TFARCHIVE FORUMS

i recently got $30 to Suncoast- and am unwilling to fight my way through the crowds at the mall to go to the store... so, i am curious- which comic is good to get?

i am primarily interested in cool artwork in the comics, but i would like something with a good story so i don't feel totally cheated... i was hoping to find the dreamwave WWII set- but haven't seen them in the suncoast listings...

i am open to just about any suggestion as i am totally unfamiliar with the comics aside from the aforementioned series... my fave tfs are starscream- shockwave, so if there are any stories central on them in the comics- sounds good!

i wanted to get the 20th aniversary movie- but it's out of stock...

I'd highly recommend the two G2 volumes (art varies, but it's good fun):

http://tfarchive.com/comics/marvel/reprints/

For newer stuff, a good starting place might be Stormbringer:

http://tfarchive.com/comics/idw/guide.p ... ormbringer

There's also a Shockwave spotlight by IDW, which got very good reviews:

http://tfarchive.com/comics/idw/guide.php?s=spotlights1

(If you get the trade paperback, the only story that's a bit iffy is the Sixshot one, in my opinion...)

those look good! i'm leaning towards the shockwave spotlight... thanks denyer!

Well, if your really, really interested in the catching up in the main arc there is The Transformers: Premiere Edition, which is comprised of Infiltration (originally 7 issues), Stormbringer (originally 4 issue) Escalation (6), and the first volume of Transformers Spotlights (65) all in one huge 500 page book (am I missing any?). It just came out, actually (or should be out soon) in hard cover. This of course does not include the second volume of Spotlights, since it just finished not too long ago, and of course Devastation. The issues that make up the Premiere Edition, for the most part, are pretty good.
As far as the books separately, it really depends on how much you like more drawn out story telling/exposition, which was the case with Infiltration. Some folks liked it because of that, some folks did not and felt little happened. Personal preference really. I enjoyed it primarily because of the main and supporting cast. However, Stormbringer, as Denyer mentioned, is a great place to start for those being introduced to the IDW-verse. It has a little bit what fans seem to want in a TF book; pretty art and a decent story to boot. The Spotlights individually, are generally good fun, with few that could be ignored. Shockwave is an important read, since the story is a pivotal piece to the main arc. It set the stage for many of the issues that follow. Spotlight: Kup, I thought, was superb, a must read even if it is a standalone story (at the moment). There were a few others I really liked, but some thought they were throw aways (I liked Spotlight: Nightbeat).

As for older TF books; I'd personally go the Marvel route. Most of the Dreamwave stuff just wasn't all that good, in my opinion (the first 6 issues of volume 3 were okay, though). Marvel G2 run is perhaps one of my all time favorite Transformer books that I have read. Has some of the best portrayals of Optimus and Megatron I've encountered, and also has a real nifty antagonist (Jhiaxus). Finding it isn't too difficult either, reprints or by other means. Highly recommended. Some of the older Titan reprints of both the Marvel US and UK books are must reads as well (ex: Target:2006, Space Pirates, All Fall Down, End of the Road, to name a few, and US #5-7 are some old school favorites of mine). IDW has plans of reprinting these (I don't know how far they're willing to go, though) in a black and white collection.

Originally posted by zigzagger
and the first volume of Transformers Spotlights (6)

5, innit?

There's only two Spotlights that (so far) are yet to tie into the main story directly. I think.

suncoast only has a couple listed on the site as of yesterday...

i was gonna check fye- but because i'm all smart n' stuff- i remembered that they're the same damn store- just different colors... cuz i'm smart like that sometimes:wall:

i may have to break down and brave the mall, because the stores always have cool memorobilia and such, but their site has only the books/movies/cds... which bones, but the comics may be worth buying online and adding to my TF collection- as i only ave the movie comics... despite many people telling me they rock...

*ducks to avoid the boot flying at his head...