THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

Profiles Contained: Adventure Team [Dune Runner, Iceberg, Ransack - 1 page each], Air Defense Team/Air Assault Team [Jetstorm, Runway, Sonar, the Star Saber - 2 pages each], Air Military Team [Gunbarrel, Terradive, Thunderwing - 1 page each, plus additional Weapons Mode page], Airrazor, Nightscream, Blurr, Incinerator, Cheetor, Cliffjumper, Cyclonus, Crumplezone, Demolisher, Blackout, Destruction Team [Buzzsaw, Drillbit, Dualor - 2 pages each], Emergency Team [Firebot, Makeshift, Prowl - 2 pages each], Galvatron [2 pages], Clench, Hoist, Refute, Hot Shot [2 pages], Jolt.

Notes: The profiles are preceded by a three-page strip, showing an older Alexis [seemingly a little older than the one featured in the Energon series] accessing the records on the Autobots, Decepticons and Mini-Cons. It features flashbacks to issues #1, #3, #11 and #18 of the Armada series. The art looks like Joe Ng. Several of the profiles would seem to contradict the Armada ongoing series - for example, the appearance of Galvatron, whose existence is rendered impossible by events in Energon. Also the rigid pairing of Transformer/Mini-Con seems closer to the Armada animated series, rather than the comic.

This issue also marks the first appearance of the Air Military Team, Nightscream, Cliffjumper, Clench, Hoist and Refute in an official Transformers comic, as well as the debut for the secondary schemes of the Air Assault Team, the Destruction Team and the Emergency Team.

Production Notes: Each profile contains an image of each mode. Mini-Cons are ordered either by team, or by following the Transformer they are paired with. If they have a combined mode, this follows the team. If the team have a secondary colour scheme, it is featured on each individual profile. The profiles are divided into Bio, Weapons & Abilities and Weaknesses sections, and as with the G1 series, occasionally one or more of these sections is narrated by another character, using the "From the Datatracks of..." device.

Profiles Contained: Jetfire [2 pages], Comettor, Land Military Team [Bonecrusher, Knock Out, Wreckage - 1 page each], Laserbeak, Megatron [2 pages], Leader-1, Nemesis Prime, Run-Over, Night Attack Team [Broadside, Fetch, Scattor - 1 page each], Optimus Prime, Over-Run, Overload [2 pages], Rollout, Predacon, Side Burn, Skid-Z, Race Team [Dirt Boss, Downshift, Mirage - 2 pages each], Skyboom Shield, Red Alert, Longarm, Rhinox, Armorhide, Scavenger, Rollbar, Sea Team [Oceanglide, Stormcloud, Waterlog - 2 pages each], Side Swipe, Nightbeat, Sideways, Crosswise, Rook, Crosswise/Rook combined.

Notes: This issue also marks the first appearance of the Nemesis Prime, Run-Over, the Night Attack Team, Predacon, Side Burn, Skid-Z, the Skyboom Shield, Armorhide and the Sea Team in an official Transformers comic, as well as the debut for the secondary schemes of the Race Team.

Profiles Contained: Skywarp, Thunder Clash, Smokescreen, Liftor, Space Team [Astroscope, Payload, Sky Blast], Requiem Blaster, Starscream, Swindle, Street Action Team [Grindor, High Wire, Sureshock], Perceptor, Street Speed Team [Backtrack, Oval, Spiral], Super Optimus Prime [2 pages], Sparkplug, Terrorsaur, Ironhide, Thrust, Inferno, Thundercracker, Zapmaster, Tidal Wave [2 pages], Ramjet, Unicron [2 pages], Dead End, Wheeljack, Wind Sheer.

Notes: There are encyclopaedia pages on the Powerlink Process [with illustrations of the Powerlink schemes for Cyclonus & Crumplezone, Demolisher & Blackout, Hot Shot & Jolt, Jetfire & Comettor, Optimus Prime & Sparkplug, Red Alert & Longarm, and Thrust & Inferno], Cybertron, Earth Allies [including Alexis, Carlos and Rad], Energon, Mini-Cons, Mini-Cons' Moonbase. There's also a page of strip, with Override spying on Alexis, tying the series in to the Energon comic. This issue marks the first appearance of Thunder Clash, Ironhide, Inferno, Thundercracker, Zapmaster, Ramjet, Dead End, and Wind Sheer in an official Transformers comic.

Series Review: Armada's More Than Meets the Eye series suffers many of the failings of its' G1 counterpart - basically that style overwhelms the slight substance. The biography sections are once again on the slim side, while the more complicated design inches the presentation more towards the visual. The actual arranging of the profiles is once again a little disjointed. While grouping the Mini-Cons in teams makes sense, maybe placing them in an appendix separate from the Autobots and Decepticons would have worked better. Placing Mini-Con profiles next to the larger toy they were packaged with also makes little sense, given that the Armada comic involved very little pairing. And this is one of Armada MTMTE's biggest problems - it attempts to graft the comic, cartoon and toyline together as one thing. It doesn't really work... several of the characters sound like strangers. Along the same lines, the inclusion of characters such as Galvatron [made impossible by the Energon comic, before this series was published] is also pointless. Disappointing and unhelpful.