Help with reading comics - chronological vs. production order
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:03 amI'm trying to catch up on several Transformers comics that I missed out on. I'm currently still in the Marvel Comics (specifically the UK G1 comics), and will then move on to three Blackthorne issues, then the BotCon 3H/Fun Pub Beast Era comics, then all the Dreamwave comics, then the other Fun Pub comics, and then all the IDW comics.
However, I'm a bit stumped on the order I should read certain comic series. A lot of the 3H/Fun Pub Beast Era comics, as well as the IDW Movie and G1 comics, were produced in a non-chronological order. When I get to reading these stories, should I read them in the order that they were produced, or in the order that they flow in each stories' chronology?
From what I can tell, reading them in production order helps keep some spoilers to a minimum, but also doesn't let the story make full sense being read (for lack of a better term) out of order. Reading them in chronological order, however, tells the story from start to finish, but also may give away some things revealed in later-written stories that take place before earlier-written stories (not to mention retcons that make have occurred).
So, should I go with production order or chronological order for stuff like the 3H/Fun Pub comics and the IDW comics?
However, I'm a bit stumped on the order I should read certain comic series. A lot of the 3H/Fun Pub Beast Era comics, as well as the IDW Movie and G1 comics, were produced in a non-chronological order. When I get to reading these stories, should I read them in the order that they were produced, or in the order that they flow in each stories' chronology?
From what I can tell, reading them in production order helps keep some spoilers to a minimum, but also doesn't let the story make full sense being read (for lack of a better term) out of order. Reading them in chronological order, however, tells the story from start to finish, but also may give away some things revealed in later-written stories that take place before earlier-written stories (not to mention retcons that make have occurred).
So, should I go with production order or chronological order for stuff like the 3H/Fun Pub comics and the IDW comics?