The Energon Pub

Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:27 pm

I've read some of the IDW comics and have really liked what I've read so far. What's the best way to read the entirety of the comics? Should I go with "Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume 1" and then get #2 when it comes out? Seems like it would be way cheaper than buying each issue via the IDW app for the iPad.

Would those comics all be in the proper sequence as well? IDW's website just seems to have a long list of comic titles without explaining the sequence and details.

Thanks!

News Credits: 487 · Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:33 pm

The IDW collections are being done in chronological order, though this results in the mixing of great work with absolute clangers.

If you want to read the IDW comics, I'd suggest tracking down either the single issues or trades of Infiltration, Stormbringer, Escalation, Devastation and Spotlight, Revelation, along with the first fifteen (Volumes 1-3) of regular Spotlights. The story more or less continues in All Hail Megatron, along with the spotlights written by McCarthy, the new ongoing and the Bumblebee and Ironhide miniseries, but these are best ignored.

Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:37 pm

Well, I used the Transformers Continuum issue as a timeline refference to read the IDW comics properly. I was confused with them at first ^^'

News Credits: 1 · Wed Jul 14, 2010 9:47 pm

If I were you, I would read them while kickin' back on the couch, drinking some beers, with a Beast Machines DVD going in the background.

Hope that helps!

Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:12 pm

Darth Bombshell wrote:The IDW collections are being done in chronological order, though this results in the mixing of great work with absolute clangers.

If you want to read the IDW comics, I'd suggest tracking down either the single issues or trades of Infiltration, Stormbringer, Escalation, Devastation and Spotlight, Revelation, along with the first fifteen (Volumes 1-3) of regular Spotlights. The story more or less continues in All Hail Megatron, along with the spotlights written by McCarthy, the new ongoing and the Bumblebee and Ironhide miniseries, but these are best ignored.

I agree with this. I know Darth Bombshell's our comic database guy around here, but besides that I just agree. The new Ongoing got dumb real quick (just my opinion, so sorry if it's not yours), the Bumblebee series was dumb, Ironhide looks uninteresting, and most of the recent Spotlights are kind of lost on me (Cliffjumper, Metroplex, Jazz, Blur, Prowl).

I love the Spotlights as a series. I love the whole issue pretty much devoted to one Transformer, but the first 10-12 were the best. They were better when they were stand alones, like Ramjet and Kup and Mirage. Once they started being ancillaries to the -tion arcs they started to lose me. Not that they weren't good, they were just losing somthing that had previously made them great.

News Credits: 487 · Thu Jul 15, 2010 5:22 pm

Dagon wrote:I know Darth Bombshell's our comic database guy around here

That is so sigquote worthy. :grin:

News Credits: 1082 · Thu Jul 15, 2010 7:49 pm

I would go with what IDW is currently putting out there as the ultimate collection, because, yes, it is meant to be in the correct order.

Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:54 pm

Energon Is My Drug wrote:If I were you, I would read them while kickin' back on the couch, drinking some beers, with a Beast Machines DVD going in the background.

Hope that helps!

Heck yeah! I spend many a weekend like that... only change BW DVD for some good EBM playing on the stereo XD
I do love these comics a lot ^^'

The Ongoing series are getting like kinda boring (Still have to read issue #9, it takes a while for my comic store to have them) but issue #8 was like "yuck! what's with the human mary-sue?" The worst issue so far as to my liking not to mention the whole book was boring to death... honestly, to me it was the greatest mock.
As for Spotlight Prowl, aaah I would say you're not missing much, it started quite angsty and had a good plot develpment... until the end of the issue where it was like "That's it? What a dumb change of heart" But as far as it goes, I'm liking Ironhide miniseries. The old crank has always been one of my favorite Autobots.

Anyone else around here thinks IDW is screwing up with the humans being "too good for the Transformers race to survive them"? Honestly, if an actual race of alien robots with millenia of knowledge and warefare experience invaded Earth is highly unlikely to be conquered by humans to the point of making them feel fright of us... the whole human Skywatch thing is getting to my nerves. I want to see badass robots kicking each others ass, not a bunch of military humans scarying robots as if they were helpless children ¬¬
Oh and if someone from IDW is reading: please DEACTIVATE Prime! XD I woudln't care less if Hot Rod becomes the next Prime as long as I don't have to see Optimus' masked face again!

Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:05 am

Thank you for your input, everyone. I'm going to go with the IDW collections. I just wasn't sure since their site is kind of lacking info on it.

I'm eager to read Drift's spotlight, what with his figure coming out soon.

Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:27 pm

Darth Bombshell wrote:
Dagon wrote:I know Darth Bombshell's our comic database guy around here

That is so sigquote worthy.

Well, have it my my good sir. Goodness knows you should get some sort of publicity.

News Credits: 60 · Sat Jul 17, 2010 11:35 am

For the criticism of DW's editorial miss steps, I found the story thrust much better than IDW's. The straw that broke the camels' back was AHM. From Seeker raptors to F15 eagles? Why the downgrade?Or is it a simple fan wank? For me the last good story arc was the "tion" story arc about Nemesis Prime/ dark universe whatchamacalit and the Thunderwing story and Beastwars......the rest were utter crap!