List of minor Transformers comics

Note: This article is about minor Transformers comic books. Please see List of Transformers comic book series for more information about the fictional universes told in Marvel, Dreamwave and IDW's published comic books.

Publishers

3H Enterprises

The previous official Transformers convention had comics printed as merchandise. The comics included Tales from the Beast Wars (2 issues), Transformers: The Wreckers (3 issues) and Transformers: Universe (3 issues).

Benchpress Comics

In spring 1999, new publisher Benchpress Comics announced they acquired the rights to produce new G.I. Joe and Transformers comics. The plan was to release two Transformers monthly series, one would feature the Generation 1 cast of characters and a second title would focus on Beast Wars. Benchpress went bankrupt before a single issue was published.

Blackthorne Publishing

In 1987, Blackthorne Publishing released The Transformers in 3-D, a comic book series that ran separately from the Marvel Transformers comic book series. The series had three issues, with 28 pages per issue. The comic was not widely distributed, affording the collection to be a rare item. The series is set in the post-The Transformers: The Movie era, featuring characters like Galvatron and Ultra Magnus. Other characters include Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Cosmos, Cyclonus, Razorclaw, Ratbat, Scorponok, Octane and the Quintessons. Another Blackthorne Publishing Transformers product was a four issue "How to Draw Transformers" series which gave tips and methods to illustrating the characters.

Devil's Due Publishing

Devil's Due Publishing experienced success with their revived G.I Joe series under license by Hasbro. Both companies produced their own six-issue mini-series detailing a crossover between the two with permission from Hasbro,but Dreamwave had the exclusive license to produce Transformers comics only, while Devil's Due had the exclusive license to G.I. Joe only,hence the 2 different miniseries from both companies with 2 different ideas behind each one franchises. A second series followed in late 2004, followed by a third in 2005,and a 4th in 2006.

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

The Devil's Due story, written by company president Josh Blaylock and illustrated by Mike S. Miller, takes place in an alternate present day where Cobra has uncovered the Ark. Cobra removes the deactivated Transformers found inside, adapting them into Cobra assault vehicles. G.I. Joe is formed to stop Cobra and receives unexpected help from Wheeljack and Bumblebee. When the Transformers eventually break free, G.I Joe are forced to battle the Autobots, Decepticons and Cobra in order to stop a malfunctioning satellite weapons system and prevent the detonation of a nuclear device reacting with Energon.

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers 2

The second four-issue mini-series was written by Dan Jolley and drawn by Tim Seeley and E. J. Su. Cobra was shattered in the first series, but Cobra Commander survived and recruited Destro to help steal Teletran-3. An accident occurs, causing several Joes and Cobra members to be transported to Cybertron. The accident pulls several Transformers to Earth, as well as scattering the characters throughout time. The Joes and Cobra travel into the past and future to retrieve the missing Autobots and Decepticons before the Earth is destroyed.

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers 3: The Art of War

A five-issue series written by Seeley and drawn by Joe Ng (with help from James Raiz and Alex Milne). Parts from Megatron have been used to create a re-imagined version of the classic G.I Joe villain Serpentor. Freed by a Cobra raid, Serpentor travels to Cybertron and gathers a massive Decepticon army to seize the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Cybertron hangs in the balance, causing a disparate group of Joes and Autobots to unite to stop Serpentor.

G.I. Joe vs the Transformers 4: Black Horizon

A two-part series (written by Seeley and drawn by Andrew Wildman) connecting from the end of "The Art of War". Hawk, now resigned from G.I. Joe, has teamed up with a group of Autobots under Prowl to stop the spread of Cybertronian technology on Earth. They are unaware that a bigger threat looms, an alliance of Cobra-La and Unicron. The series consists of two double-sized issues.

According to writer Seeley, the plot of Black Horizon is the one he initially wanted to use for The Art of War, but was turned down by Hasbro, leading to the use of a re-imagined Serpentor instead. The series' format was also changed from four regular issues to two double-sized issues, as Hasbro wanted to avoid competition with the 2007 Movie tie-in comics.

See also Devil's Due's G.I. Joe vs. Transformers section in G.I. Joe (comics).

Panini Comics

Panini Comics published a Transformers: Armada comic in the United Kingdom in 2003, aiming at younger readers. The series lasted nine issues. It was written by Simon Furman. The comics included backing stories called "Tales of the Mini-Cons" which spotlighted those particular characters.

Titan Magazines

To coincide with the release of the 2007 movie, Titan Magazines produced a new UK monthly title called Transformers. The first issue went on sale on July 27, 2007. The book contains a ten-page original lead strip, and reprints six or seven pages per issue of IDW's movie prequels and Beast Wars: The Gathering. It is edited by Steve White, who also worked for Marvel UK's Transformers title; the UK strips are written by Simon Furman. Artists have included Geoff Senior and Nick Roche, and are to include Andrew Wildman, Don Figueroa and Nick Roche, with Guido Guidi and Marcelo Matere confirmed on issues 5 and 6.

The UK original strips open each issue and tie into the continuity of the IDW prequel comic. Each one focuses on one character. The first two stories - Optimus Prime and Megatron - focused on Optimus sending the Allspark into space to keep it out of Megatron's hands. Megatron heads after it, following his interrogation of Bumblebee in the movie prequel, and Jazz, Ratchet and Ironhide attempt to stop him. He sends Devastator after them with a foldspace warhead, causing all four to be "lost in space".

Each issue comes with a free gift. #1 had dog tags with Autobot or Decepticon logos on them, #2 had removable tattoos, #3 had a keyring, which would be either the Autobots or Decepticons logo, and #4 had 4 badges.

Hasbro mini-comics

A mini-comic that was packaged with various series of toys, and printed in various languages. The comics told small side stories relating to the premise of the associated toyline and exist in their own continuities.

Optimus Primal/Megatron - "Beast Wars"

An eight-page mini-comic that was sold with the Optimus Primal/bat and Megatron/crocodile Beast Wars toys. The mini-comic establishes the Maximals and Predacons on present-day Earth, which contradicts the time-travel story later set by the Beast Wars television series and toy descriptions.

The mini-comic features appearances by Optimus Primal, Megatron, Cheetor, Razorbeast, Waspinator, and Tarantulas, but only Optimus and Megatron have speaking parts.

Transformers: Armada

A four-part series released throughout the Armada toy line. The series was produced by the same team that started on Dreamwave's Transformers: Armada comic, story by Chris Saccarini and illustrated by James Raiz. The first 2 volumes were printed in English, Spanish, and French.

Volume 1 features Optimus Prime, Megatron, Hot Shot, Jolt, Cyclonus and Crumplezone. Volume 2 introduces Scavenger and Rollbar vs. the Mini-Con Destruction Team and Starscream. The third volume features the Mini-Con Air Defense Team captured by Galvatron before being rescued by Optimus Prime and Jetfire. In the final volume, Optimus Prime, Overload and Roll Out face off against Galvatron who combines with Tidal Wave.

External links

• Transformers Comic at Titan Magazines