Transformers comic books vs trade paperbacks

[Paulbot]

I'm a long time comic fan. I'm still a Transformers fan today because the comics are what kept me interested in Transformers when my peers would otherwise have put toys aside.

However the price of the comics has risen high enough that I'm considering cancelling my order and buying the stories in trade format only.

Take for example the current ongoing series.

The first six issues individually ($8 each) = $48
The first six issues in trade format = $30
The first trade from bookdepository = $20
The first trade from Target = $13

Looked at this way, why am I spending 3.5 to 2.4 times as much for the individual issues compared to the trade?

I don't know how many of IDW's trades will be released to local stores (Vol 2? Ironhide? Drift?) but even importing the IDW ones is a big saving.

The trade gives all the covers, and the whole story in one nice book easily accessed from the bookshelf.

The IDW books are nice in that they don't disrupt the story flow with adverts, keeping them all at the back. Some of the individual issues though have felt light on (the Ironhide series for example) so it's not until you have multiple issues does the story seem complete.

I can't think of any recent IDW series where buying the issues was really necessary except for Last Stand of the Wreckers. That series featured profiles in the individual issues that weren't reprinted in the trade. The trade however featured two new profiles, a mosaic story, and best of all a brand new prose story that is much more interesting than the profiles.

The downside of the trades is the wait for the story, but the comics don't get discussed that much here. And aside from the occasional spoilers in someone's signature it's easy to avoid the reviews until the books have been read.

The other downside is that by not buying the monthly issues it potentially hurts whether the series will continue to be produced at all. If the market can support things like Ironhide, Sector 7 and Drift, then the books must be going okay for now.

About 6 years ago I stoped buying X-Men comics on a month to month basis but have successfully moved on to just buying the trades (and buying more series in trade than I ever did in regular format). I think I'm about ready to do that now with Transformers.

[Hursticon]

This is a good question Paulbot, as I too would love to try and catch up on all of the G1 and Beast Wars related comics, but can't devote the cash or space to a mammoth Comic collection - hence why I'm going after the Titan Marvel G1 Reprints (Hardcover) so I do like the idea of Trade issues plus the savings are quite helpful.

[i_amtrunks]

When IDW was putting out good transformers comics I was buying the individual issues, as well as the trades (when I could afford them).
I did this mainly to support the comics, and because they were so intriguing I couldn't wait to get the trade, I needed to read the stories ASAP.

I persisted through AHM, once again getting the individual issues, but it destroyed my goodwill for IDW, and since then I have only bothered getting the occasional trade here and there (barring LSotW).

The trade is the better way to buy for reading, collecting and your wallet. I think great writing (where you cannot wait to read the next part) and wanting to support the publisher are the only reasons you should buy the individual issues, unless you only want to get an issue here and there.

IDW's current prices are too high for what they are publishing, so I think trades are the way to go.

[gdmetro]

Thanks for this thread.

So from what I understand, trade paperbacks are just the entire story of comic in one book?

I've never actually bought an actual comic before in my life- but wanted to start to get some of the more popular stories I've heard people talking about, such as AHM, Drift, Last Stand of the Wreckers.

What other stories would you guys recommend? Is there a g1 continuity line of stories- and where would one start reading from?

And most importantly where can I find these trade paperbacks for purchase?
(Will I find these at stores such as Kmart/ Bigw / Target?)

[Sky Shadow]

What other stories would you guys recommend?

Check out this thread for the answers to some of your questions:

http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=75404

I've never actually bought an actual comic before in my life- but wanted to start to get some of the more popular stories I've heard people talking about, such as AHM, Drift, Last Stand of the Wreckers.

Of those three recent titles, the only "must read" is 'Last Stand of the Wreckers' (and in the literary spectrum, the other two are much closer to "must-not reads"). In older stuff, you should read the entire Marvel US run, particularly from about #55-80. And any Marvel UK comics are fantastic:

http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=262

And most importantly where can I find these trade paperbacks for purchase?

http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=129154

[kup]

After the generally disappointing AHM, I stopped buying IDW comics in issue by issue basis with the exception of LSOTW. I gave the Ongoing a chance but it was so bad that it made AHM seem like a work of art so I gave up on it.

The only recent IDW comic worth reading is Last Stand of the Wreckers. It is extraordinarily good but unfortunately it is but a small mini-series and the exception to the rule. Just about every other IDW releases in the last couple of years have been pretty awful beyond expectations.

I would suggest for you to seek out the Marvel issues as Sky Shadow suggested and if you are inclined to do so, read the pre-AHM IDW releases and Last Stand of the Wreckers.

[GoktimusPrime]

I would definitely recommend trade paperbacks. The only reason I don't collect TPBs is cos I'm impatient - so I buy the issues monthly. If I had greater patience then I'd definitely go for the TPBs... so yeah, if you have the patience then definitely go for the TPBs IMO.

What other stories would you guys recommend?

G1. Seriously... the Marvel G1 comics were, overall, a lot better than the cartoon. And IMO no other TF series - comic, cartoon, movie etc. - has ever been able to match the awesomeness of the Marvel series (Beast Wars came respectably close though ). Remember that it was Marvel who created the Transformers mythos to begin with (it was Hasbro who commissioned Marvel to create the back-story for the original TF toys in 1984 - so they created the names, character profiles on the tech specs etc.)

And any Marvel UK comics are fantastic

1 QFT. Simon Furman = Transformers writing GOD!


...apparently he also supports West Ham United. Oh well... nobody's perfect.

[Hursticon]

For clarification purposes:

With regards to the Titan Marvel G1 Reprints, do they contain the entire US and UK lines? or just the US line?

If they only contain the US line, did Titan ever produce a UK line of Reprints?

[GoktimusPrime]

Titan reprinted both US and UK issues:
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Titan_Books

I find the Titan reprints to be much better quality than IDW's, and also they had less legal hassles so they were able to reprint images and issues that featured characters owned by Marvel (e.g. Circuit Breaker, Death's Head, Spider-Man etc.) - whereas IDW can't.

[Hursticon]

Cheers Goki,

One more question though, you see this:

Transformers: Beginnings
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #1–6 (UK #1–8, 22–25)

Where it says 1-8, 22-25 is that saying that 9-21 are missing?