I just wanna bump this to say thanks and hope you continue to edit and update the 2nd reading order.

I like to read things in the published order. I want to experience the story as it came out and order the events and continuity myself.

Chronological orders are nice for some things but with most comics I like to read in the order of retail release.

 

Everytime I do update the bloody thing it drops off the first page in a matter of days as we're still stuck with stickies that class DW/DD as the "current" comics.

The bump was a timely reminder to go update the first post though!

 

Looks like its time to bug the mods to sticky these IDW order threads.  

 

Yeaaaa at this point they should just sticky this thread. Dreamwave is like...hella old news, and your list is the shiznet.

 

shameless bump for a nice list that I use   can this be stickied/updated?

 

I should update it yes, sorry, I slack because it keeps falling from sight!

 

I'll PM a mod and see what we can do. This list is the best!

 

I almost started a thread looking for this info. Glad i wasn't lazy and looked! Bumping it to remind moderators that this needs to get stickied to the top!

Rodimus Star to AdyCarter for keeping up with this!

 

Stickied. Great resource, drop me a line if you need any help keeping this up to date!

 

Huzzah. Lets hope all the threads stop now.

Got a busy week, but aim to get this fully current by the end of next week.

 

I would add one more recommendation to reading order 1, and that would be to put Chaos Theory (TF Ongoing #22 and #23) before Autocracy. Plus, more James Roberts goodness.

 

This is the published time line we need the official order of events. Example we just got spot light thundercracker earlier this year but that part of the story is close to the beginning of the continuity

 

Reading them in that order spoils the suprises of many issues though. This is a reading order, not a chronological order.

 

Exactly. They are meant to be read in the order in which they were released, not their chronological orders. Reading them chronologically will spoil countless plots throughout the series.

Think of it this way, the newer Star Wars trilogy is technically "before" the old one chronologically, but watching them that way would completely ruin the surprise of Vader being Luke's father.

 

How can it ruin things? That's like saying star wars was only good cause it went forwards then backwards. No its good if u watch it as they came out and its also good watching them from 1 to 6 in a row. If the whole spoiling things was an issue not as many people would have wanted to watch ROTS we all new anakin was going to the dark side and we all knew he was lukes father.

A good story can be told either way

 

Okay? Well, it's not the OP's job to reformat the entire list because you feel like reading them in a different order. Figure it out yourself?

 

made some updates, aiming to do a lot of work on this during this week.

Pretty much this. With a couple of exceptions (Autocracy, Monstrosity and Spotlight Hoist/Trailcutter) the issues are best read in the order they were published. Not in chronological order of events within them as:

1: The list would become a big fluid timey wimey mess.
2: Plot points would get totally ruined, the revelation at the end of Shadowplay for example.
3: Dealing with flashback sequences in issues would be a nightmare, as would the part of Syndromica on LV118.
4: The first thing on the list would be the 2012 MTMTE Annual, which would just be bizarre.

This thread offers 2 reading orders, one for people to get up to speed with the current ongoings and one offering the full IDW run. If you want the complete history of the IDW universe then this: IDW timeline - Transformers Wiki is as good as it gets.

 

A good LINEAR story. Star Wars is a linear set of movies, the comics are anything BUT.

The Autocracy takes place after Megatron's Origin, however Autocracy relies on you having read the Chaos Theory two parter which doesn't come up until much later. And Chaos Theory in itself is a flashback issue so by your logic those two issue should be put in chronological order? Well you can't do that because they have another story going on that is a direct continuation of Revenge of the Decepticon arc.

Or Monstrosity which relises on you having read the MTMTE othervise you won't get half of the references and significanse of certain items.

Or how Spotlight Soundwave makes no fucking sence without previously reading Stormbinger.

And what are we going to do with flashback issues? There are tons of flashback material in stories that must be read in published order or you're left with reading 3 pages out of his book and 5 pages out of this book and then 10 pages ouf of another book and so on.

American comics in general are MEANT to be read in the release order. If you want it other way figure it out but don't come here later complaining how nothing makes sence and how you don't get half the shit that's going on.