I'm still hoping that IDW do over-sized hardcovers blending the US and UK runs (at close to original UK size). I figured they'd do them when they finished the TF UK Classics trades, given they did the same with GI Joe as soon as they finished releasing it in paperback. But that was when the TF UK trades were still coming out and before the Joe Complete Collections stalled too...

 

Is it still looking like the Marvel adaptation of the 80s animated movie won't be collected? Am I the only one who thinks this is a pre-cursor to Target 2006 and should have been included in that volume?

 

I wouldn't have minded it between Marvel G1 and Regeneration as I would've appreciated the editorial conceit of it having been ordered in sequence with when the film is set rather than real-world chronological publication date but, yeah, still seems a glaring omission seeing as the continuity between UK & US strips is already a little wibbly-wobbly, Target:2006 and Time Wars even make it a sort of comic continuity Days of Future Past.

 

Nice to see this is still going. The only thing I've received Hachette-wise since November is a threatening letter from some so-called collection agency.

 

How come?

 

Because they are completely incompetent. The people at their call centre don't know why they are there and emails seem to go straight out into space. There is no story, they just stopped sending books, ignored all communication and have now gone through the bailiffs for £44 I don't owe them.

 

It's been two weeks since my 6th and last copy of volume 71 was sent to me. They have now decided that as they are incapable of sending me the wrong book they will instead handle the situation by ignoring me. I haven't heard from them for two weeks now even though I have sent them four e-mails in that time. In the one I sent them today I have told them I will be withholding payment for any books going forward until they can send me the replacement to volume 60 I have requested for the last two months. Hard to believe how incompetent they are.

 

Ive seen the wiki list or whatever that shows what is inclided in these volumes. But is there a list of the exceptions, of what is not included?
Eg someone mentioned above no tf movie adaptation.

 

You have to wonder if someone is doing it on purpose or if they dont know what numbers are?
Bad comedy indeed.

 

Personally while it's nice to see the black and white stories in colour, the colouring isn't great. I realise they're trying to get a feel for the time but I'd prefer modern colouring or get a feel of the earlier UK stuff when they were properly painted until the end of Target 2006.

As for Time Wars being printed after Underbase, I do remember the letters page saying that according to the instory chronology, Time Wars was supposed to be set after Underbase but they wanted Time Wars to link in with issue 200.

Of course, Hoist might have something to say...

 

I bet they won't be incompetent or slow to act when threatening you with legal action and bailiffs like they did with Master Disaster above.
You really need to get this out on their Facebook page, and not in the community comments where most people don't go, but in one of the more public main threads where everyone can read about your experience and Hatchette might get shamed into pulling their finger out and fixing this.

Is there some kind of official publishing standards body you can contact and report this whole mess to?

 

Yep, do a public post on FB. That's the only way I got any response from them after multiple emails.

I just got my replacement volume 2 new order, but they have Sent ISSUE 2 strormbringer.

So the merry-go-round starts again .

I'll give them the obligatory few days, several emails and facebook message and see what happens.

 

Maybe get the BBC involved through one of their consumer affairs shows on BBC Radio 4 or perhaps watchdog?

 

This is giving me flashbacks to collecting The Tree of Knowledge from Marshall Cavendish in the 80s. First issue 50p, all remaining issues £2.50!

 

Hey, Australian fan here who's only just now learned that this has been available in Australia since late last year and is thinking of subscribing. Is this series worth it? I mean, it looks awesome. Almost too awesome. There's got to be a catch.

Just wanted some honest opinions from people who've already been collecting them before I sign my life away. Thanks.

 

There are plenty of catches:

* Numerous print errors (pages being in the wrong order etc) in at least four volumes now (I think). Now, Hachette always "make it good" with replacements, but the absence of a (decent) proof-editor or quality checks in place is alarming.

* Not truly "definitive" - we've already been told, for example, that the Marvel adaptation of TF:TM is not being included. You couldn't get more "G1" than that, could you!? Yet a 4-issue story from the old "Transformers Armada" comic is being included, despite the only G1 link being the appearance of four characters thanks to alternate universe shenanigans. We're told the Marvel G2 run doesn't fit (and there have been a few snidey editorial comments about G2 from Furman thrown out in order to boost Regeneration One's standing with fans...), we're also getting only "selected" UK Annual stories, no Marvel GI Joe crossover, and I'm sure there are some omissions from IDW as well.

* Sequencing of stories: I was only getting the Marvel-based volumes anyway (I say "was", as after the "Dinobot Hunt" volume sequencing I think I will drop this in frustration!) but I know later volumes are affected as well. There are some really odd decisions made with regards to the sequence of stories as published. I know Phase One of IDW is a little all over the place ("Infiltration" should be followed by "Stormbringer" but I think there are three other volumes in between them...) but Marvel is just plain frustrating. The worst offender has to be the latest "Dinobot Hunt" volume. The stories "Brainstorm" and "Prime Time" (which ran as US #11-12, reprinted in UK #37-40) are included alongside UK #41-50. Well, makes sense that UK #37-40 are first, followed by UK #41-50, right? Um, no. For...a-hem..."reasons"...we get #41-50, followed by the original preceding issues.

* No UK amendments to the US stories, except when it suits. When originally reprinted in the UK, some of the US stories had dialogue or even picture edits in order to "fit in" with the UK stories and make them more seamless (remember, this collection made a big to-do about the Marvel stories being collected US/UK in order for the first time!). These aren't reprinted in this collection. Even if they didn't want to mess around with the US issues, some sort of annotation or note would have been welcome. This is the official policy, and yet with vol 14 "Space Pirates", they include the amended page 22 of "The Big Broadcast of 2006", with an additional dialogue box which segues into the (UK-added) last page of the story. Clearly if they can source this page from the original UK issue (and don't mind not reprinting the US issue untouched) then why not others?

I am sure others will have further complaints - e.g. around the subscription, deliveries, dealing with issues etc but the above are my main problems with it. For what it's worth, I also think the covert art for each volume is pretty lousy but that's a smaller point.

Would I collect it? Depends if you have the stories elsewhere or if you're somebody heavily into this and care about the issues above (like I do obviously) . If so, I would probably say "no". If it's all 'new' to you, then I guess if you accept the flaws, you're still getting some great stories at the end of the day!

 

Thanks for the info. Taking all this into consideration, I think I might give them a miss. I already own all my favourite stories in print, and the rest I have as digital copies, so I’d probably only get them to look nice on my shelf anyway. Probably not worth it. Save some money that I can waste on some cool toys later.

 

I just received my 7th copy of volume 71. I don't know how much clearer I can be with them about which book I need replacing. I don't think I've ever encountered such stupidity with a company before.

 

Timewars happens before Underbase. Underbase Grimlock & the Dinobots are all killed. They are not killed in Timewars

 

For someone who wants to get into reading G1 Marvel Comics, I have four questions about this service:

1. How is their customer service?
2. Do they deliver the correct issues on time?
3. Is the price of £9.99 worth it for each issue?
4. How does this compare to alternatives, such as Comixology?

Thank you.