Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It

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|colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; background-color:#e7d492; color:black;font-weight:bold;" align="center" | "Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It" {{#if: |

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|- {{#if: IDW Publishing | |Publisher || IDW Publishing}} |- {{#if: | |Published by || }} |- {{#if: | |Imprint || }} |- {{#if: | |Published in || }} |- {{#if: January 11, 2012 (1st printing)
February 22, 2012 (2nd printing) | |First published || January 11, 2012 (1st printing)
February 22, 2012 (2nd printing)}} |- {{#if: | |Shipping date || }} |- {{#if: | |On-sale date || }} |- {{#if: January 2012 | |Cover date || January 2012}} |- {{#if: | |Credits || }} |- {{#if: | |By || }} |- {{#if: | |Manga || }} |- {{#if: | |Manga by || }} |- {{#if: | |Original story || }} |- {{#if: | |Story & art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Story and color art || }} |- {{#if: | |Story || }} |- {{#if: James Roberts | |Story by || James Roberts}} |- {{#if: | |Story consultants || }} |- {{#if: | |Story concept || }} |- {{#if: | |Screenplay by || }} |- {{#if: | |Screenplay || }} |- {{#if: | |Adaptation by || }} |- {{#if: | |Adapted by || }} |- {{#if: | |Adaptation || }} |- {{#if: | |Based on || }} |- {{#if: | |Writer || }} |- {{#if: | |Writers || }} |- {{#if: | |Writing || }} |- {{#if: | |Written by || }} |- {{#if: | |Written & art || }} |- {{#if: | |Plotter || }} |- {{#if: | |Plotters || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot by || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot/Script || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripter || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripters || }} |- {{#if: | |Script || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripting || }} |- {{#if: | |Script by || }} |- {{#if: | |Script and art || }} |- {{#if: | |Sript [sic] consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Translation by || }} |- {{#if: | |Artist || }} |- {{#if: | |Comic artist || }} |- {{#if: | |Artists || }} |- {{#if: | |Art || }} |- {{#if: Nick Roche | |Art by || Nick Roche}} |- {{#if: | |Additional art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Flashback art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Art assistant || }} |- {{#if: | |Art assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Line-art || }} |- {{#if: | |Line-art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Line art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciller || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencillers || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciler || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencilers || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencil art || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencils || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencils by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciled by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciling || }} |- {{#if: | |Guest penciler || }} |- {{#if: | |Layouts || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencil breakdowns || }} |- {{#if: | |Breakdowns || }} |- {{#if: | |Breakdowns by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustration || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrations || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrator || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrated by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustration by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrations by || }} |- {{#if: | |Finished pencils || }} |- {{#if: | |Finishes || }} |- {{#if: | |Finished art || }} |- {{#if: | |Finishes by || }} |- {{#if: | |Inker || }} |- {{#if: | |Guest inker || }} |- {{#if: | |Inkers || }} |- {{#if: | |Inks || }} |- {{#if: | |Inks by || }} |- {{#if: | |Ink finishes || }} |- {{#if: | |Ink assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional inks || }} |- {{#if: | |Inking || }} |- {{#if: | |Backgrounds || }} |- {{#if: | |Backgrounds by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colorist || }} |- {{#if: | |Colorists || }} |- {{#if: | |Colourist || }} |- {{#if: | |Colourists || }} |- {{#if: | |Color || }} |- {{#if: | |Colors || }} |- {{#if: | |Color art || }} |- {{#if: | |Colour || }} |- {{#if: | |Colours || }} |- {{#if: | |Colored by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color by || }} |- {{#if: Josh Burcham | |Colors by || Josh Burcham}} |- {{#if: | |Color art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colors assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assists || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assistance by || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional colors || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional colors by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colour/Computer FX || }} |- {{#if: | |Computer coloring/effects || }} |- {{#if: | |Color Reconstruction || }} |- {{#if: | |Flats || }} |- {{#if: | |Flats by || }} |- {{#if: | |MTMTE Profiles || }} |- {{#if: | |Letterer || }} |- {{#if: | |Letterers || }} |- {{#if: | |Lettering || }} |- {{#if: | |Letters || }} |- {{#if: Shawn Lee | |Letters by || Shawn Lee}} |- {{#if: | |Lettered by || }} |- {{#if: | |Lettering|Production || }} |- {{#if: | |Special Thanks{{#if: | To}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Collaborators || }} |- {{#if: | |Contributors || }} |- {{#if: John Barber | |Editor || John Barber}} |- {{#if: | |Editors || }} |- {{#if: | |Editing || }} |- {{#if: | |Edits by || }} |- {{#if: | |Compiled and Edited by || }} |- {{#if: | |Original series editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Original Edits by || }} |- {{#if: | |Deputy editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Assistant editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Editorial assistant{{#if: |s}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Editorial Assistance
provided by || }} |- {{#if: | |Senior editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Associate editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Story consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Project manager || }} |- {{#if: | |Production by || }} |- {{#if: | |Designer || }} |- {{#if: | |Design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Designed by || }} |- {{#if: | |Design/editorial || }} |- {{#if: | |Book design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection designer || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection Edits by || }} |- {{#if: | |Graphic design || }} |- {{#if: | |Graphic design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection Design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Creative Director{{#if: | / Layout}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Contributing editors || }} |- {{#if: | |Research editor{{#if: |s}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Managing editor || }} |- {{#if: | |{{#if: |Editor-in-chief|Editor in chief}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Editorial consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Dinosaur consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Publishing manager || }} |- {{#if: | |Cover || }} |- {{#if: | |Cover art{{#if: |ist}}{{#if: | by}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Cover Design {{#if: |and Elements }}by || }} |- {{#if: | |Inside cover || }} |- {{#if: | |Apologies to || }} |- {{#if: 2005 IDW continuity | |Continuity || 2005 IDW continuity}} |- {{#if: Current era (2011) | |Chronology || Current era (2011)}} |- {{#if: | |ISBN || }} |- {{#if: | |TPB ISBN || ISBN }} |- {{#if: | |UPC || }} |- {{#if: | |Page count || }} |- {{#if: | |Price || }} |- {{#if: | |Packaged with || }} |- {{#if: | |Printed in || }} |- {{#if: | |Animation || }} |- {{#if: | |Music || }} |}{{#switch:{{#sub:xx|2|14}}|dark cybertron=}} It's launch day for Rodimus and the crew of the Lost Light—what could possibly go wrong?

Synopsis

Following Optimus Prime's departure from Cybertron, Rodimus publicly announces his intent to do likewise aboard the Lost Light, following the map found within the Matrix in hopes of locating the Knights of Cybertron. Prowl predicts virtually no Autobots will respond to his open invitation to join him, but Rodimus winds up with a little over two hundred recruits, including (much to Bumblebee's consternation) Ratchet—who believes he is getting old, a concern punctuated by his failure to save the life of a NAIL who has committed suicide as a political protest—Chromedome—the loss of whose scientific talents particularly infuriates Prowl, prompting him to order the loading of a mysterious cargo onto the Lost Light—and Chromedome's friend, Rewind. Ultra Magnus, of course, has misgivings about nearly every recruit, but Rodimus is thrilled to have so many.

In the skies above Cybertron, Cyclonus grieves in his own way for the loss of the world he had known and all the memories he made there. Detecting a life-sign resembling Scourge's, he investigates a small shack, only to find the unhinged Whirl talking to a collection of Sweep corpses that he has strung up inside. Cyclonus enters and interrupts him just as he is about to burn down the energon-soaked building, and Whirl immediately attacks him, professing innocence and explaining the bodies were already dead: he had merely collected them. Cyclonus, for his part, doesn't care in the slightest, but can't convince Whirl of this fact.

Elsewhere, Red Alert is running security checks on the Autobots who have signed up to join the Lost Light: Brainstorm, carrying a mysterious briefcase but exempted from security checks by Rodimus; Swerve, in the mood for "a good quest"; and Rung, whom Red Alert does not recognize at first, despite having been a patient of his for six centuries. Rung tempts fate by commenting on his knack for staying out of trouble: before the sentence is even finished, Cyclonus and Whirl's running battle swoops through the area, and Rung winds up with his forearm cleaved off by Cyclonus's wing.

Ratchet, Chromedome, and Rewind, meanwhile, are making for the Lost Light through the Mitteous Plateau, but are running behind schedule due to Rewind's lack of a vehicular alternate mode, a trait of his that Chromedome has never understood. Just as the group are about to start having an argument about the validity of alt mode variety, Cyclonus and Whirl come crashing down out of the sky, their battle at an end with Whirl the victor. Whirl spins a few quick lies and is about to deliver a killshot when a sudden, unexpected energon explosion from beneath the ground blows him to bits. Peering into the blast crater, the Autobots find Tailgate, who, unbeknownst to them, is a Cybertronian from six million years ago who was supposed to be on the Ark-1, but became trapped underground in a subsidence. He has spent the past six thousand millennia periodically going offline and reawakening, unaware that any time has passed, until he was just now finally able to detonate the energon rations he had with him in a bid for freedom. Panicking and passing out before he can tell anyone any of this due to his belief he has killed Whirl, Tailgate is brought aboard the Lost Light by the Autobots, as is Whirl. Rewind takes advantage of the brief confusion to slip off and purchase some golden discs from Swindle.

Soon after, the Lost Light takes off, and Bumblebee complains to Prowl that he thought he had a plan... at which point the ship is crippled by a mysterious explosion that forces the ship to quantum jump before preparation is complete, hurling it off to some far corner of the galaxy. A fifth of the ship's crew is sucked out into space before the breached hull repairs itself, and Rodimus orders them to set down on a desolate nearby planet, where they watch as the Autobots come raining down, burning up as they enter the atmosphere. All in all, as Rodimus succinctly puts it: "Not a good start."

And back on Cybertron, as Bumblebee sits in horrified mourning, back in Prowl's quarters a scrambled transmission plays. A transmission from one of the Lost Light's crew. A transmission that has been sent back in time, from the future. But it has arrived too late, and now Rodimus will never hear the warnings of the dangers that await them...

Featured characters

{{#if:{|border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"

Ultra Magnus (1)
Rodimus (2)
Drift (3)
Dipstick (4)
Xaaron (5)
Wheeljack (6)
Prowl (7)
Ratchet (9)
Bumblebee (10)
Rewind (12)

Chromedome (13)
Whirl (15)
Red Alert (16)
Brainstorm (17)
Swerve (18)
Rung (19)
Pipes (20)
Mirage (22)
Sky Lynx (23)
Hound (24)

Mainframe (25)
Perceptor (26)
Fizzle (27)
Sureshot (28)
Rollout (29)
Siren (30)
Polaris (31)
Waverider (32)
Hyperion (33)
Rad (34)

|

!! style="background:#ffdddd;" | Autobots }}{{#if:* Swindle (21)| !! style="background:#ededff" | Decepticons }}{{#if:| !! style="background:#fbefde;" | Humans }}{{#if:* Dead protester (8)

Cyclonus (11)
Tailgate (14)|

!! style="background:#ffeeb8;" | Others }}{{#if:| !! style="background:#d5e6d5;" | Misc }}{{#if:| !! style="background:#fedeb5;" | Misc }} |- {{#if:{|border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent" |- |style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"|

Ultra Magnus (1)
Rodimus (2)
Drift (3)
Dipstick (4)
Xaaron (5)
Wheeljack (6)
Prowl (7)
Ratchet (9)
Bumblebee (10)
Rewind (12)

|style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"|

Chromedome (13)
Whirl (15)
Red Alert (16)
Brainstorm (17)
Swerve (18)
Rung (19)
Pipes (20)
Mirage (22)
Sky Lynx (23)
Hound (24)

|style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"|

Mainframe (25)
Perceptor (26)
Fizzle (27)
Sureshot (28)
Rollout (29)
Siren (30)
Polaris (31)
Waverider (32)
Hyperion (33)
Rad (34)

|}|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |

Ultra Magnus (1)
Rodimus (2)
Drift (3)
Dipstick (4)
Xaaron (5)
Wheeljack (6)
Prowl (7)
Ratchet (9)
Bumblebee (10)
Rewind (12)

Chromedome (13)
Whirl (15)
Red Alert (16)
Brainstorm (17)
Swerve (18)
Rung (19)
Pipes (20)
Mirage (22)
Sky Lynx (23)
Hound (24)

Mainframe (25)
Perceptor (26)
Fizzle (27)
Sureshot (28)
Rollout (29)
Siren (30)
Polaris (31)
Waverider (32)
Hyperion (33)
Rad (34)

}}{{#if:* Swindle (21)|

| style="background:#ededff;" valign="top" |

Swindle (21) }}{{#if:|

| style="background:#fbefde;" valign="top" |

}}{{#if:* Dead protester (8)

Cyclonus (11)
Tailgate (14)|

| style="background:#ffeeb8;" valign="top" |

Dead protester (8)
Cyclonus (11)
Tailgate (14) }}{{#if:|

| style="background:#d5e6d5;" valign="top" |

}}{{#if:|

| style="background:#fedeb5;" valign="top" |

}}

|}

Quotes

"Did he give you all that scrap about finding the Knights of Cybertron and retracing our steps to the Golden Age? It's all scripted, you know. Drift writes it for him."

—Bumblebee's not bitter!

"You know what your problem is, Chromedome? You think that just because the war is over, we can afford to stop fighting!"

—Prowl, summed up in one sentence.

"Please tell me you're here to wave us off."
"No, no, no, I'm here for the quest. Love a good quest. Haven't been on a quest since the whole Luna 1 thing. The Moonquest."
"Stop saying 'quest.'"
"So, can I go on board?"
"Of course—if you promise to never, ever speak."

—Red Alert and Swerve evidently have a history.

"Oh, it's started. The alt mode bashing. Every time you get agitated... Let's have a go at Rewind because he turns into a giant memory stick and not a... super space tank or—or—whatever..."

—Rewind, on the defensive.

"Remember the old saying? 'Everyone's shape serves a purpose.'"
"Yeah? Tell that to Sky Lynx."

—Rewind and Ratchet have a difference of opinion.

"Don't open the coffin. Don't let them take Skids. Don't go to Delphi. And do not — I repeat do not — look in the basement. And for the sake of the Cybertronian race itself, please don'tkzzzzzzzk"

—Ominous ~~Future~~ Message

Notes

Continuity notes

The NAIL who dies on Ratchet's table could previously be spotted in three scenes in The Death of Optimus Prime, carrying the placard that lies discarded in the corner of the room in this issue. He was red in that issue, indicating that he has turned grey upon his death, a trait that stretches back to The Transformers: The Movie, but which has only been seen in IDW continuity before now in Last Stand of the Wreckers, which was, not-coincidentally, the work of this issue's creative team.
Tailgate thinks the Ark is doomed without him. We later find out that Tailgate is lying about his service record. Since the Ark mission did go horribly wrong, this line is a way of getting the reader to assume Tailgate must indeed be some hot shit.
After having spent the entirety of Infestation, Heart of Darkness, and Chaos being misidentified in-story as a Decepticon, Cyclonus is finally back to asserting that he is an unaffiliated Cybertronian.
Several concepts introduced in Roberts's earlier story "Bullets" reoccur: Brainstorm's mysterious briefcase, Rung's fondness for model spacecraft, Whirl being kicked off the Wreckers under unspecified circumstances, and an unseen Autobot named Hyperion.
Ultra Magnus reads through the start of the list of crewmembers—just the A's—and comments on them: "He's dangerous... he's delusional... he's a liar... he's mad (I mean literally mad)... he was demoted after that incident with the turbofox... I arrested him for impersonating a senior officer... he owes me money... I don't trust him or him, especially not in their combined form... and if he's who I think he is, never, ever let him near a crossbow." So far, the list of known A's aboard the Lost Light includes Ammo, Animus, Aquabat, Aquafend, Aquastar, and Atomizer; only Atomizer—the crossbow fiend—and Animus—the liar—have been clearly linked to Magnus's comments.
It is hinted strongly that Prowl did something to the Lost Light, but in a shocking twist next issue it'll turn out to be something else that dun it.
The broadcast forewarns us of the coffin in issue #29, Skids being captured in issue #19, the Delphi adventure in #4 and #5, the thing lurking in Lost Light's basement that gets out in issue #14, and a revelation about Brainstorm ("Cybertronian race itself").
- We see the message being broadcast (and what's "for the sake of the Cybertronian race itself") in #38. The time and place it was broadcast was always intended.<ref>TransMissions Episode 94 – James Roberts MTMTE Elegant Chaos Interview 37:40 to 38:59</ref>

Transformers references

Prowl explicitly states one of the capabilities originally outlined in his Transformers Universe profile, that he can observe 800 moving objects and almost instantly compute their trajectories.
The trailer Tailgate is carrying his equipment in is a Micro Trailer.
Tailgate's role was originally going to be taken by Powerglide until the latter appeared in the present day during Chaos.
Brainstorm's security pass sports a Tech Specs graph and a rubsign.
Their small size makes them hard to determine, but at least some of Rung's model spaceships are recognizable: they at least include the Ark as it appeared in the original The Transformers cartoon, the Axalon from the Beast Wars cartoon, and a Trident Attack Craft. We wager there are more familiar ships in there!
Among the list of lost Autobots is one new name: Polaris. This might be a reference to online Transformers fanzine Polaris Magazine, whose publisher Graham Thomson is a long-time member of Transmasters, the UK fan group that Roberts and Roche were both major contributors to.
Geographic features that Cyclonus mourned the loss of due to the rebirth include the First City, the Fragmented Whole, Mesmerica, Obex, Pess Pess, the Pious Pools, Subterrania, Tetrahex, the Transeptum of Infinite Reach, the Vaulted Heights of K'th Kinsere, and the Warrior's Gate.

Real-world references

The title of this issue pays homage to the Dexy's Midnight Runners song, "Liars, A to E" (with A and D of course standing for "Autobot" and "Decepticon"). James Roberts previously used it as the title for a comic-strip prequel to his unofficial Transformers novel, "Eugenesis", published in the souvenir magazine for UK convention Transforce 2001.
Tailgate's introduction is, nearly word for word, a reference to the opening scene of the Red Dwarf episode, "Terrorform", a series Roberts references throughout More than Meets the Eye.
One of the model spaceships in Rung's collection is drawn to resemble the guitar-shaped spaceship from [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem|{{#if:Interstella 5555|Interstella 5555|Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem}}]].

Trivia

Because the picture just wasn't obvious enough.

The release of this issue was preceded by a "scavenger hunt" of sorts on January 10th, with one each of a series of twelve images spotlighting individual characters being released to twelve different websites, both Transformers fansites and popular comic book new sites. Only eight actually made it up before the book's release: Brainstorm at TFW2005 (at right), Drift at Newsarama, Ratchet at ComicBookResources, Red Alert at IGN, Rewind at Seibertron, Rung at TFormers, Swerve at the AllSpark and Whirl at FullMetalHero. Subsequently revealed were Chromedome on the IDW forums, Cyclonus on John Barber's Twitter,<ref>{{#if: TFMTMTE. http://t.co/oJkYyInE |"TFMTMTE. http://t.co/oJkYyInE"—|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/TheJohnBarber/status/157175756353585152/photo/1 |John Barber|John Barber}}{{#if: Twitter |, Twitter|}}{{#if: |, ""|}}{{#if: 2012 |, 2012{{#if: 01 |/{{#switch:{{#len:01}}|1=001|01}}{{#if: 11|/{{#switch:{{#len:11}}|1=011|11}}|}}}}|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/TheJohnBarber/status/157175756353585152/photo/1 ||}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/TheJohnBarber/status/157175756353585152/photo/1%7C7%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/TheJohnBarber/status/157175756353585152/photo/1%7C8%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/TheJohnBarber/status/157175756353585152/photo/1%7C7%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/TheJohnBarber/status/157175756353585152/photo/1%7C8%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#if: | (dead link)}}</ref> Rodimus on IDW's Facebook, and Ultra Magnus on Chris Ryall's blog.
- Brainstorm's suitcase would become a running C-plot in the comic, following on from "Bullets", before finally erupting into a full-blown plot driver in issue #33.
- Drift's poster says he's "Trying Too Hard", and his obsessive optimism in the quest will have a slight crash in the 2012 Annual.
- "Ratchet knows his time is up": Ratchet's character arc from this issue to #5, regarding his hands. It then came up again in #21, where Ratchet was forced to admit that he was refusing to leave the Chief Medical Officer position and gave it up.
- "Red Alert is hearing things": this happened in #5, starting a plot that would lead to horrific events in #15.
- "Rewind does things he shouldn't": applying to his deal with Swindle, and also his jumping into fights. Both things get their explanation in #12.
- "Rung wants to be remembered": the fact hardly anyone remembers the poor guy was a running C-plot throughout the series.
- "Swerve doesn't know": referring to an old war injury Swerve doesn't realize is still affecting him until #43.<ref>{{#if: Ha! I forgot we trailed the 'buried bullet' storyline as part of MTMTE's pre-launch publicity... https://t.co/fGuUNpnHKY |"Ha! I forgot we trailed the 'buried bullet' storyline as part of MTMTE's pre-launch publicity... https://t.co/fGuUNpnHKY"—|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/660378216536887296 |James Roberts|James Roberts}}{{#if: Twitter |, Twitter|}}{{#if: |, ""|}}{{#if: 2015 |, 2015{{#if: 10 |/{{#switch:{{#len:10}}|1=010|10}}{{#if: 31|/{{#switch:{{#len:31}}|1=031|31}}|}}}}|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/660378216536887296 ||}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/660378216536887296%7C7%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/660378216536887296%7C8%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/660378216536887296%7C7%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/660378216536887296%7C8%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#if: | (dead link)}}</ref>
- "Whirl hates everyone": he so does.
- "Chromedome is being used": this is part of a character arc that starts in this very issue under our noses. What it means, we'll learn in #14.
- "Cyclonus is key": As it turns out in Chapter 5 of "Dark Cybertron", he was a member of the Clavis Aurea religious order, which means "golden key" in Latin.
- "Rodimus believes his hype": for real.
- "Ultra Magnus won't make it": forewarning us of his experiences in #15, and #19, and #32, as well as the Necrobot's list in #8 and possibly all the way in Lost Light #25.
The Autobots are all sporting new Cybertronian alternate modes in this issue, either lifted directly from War for Cybertron or drawn in emulation of the game's style. It is explained in a later issue that these modes were provided by Wheeljack, marking one of the few times in the IDW universe that a change in alternate mode is given an in-story rationale, rather than being the result of "artistic license". (It doesn't explain why the Decepticons also got new bodies in the previous issue, but small steps.)
Nick Roche's design for Ultra Magnus's vehicle mode went unused, but he revealed it on the blog Eclectic Micks on January 6. Alex Milne chose to use a different design in the next issue.
In the TPB Roberts claims that the hardest part about writing issue #1 was spelling the "transformation sound" phonetically. The result; 'Tsche-chu-chu-chu-tsche', is used when the NAIL suffers from rigor morphis.

Crew Manifest

Drift stated the crew had 208 sign-ups and rising. The total number of crew members prior to launch is unknown. Whirl, Cyclonus, and Tailgate were included as last minute additions.

Soundtrack

"Across the Universe" by [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Fiona Apple|{{#if:||Fiona Apple}}]]
"Absent Friends" by [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}The Divine Comedy (band)|{{#if:The Divine Comedy|The Divine Comedy|The Divine Comedy (band)}}]]

Foreign localization

Japanese

Title: "Usohappyaku Part 1: Konjō no Wakare" (嘘八百パート1：今生の別れ, "Pack of Lies Part 1: Final Farewell")

Swedish

Title: "Lögnare, Från A till D Del 1: Hur man säger farväl och menar det" ("Liars, from A to D Part 1: How to Say Farewell and Mean It")
- The Pious Pools are given their first translated name as "Fridfulla dammarna", which translates closer to "The Peaceful Pools".

Covers (8)

The seven first-printing covers to this issue feature a silver foil-stamped logo.

Cover A: Ratchet, by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
Cover B: Ultra Magnus, by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
Cover C: Rodimus, by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
Cover D: Drift, by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
Cover E: The assembled cast by Nick Roche and Josh Burcham, in homage to 1987's Justice League #1.
Cover RIA: Fold-out gatefold cover combining the interlinked covers A-D.
Cover RIB: Hand-drawn Sketch Covers, by Josh Burcham
Second printing: Rodimus addressing the masses, by Roche and Burcham, cropped from the first panel of page 1

So long,
farewell,
auf Wiedersehen,
good riddance.
Covers, A to D.
Finally, Polar Claw's time to shine!
I AM THE HYPE

Reprints

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye Volume 1 (June 13, 2012) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355
- Collects The Death of Optimus Prime, and More than Meets the Eye issues #1–3.
- Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from Alex Milne for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.
- Trade paperback format.

The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1 (Reissue) (May 21, 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
- Collects The Death of Optimus Prime, and More than Meets the Eye issues #1–3.
- New cover art by Livio Ramondelli.
- Trade paperback format.

The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1 (September 3, 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
- Collects The Death of Optimus Prime, More than Meets the Eye issues #1–3 & #4–5, and Robots in Disguise issues #1–5 & #6.
- Hardcover format.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set (December 2, 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
- Collects More Than Meets the Eye volumes 1–5.
- Bonus material unknown at this time.

Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 53: Liars, A to D (December 26, 2018)
- Collects More than Meets the Eye issues #1–6, and Spotlight: Trailcutter & Hoist.
- Bonus material includes an all-new interview with James Roberts, rare archive material from the dawn of More than Meets the Eye, Alex Milne's sketchbook, a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.
- Hardcover format.

Transformers: Mer än ögat kan se (June 15, 2019)
- Collects More than Meets the Eye issues #1–8 & Annual 2012, Spotlight: Trailcutter & Hoist, and a special illustrated edition of "Bullets".
- Swedish reprint. Hardcover format.

More than Meets the Eye Volume 1 – cover art by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1 – cover art by Livio Ramondelli
The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1 – cover art by Saren Stone
More Than Meets the Eye Box Set – cover art by Marcelo Matere
The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 53: Liars, A to D – cover art by Don Figueroa (Whirl) and Alex Milne (retro)
Mer än ögat kan se – cover art by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente.

References

Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It

Contents

Synopsis

Featured characters

Quotes

Notes

Continuity notes

Transformers references

Real-world references

Trivia

Crew Manifest

Soundtrack

Foreign localization

Covers (8)

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Reprints

References

Navigation menu

Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It

Synopsis

Featured characters

Quotes

Notes

Continuity notes

Transformers references

Real-world references

Trivia

Crew Manifest

Soundtrack

Foreign localization

Covers (8)

Advertisements

Reprints

References

Navigation menu

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