Okay, so it's not that hard like the new stuff with all the subtitles and numbering resets. You just read issues 1-80, right? Well yeah, but there are side stories and crossovers that are in universe. Off the top of my head, I know of the GI Joe crossover and the Headmasters mini-series. In the past, I just matched them up by the month/year inside the front page. The problem is that I feel the stories work better to read the whole series. Going back and forth disrupts the flow. Especially when binge reading. So at what issue numbers should I break off the main book to read the mini-series and then jump back in? Like, I don't want to break off too soon and read about Bumblebee dying at the hands of GI Joe only to come back and him still be alive. I also wouldn't want to break off too late and have him just disappear and maybe someone say he died, and I'd have no idea when it happened. Similar thing with the Headmasters. I don't want to be reading and then all of a sudden, here's these new characters with Nebulons. I'd want to read Headmasters before they are introduced into the main books. So who knows off the top of their heads what issues are the best places to break off? I want to read through again, but I want to get these mini-series in the right place.
Headmasters leads into 38, follows a new cast so could probable start anytime before then. EDIT: And I forgot the GI Joe crossover, you can blame Deaths Head for that Anyway, the almighty tfwiki says that starts from #23 and goes to #27. Not of the top of my head, sue me.
Thanks for the reply. So basically, read Headmasters after issue 37. I also saw the wiki post about GI Joe. Which is kinda what led me to ask. Should I read it after 23 or before 28? Any idea what issue of the main comic first deals with bumblebee's death? I'd imagine reading it just before that would be best.
The old Titan reprints just puts all 4 issues of Headmasters immediately after 37. So after 37, read HM 1-4, then go back to 38, more or less. Bumblebee dies and is rebuilt as Goldbug all within the GI Joe and TF miniseries. So basically, if you don't read that (or the alternate UK story that kills and rebuilds Bee in a different way) then one issue, he's Bumblebee, and the next he's Goldbug with basically no explanation. And are you considering reading the UK material together with the US stuff? It makes the reading order more of a headache, and doubles the content, but I would say that the full US/UK story is the best TF continuity overall.
The last time I read it, I read the UK and US stuff together. This time, I just wanna do the US stuff ( since I've forgotten most of the stories ) and get that experience. According to the wiki, it looks like Bumblebee last appeared in issue 21. Goldbug first shows up in issue 28. That's quite the gap, but somewhat understandable in a month to month where he's in another book for 4 months. Are there any other events in the crossover that would affect or be affected by the crossover? Maybe that would help me narrow down the two issues to read it between.
Okay, so it looks like the GI Joe crossover should be read between issues 23 and 24. The aerialbots are in the crossover and they were only introduced in issue 21. Optimus is in the 3rd issue of the crossover, but he dies in issue 24. So after 23 is the best place for it. Nevermind, he's in that issue as a dead bot. So maybe after 24? Or could this be the series that has to be split? Further investigation is required. Third edit: Okay, so Optimus is alive in the first issue, but then dead by the third. Looks like the best way to read it is to split it. Basically read issue 23, then the first two of the crossover, then 24, then the last two.
You have to read the G.I. Joe vs. mini in between issues of Transformers. Read it like this: TF 23 ---> G.I.Joe vs. 1 ---> TF 24 ---> G.I.Joe vs. 2 ---> TF 25 ---> G.I.Joe vs. 3 ---> TF 26 ---> G.I.Joe vs. 4. As I recall there's actually tight continuity, at least on the Transformers side. Optimus's death is mentioned in G.I.Joe vs. 2, the Decepticons' island base is depicted under construction in 4 (of course the dead Seekers also appear so it's not perfect), there's maybe a couple more incidental continuity nods. Interestingly enough, I think it's G.I.Joe vs. 3 that actually depicts Prime's funeral in more detail than TF 26!
Megatron's death is also reflected in the crossover. As is Cobra Commander and Destro's "deaths" in the G.I.Joe ongoing. Basically, Marvel picked the worst 4 months to put out this crossover!
I was really trying to avoid the back and forth, alternating issues thing. Though it might be necessary with this crossover.
According to Mark W. Bellomo in the latest TF Vol. 8: GIJ / TF #1 takes place after TF #23 GIJ / TF #2 takes place after TF #24 So Ikkstakk's order is correct, even if you didn't look at Bellomo's text.
