IDW Publishing Forums

Jaymestarscream · Slayer Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 95 Location: London

Hi guys,

It's been a while since I posted but I wanted to raise an issue that I'm finding increasingly problematic with the way the IDW G1 stuff is going.

I'm very happy that there's so much output and it seems like the ongoing is much improved from its dodgy beginnings.

However, I'm finding it hard to keep track of what is being released as everything seems to be fragmenting and splintering quite a lot now.

I only buy trades and G1 TF is the only comic line I buy - although I get everything (and all the G1 toys). So I don't go to comic book stores and only check in on the forum intermittently.

I see names like Heart of Darkness and Chaos and Infestation and rumours of an online-only comic, the ongoing (which it seems Chaos is actually part of) and the No.81 continuation etc etc - and it's starting to get confusing even for someone moderately hardcore like me (not super hardcore like a lot of the people on this forum!).

I find the same with the toylines - Generations, Reveal The Shield, Masterpiece, Universe.

Now that for both IDW TF comics and toys there is so much stuff out there, it's becoming increasingly tiresome to go through pages of stuff on Amazon every month or so to check if I've missed anything.

So, my suggestion for the IDW team and Hasbro is to simplify things so that more casual fans know where they are, or surely some sales will be missed.

Perhaps for me it would be sufficient to have a sticky as a one-stop shop where all TPBs are listed in release date order (rather than the monthly updates which drop down the lists). Or that could be done on the IDW website under the TFs store - when I last looked a year or so ago it was years out of date. And a similar sticky for UK toys would be good. How to solve the wider problem of the even more casual fans getting confused is a different matter and I'm not sure I have an answer.

bassbot · Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 1:36 am Post subject:

On toys (which has nothing to do with IDW) I don't really mind the divergent strains as they have no bearing generally on character or story imo. Only really the movie lines add characters that might appear in comics or have appeared. Star Wars toys have always had many different types of toys being marketed so it's not a TF-only thing.

On the comics, I've actually found since the launch of the ongoing that it's been easy to follow. IDW's TF comics have been marketed well so i've always known if it was set in the movie-verse or their G1verse.

We started with two mini's alongside the ongoing. Then two more with Drift and Ironhide.
Since then Heart of Darkness is the only major mini we've had (+ Infestation which was an event tied to the four properties).

As far as collecting goes, I'd think that the trades would actually make it easier to get in order and know what's going on. But that could just be me as i'm on here and also in my lcs regularly.
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Sprite · Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 3:19 am Post subject:

It's a bit of a double question, isn't it? Yeah, I do get confused about the toys. It's not really that much of an issue for me as I only buy the ones that appeal to me anyway and that only sporadically.

Comics however - nah, I don't find them confusing. And I'd think they'll be even less so now that we're getting two ongoing series (which I presume will also incorporate minis and Spotlights as short arcs and single-issue-stories). If you pick up the trades, it's just a matter of - well, picking up the trades. I'm sure a list can be found somewhere that lists them in order of publication.

If you want to go even simpler, you could just buy the IDW Collections which will - hopefully - collect all the material by-and-by.
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ultramagnus1 · Transforumer Joined: 12 Feb 2011 Posts: 8224

I only buy characters that interest me and resemble there G1 counterparts.

I enjoyed the ROTF line but surprisingly have little interest in the DOTM line bar maybe "Dino"

I rightly or wrongly usually lump the Generations, Classics and Universe lines into one group and as I said buy the characters that interest me or who will play a role in the Ongoing like say Scourge, Thundercracker or Rodimus.
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ladywreck · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 12:18 pm Post subject:

I have to echo what's already been said honestly.

I only get the toys that really appeal to me. (Comics and toys aren't really done to reflect each other.)

And since IDW has gone to an ongoing storyline, I find the comics are so stinking easy to keep track of... maybe the titles of the trades are getting you confused like "For All Mankind, International Incident, Revenge of the Decepticons... Chaos?" It's not like those titles explain 1-6, 7-12, 13-18, etc.

In which case, just ask anyone here on the forum... we can give you the short end of how it works and clear up any confusion.

The IDW collection is probably the easiest way to get everything collected in order, bound in a nice hardback, for the best price. Only thing is that you have to wait to get them. SO if you are patient its the best.

As for how things are arranged. Depends on what you have and what you last understood how things were working out? I'll just sum up everything since the Ongoing started beginning of 2010:

For All Mankind: (Ongoing issues 1-6)
Bumblebee: (mini series)
Last Stand of the Wreckers: (mini series)
International Incident: (Ongoing issues 7-12)
Ironhide: (mini series)
Revenge of the Decepticons: (Ongoing 13-18)
Heart of Darkness: (mini series)

That's all the current trades. Everything else read on...

Ongoing 19- till 23 which comes out Weds... untitled yet.
We don't know what the lead up trade will be called? I'm guessing Prelude to Chaos? But until the trade is announced it could be anything?

Also there is the Spotlight Prowl which fits more in Ongoing 1-6 area. Still undetermined where that will be traded. And there are also two issues of Infestation. I believe that is in Infestation volume 1. If you are only interested in the Transformers section, try and find the two single issues because the trade will have the two of the other story which honestly doesn't really carry anything into the Transformers track. I'd say skip it but an important plot point sort of wrapped up in it. You might want to read it? (The whole Kup/Prowl thing. Wink

)

Also, you could check out the Underbase podcast... we review stuff weekly and have a news section at the beginning to point out things if you are interested. (Not that I'm trying to shamelessly promote the podcast, I do co-host it. ha ha ha!)
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Jaymestarscream · Slayer Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 95 Location: London

Thanks for the messages - although I think some people must have misunderstood the issue I was trying to raise which was: It would be nice if there were a one-stop list where all trades/new G1-related toys are itemised in order of date release (one list for comic trades, another list for toys - I know IDW isn't to do with toys). So then I would know what was coming out and when and whether there was something new I would want to buy at any given point.

But thanks for the help anyway.

bassbot · Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 3:04 pm Post subject:

On the forum? I think we could probably organise a nice stickied thread for that!

Cattleprod has his thread well-updated for future releases - but for past ones. It'll take a bit of working but I'll get onto it over the weekend.
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Sprite · Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 11:22 pm Post subject:

I think there are lists like that floating around both in and out of the forum, but you need to dig a bit. Would be nice if IDW kept a standard list like that on their site, wouldn't it?
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RackNRuin · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:17 am Post subject:

Not confused at all. A quick scan around a site like this, or tfw2005 and people will bring you up to speed pretty quickly on anything missed.
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ultramagnus1 · Transforumer Joined: 12 Feb 2011 Posts: 8224

Yeah if you google IDW transformer comic list you should get a comprehensive list of all they have issued to date

As far as the toys are concerned the Universe and Generations Lines are the ones for me particularly those which are featured in the Ongoing
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