"The Transfomers was the first piece of fictional media ever" - Bobbyskullface

Although not consistent, totes agree that DW had some iconic designs (shoutout to Don Figueroa! Designs so good IDW had to take em)

I tried to reread my old Marvel comics a decade ago. They were not compelling, so I sold them on Ebay. IDW is light-years better storytelling.

I think Furman's Target: 2006 - Time Wars Run probably is closer to "modern" IDW TF than the early Budiansky stuff. I think Geoff Senior's art is really great. I have similar problems reading through the original US run until Furman took over. Furman was doing long form storytelling whereas Budiansky seemed to take it issue by issue.

Comixology has an extensive library at affordable prices. No need to hunt the stuff down book by book or issue by issue. No issues with paper either.

I started with the Kindle version of the IDW PH1 Vol 1. Read through it, no worries. Less than $20 vs $50 for the hardbound, I took it. I was able to read a few newer Marvel comics hard paper copies that I got from the dollar store, and man, the reading experience is just so much better than reading the electronic. Long story short, splurge on the paper not the digital copies!!!!

I agree with every single word Mr. Skullface just said about the TF comics.

MTMTE was so good.

Marvel US is myG1. Was introduced to TF's by the cartoon but then I picked up issue #3 and 4. I kept watching the cartoon, but it was the Marvel US comics that was what I was really looking forward to. Reading issues again and again. And when in the early 00's I read them again, I felt the shivers going down my spine. Currently re-reading them again and discussing them on TFW, I'm still loving them. Bob Budiansky had such a different take on TF's (very machine-like with them just being very advanced A.I.), lots of continuity, drama surrounding the Headmasters issue, and his stories are often smarter than they appear at first glance. Even a ridiculed issue like Car Wash holds many smart ideas (Decepticon hanging in the background while hypnotised humans deliver fuel without any risk to the Decepticons), or what to think of Grimlock's rule that perhaps was very smart (humans were a serious threat to TF's and he kept them safe from this). I do have to notice that to my knowledge those methods of reading you suggested have one big drawback. Marvel owned certain characters (most notably Circuit Breaker) that were blockcoloured black in those reprints.

Completely agree with your take. There's a special place in my heart for the tail end of the G1 run at Marvel. Furman, Senior and Wildman crafted a solid finish to the series that I love to this day, but that being said IDW is superior..... Dreamwave inferior.(couldn't help myself). I'm really looking forward to hearing what you think of the IDW run once you've gotten all of it. Thanks again for all the great content.

Just finished IDW's Phase One, I'm onto vol.2 of Phase Two. Really enjoying these stories and artwork. The Wreckers need their own stand alone movie, cartoon or live action.

Oh boy, I love SIt Down Saturday.

I grew up loving the Marvel stuff. I did read some of the Dreamwave era, and knowing what you said regarding Pat Lee, that saddens me that he burned his fellow creators. But yeah, the IDW era stuff has been some of the best reading of the Transformers I've ever experienced. Everything pretty much figures into continuity down to the spotlight issues.

I had a collection of Transformers dreamwave comics, the amazing artwork was what got me hooked but like an idiot back in 04 I gave them all away to my little cousins. I just recently bought back some from eBay just for the nostalgia and artwork

Thank you for this highly informative video. There's really no type of information outhere like this. Really appreciated! ⭐♥️

My legendary Tuesday night I D DUB hangout. Legendary is a stretch but we enjoy the hell out of it. Comic Life sunz Peace!

marvel comics and idw make best transformers stories for me

Agreed with the "Time Buble" I have had the same experience. 80's Transformers is hard to get into.

I recently decided I want to read some of the Transformers comics but didn't know where to start, so I've been looking at videos and reading articles and it all seemed so confusing, this collection here, these volumes there, etc. So just now I did a youtube search for Transformers comics where to start and this, a video that I have already watched, popped up. Gotta love that covid brain.

Very helpful, I'm going to start getting into the Transformers comics and now I have a place to start, thanks!

I have 6 out of the 8 of the phase 1 IDW collection thanks to your guidance! Really appreciate you making this video and I agree that the hardcovers are the way to go. Not the cheapest method, but definitely the easiest to check off of the list when you are looking for them If you ever did a video showing your definitive IDW representation figures on your shelves I'd love to see that too!

Can you do a similar video on the G.I.Joe comics? It sucks how they stopped the hardcovers at Vol 8, with Vol 9 now about 5 years overdue. Same sort of half-assed IDW situation where the rest can only be found in softcover Classic volumes and they overlap a bit.

Quick note on Ms. Skullface’s animation: I loved it. Exceptional variety in point view, sophisticated direct observation, and a subtle sense of expression brought the characters to life. I wish my own students had that kind of passion and ingenuity at such a young age! I am sure her next work, in whatever medium she chooses to investigate, will be just as brilliant. Congratulations!

One thing that you always neglect to mention is how great IDW, as a company, is with their digital sales. Unlike most other digital comic sales, they allow you to actually download what you buy and read your purchase on your own media platform.

I think your daughter did an awesome job, as a graffiti we all start somewhere and I think she did great job I enjoyed it. Keep it going!!!👍🏽🙏🏽

I'm in the UK and have been collecting the Hachette Partworks definitive G1 collection since it was released here nearly 4 years ago, I just wish I had a shelf big enough to display them as the spines of all 100 issues form a large Transformers mural.

I am currently reading the original comic line to my kids right now. We just got to the Car Wash of Doom tonight.

I liked the animations, made sense that your mouth didn't move since the skull is a mask.

She did an AMAZING job with her animation. I personally loved how it reminded me of the really older episodes with skullface an his headset drawing just doing some sitdown taking with people, betting a lot have forgotten those. Not gonna lie, the entire time it was being animated I kept expecting Skullface to put on a headset, or a guy in a batman mask walk thru shot to homage those old animated talking shows, lol. :D

I owned the same two issues of the Marvel Comic that you mentioned when I was a kid. Those were the only 2 I had...but I’m in on IDW, the stories are interesting and I get invested in them so deeply at times! I have all 19 volumes of the collection and I’m reading volume 1 at the moment

Please pass on my congrats to your daughter for the great animation...I forgot to mention the other day. I thought It added a lot to the discussion watchabiity and fit in well. I didn’t really have any criticisms either other than maybe animating those not talking a bit more, but that’s very minor; I liked the backdrop too, so don’t feel she needed to animate that. I’m sure with time she’ll impress even more. Great work there!

Dreamwave brought me back into Transformers in a BIG way. The art and colors were so striking and grabbed my attention when I wasn’t necessarily looking. It got me to start a “box” with a local comic shop where they would keep each issue for me, including the multiple cover options that I would check once a month with them and I loved it. I tried to migrate over to IDW. But not knowing much about comics and how they work, it confused me. I wanted my DW stories resolved. I was immediately turned off by the dull colors and were proportions and character designs. I only last a few issues until I cancelled my subscription to them and never looked back.

same with me!!! Dreamwave got me back into TFs since i had the whole Marvel run and since Action Masters figures. i loved all the art

I just finished volume 8 in phase 1 and loved reading the whole thing. Loved the story/character threading that they did and found it very interesting to unfold. Can't wait to start phase 2. I saw these on your shelf a long time ago and decided to pull the plug long before this vid, glad I did. Thanks as always for the great review and info.

I liked that your mouth didn't move in the animation

Thanks for video Bobby. I totally agree about idw. I've just finished combiner wars and so far idw is simply the best transformers story ever. I only have a legends class collection but I am trying to a lost light shelf (cant fin the ship though)

awesome! thanks for the cohesive Marvel US and UK rundown ,I now have a good place to start .

I wasn't sure if that was the episode that your daughter animated, so I didn't comment. I was actually quite surprised at how "animated" it was. Very expressive and emotive. I hope she continues to go, at an early age; she'll be really good. As an artist yourself, I'm sure you've already told her "Practice, practice and practice."

Thank you for the tip on the definitive collection. I've been reading the classics UK collections but didn't know how I'd continue after the last volume.

This was much needed and welcomed discussion. Thank you.

The uk g1 comics are the best, g2 is fantastic as well, last stand of the wreckers,and the new 84 idw series is great too, but i cannot stand a lot of idws pre reboot stuff.

loved the marvel comics as a lad but I've not read them in 30 years, so I can bet they've not aged well. at least I was spoilt being in the UK with the extra stories.

Great video about the comics... I have an the original G1 US and many of the UK. I realize they aren't worth anything but I wish there were a way to get them to people who would enjoy them. I've had my enjoyment and they've been in boxes (bagged and carded) for years. Shipping costs are crazy these days and I don't know people who live near me.

As sad as I am to admit this, I agree the Marvel comic is a bit difficult to digest today. I had it delivered to the door as a kid and I am slowly re-collecting it as an adult..but it's mostly for nostalgia reasons. DW also got me back into Transformers in the early 2000's and I ached to know where that story would have gone, IDW went a bit wonky and I lost interest after years of loyalty. All in all there's gold in each line but IDW takes the crown for me.

👍🙏#METOO, SKULLY OL' BUDDY🙏 I couldn't get thru the Marvel run for the same reason's. But, DREAMWAVE (War With-In) brought me back into READING EVERYTHING and boy was I hooked - then IDW grew chest hair for me 😁

Awesome topic 👍 I recently finished my marvel G1 & G2 collection with a handful of doubles and UK books. I am not a fan of the style like you mentioned , but they were the books I had as a kid .It took me several years . I have a lot of the DW books as well . IDW I'm just getting started...I decided on those to get the hardcover books .... I do like some of the character variations in the G1 books , shockwave and grimlock for example.... Good stuff sir

It's nice hearing someone else say that they're not super into the Marvel G1 comics. I'm personally not a fan of comics as a whole from around that time because of stuff like the artwork and the writing. It's one of the main sides of Transformers that I haven't gotten into because of it.

The art in the recent IDW reboot of Transformers sucks.

i like dreamwave's transformers comics, both g1 and armada, maybe idw will do something with this like the regeneration one comics .

G1 comics was a complete masterpiece work of art. I recently re-read it and found great new things i never previously noticed before. I never realized how religious and spiritual g1 in fact was. I personally prefer the animation account of the transforners genesis, but the comic version is still actually pretty cool.

I am not sure why I noticed how big Bobby’s hands are in this video 😂

I may try the Idw

I have all the dream wave book and posters. I love them dispite the controvers

Bobby "hates everything Marvel" Face!

This was super helpful! I was never exposed to the comics as a kid, and by the time I found out about them the backlog was so huge that I was a bit overwhelmed by it all. I do have a question though, my 7 year old absolutely loves Transformers and has just started to read comics. He's seen all of the US and Japanese cartoons from the 80s, as well as the recent RID and Cyberverse shows, and loved all of it. What iteration of Transformers comics would be good for a kid his age to get started on, if any?

Can someone explain the Dreamwave logo? What the hell is it? Is that a man with blowing white hair? What’s the red part? Is it supposed to be a shoulder and arm? It doesn’t look like an arm.

Wow literally 2 hours ago I picked up mtmte for a bit of a re-read. That’s ironic

Unusually, i agree with a lot of ur takes re: the comics. Dreamwave gets shat on but I think Pat Lee's stylised designs really made Transformers "cool" again. And Hasbro meddling in IDW for the want of some kind of expanded universe definitely ruined the continuity.

Andrew GriffiTH

When it comes to Marvel, I think the UK is much better and that's where some of the iconic stories come from like Target 2006. Sadly, I've only read about 2 Dream Wave issues, I need to get more into it, I do love the art. I do love IDW1. Wreckers, MTMTE Season 1, and the first trilogy are some of the greatest TF stories of all time. That's why I'm sad IDW2 sucks.

Obligatory "Classics US digital recolor bad", "IDW Collection reading order bad" comment.

Never liked the marvel series a few were ok but overall wasn't a fan I loved dream wave just wished it never went bankrupt the idw is hit and miss

The Marvel Transformers stuff makes me cringe. I feel that Dreamwave really set the bar. I don't like all of their stylistic choices, but as a whole, it looked awesome. IDW falls short for me. IDW has had some great ideas, but I have tried several times, just can't get into IDW.