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Transformer Collections from Titan Books

Transformers: Dinobot Hunt
Simon Furman, Barry Kitson & Will Simpson
Cover by Lee Sullivan
(Contains Transformers UK #45-50, #74-77, plus UK annual story 'Victory')
Graphic Novel ISBN 1 84023 789 9
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Transformers: Target 2006
Simon Furman, Geoff Senior, Jeff Anderson, Will Simpson, Tim Perkins, Ron Smith
Cover by Geoff Senior
(Contains Transformers (UK) #78-88)
Graphic Novel. ISBN: 1 84023 510 1
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Transformers: Fallen Angel
Simon Furman, Geoff Senior et al
Cover by Geoff Senior
(Contains Transformers (UK) #101-102, 113-120 (and Annual story, ‘Vicious Circle')
Graphic Novel. ISBN: 1 84023 511 X
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Transformers: Time Wars
Simon Furman, Dan Reed, Andrew Wildman and Lee Sullivan
Cover by Geoff Senior & Oliver Harud
(Contains Transformers (UK) #130-131, 189, 199–205, stories from UK Annual 1988)
Graphic Novel ISBN: 1 84023 647 7
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Transformers: Legacy of Unicron
Simon Furman, Geoff Senior, Bryan Hitch et al
Cover by Geoff Senior
(Contains Transformers (UK) #133-134, #137-138, #146-153)
Graphic Novel. ISBN: 1 84023 578 0
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Transformers: Space Pirates
Simon Furman, Dan Reed, Bryan Hitch, Dougie Braithwaite and Lee Sullivan
Cover by Geoff Senior
(Contains Transformers (UK) #161–162, #172–173, #180–187)
Graphic Novel. ISBN: 1 84023 619 1
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Transformers: City of Fear
Simon Furman, Jeff Anderson, Dan Reed & Robin Smith
Cover by Geoff Senior
(Contains Transformers UK #164-171,188, 213)
Graphic Novel ISBN 1 84023 671 X
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Transformers: Prey
Simon Furman, Jeff Anderson, Dan Reed & Geoff Senior
Cover by Lee Sullivan
(Contains Transformers (UK) #96-104, #135-136)
Graphic Novel ISBN 1 84023 831 3
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Transformers: Second Generation
Simon Furman, Jeff Anderson, Barry Kitson, Will Simpson & John Stokes
Cover by Lee Sullivan
(Contains Transformers (UK) #59-65, #93, #145, #198
and Annual story, 'Dreadwing Down')
Graphic Novel ISBN 1 84023 935 2
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Transformers #1
Publisher: Titan Magazines Reviewed by Ian "Optimus Prime" Wheeler

There will be two very distinct audiences buying Titan's new Transformers comic. Kids (or their parents) will buy it because Transformers are very much the in-thing with the Autobots and Decepticons battling it out again on the big screen. But there is another (I suspect quite large) group of readers, largely male, who are probably in their thirties and remember the 1980s Marvel UK Transformers comic, along with the original toys and the animated film and TV series of twenty or so years ago.

The comic is almost certainly aimed at the first of these two audiences. Have Titan missed a trick? Should they have released a more adult-orientated Transformers comic, in the same format as their Batman, Superman and Justice League America titles? Perhaps (although longtime fans are of course well catered for through Titan Books Transformers collections), and I suspect that such a title would fly off the newsagents shelves and may yet happen. However, that's not to say that the new comic won't at least partly appeal to adult readers. Editor Steve White, who himself worked on the original Marvel UK version, seems aware that grown-ups will probably want to buy this title. Talking about Transformers Armada, the other relatively recent attempt to bring Transformers to a new generation of British comics readers, White said that he felt that title had been pitched at far too young a readership so there is much for older Transformers fans to be optimistic about.

So, what has this publication got in its favour? Well, to sum it up in a few words: Geoff Senior and Simon Furman. Probably the most fondly-remembered artist and writer respectively of the original comic, they are back and they have delivered the goods.

Senior has lost none of his magic. His Transformers are as wonderfully bulky and powerful as ever. In fact, they look even better than their movie counterparts which are just a little too skeletal-looking for my liking. (That said, the film is cool. It ticks all the boxes and is an absolute visual treat). Senior's art in the Optimus Prime story is superb and is brought brilliantly to life by Robin Smith's vivid colours. This Furman-scripted tale provides new readers with lots of information about Prime and is a good introduction to the character.

The second story in this issue is a prequel to the new movie by Furman and Chris Ryall, illustrated by Don Figueroa. There's not a lot I can say about it without giving away the plot but it has some stunning visuals. Figueroa shows great skill in illustrating the movie versions of both Prime and Megatron. His art in the last of the three stories, Beast Wars: The Gathering, again by Simon Furman, is even better. The Maximals and Predacons are some of the most visually-interesting Transformers and with pre-historic Earth as a backdrop, this story can't really lose.

In addition to all that, the comic has a superb cover and all the feature pages are well-designed, a highlight being Head to Head or Autobot vs Decepticon Smackdown!, in which two of the Transformer characters are measured up against each other in an attempt to see who would win a fight between them.

There's also a letters page, the contents of which poses something of a mystery. Several of the young letter-writers claim to have seen the new movie despite the fact that the comic was released before preview showings of the film began! I suppose it's possible some youngsters were invited to a special advance showing - perhaps someone from Titan could enlighten us on this?

Overall, the new Transformers is a cracking read for youngsters which, with a little luck, might just prove entertaining for a few of us oldies as well.

The short-term future of British comic certainly looks likely to be dominated with film and toy tie-ins for the time being at least and that is not necessarily a bad thing. The new Indiana Jones movie, for example, might well result in a comic spin-off and there are rumours about Masters of the Universe and GI Joe films - so keep watching those newsagents shelves!

• Check out the new Transformers comic on Titan Magazines UK