I don't know how long we usually wait for a club-exclusive story to continue, but I don't think it's this long. "At Fight's End", the latest story set in the Classics spin-off of the Marvel G1 continuity, was published back in December '09. Hell, even Classics Cliffjumper, stuck in the Shattered Glass universe, last appeared in the final part of "Reunification" around the same time. With such a large gap since the last story and the current push for TF #81 (which would almost certainly ignore the Classics fiction), do you think this storyline is dead in the water? That would be a shame, because it really didn't do much. Nothing happened and nothing was accomplished.

 

For a lot of us, we can't really tell since we don't get the club subscription   TF Wiki updates are all we have. Wish FunPub would put out more collections like they do the BotCon comics, I for one would want to see more Classics/Shattered Glass material.

 

Hmm... what do you mean by "exactly what Hasbro wants to avoid"? My only complaint about the Classics fiction is that it reeks of wasted potential (well, that and the fact that it ignores the UK stories). Let's look:

"The New World": A brand new TF faction is introduced, implying that the Autobots may not be able to get home like they said they would at the end of US #80. The issue is never brought up again.
"Revelations"/"Crossing Over": Despite this being the big return to the Marvel continuity, it barely focuses on the Marvel characters since it has to dedicate its time to the metaplot.
"Games of Deception": Introduces the concept of Bugbite as a wildcard, but quickly discards it.
"Withered Hope": Not primarily a Classics story, but it reintroduces Bugbite and the Gobots as a wilcard... and they are never referred to again.
"Cheap Shots": Easily the high point of the Classics fiction. Absolutely hilarious... and introduces yet another loose thread that is never referenced again.
"At Fight's End": Something FINALLY happens as the loose ends with Ratchet and Bludgeon are tied up. And just in time for the story to be discontinued, it would seem.

 

Hasbro's trying to go for a single ongoing universe as of late, rather than a multiverse, especially one where parallel realities interact. It remains to be seen whether or not this idea really pans out.

 

I just wish I could get these club stories in collected form somehow, even if it's only available through their site hopefully not just for club members mind you.

But then it would detract from the value of the club mag for all those willing to pay for it, so I'm stuck with half the stories missing and only getting to read stand alone stuff from the Timelines issues that Diamond releases after the con.

It's a bit depressing as I enjoy reading new takes on the Transformers, and I don't mind massive multi-reality spanning stories.

I think though, that if their reality is clustered and confusing and stuff than perhaps they shouldn't just try to shoehorn every Botcon series into the overarching storyline. Some of them could stand to just be stand alone ones and all that.

 

I have the same sentiments as you. However, the club would earn extra income from publishing the stories in collected form. That would give them better resources to be better as a fan club. I think a lot of members would probably prefer reading the stories in one sitting instead of grabbing several issues of the mag just to re-read an arc. I for one wouldn't mind seeing the Shattered Glass stuff in a collection complete with profiles etc.