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Thread: IDW Comics

  1. #1
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    Default IDW Comics

    So I picked up MTMTE Ongoing 1-4 and Issue 1 of Robots In Disguise Ongoing.
    Firstly, I absolutely loved MTMTE. I haven't done much comic reading for about 4 years now and this has totally reignited my interest in them. RID was pretty good but I'll need to get the next couple of issues before I get into it.

    I want to read through the back catalogue of this Universe but there's quite a few series to get through so I have a couple of questions, hopefully someone can help me out.

    Are all of the IDW Generation 1 comics from the same continuity? TFwiki indicates that they are.

    Also, for those that have done so, would it be better to read through in chronological order, or in publication order?

    Thanks guys!

  2. #2
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    I prefer by release date, but with the excellent IDW Collections, they do it by timeline (mostly, as they're still releasing new stuff set in the past, so that's obviously a problem to fit in again).

    They're really good value though, and are over-sized.

    The IDW stuff is in the same continuity (unless you've picked up some of their Dreamwave and/or Marvel reprints).

    Now, continuity has been disjointed at times, and some bad decisions made by bad editors, but it's still pretty good.

    Did you pick up the 'Death Of Optimus Prime' oneshot? It acts as a prelude for both new series, but mostly MTMTE.

    RID is my favourite of the two, but I'm in the minority there.

    So it depends on what you want, and how much you want to spend.

    Infiltration was the first miniseries, followed by Stormbringer (which took place in space, and some parts occured at the same time as Infiltration, but it all fits), then Escalation, Devastation, Revelations, Maximum Dinobots, and a couple of volumes of Spotlight issues (spotlighting a particular character. Sometimes they're stand-alone stories, sometimes they're part of the main plot at the time).

    If you've got some specific questions, let me know, and I'll do my best to help.

    If you're wondering what these 'IDW Collections' I mentioned are, they're oversized hardcovers, and actually work out cheaper than buying the separate trades it collects (provided you get a good price of course, but even the RRP works out better generally).

    But again, it's all up to you, how far you want to go back, and what it is you're looking for.

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    I agree with cat on most points here (I prefer MtMtE over RiD!). If you can get the IDW hardcovers for a decent price (book depository, amazon etc) I highly recommend it. I also think starting at the beginning is also a better way to go, but it will cost you.

    Failing the hardcovers, collecting the individual trades works too. I too would say start at Infiltration and work your way through Escalation, Devastation, Revelations (a series of spotlight one offs) Maximum Dinobots, Last stand of the Wreckers. If you track down the first two or three volumes of the spotlight collections, all the better.
    You can skip Stormbringer if you like, it's not required reading.
    Megatron: Origins and Hearts of Steel minis are not relate to the main story (HoS being an alternate universe and M:O just being plain old terrible and contradictory)

    The series released after Maximum Dinobots (Last Stand ties in Maximum Dinobots with the new ongoing series well) are where the controversy really began. The All hail Megatron stuff mostly ignored, retconned or barely tied into what came before it. You can skip it and save it for last to save money, and it won't really impact the reading of the new series.

    The ongoing "Transformers" was also a hit and miss series that had positives and negatives. The Bumblebee and Ironhide miniseries are skippable too, they have limited impact on the story. Again, I'd save these trades until near the end of your collecting, the recaps on the tfwiki cover the few important bits that relate to the two new issues.

    The Chaos and Police Action trades may be worth a pickup as they really tie straight into the two new ongoings.

    These are only my opinions. I was a big fan of the path the series was heading down with Furman before it all got canned for a series that I personally hated. So my advice is somewhat tainted.
    Looking For: Wreckers Saga TPB Collection (with Requiem)

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    IDW's run is broken up into four eras each with a different feel

    The Furman era (Escaltion 1 to Maximum Dinobots)
    The McCarthy era (The All Hail Megatron stuff)
    The Costa era (The 'ongoing' series)
    The modern era (MTMTE and RID ongoing)

    Furman's take was 'robots in disguise' indulged in a long covert war (a fresh take but it started a bit slow). The McCarthy era is like the G1 cartoon but with movie-level-violent Decepticons. The Costa era is like the start of ROTF (complete with more Movie-like designs and Autobots working in disguise with humans) but then ends like the G1-comic with space epic feel. The current era is politics on Cybertron and adventures in space (as you know - but for others with the same question; I prefer the adventures in space).

    What you might like in MTMTE and RID, you might not find in all of the other eras. All of them set up the current books. Furman's does the bulk of universe-building and introducing characters so would be the most important, and it's the best stuff. The later Costa era sets up the new books, in particular the Death of Optimus Prime oneshot, and the pair of issues 22&23 (all by James Roberts).

    Can't go very wrong with publishing order. That's how most people read these stories originally. It doesn't add much to read a book that's set in the past (like Spotlight Jazz or Megatron Origin) before you read Escalation and Stormbringer, the first modern day IDW books that establish their take on the G1 Universe.

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    Quote Originally Posted by i_amtrunks View Post
    The ongoing "Transformers" was also a hit and miss series that had positives and negatives. The Bumblebee and Ironhide miniseries are skippable too, they have limited impact on the story. Again, I'd save these trades until near the end of your collecting, the recaps on the tfwiki cover the few important bits that relate to the two new issues.

    Agree with you on most points also, but I would probably advise you to read the Ironhide miniseries, as it really does set up some major plot points for the main titles, and their 'big' final arc.

    Bumblebee? Don't bother.

    All Hail Megatron? Kill it with fire.

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    I know it goes against fashion, but All Hail Megatron was a decent entertaining read for what it was. The issue that many fans had against it was that it replaced the much prefered Furman stories, and lacked the nuance and layering that Furman's stories had.

    Sadly because of this Furman's slow burn had to be wrapped up fairly quickly and the Dead Universe saga takes all of 4 issues, rather than the longer story I think he had intended. It leaves the whole thing feeling rather rushed, but was a nice swan song for his first set of stories.

    All Hail Megatron is largely disliked, but it had a fantastic premise and some great G1 movie like moments. It must also be noted that the AHM Coda is responsible for providing us with the IDW Prowl that we've come to love. It also gave us Drift. But we got a really good toy out of him, and Roberts is using Drift pretty well. The AHM spotlight is kinda unessential though.

    Costa's run had some great ideas in it, but he seemed to lack the capacity to write Transformers as actual people (some would say he was unable to write people as actual people, too) and his stories felt dry and insubstantial. There was no flesh to support what looked like great bone structure.

    I haven't read much of Roberts or Barber's ongoings as I but the trades, but from Barber's work on the DOTM comics, he'll do a great job. Roberts is fantastic, and manages to condense so much into each page. Some of the story is a slow burn, but it appears people are happy with the parts that do that because the parts that relate to the story in that issue are fantastic.

    Both Roberts and Barber have shown that they are not only keen to draw from what's come before, but do so in a way that pulls something you wouldn't even expect, but in a way that respects what's been put down by the other authors before them.

    One book that people seem to have forgotten about is Transformers: Drift. It wasn't that great by itself, but it introduced us to the Knights of Cybertron, the legendary ones that the Lost Light is searching for.

    Short answer - well worth picking up the mainline comics
    Infiltration - Stormbringer - Escalation - Devastation - Maximum Dinobots - All Hail Megatron 1 & 2 - All Hail Megatron Coda - Transformers Drift - Transformers Ongoing 1-7

    If you pick up Spotlights 1,2,3, and 4 they will add to your enjoyment of Infiltration - Maximum Dinobots.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Seraphim Prime View Post
    It must also be noted that the AHM Coda is responsible for providing us with the IDW Prowl that we've come to love.
    Ah, but McCarthy had nothing to do with that. That coda was written by Nick Roche, who had previously only worked on the Spotlight Kup issue. He was one of the CODA writers who did an outstanding job of trying to stickytape the mess of AHM into the actual pre-existing backstory of the IDWverse.

    AHM may have been an alright 4-6 issue miniseries set in an alternate universe ala Hearts of Steel, but it was downright terrible as a sequel!
    Looking For: Wreckers Saga TPB Collection (with Requiem)

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    Wow guys, thank you all for the great responses! Especially for differentiating between the good material and the bad; I picked up Hearts of Steel (I know it's a different continuity but I found it cheap) and I have to say I was seriously disappointed. I guess I walked in expecting the same level as MTMTE.

    H.O.S. aside, I'm going through a transition, in that I'm starting to think that the G1 cartoon-Beast Wars universe might be supplanted as the TF universe against which all others are judged :P.

    I've been looking at Comixology as a way of getting issues cheaply. I presume it's better for IDW than buying issues off of ebay, etc, anyway - since they will get a cut of my purchases.
    Sounds like most of you read the physical comics, do any of you do them digitally?

  9. #9
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    I made the switch to digital with these two new ongoings.

    Do you have an iDevice. I read via iPhone but I'm told the iPad is better due to the larger screen. It takes a little getting used to but the comixology apps (and its TF, Marvel and DC branded versions) are all free and all offer free comics so you can download and give it a try. I think there's android versions too.

    When it comes to price though it can't be beat. Most back issues are $2 (AUS). New issues are $4.50 or so but if you wait a month until the next issue comes out it drops down to $2 (which is what I'm doing with RID). The bonus with buying with the phone for me is I buy iTunes cards on sale so I'm actually getting 20% to 25% off.

    There's also regular sales. You just missed one where all the ongoing issues from the Costa era were $1 each.

    Comixology purchases can also be read on your computer via their site and your account can be synced between devices.

    I still plan to get the books when they are collected for physical copies but in the meantime I'm saving money and physical space.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jinto View Post
    Wow guys, thank you all for the great responses! Especially for differentiating between the good material and the bad; I picked up Hearts of Steel (I know it's a different continuity but I found it cheap) and I have to say I was seriously disappointed. I guess I walked in expecting the same level as MTMTE.
    The Hearts of Steel story isn't very good but the main appeal of that comic is the Steampunk retro designs of the TFs. To me, that's the main appeal although I don't mind the story too much but it could have been a whole lot better. At least it wasn't tragic like the post AHM ongoing.

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