"Phase 2" Hardcover IDW Comic Collections

The first 8 Transformers IDW Collections are a great series of hardcovers reprinting all of the IDW G1 stories (in order) up to the end of the Costa Ongoing.

Been waiting on Vol 9 for a while, but now, Seibertron.Com has reported an Amazon.Com listing for the first in a new series of books called " IDW Collection Phase Two"

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The war for Cybertron is over, but Bumblebee and his fellow Autobots struggle to maintain control of a world without Optimus Prime. The provisional government is struggling and Prowl will defend it against the Decepticons at seeminly all costs. Meanwhile, Hot Rod and a group of Autobots and Decepticons embark on an epic quest to the farthest reaches of the Universe. Collects the one-shot Death of Optimus Prime, More Than Meets The Eye issues #1-5, and Robots in Disguise issues #1-6.

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As expected the book contains the about 50/50 of the two series, but with RID #6 included, and MTMTE #4 & 5, it's not a replacement for the first trade of each series.

There should be about 6 volumes to take the books through to the end of Dark Cybertron (including the most recent Spotlights). If all works out well, the Dark Cybertron crossover will be in one Hardcover volume (like the Phase One Collection Volume 5 has all of All Hail Megatron).

While I never got the hard covers my self I think I would of preferred if it was complete MTMTE or complete RID not half and half.

There are only so many versions of the same comic I can buy.

I would have liked stand alone MTMTE oversized hardcovers too, but happy to see this series continue as it's the only way I buy the series in physical form now (except my MTMTE collection)

I'll be buying this as a MTMTE hardcover substitute.

Hmmm. I'm not so sure. I love the idea, but I also find MTMTE and RiD written in a different enough style switching between issues like that could be downright distracting.

Unless it is done as six straight MtMtE and six straight RiD (or whatever number) it would be too jarring to read as a half half split, one followed by the other.

Can't believe it'd take almost as many hardcovers to do everything from the split as it did to do all of IDWs pre split series combined! :eek:

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Originally Posted by Gouki

Hmmm. I'm not so sure. I love the idea, but I also find MTMTE and RiD written in a different enough style switching between issues like that could be downright distracting.

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Originally Posted by i_amtrunks

Unless it is done as six straight MtMtE and six straight RiD (or whatever number) it would be too jarring to read as a half half split, one followed by the other.

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You guys do remember that's exactly how we read them in the first place, right? :)

I'd assume issues won't be ordered by month of release and they'll keep stories that flow directly together. Like they might go DOOP then MTMTE #1-3 then put some RID issues inbetween MTMTE 3 & 4, but they would split the two parter that's MTMTE #4 & 5.

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Originally Posted by Sky Shadow

You guys do remember that's exactly how we read them in the first place, right? :)

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Sure, but in a trade collection you want the story to flow, that's why we get the trades as well as the singles (and digitals and reprints etc!) :)

Although the idea of it being in "time" would be interesting, seeing as RiD seems to occur over a few days to a few weeks as opposed to the months passing in MtMtE.

I can see it working either way. It would be possible to keep MTMTE and RID in separate volumes but it would potentially 'waste' space as the breaks in the story arcs may not occur in the right places. By splitting up the arcs, hopefully it gives them the flexibility to fit the maximum number of issues in each volume and make the transition to Dark Cybertron, with it's interleaved issues, less jarring (though it could just about qualify for a volume of it's own). I trust that IDW will figure out something appropriate as the hard cover volumes really are an excellent set. :)

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Originally Posted by Sky Shadow

You guys do remember that's exactly how we read them in the first place, right? :)

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Not me. I buy trade only and tend to read one series at a time. I won't even normally buy RiD and MTMTE at the same time and if I do I always read something in between them, or if it's been a really long time read all the volumes I have and then move onto the other.

Amazon now has a release date of August 26. So about 10 weeks away. :)