Introduction
To save allot of time answering in individual threads and to provide a ready available information source to board members, here is a complete guide on how to read the original Transformers comics, both British and American, in the correct order using the Titan reprint volumes. A series of notes is also included below the story listing, which explains the way this list is ordered and several other topics which may need clarification when reading the series in this form.
The Books
Listed below are all the reprint volumes available, separated into US and UK volumes and organised as closely to the chronological order of their contents as possible. All can be purchased at online retailers such as Amazon or via Diamond at your local comic shop. UK readers can also find them at some bookstore chains, such as Borders.
US
Beginnings
New Order
Cybertron Redux
Showdown
Breakdown
Treason
Trial by Fire
Maximum Force
Dark Star
Last Stand
Primal Scream
Matrix Quest
All Fall Down
End of the Road
Dark Designs
Rage in Heaven
UK
Dinobot Hunt
Second Generation
Target: 2006
Prey
Fallen Angel
Legacy of Unicron
Space Pirates
City of Fear
Time Wars
Aspects of Evil
Way of the Warrior
Fallen Star
Earthforce
Perchance to Dream
Aspects of Evil, Way of the Warrior, Fallen Star, Earthforce and Perchance to Dream are small pocket sized volumes rather then full size A4 books.
The List
First, here is a guide to how the list is formatted and how this can be used to gain the required information. The list itself begins afterwards.
Reprint Volume - Story Name (Original Publication)
Stories in bold originate from the US series
Stories not in bold originate from the UK series
Stories in regular colour text are available in the reprint volume indicated
Stories in Red and with volume labels of N/A are not reprinted
US = The Transformers by Marvel Comics
UK = The Transformers by Marvel Comics UK
AF = Action Force by Marvel Comics UK
Annual = The Transformers Annual by Marvel Comics UK
TFTM = Transformers - The Movie by Marvel Comics
GIJTF = G.I .Joe and The Transformers by Marvel Comics
GIJ = G.I. Joe by Marvel Comics
USG2 = Transformers - Generation 2 by Marvel Comics
UKG2 = Transformers - Generation 2 by Fleetway
1984 Beginnings - Transformers (US#1)
Beginnings - Power Play (US#2)
Beginnings - Prisoner of War (US#3)
Beginnings - The Last Stand (US#4) 1985 N/A - Man of Iron (UK#9-12)
N/A - The Enemy Within (UK#13-17)
N/A - Raiders of the Last Ark (UK#18-21) Beginnings - The New Order (US#5)
Beginnings - The Worse of Two Evils (US#6)
New Order - Warrior School (US#7)
New Order - Repeat Performance (US#8) N/A - Decepticon Dambusters (UK#29-30)
N/A - The Wrath of Guardian (UK#31)
N/A - The Wrath of Grimlock (UK#32) New Order - Disintegrated Circuits (US#9)
New Order - The Next Best Thing to Being There (US#10)
New Order - Brainstorm (US#11)
New Order - Prime Time (US#12) N/A - Christmas Breaker (UK#41)
N/A - Plague of the Insecticons (1985 Annual)
N/A - Missing in Action (1985 Annual Text)
N/A - And There Shall Come a Leader (1985 Annual)
N/A - Hunted (1985 Annual Text) 1986 N/A - Crisis of Command (UK#42-4)
Dinobot Hunt - The Icarus Theory (UK#45-6)
Dinobot Hunt - Dinobot Hunt (UK#47-50)
Cybertron Redux - Shooting Star (US#13)
Cybertron Redux - Rock and Roll Out (US#14)
Cybertron Redux - I, Robot Master (US#15)
Cybertron Redux - Plight of the Bumblebee (US#16)
Second Generation - Robot Buster (UK#59-60)
Second Generation - Devastation Derby (UK#61-2)
Second Generation - Second Generation (UK#63-5)
Cybertron Redux - The Smelting Pool (US#17)
Cybertron Redux - The Bridge to Nowhere (US#18)
Showdown - Command Performances (US#19)
Showdown - Showdown (US#20)
Dinobot Hunt - In the National Interest (UK#74-7)
Target: 2006 - Target: 2006 (UK#78-88)
Target: 2006 - Cybertron - The Middle Years (UK#83 text)
Showdown - Aerialbots over America (US#21)
Showdown - Heavy Traffic (US#22)
Second Generation - The Gift (UK#93)
N/A - In the Beginning (1986 Annual Text Recap)
N/A - To a Power Unknown (1986 Annual)
N/A - The Return of the Transformers (1986 Annual Text)
N/A - State Games (1986 Annual Text)
Dinobot Hunt - Victory (1986 Annual)
N/A - The Mission (1986 Annual Text) 1987 Showdown - Decepticon Graffiti (US#23)
Prey - Prey (UK#96-7)
Prey - The Harder they Die (UK#98)
Prey - Under Fire (UK#99)
Prey - Distant Thunder (UK #100)
Fallen Angel - Fallen Angel (UK #101-2)
Prey - Resurrection (UK#103-4)
Showdown - Afterdeath (US#24)
Breakdown - Gone But Not Forgotten (US#25)
Breakdown - Funeral for a Friend (US#26)
Breakdown - King of the Hill (US#27)
Fallen Angel - Wanted: Galvatron Dead or Alive (UK#113-4)
Fallen Angel - Burning Sky (UK#115-6)
Fallen Angel - Hunters (UK#117-8)
Fallen Angel - Fire on High (UK#119-120)
Breakdown - Mechanical Difficulties (US#28)
Breakdown - Crater Critters (US#29) N/A - Ancient Relics (UK#125 and AF#24-7) Breakdown - The Cure (US#30)
Treason - The Carwash of Doom (US#31)
Time Wars - Worlds Apart (UK#130-1)
Trial by Fire - Ring of Hate (HM#1)
City of Fear - Kup's Story (UK#132)
Legacy of Unicron - Headhunt (UK #133-4)
Trial by Fire - Broken Glass (HM#2)
Prey - Grudge Match (UK#135-6)
Legacy of Unicron - Ladies Night (UK#137-8)
Trial by Fire - Love and Steel (HM#3)
Treason - Used Autobots (US#32)
Treason - Child's Play (US#35)
Trial by Fire - Brothers in Armour (HM#4)
Treason - Spacehikers (US#36)
Second Generation - Stargazing (UK#145)
Prey - Whats in a Name? (1987 Annual)
N/A - Doomsday for Nebulos (1987 Annual Text)
Fallen Angel - Vicious Circle (1987 Annual)
N/A - Stylor's Story (1987 Annual Text)
Space Pirates - Ark Duty (1987 Annual)
N/A - The Final Confict (1987 Annual Text) 1988
Legacy of Unicron - The Legacy of Unicron (UK#146-151)
Legacy of Unicron - Enemy Action (UK#152-3)
Treason - Toy Soldiers (US#37)
Trial by Fire - Trial by Fire (US#38)
Trial by Fire - The Desert Island of Space (US#39)
Space Pirates - Salvage (UK#160-1)
Maximum Force - Pretender to the Throne (US#40)
City of Fear - City of Fear (UK#164-5)
City of Fear - Legion of the Lost (UK#166-7)
City of Fear - Meltdown (UK#168-9)
City of Fear - Deadly Games (UK#170-1)
Space Pirates - Wrecking Havoc (UK#172-3)
Maximum Force - Totalled (US#41)
Maximum Force - People Power (US#42)
Maximum Force - The Cosmic Carnival (US#44)
Space Pirates - The Big Broadcast of 2006: Prologue (UK#180)
N/A - The Big Broadcast of 2006 (US#43)
Space Pirates - The Big Broadcast of 2006: Epilogue (UK#181)
Space Pirates - Space Pirates (UK#182-7)
City of Fear - Firebug (UK #188)
Time Wars - Dry Run (UK #189)
Maximum Force - Monstercon from Mars (US#45)
Dark Star - Cash and Carnage (US#46)
Dark Star - Club Con (US#47)
Dark Star - The Flames of Boltax (US#48)
Second Generation - Cold Comfort and Joy (UK#198)
N/A - The Saga of the Transformers So Far (1988 Annual Text Recap)
Time Wars - Altered Image (1988 Annual)
N/A - Prime Bomb (1988 Annual Text)
Time Wars - All in the Minds (1988 Annual)
N/A - Peace (1988 Annual) 1989
Time Wars - Time Wars (UK#199-205)
Dark Star - Cold War (US#49)
Dark Star - Dark Star (US#50)
Last Stand - Man in the Machine (US#51)
Last Stand - Guess Who the Mecannibals are Having for Dinner (US#52)
City of Fear - Fall and Rise of the Decepticon Empire (UK#213-4)
Fallen Star - Race With the Devil (UK#215-8)
Last Stand - Recipe for Disaster (US#53)
Way of the Warrior - Survivors (UK#219-222)
Aspects of Evil - Aspects of Evil (UK#223-227)
Earthforce - Double Deal of the Century (UK#228)
Way of the Warrior - The Hunting Party (UK#229)
Perchance to Dream - The Big Shutdown (UK#230-1)
Last Stand - King Con (US#54)
Perchance to Dream - A Small War (UK#232-233)
Earthforce - Prime's Rib (UK#234)
Aspects of Evil - Deathbringer (UK#235-236)
Last Stand - The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship (US#55)
Way of the Warrior - Way of the Warrior (US#237)
Way of the Warrior - Survival Run (UK#238)
Way of the Warrior - A Savage Place(UK#239)
Primal Scream - Back from the Dead (US#56)
Aspects of Evil - Out to Lunch (UK#240)
Perchance to Dream - Rage (UK#241)
Perchance to Dream - Assault on the Ark (UK#242)
Primal Scream - The Resurrection Gambit (US#57)
Fallen Star - Mind Games (UK#243)
Fallen Star - Two Megatrons (UK#244)
Aspects of Evil - Underworld (UK#245)
Primal Scream - All the Familiar Faces (US#58)
Aspects of Evil - Demons (UK#246)
Aspects of Evil - Dawn of Darkness (UK#247)
Fallen Star - Fallen Star (UK#248)
Primal Scream - Skin Deep (US#59)
Way of the Warrior - Whose Lifeforce is it Anyway? (UK#249)
Way of the Warrior - The Greatest Gift of All (UK#250)
N/A - The Quest (1989 Annual Text Recap)
N/A - Destiny of the Dinobots (1989 Annual)
N/A - Trigger Happy (1989 Annual Text)
Second Generation - Dreadwing Down (1989 Annual)
Prey - Chain Gang (1989 Annual)
1990
Aspects of Evil - The Void (UK#251)
Primal Scream - Yesterday's Heroes (US #60)
Aspects of Evil - Edge of Impact (UK#252)
Aspects of Evil - Shadow of Evil (UK#253)
Aspects of Evil - White Fire (UK#254)
Perchance to Dream - Perchance to Dream (UK#255-260)
Primal Scream - Primal Scream (US#61)
Earthforce - Starting Over (UK#261)
Primal Scream - Bird of Prey (US#62)
Earthforce - Two Steps Back (UK#262)
Earthforce - Break Away (UK#263)
Earthforce - Desert Island Risks (UK#264)
Earthforce - Once Upon a Time (UK#265)
Earthforce - Life in the Slow Lane (UK#266)
Earthforce - Snow Fun (UK#267)
Fallen Star - Flashback (UK#268)
Earthforce - Mystery (UK#269)
Fallen Star - The Bad Guy's Ball (UK#270)
Earthforce - The Living Nightlights (UK#271)
Way of the Warrior - Cry Wolf (UK#272)
Way of the Warrior - Wolf in the Fold (UK#273)
Way of the Warrior - Where Wolf? (UK#274)
Fallen Star - Secrets (UK#275)
Fallen Star - Bugged (UK#276)
Fallen Star - Internal Affairs (UK#277)
Earthforce - The House That Wheeljack Built (UK#278)
Earthforce - Divide and Conquer (UK#279)
Earthforce - The 4,000,000 Year Itch (UK#280)
Earthforce - Makin' Tracks (UK#281)
Matrix Quest - Kings of the Wild Frontier (US#63)
Way of the Warrior - Shut Up (UK#282)
Way of the Warrior - Manoeuvres (UK#283)
Fallen Star - Assassins (UK#284)
Fallen Star - External Forces (UK#285)
Matrix Quest - Deadly Obsession (US#64)
Fallen Star - The Lesser Evil (UK#286)
Perchance to Dream - Inside Story (UK#287)
Perchance to Dream - The Front Line (UK#288)
Perchance to Dream - End of the Road (UK#289)
Matrix Quest - Dark Creation (US#65)
Matrix Quest - All Fall Down (US#66)
Matrix Quest - Rhythms of Darkness (US#67)
Matrix Quest - The Human Factor (US#68) N/A - The Magnificent Six (1990 Annual Text) 1991/1992 All Fall Down - Eye of the Storm (US#69)
All Fall Down - The Price of Life (US#70)
All Fall Down - Surrender (US #71)
All Fall Down - All This and Civil War 2 (US#72)
All Fall Down - Out of Time (US#73)
All Fall Down - The Void (US#74)
End of the Road - On the Edge of Extinction (US#75)
End of the Road - Still Life (US#76)
End of the Road - Exodus (US#77)
End of the Road - A Savage Circle (US#78)
End of the Road - The Last Autobot? (US#79)
End of the Road - End of the Road (US#80) N/A - Another Time and Place (1991 Annual Text) 1993/1994 - Generation 2 N/A - Unfoldings (GIJ#138)
N/A - Realignments (GIJ#139)
N/A - Goin' South (GIJ#140)
N/A - Sucker Punch (GIJ#141)
N/A - Final Transformations (GIJ#142)
Dark Designs - War Without End (USG2#1)
Dark Designs - All or Nothing (USG2#2)
N/A - Ghosts (USG2#2)
Dark Designs - Primal Fear (USG2#3)
Dark Designs - Old Evils (USG2#3) N/A - War Without End (UKG2#1)
N/A - Warzone (UKG2#2) Dark Designs - Devices and Desires (USG2#4)
Dark Designs - Tales of Earth - Part 1 (USG2#4)
Dark Designs - The Power and the Glory (USG2#5)
Dark Designs - Tales of Earth - Part 2 (USG2#5)
Dark Designs - Tales of Earth - Part 3 (USG2#6)
Dark Designs - The Gathering Darkness (USG2#6)
Rage in Heaven - New Dawn (USG2#7)
Rage in Heaven - Tales of Earth - Part 4 (USG2#7)
Rage in Heaven - Escalation (USG2#8)
Rage in Heaven - Tales of Earth - Part 5 (USG2#8)
Rage in Heaven - Swarm (USG2#9)
Rage in Heaven - Tales of Earth - Part 6 (USG2#9)
Rage in Heaven - Total War (US G2 #10)
Rage in Heaven - Tales of Earth - Part 7 (USG2#10)
Rage in Heaven - Dark Shadows (USG2 #11)
Rage in Heaven - Tales of Earth - Part 8 (USG2#11)
Rage in Heaven - A Rage in Heaven (USG2 #12) Miscellaneous N/A - The Planet Eater (TFTM#1)
N/A - Judgement Day (TFTM#2)
N/A - The Final Battle (TFTM#3)
N/A - Blood on the Tracks (GIJTF#1)
N/A - Power Struggle (GIJTF#2)
N/A - Ashes, Ashes (GIJTF#3)
N/A - All Fall Down (GIJTF#4) Notes
- This is a publication list, not a continuity list. Stories are listed in the order that they were printed in the UK series, which is not always the order in which the events depicted in the stories occur. You won't get confused or lost if you're paying attention. If you want a story list based on continuity rather then publication, you'll have to look elsewhere. In cases where multiple Transformers features ran in the same issues and overlapped, whole stories are listed and the ones that started first are listed first. If you want to read everything in exact page publication order, seek a list of individual issue breakdowns for these periods.
- Annuals are hardback books for kids released in the UK around the Christmas season based on popular entertainment franchises that contain comic strips, text stories and activity pages. As is the case with Transformers, many Marvel UK annuals tied in to their equivalent regular comics series. Many of the Transformers annual stories are one-offs that can only be arbitrarily placed among the regular issues based on the characters featured in them. Others are specifically set in a time period away from the contemporary period and are relevant and fill out overall details without interacting with the running story itself. Some are actually a part of the running story line, as noted below. All are listed after the comics of its release year for convenience and almost all can be read in that position without any problem. Only the text features of the last two are listed as the strips were reprints.
- There are a couple of annual stories that you might want to read at a specific point on your way through that years comics rather then at the end of them - Victory occurs while the Dinobots are inactive between The Dinobot Hunt and Second Generation and Vicious Circle concludes the story from Fire on High. Altered Image and All in the Minds are best read where they are listed as they lead directly into Time Wars, which kicks off the following year.
- Text stories are labelled as such, ones labelled as text recaps are stories that summarise previous events in the comic instead of telling something new.
- There is an alternate version of US#4 from a 80s reprint without Shockwave and a different ending with Optimus Prime summing up like the series is over.
- You may notice some gaping continuity gaffs between US and UK material in a couple of places - US dialogue and art was occasionally modified when reprinted in the UK series to fit the running story better, changes that are not shown now as the US volumes reprint those issues in their original form. Any you may notice from Time Wars onwards is due to inconsistent writing on Furman's part.
- The noise Soundwave makes when spitting at Donny Finkleberg in Second Generation is a reference to a running joke in the Soundwaves letters page. Soundwave was followed as the letter page host by Grimlock (Grim Grams), Deadwing (Dread Tidings) and Blaster (Darn and Blast) and was interrupted for one issue by Ratchet (Ratchat).
- The Headmasters miniseries ran as the backup strip in UK#130-145 and is placed on the list in relation to the main features that it supported. Although it occurs sometime during the second half of the miniseries, Worlds Apart was printed parallel to the first two parts of the first miniseries issue and is placed on the list accordingly. Read it between Love and Steel and Brothers in Armour if you want to read it roughly by chronology rather then publication. The Headmasters annual text stories are mostly a loose reinterpretation of the miniseries - take or ignore them as you want.
- US#33 and 34 were a (bad) reprint of Man of Iron and are redundant in the UK series.
- The Big Broadcast of 2006 had a new prologue and epilogue added to it in the UK to make it fit the running future storyline as Marvel UK management refused to let them skip over it. These are listed separately as they were reprinted by themselves in Space Pirates with a text summary. The story itself is not reprinted in the US volumes, having been left out for story consistancy.
- G.I. Joe was known in the UK as Action Force for several years. As Marvel still holds the reprint rights to the GIJ titles, none of the crossovers were reprinted. Although it was reprinted later on in the UK series as filler, GIJTF is only part of US-only continuity and is not included on the main list for that reason.
- All Fall Down was printed in the UK at the start of 1992, but is grouped in with 1991 since its not worth adding another section for one story and because Another Time and Place from the 1991 annual occurs after the conclusion of the series. Another Time and Place both leads into and contradicts what came later in
G2. There is a 6 - 12 month gap between them though, so it's best to just use your imagination and enjoy the ride.
- Unlike the main bulk of the list, the
G2 section in US-orientated. The UK comic was published by Fleetway and only lasted for 5 issues and a special. The first 2 issues contained new setup material that removed the need for G.I.Joe and the subsequent issues started reprinting the US
G2 series from #4 onwards. The new material is somewhat redundant with the full American GIJ-based intro and doesn't add anything to the overall story, but is included for completion and placed before the US material that ran in the third issue. The
G2 annual is not related to the comic series.
- Multiple listings for The Void, End of the Road and War Without End are not typos, all three titles are shared by multiple stories.
- The comic adaptation of Transformers - The Movie was reprinted in the UK as a one-off special. It is included for completion, but neither it nor the film itself is exactly representative of the events described by Galvatron in Target:2006 (which were based on an earlier revision of the script then the one that was made).
That's all folks, enjoy reading.
