I have to say, the IDW have been hit as miss with me. While most of the limited series have been spot on amazing — art, story, characters, etc. — some of the main comic line has been off-putting for me. (Mostly the RID series.)
So much of the characterization is exactly opposite... almost like it's a deliberate (and cheap) flip flop:
Bumblebee: playful youth scout VS Autobot leader with an old man cane
Arcee: caring mother figure for humans VS vengeful assassin experiment
Perceptor: brilliant scientist VS sniper killer
Optimus: strong leader and father figure VS wussy unsure & shirks role and responsibility
Megatron: military minded dictator VS Op's bro and new Autobot recruit + freedom fighter in early Cybertron
Sunstreaker: vain dude VS headmaster drone army
I know it's their prerogative, but there has been so much flip-flopping I just have to roll my eyes at it.
I also didn't like killing off a Constructicon. No Devastator combination now. Terrible decision.
I HAVE loved all they've done with various minor characters to develop them into new fan favorites. (Swerve, Whirl, Topspin, Twin Twist, Guzzle, Ironfist, Pyro, Overlord...)
There has been a lot of great stuff... enough to balance out the odd Robots in Disguise snafus... and leave a very positive impression of IDW. Definitely worth getting into, especially if you can pick and choose your books in the TPB.