The Energon Pub

I want to buy reprints of the Generation 1 Marvel comics. Can someone break down the pro's and con's of each release for me, or recommend which one you think is best? This is what I know so far...

Old IDW release:
Pros: The Covers look cooler than the new IDW release. Cheaper than the new IDW release. Glossy pages (is this a good thing?)
Cons: It is missing issues with Marvel copywrited characters Spiderman and Circuit Breaker.

New IDW release:
Pros: Has the issues that the old IDW version was missing. Has corrections made to coloring errors of the original release. Non-glossy pages (is this better or worse than the old IDW version?)
Cons: The covers don't look as cool. All the volumes are not released yet.

Titan
Pros: ?
Cons: It is broken down in to more separate editions than the IDW releases.

Is Titan the only one that has done hardcovers?

The new idw reprints only collect the UK original material and leaves out the US series.

The titan collection does feature the Marvel owned characters, however, it omits some of the US issues.

The idw US reissues omit issues containing Marvel characters at first, but later volumes do reprint the comics but black out the Marvel characters and their names.

It's probably best to go for a mix of both, if you're interested in a complete run.

Both the Titan trades and the old IDW trades are missing some issues of the U.S. run. The Titan rleases are missing a few UK issues, and the old IDW releases lack ALL of the UK issues.

The new IDW releases, however, have everything put back. They are the most complete version of them all. And since they are still currently being released, that means you can buy each of them at a steady pace without having to pay too much all at once. While the covers of the U.S. trades are kinda bland, I'd say that is really a minor issue since you're getting everything in full.

Besides, while the U.S. new IDW trades may look dull, the UK IDW trades look gorgeous!



So, yeah, the new IDW trades are the way to go to get everything. Having all the comic issues together kinda outweighs everything else.

Dead Metal wrote:The new idw reprints only collect the UK original material and leaves out the US series.

You're confusing the Classics UK reprints with Second Run Classics U.S. reprints, which DO have all missing issues placed back in.

Sabrblade wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:The new idw reprints only collect the UK original material and leaves out the US series.

You're confusing the Classics UK reprints with Second Run Classics U.S. reprints, which DO have all missing issues placed back in.

No I'm not, I've only just learned from your previous post that idw is reprinting the US run again, the only new idw reprints I knew of at that point where the UK ones.

Dead Metal wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:The new idw reprints only collect the UK original material and leaves out the US series.

You're confusing the Classics UK reprints with Second Run Classics U.S. reprints, which DO have all missing issues placed back in.

No I'm not, I've only just learned from your previous post that idw is reprinting the US run again, the only new idw reprints I knew of at that point where the UK ones.

Oh.

To make it easier, the 2008-2010 reprints are called "Classic Transformers".

The 2011 reprints are called "The Transformers Classics".

Dead Metal wrote:The idw US reissues omit issues containing Marvel characters at first, but later volumes do reprint the comics but black out the Marvel characters and their names.

They really black out the names and characters? Interesting, I haven't flipped through a copy yet.

Supreme Convoy wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:The idw US reissues omit issues containing Marvel characters at first, but later volumes do reprint the comics but black out the Marvel characters and their names.

They really black out the names and characters? Interesting, I haven't flipped through a copy yet.

Only the first run versions with the covers like these do.


The second run versions with covers like these do not, and have instead restored everything lost in the first run versions.

Are there any scans or previews of the new reprints interior pages? Because if there are and the new colours make the art bearable I might be able to get into them.

Dead Metal wrote:Are there any scans or previews of the new reprints interior pages? Because if there are and the new colours make the art bearable I might be able to get into them.

I have the first volume of the new reprint, but no scans. I can say first hand the remastered quality is gorgeous. The colors are vibrant and rich with life and energy. Comparing them to my scans of the original 1984-85 issues, these new colors are to die for. From what I've heard, the 2008-2010 reprints weren't remastered at as high a quality as this, and so (coupled with the restored inclusion of issues 3 and 9) this 2011 reprint has become the ideal release.

Thanks everyone. It looks like I should get the newest version.

Sabrblade wrote:Both the Titan trades and the old IDW trades are missing some issues of the U.S. run.

The only issues they are missing is G.I. Joe meets The Transformers mini-series and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #139-#142 (a G2 Prequel storyline) and The Transformers: Generation 2: Ghosts, a free Halloween special that Marvel released. None of which is a major loss (even the fact that Joes blow up Bumblebee and later they rebuild him as Goldbug is not a major loss because in the UK series it was Galvatron blew Bumblebee up and it's Wreck-Gar that rebuilds him as Goldbug).

Most The Titan UK reprints are the same size as the orginal single issues with the last 5 or six being reprinted in so-called "manga-sized digest" books (which is about the same size as standard paperback prose novel).

Cyberstrike wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Both the Titan trades and the old IDW trades are missing some issues of the U.S. run.

The only issues they are missing is G.I. Joe meets The Transformers mini-series and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #139-#142 (a G2 Prequel storyline) and The Transformers: Generation 2: Ghosts, a free Halloween special that Marvel released.

Titan was missing "Man of Iron", "The Big Broadcast of 2006", "The Enemy Within!", "Raiders of the Last Ark", "Decepticon Dam-Busters!", "The Wrath of Guardian!", "The Wrath of Grimlock!", "Christmas Breaker!", "Crisis of Command!", "To a Power Unknown!" and "Ancient Relics!" all of which have been/will be restored in the new IDW reprints.

Cyberstrike wrote:None of which is a major loss (even the fact that Joes blow up Bumblebee and later they rebuild him as Goldbug is not a major loss because in the UK series it was Galvatron blew Bumblebee up and it's Wreck-Gar that rebuilds him as Goldbug).

Death's Head killed Bumblebee, not Galvatron.

Cyberstrike wrote:Most The Titan UK reprints are the same size as the orginal single issues with the last 5 or six being reprinted in so-called "manga-sized digest" books (which is about the same size as standard paperback prose novel).

And the new IDW reprints are also full sized, as well as being remastered in theh highest visual quality of all.

I have flipped through a few copies of the old and new IDW, but wasn't really impressed. I own all the Titan TPBs and am satisfied. The few issues that are missing from the set aren't really relevant. Of course, if you're a completionist, you would want them. As far as I know, the only issues missing from Titan are issues 33 and 34, which were straight UK stories (Man of Iron parts 1&2) and the first GI Joe crossover. However, included are the 4-issue Headmasters series and they're placed in a correct chronological order with the US series. The only thing I wish titan had done was to make a TPB of the second GI Joe crossover which prequels the G2 comics and features Megatron getting his tank body. I do have the individual issues, but it would be nice to have the TPB to go with the rest.

Rodimus Prime wrote:I have flipped through a few copies of the old and new IDW, but wasn't really impressed. I own all the Titan TPBs and am satisfied. The few issues that are missing from the set aren't really relevant. Of course, if you're a completionist, you would want them. As far as I know, the only issues missing from Titan are issues 33 and 34, which were straight UK stories (Man of Iron parts 1&2) and the first GI Joe crossover. However, included are the 4-issue Headmasters series and they're placed in a correct chronological order with the US series. The only thing I wish titan had done was to make a TPB of the second GI Joe crossover which prequels the G2 comics and features Megatron getting his tank body. I do have the individual issues, but it would be nice to have the TPB to go with the rest.

Well, the Action Force crossover is also missing, and it is vital to the UK story, as it shows how "Megatron" returned after his apparent death. Otherwise, one minute he's seemingly gone, the next he's suddenly being fished out of River Thames by Richard Branson... as though we knew he was there. Without the Action Force crossover, we have no idea how he ended up there.

Not to mention that, of the three TF/Joe crossovers, the Action Force one was the most enjoyable, as it was fast-paced, action packed, light on the unneeded exposition, and didn't rely too much on the then-current plots of both comics to make sense (with the other two crossovers, having not read the ARAH comics, there was plenty of stuff in both of them--particularly the second one--that made no sense to me in each).

Plus, "The Big Broadcast of 2006" ties directly into the "Space Pirates" epic. Without it (and its newly-created prologue and epilogue), "Space Pirates" feels too sudden and confusing.

And while Man of Iron", "The Enemy Within!", "Raiders of the Last Ark", "Christmas Breaker!", and "To a Power Unknown!" aren't necessarily important to the story, "Decepticon Dam-Busters!", "The Wrath of Guardian!", "The Wrath of Grimlock!", and "Crisis of Command!" are, as they all link directly in with the U.S. stories and expand upon important plot points of the UK stories.

Oh yeah I forgot about Big Broadcast.

As for the rest, so far I have been deprived of the UK series, so I have no idea of those you listed.

Sabrblade wrote:Titan was missing "Man of Iron", "The Big Broadcast of 2006", "The Enemy Within!", "Raiders of the Last Ark", "Decepticon Dam-Busters!", "The Wrath of Guardian!", "The Wrath of Grimlock!", "Christmas Breaker!", "Crisis of Command!", "To a Power Unknown!" and "Ancient Relics!" all of which have been/will be restored in the new IDW reprints.

Were you talking about the US or the UK series? I was talking about the US series. The Big Broadcast of 2006 and Man of Iron are not really relevant to the US series.

Sabrblade wrote:Death's Head killed Bumblebee, not Galvatron.

My bad.

Sabrblade wrote:And the new IDW reprints are also full sized, as well as being remastered in theh highest visual quality of all.

If they are, I haven't seen them. All the IDW UK reprints have been the size of standard US comics not the size of the UK comics. Even the new UK reprints is the same size as a standard US TPB.

Cyberstrike wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Titan was missing "Man of Iron", "The Big Broadcast of 2006", "The Enemy Within!", "Raiders of the Last Ark", "Decepticon Dam-Busters!", "The Wrath of Guardian!", "The Wrath of Grimlock!", "Christmas Breaker!", "Crisis of Command!", "To a Power Unknown!" and "Ancient Relics!" all of which have been/will be restored in the new IDW reprints.

Were you talking about the US or the UK series? I was talking about the US series. The Big Broadcast of 2006 and Man of Iron are not really relevant to the US series.

Both. I was talking about ALL of Titan's Marvel reprints.

Cyberstrike wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:And the new IDW reprints are also full sized, as well as being remastered in theh highest visual quality of all.

If they are, I haven't seen them. All the IDW UK reprints have been the size of standard US comics not the size of the UK comics. Even the new UK reprints is the same size as a standard US TPB.

I didn't know that UK comics were a different size from U.S. comics. The size of the IDW reprints seems to be appealing enough in size.

Not to mention all the extensive bonus content included within the pages of the IDW UK reprints.

Sabrblade wrote:They really black out the names and characters? Interesting, I haven't flipped through a copy yet.

Only the first run versions with the covers like these do.


The second run versions with covers like these do not, and have instead restored everything lost in the first run versions.
[/quote]

Ah, I mis-read the post. Thanks for clarifying.

I already have the first IDW paperback collections.

I flipped through the new editions at the store and the completist in me wants to double dip.

Argh. First world problems, right?

I ended up getting this, and it looks great. I'm going to get all the U.S. issues in this series for sure.



I'm still trying to decide if I should get the UK comics too. Can someone tell me which issues come in this?



I'm trying to figure out how many total releases they will do for the UK series.

Lazerface wrote:I ended up getting this, and it looks great. I'm going to get all the U.S. issues in this series for sure.

Excellent. This series is sure to include all the U.S. issues, including those missing from the first run.

Lazerface wrote:I'm still trying to decide if I should get the UK comics too. Can someone tell me which issues come in this?

"Man of Iron!", "The Enemy Within!", "Raiders of the Last Ark", "Robot War!", "Decepticon Dam-Busters!", "The Wrath of Guardian!", "The Wrath of Grimlock!", "Robot War II", "Christmas Breaker!", "Crisis of Command!", "Plague of the Insecticons!", "And There Shall Come...a Leader!", "Missing in Action", and "Hunted!"

Lazerface wrote:I'm trying to figure out how many total releases they will do for the UK series.

Eight volumes of the UK-only material.

^ Thanks! 8 books at $20 each for the UK stuff is kind of expensive, but I'll probably regret it later if I don't pick them up now, and they go out of print. Plus, I'll have some time between each release, so I don't have to pay all at once.

I love that Geoff Senior and Andy Wildman art.

Lazerface wrote:^ Thanks! 8 books at $20 each for the UK stuff is kind of expensive, but I'll probably regret it later if I don't pick them up now, and they go out of print. Plus, I'll have some time between each release, so I don't have to pay all at once.

I love that Geoff Senior and Andy Wildman art.

Both the U.S. and UK reprint volumes are coming out at a steady pace (months apart), so there's time to save up for each volume in between releases.

Classics
Volume 1 - August 24, 2011 (out now)
Volume 2 - January 24, 2012
Volume 3 - April 3, 2012

Classics UK
Volume 1 - October 12, 2011 (out now)
Volume 2 - March 6, 2012

So, yeah, at this point, buying them all at once is not an issue here.