List of Minor Transformers comics
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This article is about minor Transformers comic books. Please see Transformers (comic) and List of Transformers comic book series for more information about the three more popular fictional universes told in Marvel, Dreamwave and IDW's published comic books.
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[edit] Benchpress Comics
In spring 1999, new publisher Benchpress Comics proudly announced the acquisition of 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 while a second title would focus on Beast Wars. Benchpress went bankrupt before even one issue was published.
[edit] 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. As part of Blackthorne's larger 3-D series, these comics featured red/blue art that created a three-dimensional effect when read with red-blue glasses. The series only ran for three issues, with 28 pages per issue. The comic was not widely distributed, which makes them very rare collector's items for the devoted TransFan.
The series seems to be set in a post-The Transformers: The Movie era, as it features characters like Galvatron and Ultra Magnus. Other characters featured include Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Cosmos, Cyclonus, Razorclaw, Ratbat, Scorponok, Octane and the Quintessons. [1]
[edit] Devil's Due Publishing
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
This was a cross-production with Dreamwave Productions, who held the license to create Transformers comics at that time. Each company released their own six-issue mini-series which featured their own take on a crossover between the two franchises. Unlike previous efforts to bring the two properties together, the Devil's Due story takes place in an alternate present day where Cobra, just rising to prominence, has uncovered the Ark. Cobra removes the deactivated Transformers found inside and adapts them into Cobra assault vehicles( e.g., Optimus Prime, Ironhide and Ratchet are converted in Cobra HISS tanks). G.I. Joe is formed to stop Cobra and receives unexpected help from Wheeljack and Bumblebee, who managed to avoid being taken by Cobra.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers 2
The second mini-series was a follow-up to the first story. Cybertronian technology has augumented both G.I. Joe and Cobra's forces, who are still fighting one another. During a battle, an accident causes several Joes and members of Cobra to be accidentally transported to Cybertron. The accident also pulls several Transformers to Earth as well as scattering them through time. The Joes and Cobra must travel into the past and future to retrieve the missing Autobots and Decepticons before the Earth is destroyed. This is complicated by the fact that most of Cybertron is under the control of the Decepticon Shockwave.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers 3: The Art of War
This five-issue series, again following on from the previous series, tells the story of a group of Autobots and G.I.Joes (Optimus Prime, Arcee, Scarlett and Snake-Eyes among others) who are flung from Earth to the Deception slums of Cybertron in a desperate race to prevent a horrifying new cybernetic life form that has only one goal in mind: war on all that lives. The series features a reimagined version of the classic G.I Joe villain Serpentor. The series concludes with a battle for possession of the Autobot Matrix.
A fourth volume, entitled Black Horizon is scheduled for 2007.
See also Devil's Due's G.I. Joe vs. Transformers section in G.I. Joe (Comic).
[edit] Hasbro mini-comics
These mini-comic were packaged with various series of toys, and printed in various languages. The comics that told small side stories relating to the premise of the associated toyline and exist in their own continuities.
[edit] Optimus Primal/Megatron - "Beast Wars"
This was an eight-page mini-comic sold with the Optimus Primal/bat and Megatron/crocodile Beast Wars toys. As with all early Beast Wars toy marketing, the mini-comic establishes that the Maximals and Predacons are on present-day Earth. This 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. [2]
[edit] Transformers: Armada
This four-part series was released throughout the Armada toyline. The series was produced by the same team that started on Dreamwave's Transformers: Armada comic: story by Chris Saccarini and pencils by James Raiz. However, it was not in the same continuity as Dreamwave's official title. The first 2 volumes were printed in English, Spanish, and French.
The story started out aimed at a younger audience, but matured somewhat over time. Volume 1 features Optimus Prime, Megatron (just mentioned), Hot Shot, Jolt, Cyclonus and Crumplezone. Volume 2 introduces Scavenger and Rollbar vs. the Minicon Destruction Team and sends Starscream. The third volume features the Minicon Air Defense Team who are captured by Galvatron before being rescued by Optimus Prime and Jetfire in their combined mode. In the final volume Optimus Prime, Overload, and Roll Out face off against Galvatron who cmbines with Tidal Wave. All are surprised by Unicron.
Each volume also contained an illustrated list of Armada toys available at the time.
[edit] Transformers: Energon
This four-part series was released throughout the Energon toyline.
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[edit] Convention Comics & Official Transformers Collectors Club Newsletter Comics
The yearly official Transformers convention (under assorted ownership through the years) and Official Collectors Club have had comics printed as convention merchandise and an ongoing comic series within the official fan club newsletter. The comics were Tales from the Beast Wars (2 issues), Transformers: The Wreckers (3 issues) and Transformers: Universe (3 issues). The current Transformers: Cybertron comic is included with the Collectors Club newsletter, which comes bi-monthly and is stapled in with the Master Collector's monthly magazine. There are six pages to the comic in every newsletter. This equals a full issue by the end of the year with 36 pages in six months. The most recent BotCon tale, Timelines: Dawn of Futures Past, acting as a prequel to the Beast Wars, was distributed generally by Diamond in November 2006.
[edit] Panini Comics
Panini Comics published a Transformers: Armada comic in the UK in 2003 aimed at younger readers. It was written by Simon Furman. Nine issues were published.
- The comics included backing stories (also by Furman) called "Tales of the Mini-Cons" which spotlighted those characters. [3]
