The Energon Pub

News Credits: 650 · by **ScottyP** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 4:07 pm

Greetings Seibertronians, Scotty P here. This thread is a bit out of date now, and hopefully I'll get around to updating it soon. If you've got similar questions to what's found here but the current info doesn't apply, please do create a thread or find a similar one to post your question for other board users. This especially holds true if you have questions about the IDW continuity launched in 2019, as this thread has not been updated since well before that launched.

Hey folks,

Over time, some questions come up quite frequently in this forum, so the aim of this sticky post is to address these for those that have them instead of having more threads created that pose questions already answered by our user community several times. Please note that existing threads that cover these topics will be left alone, but future new threads where reading this FAQ would have negated their need for creation may be locked or closed at forum moderator discretion.

With all that said, away we go!

Q: I'm brand new to Transformers comics, where do I start?
A: There's no real "right answer" to this, but if you're looking to get caught up with the current IDW Universe, which is most frequently the aim behind this question, we recommend the Transformers IDW Collection: Phase 2: Volume 1 as a starting point to get up to speed with the most recent material in the quickest way. If you want to go all the way back to 2005's launch of the series, the Transformers IDW Collection: Volume 1 is a great starting point. See questions about reading order and where to buy for more information.
Q: Does this site have a Transformers comics resource?
A: Yes! You can our Transformers Comic Series resource by clicking here. Yours truly has spent countless hours attempting to document issues, series, release dates, covers, and creators for Transformers comic releases. You will find upon close inspection that there are areas where information is incomplete or missing, but we constantly work to fill in these holes as time allows given our busy schedules - almost everyone that works on Seibertron.com is a volunteer, after all!

The character appearance lists for many 2012-2015 series are not present, but rest assured, this is a longer project that we haven't forgotten.

All site users should be aware that the Transformers Comic Series resource section of the site will contain spoilers without hesitation when these are necessary to document information correctly, so be aware of this before browsing for information on a particular book where you may be sensitive to spoilers.
Q: Where and how do I buy Transformers comics?
A: (Disclaimer: Answer here is US-audience centric at the moment, but we'll fill this out better as time goes on!) There are a slew of methods for this! Among the best options is your local comic shop, if you have access to one. Your shop owner can help you out keeping up to date and subscribed to the different series, and shopping local has several great merits! If you're looking to buy physical copies online, check out places like Amazon for collected volumes and trade paperbacks, run a Google search for comic retailers that ship nationally (many New York and Los Angeles based stores will do this), and even eBay can be great for picking up single back issues, though without a targeted search the results there can get overwhelming.

For digital copies of the books, the easiest way to keep up at the moment is through Comixology or iTunes.
Q: If I want to set up a subscription to buy comics regularly, how would I do that?
A: First, you'll want to decide how you want to read - digital comics on a screen, or physical, paper comics from a shop or online store. Physical copies often look the best and read the easiest, but digital can be less expensive and saves space.

If it's in print and from a shop, talk to the shop directly! They will put you on a pull-list, and let you know when the comics are available. If you're a new customer, you might need to purchase a couple before they 'trust you' to come by and pick them up. Some shops do require a minimum number of different books to be ordered per month for you to subscribe, but this practice is less common than it used to be.

If digital, comiXology and iTunes both offer subscription services, and notify you of release.

A full explanation of pull list is here: http://comicsalliance.com/kieron-gillen-how-to-pre-order-a-comic-fumetti-the-wicked-and-the-divine/

Thanks to Seibertron.com board member Nexus Knight for this question, and to fellow administrator Va'al for the answer!
Q: There are so many books in the current ongoing series, what order do I read these in?
A: There are several great references for reading order available. We have an always evolving list available here, but there are certainly other slightly different, but just as satisfying reading orders to follow as well. Publication order is always an option, but best enjoyment at the moment is typically found in not having to deal with the time-hopping madness some of us have dealt with for a decade now!
Q: There are so many series' names, it is very confusing to me as a new reader. What are the current series and which are related to one another?
A: At the immediate time of this writing, in mid-August of 2017, there are two still ongoing Transformers series. These consist of Optimus Prime and Lost Light. A third ongoing, Till All Are One, has ceased publication as a monthly book but there is still an "Annual" forthcoming late this year or early next year to wrap up its story.

The easiest way to describe these series' relationships with one another is as follows:
- Optimus Prime does the "heavy lifting" for the stories of the Transformers comics universe, and generally stars "A-List" characters like Jazz, Arcee, Jetfire, Soundwave, Thundercracker, and of course its namesake - Autobot Leader Optimus Prime himself!
- Till All Are One is/was about the goings on on Cybertron, and features popular characters such as Starscream, Windblade, Ironhide, Elita-One, Devastator, Blurr, Bumblebee (sort of), and the Combaticons. Also worth note is that the series reaches outside of the traditional "G1" character library quite a bit, with recurring roles from Beast Wars' Rattrap, Tigatron, and Airazor; Beast Machines' Obsidian and Strika; Transformers: Prime's Knockout, Breakdown, and Airachnid, among many others.
- Lost Light directly continues the story from Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye and is a book focused on strong character work that, while in the same overall universe as the other books, is generally self-contained. Main characters include Rodimus (or Hot Rod, but don't call him that), Ratchet, Drift, Ultra Magnus (sort of), Whirl, Cyclonus, Swerve, Nautica, Rung, and countless more characters from all over the Transformers mythos that may have previously been no-name, "D-list" characters that you will love more than anything after reading this book and its predecessor. Also, if you're looking for your favorite Transformers character and can't figure out which comic they're currently in, they probably got killed off sometime during this series or MTMTE.
Of course, Transformers are now just one part of a larger comics universe from IDW and Hasbro, as there are a myriad of other series featuring various Hasbro properties that feature Transformers to varying degrees. Two current series that are not entirely about Transformers, but regularly feature them prominently, are:
- Revolutionaries: This story is primarily about Kup, Garrison Blackrock, Action Man, and the EDC's Ayana Jones (now known by her G.I. Joe codename Mayday) and their adventures. The series has been a victim of massive scheduling delays, and should have concluded by now. The seventh issue (out of is scheduled for release on 8/16/2017, with said eighth and final chapter hopefully soon thereafter.
- Rom vs Transformers: Shining Armor: A four-issue mini-series that began in July, 2017, set in the same continuity as the wider IDW Transformers/Hasbro universe. To allow for it to stand alone and be easily accessible for new readers, the story takes place roughly 200 years before "current" events in IDW's continuity.
Want to know even more? Read on.
Q: I see that IDW is running several series based on Hasbro properties featuring the Transformers, G.I. Joe, ROM The Space Knight, M.A.S.K., Action Man, the Micronauts, Jem and the Holograms, and I even heard about Visionaries. What is this about, and as a Transformers fan, what do I need to know?
A: Several pages could be written about this, but this FAQ will attempt a concise answer.

With Hasbro soon starting up a united cinematic universe like Marvel has most famously done, IDW was forced to start before they were ready started up their own shared universe with several franchises. As noted above, there are several, and each had, have, or will have their own ongoing series that occurs in the same greater universe as the Transformers comics that have been running since 2005. This started with a mini-series "Event" book known as Revolution which ran in the later part of 2016. In August, 2017, a new crossover "Event" series First Strike will begin and lead into a soft relaunch for most of IDW's Hasbro licensed titles. IDW is also in the process of releasing a few character sourcebooks under the moniker "Hasbro Heroes Sourcebooks" to help out readers that may be unfamiliar with the wide range of characters in these latest comic adventures.

After Revolution, the following series in the "Hasbro Universe" either began or continued, with all of them scheduled to end by Fall 2017:
- G.I. Joe (also known as G.I. JOE: Volume 5 to longtime IDW G.I. Joe readers): This series began immediately after Revolution and will conclude with its ninth issue. It features Scarlett, Roadblock, Rock 'n Roll, Doc, and notably for Seibertron.com users, Decepticon Seeker Skywarp.
- M.A.S.K.: This series began immediately after Revolution and will conclude with its tenth issue. It is based off of the 1980s Kenner toyline of the same name, but does not feature T-BOB because there is no justice in this world. The series has very little interaction with Transformers beyond some cameos and fringe plot elements, despite the vehicles in the series being designed using Cybertronian technology. I guess we're just pretending the Tyrest Accord isn't a thing, or that Fortress Maximus, current Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord, cares about M.A.S.K. about as much as comics readers did over the past year (which is "not very much", if you're curious.)
- Micronauts: Wrath of Karza: This series launched in April, 2016 as Micronauts and re-launched as a mini-series with this new title in April, 2017, presumably for sales and marketing purposes only. It will conclude with its fifth issue. It is inspired by the 1980s toyline of the same name, featuring characters that are roughly 4" tall on planet Earth that hail from a different dimension known as Microspace. The Micronauts: Revolution one-shot issue ties the world of IDW's Micronauts directly in with the universe of Transformers for the first time, and interactions with the Transformers continue again more prominently in Wrath of Karza.
- (and) ROM The Space Knight: Long time Transformers comics fans will know the name of Chris Ryall, one of the creative forces behind their initial run of Transformers comics over a decade ago. He is the author of this series which started in July, 2016. It is based on the long defunct Marvel comics franchise of the same name, but is not in any way related to that series due to the fun and strange real-life worlds of trademarks and copyright. This series starts before, continues through, and keeps going after Revolution. Rom is set to conclude with its 14th issue, which is due for release this month or next month sometime in the near-ish future.
- Jem and the Holograms: Infinite: Do you find it totally outrageous to see this series listed on Seibertron.com? According to IDW's creative brain trust, this series (and its related predecessors/companion series) exists within their larger, unified Hasbro universe, but it has not been directly related to any of the other books as of this writing. The only substantial evidence of this so far have been a lone reference to Action Man within the wider Jem story, and some Jem/Misfits band posters in the pages of Optimus Prime. Not even a single character has crossed over, despite Hector Ramirez also existing in this universe.
- Jem and the Holograms: The Misfits: Infinite: Essentially the same as the series above, as alternating issues continue the story from the "other" companion series - but if you're looking for it,
  this is the series name to look under!
Older, concluded IDW Hasbro Universe comic book series include:
- Action Man: Action Man was a four issue mini-series that wrapped up in October, 2016 with a one-shot Revolution tie-in. Action Man's adventures will continue in Revolutionaries, starting in December, 2016. This book is loosely based on the franchise that started out as Palitoy's licensed version of G.I. Joe toys released in the UK decades ago under the same name. It is primarily a spy-action thriller book, was loosely tied in with the Transformers (though no Transformers characters star in the series), and was directly tied in to G.I. Joe with the appearance of Storm Shadow in issue 4.
- Revolution: The aforementioned series that launched the "Hasbro Universe" proper.
- Jem and the Holograms: Predecessor to the earlier mentioned Jem and the Holograms: Infinite series.
- Jem and the Holograms: The Misfits: Short mini-series which was a spin-off of the above listed Jem and the Holograms.
- Several years' worth of G.I. Joe comics: The library of IDW G.I. Joe comics published between 2008 and 2015 (apart from Larry Hama's A Real American Hero) have been retroactively made part of this same universe. How one makes Infestation work now beats me, but here we are. At this time, Seibertron.com does not keep detailed records of these series, but some of them may start to be documented soon as their world intertwines more deeply with that of the Transformers.
Q: I've started reading the newest releases on a regular basis, but the reading order coming out of Dying of the Light, All Hail Optimus, and going in to Titans Return and Revolution is very hard to follow! Can you help?
A: We'll do our best to help with this despite the other question in this FAQ about reading order, as it has been a trying past several months for Transformers comics fans. Publication schedules have run things amok quite frequently, so below is an attempt at a reading order for the books leading into, and including, Revolution.

This list is a "work in progress" as many books are still unpublished, so please keep this in mind when attempting to use it! Where needed, we've leaned on IDW's published reading order, but it has proven so far to be inaccurate.

Background Research - You don't have to read this stuff, but it might help you enjoy Revolution more thoroughly! All books included here at my sole editorial discretion as of this writing.
1. Spotlight: Shockwave
2. Transformers: Infiltration
3. Maximum Dinobots
4. The Transformers #29 (based on its inclusion in IDW's Road to Revolution special)
5. G.I. Joe (2014/5) #0 and #1 (based on their inclusion in IDW's Road to Revolution special, but very optional as these were not conceived as part of this universe at that time.)
6. Sins of the Wreckers (this series' inclusion is speculative only, as it occurs on Earth. Well, that and Impactor's line of speech on the second to last page...)
7. The Transformers Volumes 8 and 9 (Issues 42-49)
The Road to Revolution
1. More Than Meets The Eye #7, #8, #45, and #46 (These are the "Scavengers" issues.)
2. More Than Meets The Eye #50 - #55, "Dying of the Light". Purely optional, as best as anyone knows right now, but it is exceptionally good work and provides context on where certain conspicuously absent characters are during Revolution.
3. The Transformers #50 - #55, "All Hail Optimus". Chronologically occurs six months before Revolution
4. Till All Are One 1-4 (can be read any time before Revolution, has so far had very little to do with it.)
5. Micronauts 1-6 (can be read any time before Revolution)
6. Action Man 1-4 (can be read any time before Revolution)
7. ROM 1-4 (can be read any time before Revolution, ROM 4 is unpublished as of this writing)
8. Unknown placement relative to Revolution, aside from "Sometime beforehand":Titans Return event, consisting of these five comics:
  1. Titans Return
  2. The Transformers #56
  3. The Transformers #57
  4. More Than Meets The Eye #56
  5. More Than Meets The Eye #57
9. Revolution Prelude - initially left this out, but it's printed at the end of many of the books above, so you wouldn't have missed it anyhow.
Revolution
1. M.A.S.K. Revolution #1
2. ROM Revolution #1
3. Revolution #1
4. Revolution #2
5. Micronauts: Revolution
6. Till All Are One: Revolution #1 (Editor's Note: the opening pages occur before Revolution #1, but the bulk of this issue fits here chronologically.)
7. Revolution #3
8. Action Man: Revolution #1
9. Transformers: Revolution #1
10. G.I. Joe: Revolution #1 (OctoberNovember 2016 release)
11. Revolution #4
12. More Than Meets The Eye: Revolution #1 (November 2016 release)
13. Revolution #5 (November 2016 release)
Q: I bought some Combiner Wars toys, what order should I read these included comics in to get the whole story?
A: This information has been archived in the post immediately following this one.
Q: What do today's comics have to do with the Marvel published Transformers comics from the '80s and '90s?
A: Absolutely nothing. The original Marvel comic series did get a continuation a couple of years back that gave it 21 additional issues, and that's known as Regeneration One. Additionally, almost all of the Marvel UK Transformers material has been reprinted and released in the United States. This almost doubles the length of the original Transformers comics run! The final volume which (should) reprint the last unreleased-in-the-US material, Transformers: Classics UK Volume 6 is due in January 2017 at the time of this writing.
Q: What do today's comics have to do with the Dreamwave published Transformers comics from around 2002/2003?
A: The answer here is also "absolutely nothing".
I was a Transformers Collectors' Club Member and my Club Magazine every other month used to contain a comic. How does that fit in with the rest of the Transformers comics?
A: Generally speaking, these were completely separate from all other Transformers fiction. Though there are definite, canonical crossovers that have occurred through the years, none intersected with IDW's Transformers material. (The Botcon 2016 comic having IDW's name on it muddies these waters, but that story, for better or worse, is intended to be part of the Beast Wars/G1 cartoon universe.)
Q: I'm a big fan of Beast Wars/Animated/Armada/Insert Other Older Transformers Series Here, are there comics I can check out related to those?
A: There's nothing ongoing for these series at the given time. IDW has published a Beast Wars series in the past that focuses on the adventures of the "toy only" characters. This consisted of two mini-series known as Beast Wars: The Gathering and Beast Wars: The Ascending. You may want to try to locate the Beast Wars Omnibus, which contains both of these mini-series and the rather cool Beast Wars Sourcebooks published as companion references.

However, over the past couple of years, many characters from Beast Wars/Machines and the Unicron Trilogy have appeared in IDW's main Transformers continuity.
Q: Where can I read the comics for free? Can someone email them to me?
A: Generally speaking, this is piracy, which is illegal. Go pay for them, especially if you like them and want them to continue. Threads or posts that ask for this content, or provide it, will be deleted, and repeat offenders shall be warned in accordance with site rules (all subject to Moderator judgment and discretion).

Providing links to legally distributed free comics (this happens from time to time), or providing images of full pages from comic previews that are made available by the publisher is ok.
Q: How do I keep up with what's going on with Transformers comics?
A: It's simple, just follow the news right here at Seibertron! If you miss anything, you can always check out the listing of all Comics News stories as well.

We hope this resource is helpful to you, and if you spot any errors or have suggestions on things to add, please reply to this post below. We aim to have this be a constantly evolving resource to assist our members and make it easy for you to find the information you're looking for!

News Credits: 650 · by **ScottyP** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 3:50 pm

Generations and Combiner Wars Pack-In Comics Reading Order

Q: I bought some Combiner Wars toys, what order should I read these in to get the whole story?
A: Here's the full list of all toy pack-in comics in order, including the Generations "Thrilling 30" pack-ins. These are listed by toyline series name first, then by toy name, with the corresponding comic issue in parentheses to aid with placement in the above overall chronologies:

Generations "Thrilling 30" Toys - Part 1
These can be read before or after the comics listed in "Combiner Wars Toys - Part 1", but should be read before the comics listed in "Generations "Thrilling 30" Toys - Part 2 - Dark Cybertron". Also note that these issues are very spread apart in the overall IDW Transformer timeline (see reading orders above for more information on exactly how far apart they are.)

Orion Pax (Spotlight: Orion Pax)
Thundercracker (Spotlight: Thundercracker)
Megatron (Spotlight: Megatron)
Bumblebee (Spotlight: Bumblebee)
Trailcutter (Spotlight: Trailcutter)
Hoist (Spotlight: Hoist)

Combiner Wars Toys - Part 1

Vortex (Robots in Disguise #8)
Brawl (Robots in Disguise #9)
Quickslinger or Blast Off (Robots in Disguise #11) - (Was possibly also planned to be packed in with Fireflight in a revision case that may or may not ever come out.)
Dragstrip or Swindle (Robots in Disguise #12) - Initial release of Dragstrip did not include the comic, but later wave re-packs did.
Breakdown (Robots in Disguise #13)
Offroad (Robots in Disguise #14)
Air Raid (Robots in Disguise #15)
Dead End or Break-neck (Robots in Disguise #16)

At this point, you can continue on to comics packaged with 2013/2014 Generations toys, or continue along further below in "Combiner Wars Toys - Part 2 which follows the next section.

Generations "Thrilling 30" Toys - Part 2 - Dark Cybertron

Dreadwing (Robots in Disguise #17)
Goldfire (Robots in Disguise #18)
Waspinator (Robots in Disguise #19)
Skids (More Than Meets The Eye #22)
Armada Starscream (Dark Cybertron Chapter 1/#1)
Scoop (Dark Cybertron Chapter 2/More Than Meets The Eye #23)
Skywarp (Dark Cybertron Chapter 3/Robots in Disguise #23)
Mini-con Assault Team (Dark Cybertron Chapter 4/More Than Meets The Eye #24)
Rattrap (Dark Cybertron Chapter 5/Robots in Disguise #24)
Tankor (Dark Cybertron Chapter 6/More Than Meets The Eye #25)
Crosscut (Dark Cybertron Chapter 7/Robots in Disguise #25)
Windblade (Dark Cybertron Chapter 8/More Than Meets The Eye #26)
Nightbeat (Dark Cybertron Chapter 9/Robots in Disguise #26)
Jhiaxus (Dark Cybertron Chapter 10/More Than Meets The Eye #27)
Chromia (Dark Cybertron Chapter 11/Robots in Disguise #27)
Arcee (Dark Cybertron Chapter 12/#Finale)

Combiner Wars - Part 2

Streetwise (Robots in Disguise #33) (Was also planned to be packed in with Alpha Bravo, per Hasbro UK site, in a revision case that may or may not ever come out.)
Rook (Robots in Disguise #34) (Was also planned to be packed in with Skydive, per Hasbro UK site, in a revision case that may or may not ever come out.)
Blades (The Transformers #35) - Not a new series! This is just where Robots in Disguise was re-branded to avoid confusion with the 2015 animated TV series of the same name.
First Aid (The Transformers #36)
Prowl (The Transformers #37)
Sunstreaker (The Transformers #38)
Ironhide (Combiner Wars "Opening Salvo"/The Transformers #39)
Mirage (Combiner Wars "Part 1"/The Transformers: Windblade: Volume 2 #1)
Trailbreaker (Combiner Wars "Part 2"/The Transformers #40)
Wheeljack (Combiner Wars "Part 3"/The Transformers: Windblade: Volume 2 #2)
Hound (Combiner Wars "Part 4"/The Transformers #41)
Smokescreen (Combiner Wars "Part 5"/The Transformers: Windblade: Volume 2 #3)
TBD: Both Combiner Wars "Epilogue" books. Currently, these are unavailable with toys, but the respective IDW issues that conclude the Combiner Wars story are The Transformers #42 followed by The Transformers: Windblade: Volume 2 #4.
SDCC Combiner Hunters set (Combiner Hunters) - Technically not a pack-in, but was distributed at the same convention as these toys initially were, so why not?

News Credits: 11 · by **Nexus Knight** » Wed Mar 01, 2017 7:38 pm

Okay, I didn't see this covered...

If I want to buy a subscription to get comics regularly, how would I do that? I looked on the sites, but I'm obviously not looking in the right places.

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Thu Mar 02, 2017 4:03 am

Nexus Knight wrote:Okay, I didn't see this covered...

If I want to buy a subscription to get comics regularly, how would I do that? I looked on the sites, but I'm obviously not looking in the right places.

Digital or print? From a shop?

If it's in print and from a shop, talk to the shop directly! They will put you on a pull-list, and let you know when the comics are available. If you're a new customer, you might need to purchase a couple before they 'trust you' to come by and pick them up.

If digital, comiXology and iTunes both offer subscription services, and notify you of release.

A full explanation of pull list is here: http://comicsalliance.com/kieron-gillen ... he-divine/

News Credits: 650 · by **ScottyP** » Fri Mar 10, 2017 10:02 am

I had a mental note to update this soon (every six months-ish feels right), and that would be an excellent topic to add! Thanks

by **Ossieman17** » Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:17 am

Thank you ever so much for viewing my website. I've just started and any views, likes, comments and follows would be amazing. To follow my website, scroll all the way down and press follow. Please check out my website! I will be discussing transformers
Thank you

News Credits: 226 · by **Burn** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 2:57 pm

Ossieman17 wrote:Thank you ever so much for viewing my website. I've just started and any views, likes, comments and follows would be amazing. To follow my website, scroll all the way down and press follow. Please check out my website! I will be discussing transformers
Thank you

You're more than welcome to discuss Transformers here. Or are you only interested in pushing your own website?

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:14 pm

Hi, where in the database can I search for a particular creator and see a list of all they have worked on?

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:30 pm

william-james88 wrote:Hi, where in the database can I search for a particular creator and see a list of all they have worked on?

If it's ALL the people you want, this is the link: https://www.seibertron.com/people/list.php

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:51 pm

Va'al wrote:
william-james88 wrote:Hi, where in the database can I search for a particular creator and see a list of all they have worked on?

If it's ALL the people you want, this is the link: https://www.seibertron.com/people/list.php

ok, that worked. I only wanted one person, but a quick "control f" worked fine. Would have been fun to have a breakdown of which credits are "interiors" or "just cover", or a date to filter between what is most recent, but I know that requires a lot of work. Much more complete than any other option out there ;)^

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Mon Jan 29, 2018 3:33 pm

william-james88 wrote:
Va'al wrote:
william-james88 wrote:Hi, where in the database can I search for a particular creator and see a list of all they have worked on?

If it's ALL the people you want, this is the link: https://www.seibertron.com/people/list.php

ok, that worked. I only wanted one person, but a quick "control f" worked fine. Would have been fun to have a breakdown of which credits are "interiors" or "just cover", or a date to filter between what is most recent, but I know that requires a lot of work. Much more complete than any other option out there

Once you click on the issue you found, or want to look at, their role is listed on that entry!