Transformers Graphic Novels Part 2: Marvel UK
Continuing the GNA’s Transformers Graphic Novels overview…, ladies and gentlemen, may I present the collected Transformer works of Marvel UK.
Read on for more.
Marvel UK’s Transformers
[With Hasbro's European Transformers push, Marvel's British branch, Marvel UK, was issued the challenge of producing Transformers related comics of their own.
You wouldn't imagine this to be a problem. After all, with Marvel USA already producing Transformer comics, the logical course of action would be to reprint America's material.
Unfortunately, Marvel UK's publishing schedule didn't allow a firm reliance on reprints. While the UK comics began at roughly half the page count of an US issue, Marvel UK's Transformers series was originally published biweekly (fortnightly), quickly going weekly for the majority of it's publication life time. Obviously, even with reprinting each US issue split across a couple of UK installments, new fill material was needed. It's this original material which has been collected.
What established continuity do this stories fall into? Incorporating the majority of Marvel USA's material, Marvel UK's Transformers builds on the US storyline with original side stories and expansions. In many regards, it can be considered a "Director's Cut" of Marvel USA's continuity, although many Transformer comic fans would claim this moniker does the series little justice. Marvel UK would often take a few liberties, usually to account for missing US material, and with more room to play, Marvel UK's stories incorporated a great deal more continuity established by the animated Transformers: The Movie. Still, while not identical, Marvel's USA and UK Transformers continuities are definitely parallel with one another.
Marvel UK's Transformers ran a total of 332 issues, from 1984-1992. While not collecting the entire series, Titan Books has produced a number of Marvel UK Transformers collections - published in the US - in the form of two distinct book series. Beginning in 2004, a line of full color, oversized trade paperbacks (collecting much of Marvel UK's original, color material) was produced. And in 2005, Titan began publishing a series of black and white, manga sized digests (collecting Marvel UK's original, B&W Transformers stories).
As mentioned before, Titan is story focused, and these collections certainly reflect this mindset. You won't find complete issue collections here (which isn't altogether unexpected, as UK Transformers issues are almost anthology-like in nature, often featuring non-Transformer backup strips in addition to the primary Transformers stories). Instead, Titan has produced story thematic collections, with most books a combination of multi-issue arcs and single-issue stories.]
Titan Book Collections: Trade Paperbacks
Transformers: Dinobot Hunt
Trade Paperback- $19.95 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
The classic UK comic strip collections continue with more Transformers action starring one of the most popular Transformers teams ever — the Dinobots! Freed after spending four million years trapped in tar, the Dinobots are mad — literally! As they go on the rampage, spreading chaos and carnage across the USA, heroic Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, dispatches a team to capture them before innocent humans die and the Dinobots themselves fall into the hands of the evil Decepticons, who are using them as bait in a deadly Big Game hunt of their own! Packed with bonus material specially created for this volume, this is a collection of classic stories that created a legend! - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #45-50, #74-77, and "Victory!" from Transformers Annual 1986 (Marvel UK).]
Transformers: Second Generation
Trade Paperback- $19.95 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
The robots in disguise are back! Inspired by the top-selling toy line and TV show, this is an ongoing series collecting classic UK and US Transformers comic stories. The comic strip collections from the Transformers UK weekly continue with the Autobots’ human ally, Buster Witwicky, entering the fray and ushering in a second generation of Transformers: the Special Teams! Clad in an experimental exo-suit, and determined to prove he can look after himself, Buster is drawn into a battle against the might of Shockwave, the awesome Devastator and his own Matrix—contaminated psyche. Unknowingly he holds the key to the next step in Transformers evolution, and the Decepticons want it! - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #59-65, 93, 145, 198, and "Dreadwing Down" from Transformers Annual 1989 (Marvel UK).]
Transformers: Target 2006
Trade Paperback- $16.95 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
Never-before-collected - and never-before-published in the US, this reprint of the extremely hard-to-find Transformers UK comic material collects the Target: 2006 storyline from Transformers (UK) #78-88, which relates directly to the events of the DVD smash-hit Transformers: The Movie! Ultra Magnus, Autobot leader in 2006, is torn between two missions - to help his fellow autobots in a last-ditch strike, or to help rescue a vanished Optimus Prime - and to confront Galvatron, who has returned in time to 1986, with deadly plans for the future! Add Megatron, Starscream, and a cast of thousands into the mix - and you’ve got a recipe for all-out Transformers action! - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #78-88.]
Transformers: Prey
Trade Paperback- $19.95 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
The classic comic strip collections from the Transformers UK weekly continue with a tale of triumph and tragedy, set on the Transformers’ home planet of Cybertron. Optimus Prime is on the run, a target not just for the Decepticons’ crack team of hunters, the Predacons, but also his fellow Autobots! Trapped on Cybertron, this may well be the battle Prime doesn’t walk away from. Featuring Ultra Magnus, the Wreckers, Megatron and the shocking return of the most unexpected Transformers villain of all! Plus, Swoop battles his former namesake, Divebomb! Packed with bonus material specially created for this volume, this is pure, unadulterated Transformers heaven! - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #96-100, #103-104, #135-136, "The Chain Gang" from Transformers Annual 1989 (Marvel UK) and "What's in a Name?" from Transformers Annual 1987 (Marvel UK).]
Transformers: Fallen Angel
Trade Paperback- $16.95 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
Continuing Titan’s bestselling Transformers collections, this never-before-collected reprint of the extremely hard-to-find Transformers UK comic material collects the Fallen Angel storyline, which relates directly to the events of the DVD smash-hit Transformers: The Movie! Galvatron has yet again managed to jump back into Earth’s past — but it looks like this time his circuits are really fried, as he initiates a plan to harness an explosion of unimaginable destructive power, and make himself a god! Now, it will take the combined power of the Dinobots, Ultra Magnus, Rodimus Prime and the Decepticons to stop him and save Earth — not to mention a certain crazy bounty hunter from the future — named Death’s Head, yes? - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #101-102, #113-120, and "Vicious Circle" from Transformers Annual 1987 (Marvel UK).]
Transformers: Legacy of Unicron
Trade Paperback- $29.68 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
Continuing Titan’s bestselling Transformers collections, this never-before-collected reprint of the extremely hard-to-find Transformers UK comic material collects the Legacy of Unicron storyline, which relates directly to the events of the DVD smash-hit Transformers: The Movie! Shockwave, Decepticon leader, hires the mercenary Death’s Head to assassinate Rodimus Prime… much to the dismay of his lieutenants, Cyclonus and Scourge. Meanwhile, on Earth, a young journalist, an archaeologist, and an old friend discover Galvatron and Ultra Magnus, entombed in volcanic lava… and on the planet of Junk, the locals are enslaved by an all-powerful, mind-controlling being! But all these threads will weave together — in another awesome showdown with Unicron! - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #133-134, #137-138, and #146-153]
Transformers: City of Fear
Trade Paperback- $29.68 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
Unicron is no more. Galvatron has been destroyed. But for the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons… the war goes on! Continuing the bestselling series of collections featuring the rare UK Transformers stories, originally published as single issues by Marvel UK in the 80s, City of Fear throws the spotlight on the Transformers’ homeworld of Cybertron. Ultra Magnus is finally back home, and the welcome is warmer than he possibly imaged! An old enemy, a rogue Autobot from the planet’s dark past, has resurfaced, with a terrifying agenda. Cybertron and its cities will burn… and the dead will inherit all! Classic Transformers strip action, plus previously unseen bonus material. - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #132, #164-171, #188, and #213-214]
Transformers: Space Pirates
Trade Paperback- $29.68 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
Continuing Titan’s bestselling Transformers collections, this never-before-collected reprint of the extremely hard-to-find Transformers UK comic material collects the Space Pirates storyline, which relates directly to the events of the DVD smash-hit Transformers: The Movie! When a space-time rift materialises near the Quintesson homeworld, the merciless warriors set off to establish a new home planet — and their target is Cybertron! Cunningly manipulating the Autobots and Decepticons into battle and intending to pick off the survivors, the Quintessons in fact unite the old enemies… and then it’s classic, all-out action all the way, especially when Rodimus Prime, Metroplex and Ultra Magnus join the fray! - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #160-161, #172-173, #180-187, and "Ark Duty" from Transformers Annual 1987.]
Transformers: Time Wars
Trade Paperback- $19.95 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
Things fall apart in a big way, as the saga of future Decepticon Galvatron reaches its staggering conclusion! The fabric of space and time itself is in turmoil, disrupted and torn by time anomalies resulting from Galvatron’s dabbling with past and future. Transformers from two eras collide in an attempt to save the entire universe, pitted against two halves of the same whole… Megatron and Galvatron! Spinning out from events in Transformers: The Movie, these hard-to-find UK-originated Transformers stories form an amazing contuinity exclusive to Titan Books. - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #130-131, #189, #199, #200-205, and "Altered Image" and "All in the Minds" from Transformers Annual 1988.]
Titan Book Collections: Manga Digests
Transformers: Aspects of Evil
Tankobon- $7.95 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Transformers! This is the first in a new series of black & white manga-sized books from Titan; featuring stories that have never been collected, Transformers is packed with action and adventure for all ages! Some startling stories are revealed in Aspects of Evil — from a battle with a matrix-powered harbinger of destruction and tales of the depths of Decepticon treachery to the truth about what exactly lurks in the Cybertronian underworld! Featuring work from a stellar cast of UK creators including Staz Johnson (Batman/Aliens 2), Geoff Senior, Simon Coleby and the current Transformers creative team of Simon Furman and Andy Wildman. - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #223-227, #235-236, #240, and #245-247.]
Transformers: Way of the Warrior
Tankobon- $7.95 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of those `robots in disguise’: Transformers! Packed with comic strip action and adventure for all ages, these affordable digest-sized books are a must! Way of the Warrior tells a startling story of a Decepticon who turns to the side of the Angels and defects to the Autobot camp. The Decepticons, however, do not approve of this at all — so they send in the Mayhem Attack Squad to deal with it! Featuring work from a stellar cast of creators including Staz Johnson (Batman/Aliens 2), Geoff Senior, Simon Coleby and the fan-favourite Transformers creative team of Simon Furman and Andy Wildman. - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #219-222, #229, #237-239, #272-274, #282, #283, #249, and #250.]
Transformers: Fallen Star
Tankobon- $7.95 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of those `robots in disguise’: Transformers! Packed with comic strip action and adventure for all ages, these affordable digest-sized books are a must! Fallen Star tells a high-octane mix of stories — from what happens when the `evil Decepticons’ get together in The Bad Guys Ball, to Decepticon lieutenant Starscream’s fall from grace and subsequent resurrection! Featuring work from a stellar cast of creators including Staz Johnson (Batman/Aliens 2), Geoff Senior, Peter Knifton and the fan-favourite Transformers creative team of Simon Furman and Andy Wildman. - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #215-218, #248, #243, #244, #268, #270, #275-277, and #284-286.]
Transformers: Earthforce
Tankobon- $8.95 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
The fourth title in a new series of black & white, digest-sized books featuring stories that have never been collected, Transformers is packed with action and adventure for all ages! With Grimlock in charge of the Autobot force on Earth, we find out exactly what he thinks of the Autobot Code… and the Autobots also get a lesson in how to treat the `fairer sex’ from the only female Transformer, Arcee! Featuring work from a stellar cast of creators including Staz Johnson (Batman/Aliens 2), Geoff Senior, Simon Coleby (Ultimate Nightmare) and the fan-favorite Transformers creative team of Simon Furman and Andy Wildman. - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #228, #234, #261-267, #271, and #278-281.]
Transformers: Perchance to Dream
Tankobon- $8.95 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
The latest in a series of black & white, digest-sized Transformers books, featuring stories never-before-collected stories, Perchance To Dream is packed with adventure for all ages! What do robots dream about? Find out as Galvatron tries to make a nightmarish return from the grave… plus, a tribute to crime novelist Raymond Chandler, as the Autobot Nightbeat takes on the role of private eye — and much, much more! Features work from a stellar cast of creators including Staz Johnson (Batman/Aliens 2), Geoff Senior, Simon Coleby (2000 AD) and the current Transformers creative team of Simon Furman and Andy Wildman. - Amazon.com
[Collecting material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #255-260, #230-233, #241, #242, and #287-289.]
IDW Collections
[Along with collecting Marvel USA material, IDW also publishes collections reprinting popular Marvel UK storylines.]
Transformers: Target: 2006
Trade Paperback - $19.99 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
Collecting the landmark series originally published by Marvel UK! Spun from the story spinning out of the TRANSFORMERS Animated Movie, writer Simon Furman and artists Geoff Senior and Jeff Anderson recount a stars-spanning tale where GALVATRON travels back in time to construct a weapon with which to destroy UNICRON once and for all, and takes on the depleted AUTOBOTS at the same time! It’s a battle that will test all but the most stalwart allegiances. Topping off this collection is a cover gallery featuring the classic cover recreations by Nick Roche. - IDWPublishing.com
[Collecting Transformers: Target: 2006 #1-5, which in turn reprints material originally presented in Transformers (Marvel UK) #78-88. Preview available via IDWPublishing.com.]
Transformers: Best Of The UK: Dinobots
Trade Paperback - $19.99 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
A long-lost mystery surfaces only to become the pawn of a man bent on revenge and a threat to the Autobots! Optimus Prime has no choice but to gather the troops and order a hunt for the rest of the Dinobots! - Amazon.com
[Collecting Transformers: Best Of The UK: Dinobots #1-6, which themselves are anticipated to reprint material from Transformers (Marvel UK) #45-50, 74-77, "Victory" from the 1986 Annual, and "Repeat Performance" from Transformers (Marvel USA) #8. Currently scheduled for a May 2008 release. Preview available via IDWPublishing.com.]
Transformers: Best of the UK: Space Pirates TPB
Trade Paperback- $19.99 (suggested retail)
Check for availability and discount pricing from Amazon.com
When a space-time rift materializes near the Quintesson homeworld, its merciless warriors set off to establish a new home planet - and their target is Cybertron! Cunningly manipulating the Autobots and Decepticons into battle and intending to pick off the survivors, the Quintessons in fact unite the old enemies… and then it’s classic, all-out action all the way, especially when Rodimus Prime, Metroplex, and Ultra Magnus join the fray! - Amazon.com
[Currently scheduled for a May 2008 release, this collection will be reprinting the Transformers: Best of the UK: Space Pirates mini-series.]
[This wraps up another exciting installment of the GNA's Transformers Graphic Novels overview. Coming up - Generation 2!]
Continue with Transformers Graphic Novels, Part 3.