Transformers (comics)

There have been four main publishers of the comic book series bearing the name Transformers based on the toy lines of the same name. The first series was produced by Marvel Comics from 1984 to 1991, which ran for 80 issues and produced four spin-off miniseries. This was followed by a second volume titled Transformers: Generation 2, which ran for 12 issues starting in 1993. The second major series was produced by Dreamwave Productions from 2002 to 2004 with multiple limited series as well, and within multiple story continuities, until the company became bankrupt in 2005. The third and fourth series have been published by IDW Publishing with the third series starting with an issue #0 in October 2005 and a regular series starting in January 2006 to November 2018. The fourth series started in March 2019 with issue #1 and concluded in June 2022. There are also several limited series being produced by IDW as well. Skybound Entertainment began publishing Transformers comics starting in June 2023, kicking off the Energon Universe. In addition to these four main publishers, there have also been several other smaller publishers with varying degrees of success.

The Transformers comic by Marvel was the first and arguably the best known Transformers comic. Although it was originally intended to be a 4-issue limited series, it expanded into an ongoing series, which ran for 80 issues before being cancelled. The final cover read "80 in a 4 issue limited series". Issues #5–15, 17–32, 35–42 and 44–56 were written by Bob Budiansky, with Marvel UK writer Simon Furman taking over for the remainder of the comic. The comic did not attempt to follow the show and some elements and characters were completely absent, including Ultra Magnus, Springer, Arcee, and Metroplex. The comic started much the same as the show; a crew crash landing the Ark on Earth in the distant past. They are befriended by Buster Witwicky. His brother Spike eventually joins the cause as Autobot leader when he became the head of commander Fortress Maximus. There occurs a considerable amount of fractioning and in-fighting in both the Autobots and Decepticons. However, the series climax occurs when both sides, Autobots and Decepticons, form an uneasy peace to defend Cybertron from Unicron.

A few of the early issues were reprinted by Marvel in a digest sized magazine called The Transformers Comics Magazine that ran 10 issues from 1987 to 1988. Marvel had also reprinted some of these early issues in 1985, as the Transformers Collected Comics which ran 2 issues.

In latter years, when various other companies were able to obtain the license for the Transformers, they were able to gain access to the Marvel series and reprinted a lot of the issues. From 2001 to 2003, Titan Books reprinted numerous Marvel issues in a series of 14 trade paperbacks. Years later they were able to do more reprints but only in the U.K. market.

IDW Publishing (the current rights holders to the Transformers comic property) reprinted numerous Marvel issues as well, as part of the Transformers: Generations series that ran 12 issues and a collected trade paperback from 2006 to 2007. Issues were also reprinted in The Transformers Magazine, that ran four issues in 2007, while other collections were published in 2008 and 2009. IDW began publishing another new series of reprints called Transformers Classics. This six volume series started getting published in June 2011. Meanwhile, a 100 Penny Press: Transformers Classics #1 mini edition was also published in June 2011. Some issues were also reprinted in the hardcover book Transformers: The Best Of Simon Furman in July 2007. In March 2014, the first issue of the series was reprinted as 100 Penny Press: Transformers #1

In July 2012, to prepare the new series Transformers: Regeneration One (which continued the Marvel series after 21 years), IDW Publishing released Transformers: Regeneration One 100-Page Spectacular. This one-shot reprinted issues 76–80 of the Marvel series.

In August 2013, IDW published the hardcover Transformers: 30th Anniversary Collection. This deluxe book celebrated the 30th anniversary of The Transformers franchise, and as such, many of the original Marvel books were reprinted.

The sister title in the UK, this series ran for 332 issues, as well as spawning 7 annuals and 28 specials. It was a weekly publication that spliced original stories into the continuity of the reprinted US issues, and was mostly written by Simon Furman. At the start, it had a more serious science fiction approach. Because of the weekly approach, the UK comic was able to flesh out characters and ideas more; in the US comic, the Aerialbots and Stunticons are first shown having just been built and being given life by the Creation Matrix program, whereas the UK comic fleshed it out more and showed the two teams as being created out of new technology created by Shockwave after scanning Buster Witwicky while he had the Matrix downloaded into his brain. Furman also tried to maintain continuity with The Transformers: The Movie, and wrote several stories set in the future after the movie's ending, as well as bringing characters from the future (i.e. Galvatron) into the present day. Due to his epic and mythological approach, he was highly praised and succeeded Bob Budiansky on the US title at issue 56. The mythic tone continued to influence Furman's work on the Dreamwave and IDW comics.