FAQ
Q: What are The Transformers?
A: What, seriously? Are you just messing with me?
Q: Humor me.
A: Alright. Back in the early 80s, transforming robot toys were blowing up huge overseas in Japan. Hasbro brought over a number of toys from separate lines (most notably Diaclone and Microman figures) under the united banner of The Transformers, creating the mythos of the age-old battle of the Autobots and Decepticons over the fate of Earth and Cybertron. This was subsequently reimported back into Japan, and a symbiotic relationship between Takara and Hasbro sharing the property was born. Over the years, the Transformers franchise has spread across just about every possible medium, most notably toys, television shows, comics, and movies.
Q: Oh cool, so Transformers are back?
A: Transformers didnt leave, you did. Theyve been in near constant production since their introduction, with only a one year gap in product in the mid 90s. Theyre still kicking, and arguably better than they have ever been.
Q: So whats the purpose of this thread?
A: Every time something Transformers related gets posted, it seems to invariably spin out into a general discussion of the franchise in general, so why not just collect it all in one place where we can debate in endless circles about whether or not Beast Wars was the best series or not?
Q: The continuity is so confusing. Which one is the main one?
A: Transformers continuity is a Gordian knot. Even installations of the franchise under the same subtitle pretty much have separate continuity for every medium, i.e. the G1 cartoon is a separate continuity from the G1 comic, which in turn is a separate continuity from the British G1 comic, etc. Its a huge mess, just pick which one you like the best and be happy with it.
Q: Which Transformer is the best?
A: Those whose name starts with S and ends with Wave.
Toy LinesA: What, seriously? Are you just messing with me?
Q: Humor me.
A: Alright. Back in the early 80s, transforming robot toys were blowing up huge overseas in Japan. Hasbro brought over a number of toys from separate lines (most notably Diaclone and Microman figures) under the united banner of The Transformers, creating the mythos of the age-old battle of the Autobots and Decepticons over the fate of Earth and Cybertron. This was subsequently reimported back into Japan, and a symbiotic relationship between Takara and Hasbro sharing the property was born. Over the years, the Transformers franchise has spread across just about every possible medium, most notably toys, television shows, comics, and movies.
Q: Oh cool, so Transformers are back?
A: Transformers didnt leave, you did. Theyve been in near constant production since their introduction, with only a one year gap in product in the mid 90s. Theyre still kicking, and arguably better than they have ever been.
Q: So whats the purpose of this thread?
A: Every time something Transformers related gets posted, it seems to invariably spin out into a general discussion of the franchise in general, so why not just collect it all in one place where we can debate in endless circles about whether or not Beast Wars was the best series or not?
Q: The continuity is so confusing. Which one is the main one?
A: Transformers continuity is a Gordian knot. Even installations of the franchise under the same subtitle pretty much have separate continuity for every medium, i.e. the G1 cartoon is a separate continuity from the G1 comic, which in turn is a separate continuity from the British G1 comic, etc. Its a huge mess, just pick which one you like the best and be happy with it.
Q: Which Transformer is the best?
A: Those whose name starts with S and ends with Wave.
US Toylines
TV Shows- Generation 1: The grandaddy of them all, an incredibly diverse assortment of figures over the course of the series, ultimately culminating in the straight up non-transforming action figures, Action Masters. Whaaa? Characteristics: Low articulation, decal sheets.
- Generation 2: Initially consisting of repainted figures from Generation 1 with a new Megatron, the tail end of this line introduced entirely new figures with quantum leaps in articulation and features, including Laser Optimus Prime, which stood as one of the best Optimus figures for years. Characteristics: Paint schemes you can see with your eyes closed, the end of Megatron being a gun.
- Beast Wars: A huge gamble of a reboot that reimagined the series as robots that disguised themselves as "realistic" animals. Eventually it expanded to include things like combinations of different animals and "transmetals" that featured robotic animals transforming into organic robots? Weird shit, man. Characteristics: Toys that really closely resembled their animated counterparts, and BALL JOINTS, MOTHERFUCKERS.
- Beast Machines: The sequel series to Beast Wars, it pitted "technorganic" Maximals against the Cybertronian vehicle stylings of the Vehicons. Featured multiple renditions of the same characters at different size classes, which was a new thing. Characteristics: Translucent plastic, fan outrage.
- Machine Wars: A very small line exclusive to KB Toys back in the day. Consisted of a few new Flipchanger style figures that had automated transformations with decent articulation, and some repainted figures that had been exclusive to Europes release of G2 figures. Characteristics: Minimal paint applications on figures, first Optimus Prime without a face plate.
- Robots in Disguise: The US release of Car Robots, it featured a handful of new molds augmented by repaints of molds from various figures of Transformers past. The US release went absolutely *nuts* and released even more figures into the line, turning it into something of a Transformers Greatest Hits that continued long after RiD had ended and Armada had started. Characteristics: Spychangers, Spychangers, Spychangers!
- Universe/Universe 2.0: The spiritual successor of the expanded RiD lineup, Universe was a line of previously released figures repainted as new characters/homages that ran concurrently with the main line being promoted by television series and movies. Characteristics: Crazy colors, tons of store exclusives.
- Armada: The result of a supposedly unprecedented partnership between Hasbro and Takara collaborating on a single release for both sides of the Pacific simultaneously, Armada was a splash of cold water after the excellence of the Car Robots/Robots in Disguise era. Minicon partners were neat, but took away available parts and paint applications from each figures allotted budget, resulting in less sophisticated primary figures. Characteristics: Minicons, Unicron!
- Energon: The sequel series to Armada. Minicons were still around, though in a greatly diminished capacity. The figures had improved greatly over Armadas efforts, and the unifying gimmick was combining Autobots together in different combinations. The Decepticons gimmick was a hyper mode for each figure, which was kinda neat, but nothing special. It also introduced two new factions, the Terrorcons and Omnicons. Characteristics: Energon weapons, combinations out the wazoo
- Cybertron: The sequel series to Energon revolved around Transformers from different planets, each planet having their own unique characteristics (Earth, Cybertron, Jungle Planet, Speed Planet, Giant Planet). Cybertron had some really, really great toys. Characteristics: Megatron turns into the Batmobile, Primus!
- Alternators: A subline of licensed cars that turned into classic characters, Alternators were insanely detailed, articulated, and an absolute nightmare to transform correctly because of their ridiculous complexity that allowed for things like steering alignment. Characteristics: Never being able to get vehicle right ever again, Ravage turned into a Jaguar.
- Titanium: Titanium was a two part line: One part was a series of small die cast figurines, the other a series of six-inch scale figures with extensive die cast metal parts and a display stand. The larger figures largely seemed to be a reminder that no, the toys were not better back in the day when they were mostly made of metal. Characteristics: War Within figures, the crushing of childhood beliefs.
- Classics: The successor to the Universe line, Classics were classic characters with new figures (augmented with repaints) that served as the auxiliary lineup to the main line on the shelves. Characteristics: Megatron a gun one more, Jetfire by Don Figueroa.
- Generations: The successor to Classics, Generations has mixed in more original molds rather than being primarily repaints, and largely serves as the toy line for stuff like the War for Cybertron/Fall of Cybertron games and comics and such. Characteristics: Awesome Cybertronian versions of classic characters, rage at not being able to find the last figure to complete Bruticus.
- Transformers: The Movie/Revenge of the Fallen/Dark of the Moon: The series that promoted the Michael Bay trilogy, obviously. Lots of licensed vehicles, lots of the same characters at different sizes, lots of variations on Bumblebee. Characteristics: So many Bumblebees, but not one Dispensor
- Animated: After the Unicron trilogys cartoons didnt quite pan out to Hasbros expectations with Takara largely driving the show, Hasbro decided maybe it was better to do their own thing after all. We got Transformers Animated, yet another reimagining of the classic concept where the Autobots are essentially superheroes, and Optimus is third fiddle in the hierarchy of Autobot leadership. The toys were very faithful to their animated depictions, for better or for worse. Characteristics: Jay Leno chins, cat noses
- Prime: The latest and ongoing series, Prime is kind of a strange middle ground between the design sensibilities of the live action movies and Animated. More realistic toys than Animated, more cartoony than most anything else. Characteristics: More dragons than you will ever see in a single Transformers toyline, holy shit.
- Crossovers: Animorphs/Star Wars/Marvel: Someone thought it was a good idea to brand Animorphs as Transformers. It was not. Someone thought it was a good idea to have a line of Transformers crossing over with other Hasbro licenses, which had some interesting results but they clearly werent the output of the A-Team. There are some really interesting figures to be had though. Characteristics: Darth Vader transforms into a TIE Fighter, the Death Star, and a Star Destroyer. Iron Man turns into three cars.
- Go-Bots/1-2-3 Transformers: 1-2-3 Transformers were a very small brand of rescue vehicles that was replaced by pre-school level transformers called Big Adventures, that was rebranded as Go-Bots. Its spiritually been replaced by the Rescue Bots line. Characteristics: Eight figures named Speed-Bot, one named Randy.
- Masterpiece: Just what it sounds like, top shelf collectors item renditions of G1 characters. Insanely detailed, insanely complex, insanely expensive. Characteristics: So amazing, you will sell your first born to own them, inexplicable battle damage on Prime.
- Generation 1 (Available on Netflix!)
- Beast Wars (Available on Netflix!)
- Beast Machines
- Robots in Disguise
- Armada
- Energon
- Cybertron
- Animated
- Prime (Available on Netflix!)
- Rescue Bots (Available on Netflix, but eh )
The Transformers comic series are as old as the animated series, since both were made within the same year or time period.
There are 3-4 eras of Transformers comics:
The Marvel era (US and UK)
The Dreamwave era
The IDW era (current run)
For the most part, the comics are hit or miss, however, they are generally all good and entertaining.
Like many comic book series you don't have to read them from the beginning due to the transfer of the series to a different company or due to retcons or an author writing the series in a specific direction (such as Simon Furman's Quest for the Holy Grail-like story during the 80s Marvel era).
As such there will be 2 lists: One for the current era, and one for those that wish to read the original stories and see some of the ideas, concepts and characterizations to the characters and series.
Current era reading list
1- Last Stand of the Wreckers
2- Transformers: Chaos Theory (Or at least Transformers #22 and 23)
3- Transformers: Chaos
4- Transformers: More than meets the eye series
5- Transformers: Robots in disguise
This list features, primarely, stories written by James Roberts, who is the main author on the currently on-going 'More than meets the eye' series.
Note that LSoW takes place after a major story arc, but it is not necessary to enjoy it or the later stories or books.
Transformers series over the ages
Marvel era
The comic originally began publication in the US through Marvel, with the stories being published later on in the UK. The UK comic series also had it's own stories, either seperate from or following the US series' continuity. Generally speaking, the UK run is considered the better of the two. The most prominent writer on the TF comics since the 80s is Simon Furman who has written many of the TF stories since the Marvel era.
Listed below is the reading order of each era from Marvel up until IDW:
Marvel era
Both US and UK series are collected in the TPBs, published by IDW comics & Titan Books:
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-comics/classic-transformers-comics-89/
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-comics/transformers-classics-comics-98/
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-comics/transformers-classics-uk-comics-104/
There was also a (short lived) comic book series based on the Generation 2 line, which is collected by Titan Books in the UK:
Book 1: Dark Designs
Book 2: Rage in Heaven
Dreamwave era
Aside from having their own G1 continuity stories, they also published comics based on the Armada and Energon animated series, in addition to GI Joe crossover mini series.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933239816/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933239824/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1897105010/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0973381795/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1932796320/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1932796649/?tag=neogaf0e-20
IDW era
The comics were mainly written by Simon Furman, which were released as mini-series, but his finale/conclusion was sadly cut very short (he had to wrap as much of it up in 4 issues), due to the All hail Megatron story arc.
0- Megatron Origins
1- Spotlight Vol. 1 and Infiltration
2- Stormbringer (events take place before Infiltration, however Infiltration was released first)
3- Escalation
4- Spotlight Vol. 2
5- Devastation
6- Spotlight Vol. 3
7- Revelations (this would be the conclusion to Simon Furman's main run on the TF books as much, if not all, of what he had written in the books prior to this one come full circle...albiet in a rushed manner)
8- Maximum Dinobots (this was written by Furman and resolves one plotline that was not featured in Revelations)
9- All Hail Megatron Vol. 1 (This was intended as a starting point for newcomers and was written by Shane McCarthy, who used and dropped some elements from Furman's run. If you read Furman's run then go into this you may notice how out of place it'll feel)
10- All Hail Megatron Vol. 3 This is actually a collection of Spotlight issues, you could either read it inbetween or after Vol. 2
11- All Hail Megatron Vol. 2 and then Coda (AHM Vol. 4)
12- Drift (IIRC this details his origin and takes place BEFORE AHM, you don't need to read it first though)
12- Last stand of the wreckers
13- The new ongoing titled Vol. 2
17- Bumblebee (takes place after the first book of Vol. 2)
18- Ironhide
Alternatively, one could get the Transformers: The IDW Collection books, which collect a dozen or so issues per book, and is as close to the official reading order as need be.
Finally, Simon Furman wrote 2 Beast Wars miniseries which take place during and after Season 3 of the show, the first book is called The Gathering, followed by The Ascending, and are collected in this omnibus if anyone wants-
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1600103901/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Note that this book features characters that were not used in the cartoon due to budget limits and all that, as well as other toys made for the BW toyline.
There are 3-4 eras of Transformers comics:
The Marvel era (US and UK)
The Dreamwave era
The IDW era (current run)
For the most part, the comics are hit or miss, however, they are generally all good and entertaining.
Like many comic book series you don't have to read them from the beginning due to the transfer of the series to a different company or due to retcons or an author writing the series in a specific direction (such as Simon Furman's Quest for the Holy Grail-like story during the 80s Marvel era).
As such there will be 2 lists: One for the current era, and one for those that wish to read the original stories and see some of the ideas, concepts and characterizations to the characters and series.
Current era reading list
1- Last Stand of the Wreckers
2- Transformers: Chaos Theory (Or at least Transformers #22 and 23)
3- Transformers: Chaos
4- Transformers: More than meets the eye series
5- Transformers: Robots in disguise
This list features, primarely, stories written by James Roberts, who is the main author on the currently on-going 'More than meets the eye' series.
Note that LSoW takes place after a major story arc, but it is not necessary to enjoy it or the later stories or books.
Transformers series over the ages
Marvel era
The comic originally began publication in the US through Marvel, with the stories being published later on in the UK. The UK comic series also had it's own stories, either seperate from or following the US series' continuity. Generally speaking, the UK run is considered the better of the two. The most prominent writer on the TF comics since the 80s is Simon Furman who has written many of the TF stories since the Marvel era.
Listed below is the reading order of each era from Marvel up until IDW:
Marvel era
Both US and UK series are collected in the TPBs, published by IDW comics & Titan Books:
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-comics/classic-transformers-comics-89/
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-comics/transformers-classics-comics-98/
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-comics/transformers-classics-uk-comics-104/
There was also a (short lived) comic book series based on the Generation 2 line, which is collected by Titan Books in the UK:
Book 1: Dark Designs
Book 2: Rage in Heaven
Dreamwave era
Aside from having their own G1 continuity stories, they also published comics based on the Armada and Energon animated series, in addition to GI Joe crossover mini series.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933239816/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933239824/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1897105010/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0973381795/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1932796320/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1932796649/?tag=neogaf0e-20
IDW era
The comics were mainly written by Simon Furman, which were released as mini-series, but his finale/conclusion was sadly cut very short (he had to wrap as much of it up in 4 issues), due to the All hail Megatron story arc.
0- Megatron Origins
1- Spotlight Vol. 1 and Infiltration
2- Stormbringer (events take place before Infiltration, however Infiltration was released first)
3- Escalation
4- Spotlight Vol. 2
5- Devastation
6- Spotlight Vol. 3
7- Revelations (this would be the conclusion to Simon Furman's main run on the TF books as much, if not all, of what he had written in the books prior to this one come full circle...albiet in a rushed manner)
8- Maximum Dinobots (this was written by Furman and resolves one plotline that was not featured in Revelations)
9- All Hail Megatron Vol. 1 (This was intended as a starting point for newcomers and was written by Shane McCarthy, who used and dropped some elements from Furman's run. If you read Furman's run then go into this you may notice how out of place it'll feel)
10- All Hail Megatron Vol. 3 This is actually a collection of Spotlight issues, you could either read it inbetween or after Vol. 2
11- All Hail Megatron Vol. 2 and then Coda (AHM Vol. 4)
12- Drift (IIRC this details his origin and takes place BEFORE AHM, you don't need to read it first though)
12- Last stand of the wreckers
13- The new ongoing titled Vol. 2
17- Bumblebee (takes place after the first book of Vol. 2)
18- Ironhide
Alternatively, one could get the Transformers: The IDW Collection books, which collect a dozen or so issues per book, and is as close to the official reading order as need be.
Finally, Simon Furman wrote 2 Beast Wars miniseries which take place during and after Season 3 of the show, the first book is called The Gathering, followed by The Ascending, and are collected in this omnibus if anyone wants-
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1600103901/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Note that this book features characters that were not used in the cartoon due to budget limits and all that, as well as other toys made for the BW toyline.
