So what's the best reading order for the IDW continuity?

Proud Nintendo · May 6, 2020

2005 obviously.

There's some many issues, I don't know where to begin or how to read them in order.

Lucas35 · May 6, 2020

This old threads can help you:

And you can skip the other Hasbro comics that are not of Transformers, minus the crossovers and Revolutionaries.

IDW Transformers Complete Reading Order (2005-2018)

Agamus said: ↑

I was thinking about going back and reading Revolution, so I took a look at the chronology notes on TFWiki. Then I blacked out and 72 hours later this existed:

View attachment 28385565

The above is my personal reading order / guide / list / "binge-map" to the two-dozen or so titles that comprise the IDW Generation One Transformers continuity, including all Revolution and First Strike-era crossovers. It's not easy to parse unaided so I made this to share my knowledge and help any newcomers have an easier read.

The ordering flows from the top downwards on each page, and within each page separate but concurrent series are divided next to each other. E.g.:

- Infiltration and Stormbringer take place near-exactly simultaneously (to the point of having a scene in common),
- MTMTE and RID are set lightyears apart outside of intersecting in Dark Cybertron and Titans Return,
- Micronauts Vol. 1 is set in an entirely different universe until the very end, etc. etc.

3-Part Version (better resolution):

View attachment 28378434

View attachment 28385563

View attachment 28378433

Official IDW "Reader's Guides":
View attachment 28136799 View attachment 28136798

Railroad vs Nonlinear
When making this guide I almost immediately came to the conclusion that it isn't actually possible to make a definitive single reading order for the series because, well, it isn't actually a single series. As stated above it's made of made of dozens of titles, and at maximum 8 at once were running simultaneously, each with completely distinct narratives. That isn't so much a problem in Phase One, this format just helps to accommodate a few "floating" miniseries, but starting in Phase Two we have long stretches where concurrent series have little-to-no direct intersection whatsoever. Outside three very overt crossovers and a few lesser cameos, the writers of Phase Two did not coordinate their stories together very strongly, rather having separate stories simply set in the same universe. This guide attempts to avoid arbitrations in hacking up and mixing together narratives that have no bearing each other, when really no set order improves that greatly on the experience of any other.

By way of example, when I first read Phase Two I blazed straight through the first "season" of More than Meets the Eye, hit Dark Cybertron, and only then realized I'd needed to backtrack and read RID to fully understand it. No problems at all, only issue #1 of MTMTE is ever referenced directly by RID before that point, and MTMTE S1 doesn't reference RID at all. But they were released side-by-side concurrently (MTMTE #1, RID #1, MTMTE #2, RID #2 etc.), so switching between the two series between issues or between arcs or whenever you feel is totally valid as well. Or you can just read one side or the other, as either series make for fine reads individually.

This is also part of why the Hasbroverse is listed separately from season three, that segment functions as it's own isolated guide for the Revolution/First Strike plotlines.

But if that's too confusing, It's mainly designed to go left to right, then down.
Click to expand...

Jalaguy · May 7, 2020

I've got a list here:

IDW Reading Guide.xlsx

Really though, you should be fine with most reading lists so long as you avoid any that tell you to read Megatron Origin first.

Friendross · Jun 6, 2020

ive been buying the phase 2 hardcovers... the way they have everything layed out so far has been amazing

Cliffjumper · Jun 7, 2020

But the phase one and two collection's.

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So what's the best reading order for the IDW continuity?

Proud Nintendo Well-Known Member

Lucas35 Well-Known Member

Jalaguy has no known physical weaknesses

Friendross Well-Known Member

Cliffjumper Least insane TF fan

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So what's the best reading order for the IDW continuity?

Proud Nintendo Well-Known Member

Lucas35 Well-Known Member

Jalaguy has no known physical weaknesses

Friendross Well-Known Member

Cliffjumper Least insane TF fan

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