues.

So, if you have not read MTMTE, do yourself a favour, go out there grab the issues (or TPBs) and read it. 

I can't say that it will change your life, but I assure you that even if an iota of you are a TF fan, it will certainly brighten your day, bring you joy and make you come back for more. All hail Roberts (and Milne), I say!

Cheers,

HD

PS: If you don't like MTMTE after reading it, I will buy you a donut for your efforts.

Next - I give my thoughts about other IDW titles (series'), both past and present, relative to MTMTE in "MTMTE is a masterpiece, but what about other IDW Transformers titles?"

Takara Masterpiece MP-17: Prowl (pictorial) review

So as I mentioned yesterday that I got MP-17: Prowl and that I will transform him during breakfast today.

Well, I did. In fact, I felt like I was 10 years old again, because I got out of bed earlier than usual and could not get back to sleep, too excited at the prospect of playing with Prowl.

Japanese box 09 - Prowl MIB; USA boxed pre-rub Prowl MIB, unused; and MP-17: Prowl MIB

What else is there to say other than that its another wonderful figure to the already stella MP line. There is very little not to like about the figure - it's a work of art.

The car mode, is spot on in terms of its styling and scale, continuing from the strong precedent set by the Lamborghini molds (MP-Sideswipe, Red Alert, Tigertrack).

After transforming MP-Prowl, I proceeded to take a number of gratuitous photos... haha. Here they are...

In the photos are various Prowl incarnations: (1) rub-sign Prowl MIB (no insert); (2) Japanese box 09 - Prowl MIB; (3) USA boxed pre-rub Prowl MIB, unused; and (4) MP-17: Prowl MIB

Today's acquisition - MP-17: Prowl (Autobot Military Strategist)

Hot off the presses, MP-17: Prowl.

Went to pick it up after work today.

Tomorrow is a public holiday. Guess what photography I'll be doing?

Cracked it open, but not transformed it yet. Will transform it as I am having my breakfast tomorrow.

Gratuitous photo of (top row) G1 rub-sign Prowl box, Takara 09 - Prowl MIB; (middle row) G1 pre-rub Prowl MIB, MP-17: Prowl MIB; and (bottom row) G1 rub-sign Prowl loose, MP-17: Prowl loose.

Stay tuned at HeroicDecepticon.com for more updates!

Why I (continue) to collect (Transformers)

I'm literally taking a page out of Colbey's blog, Random Toy Reviews, and putting up on my blog reasons why I collect.

Like Colbey, I was also invited by Maz to contributeto TF Source's articles by writing some thoughts about why I continue to collect; but unlike him, I did not submit my contributions on time. Therefore, my thoughts did not make 'publication' here on TF Source.

So, I thought I might as well put my thoughts on my own blog, which I have to say I have not updated in some time (don't worry, updates are coming). Therefore, in 'print' for the first time, my thoughts on why I continue to collect Transformers more than 30 years after their initial release...

It’s crazy right? I was there as a (very) young pup in 1984 when Transformers were first released by Hasbro into the world. Now, nearly 30 years on, I am still collecting Transformers. It’s crazy, right? Perhaps not if we dig a little deeper…

Some say that collectors are people who look back, but hardly look forward. It’s difficult to argue with the veracity of that statement – collectors do look back at ‘what they used to have’ and ‘what they used to want’ in order to formulate their intent for what they want to buy. It’s not very different for me – I am a collector and I look back all the time. I never got pieces like G1 Bluestreak, G1 Ravage, G1 Pointblank and G1 Snapdragon when I was young. So now, these are my high priority pieces to acquire and acquire again and again, because, hey, what’s worth doing to worth overdoing.

Still, saying that I continue to collect, 30 years after the event, because I like to look back at the past is hardly a robust explanation. What’s perhaps more essential is why I continue to look into the past. Quoting Randal Graves from Clerks II “they [ie: Transformers] remind me of a better time in my life… like when we were young and the world was still in front of us”.