I haven't seen it in shops, but on their website you can order one for click and collect now.

 

If you're starting with this bundle, it's simple: IDW Collections Vol. 1-4 collect EVERYTHING Simon Furman wrote (the '-ations' era), Vol. 5 is 'All Hail Megatron' (the next big series), Vol. 6-8 are Mike Costa's run on the ongoing and all associated mini-series. It's all in order for you!

If you don't fancy reading EVERYTHING, people usually recommend you start with Last Stand Of The Wreckers (which can be found in Vol. 6). As 'required reading' for that, you might want to start with 'Spotlight: Kup', then the first story in 'All Hail Megatron Issue 15', available in Vol. 2 and Vol. 5 respectively.

But say you do. You just read the IDW Collections in order, then the Phase 2 collections in order. Vol. 1-4 of Phase 2 are included, but six volumes have been released so far (the last one collecting up until the end of 'Dark Cybertron', a big event).

I know nothing about G.I. Joe. Sorry. Just read the IDW Collections in order and forget about the rest until afterwards. It all supposedly takes place after All Hail Megatron, but these were only retconned to be the same universe later.

Other IDW Continuity stuff includes:
- Combiner Wars, an event which takes place some time after Dark Cybertron and won't make any sense to you without some books which aren't included here.
- Hearts of Steel, originally an alt-universe which was later retconned into a whole thing during Barber's ongoing Revolutionaries series. That's weird.
- Transformers: Nefarious, a random movieverse ROTF tie-in comic.
- Transformers: Windblade, a four-issue miniseries set straight after Dark Cybertron starring Windblade
- Transformers: Windblade - Distant Stars, a collection that should be read immediately after Combiner Wars.
- Transformers: Salvation, a one-shot which takes place concurrently with Distant Stars but is a sequel to Transformers: Punishment, another one-shot not included here.
- Till All Are One Vol. 1-2, a series starring Windblade which takes place before (Vol. 1) and after (Vol. 2) the Titans Return event, which takes place after CW and again won't make any sense.

Standalone books include:
- Regeneration One Vol. 1-4, which collects the entirety of Simon Furman's continuation of the original Marvel US run.
- Transformers vs G.I.Joe #0, the very first issue of Scioli's weird-as-heck crossover miniseries.
- Transformers vs. G.I. Joe: Tyrants Rise, Heroes are Born, a Dreamwave WWII-set crossover that's here for some reason.

So what's the advice? If you want to jump straight in with the good stuff, start with Phase 2 Vol. 1. That's the beginning of the 'modern era'. If you don't mind slogging through some real ups and downs before getting to that good stuff in order to read from the beginning, start with Phase 1 Vol. 1. If you're familiar with the Marvel US series, Regeneration One should be a decent read. Hearts of Steel is pretty much standalone, as is Tyrants Rise. That's everything you need to know about this bundle. It's definitely worth jumping in at the highest tier because those IDW Collections make reading most of this stuff so simple.

 

Wow, thanks for the answer!

Ive bought the full package and ill probably start from phase 1. I haven't read comics since he early 90s, but as ive been collecting the combiner wars and titans return stuff, Ive been wanting to catch up. As a completest, I will start from the beginning and see how it goes, if its slow, ill skip to phase 2.

I dont mind buying extra comics to fill the package out, is there other bits you recommend?

 

Liverpool Forbidden Planet had 4 Sky Shadows at just under £50 and 1 sixshot hidden behind other stuff for under £55 I already have both but was still cool to see them on shelves in person. They also had at least 2 voyager Broadsides on the top shelf, think just under £30. They had a hot rod and couple twinferno, triggerhappy, no interesting titan masters apart from Overboard (overkill)

Couldn't find any leader Soundwaves in tk max   woulda loved to snag one for £20, gonna wait on TRU to reduce him, probably pay £30 at most.

 

Teeside Park Toys'R'Us has a lot of Brawn and Roadburns, as well as a navy of Broadsides and three Trypticons. Lots of movie stuff too. Only up to Wave 3 Deluxes.

Asda Living, meanwhile, has the Wave 4 Deluxes in, along with a single Getaway, at £20.

 

They had TLK Hotrod also

 

Aw, man, don't do that to me! FP are Import not UK Retail, and my local FPs are the rubbish for Transformers other ones.
Ya got my dander up for Sky Shadow in the UK proper for a moment there!

 

ID Toys has leader Soundwave for £29.99 if that's any good to you?

 

wave 3 deluxe Class for TLK is out now?

 

Scioli's work is pretty interesting, but you might not like it. The complete hardback edition of that crossover series has just come out. LSOTW has a sequel, Sins of the Wreckers, which is set (again) shortly after Combiner Wars. Collectively, Roche's work is the best. There simply haven't ever been better Transformers comics. If you're a fan of the WFC, FOC or Prime franchises, then the IDW tie-in comics were pretty good as far as I remember. No-one ever talks about them. John Barber also did a good job of making the live-action movies 'make sense' with his tie-in comics, but they don't really jive with the tone of the movies themselves. Not really Transformers, but Barber's Action Man miniseries is something I found myself really enjoying, and that character continues through Revolution and into Revolutionaries.

Jim Sorenson's The Complete Allspark Almanac is a great read if you liked Transformers: Animated, but here's a darkhorse recommendation: his work with David Bishop on the Beast Wars: Uprising prose stories is easily the best Transformers prose I've ever read. TF Wiki explains that nicely.

I suppose this is a sightings thread, so I'll throw in an obligatory 'I've seen nothing'. B&M restock when, huh?

 

Wandsworth Entertainer has TR Optimus and Megatron back in at £27 and a restock of stuff like Mindwipe and Wolfy at £23. I'm sure they will remain there until they remember they couldn't sell them at that price last time around. Hardly any Fillum stuff except Beserker and Grimlock. Get em while they're hot.

 

have asked in the UK thread, but figured here would be as good a place to ask too -
If anyone's local B&M still has a CW Trailbreaker for a tenner, can someone pick it up for me? - will cover costs and postage


thanks in advance

 

Just picked up a sharkticon gnaw in asda for £3. Sweet!

I paid £12 for one a while back.  

 

PM incoming  

 

If anyone in the North East needs a CW Leader Skywarp for 25 quid. The new B&M in Hartlepool has approximately 12 billion of them.

 

I meant Titans Return. Sorry bout that  

 

their probably tying with southend in the warp-a-thon then lol.

the buggers are like 5 deep on the rack there.

 

Only 1 deep in Ashington...

 

In B&M today searching for, and finding, the Cyberman/Controller/Sontaran 3 pack.

We saw an oversized Hotspot KO that I hadn't seen before!

Pic to follow.