Transformers: IDW Collection Phase Two Volume 1

It's been a long time since I read a Transformers comic. Mixed reviews for a lot of the IDW collections up to this point never persuaded me to jump in but with the positive reaction to this new start for the title i finally jumped in. I'm glad I did because this book is fantastic. With new writers and 2 new ongoing series the book manages to avoid getting bogged down in previous IDW continuity and not just tell some great stories but really begin to expand the Transformers concept into a considered and plausible (as far as sentient machines based on a toy line go) universe. Both "Robots in Disguise" (written by John Barber) and "More than Meets the Eye (written by James Roberts) take place largely simultaneously and follow what various characters and factions are up to following the end of the Cybertronian war between the Autobots and Decepticons. In the "Robots in DIsguise" issues we see the political maneuverings on Cybertron itself with Autobots and Decepticons and newly arrived neutral Cybertronians all trying to find their place on this new world. The political intrigue here is very well written with a certain Game of Thrones style three dimensionality to the characters where no one is necessarily good or bad and simply trying to do what’s best for them and theirs. This leads to some interesting partnerships and unexpected events that definitely lead to compelling reading. The real standout though is James Robert's "More Than Meets the Eye" which sees a wide cast of both Autobots and Decepticons leave Cybertron behind to pursue their history as a species and getting into a variety of troubles and adventures along the way. It's not hyperbole to say this is probably the finest Transformers book ever written. The pursuit of history through the universe not only lets Roberts expand the lore in interesting ways but the title is consistently funny. And i don't just mean the occasional smile, this stuff is laugh out loud hilarious. Not only does this make the book a blast to read but it shows how much Roberts genuinely cares about what he is writing when realistically one could expect a writer working on a comic based on toys from three decades ago to phone in the work. The artwork by Alex Milne on these issues is also top notch with a degree of detail and comic timing that easily matches Roberts writing. The book itself is oversized, which is always a plus for me and has great page stock. Not just a great Transformers but a great sci-fi adventure I was genuinely surprised by the quality of this book and can't recommend it enough.

The best jumping-on point for the current direction of the IDW Transformers universe (starting from "the 'death' of Optimus Prime"). IDW does a soft reboot that takes the stories in a bold, new direction that is much more cohesive, smoothing over previous continuity errors, as well as much more engaging. The segments from "More Than Meets the Eye" are probably the best batch of the bunch in this volume, with compelling stories, witty dialogue, and intriguing world-building of the history and culture of the Transformers.

I love Transformers and finding hardcover books for less than $50 is pretty hard, especially in really good condition. I got this book for a pretty good price including shipping, and I was not disappointed. the graphics are so bright and the book is in maculate condition. the seller was also really nice and helpful. would totally recommend.

Fantastic Book, The original eight volumes of the IDW were fantastic, and this volume continues the streak. Great art, great stories, and great packaging. My only complaint is that the book is noticeably thinner than previous volumes. The first collection averaged about 15 issues where this one contains 12. Even that said I want volume 2 now lol!!

This is a great collection of the new Roberts/Barber era. It reads well except for the parts that are set on Cybertron. There are clearly two separate story threads in this collection and as nice as the quality of the hardcover is, you can't help but feel that this hardcover would be better served by just focusing on the space-faring adventures part of the story.

BAM!!!!! I have all the Volumes thus far!!! I hope that IDW continues to make these hard cover books for their transformer line! I will start butyin the other lines as well soon! they are just made great and well written!!!

Here's the first collected volume of a really long-form story involving transforming alien robots. This entire series seems to be meant to be read in collected editions just because of the expansive story, which carries on way beyond this first volume. There are subplots that are carried through to resolution along the way. There are core characters; some come and go (guest appearances); some are around for a subplot arc; but no appearances are really wasted; almost all of them have some element, even if it's minor, to add to the story. That said, there are some background characters who are favorites who don't make their way to the foreground for long, if at all, but Transformers has a lot of characters. When I really think about it the long-form story makes sense for a species of alien robots who are nearly immortal. It has some really great Transformer art. The story involves mostly Generation One (the original) designs and characters, but they did not look this good for the original cartoon, the toys, or the original comic. The price is a bit up there, but the hardcover and the sturdy binding, in theory, serve to help this book last. It's page count is reasonably impressive, too. This is a quality product for a Transformers fan, and for anyone else who has an interest in cool robot art with a good story.

It's transformers whats not to love.

IDW's Transformers run since 2006 has been a near flawless series. Thoroughly entertaining for a long, long time fan of the franchise. If you haven't done so already pick up volumes 1-8 of the first entire run. You COULD start fresh with Phase Two but you would be missing out on so much. With this first volume of Phase Two we get three different stories. A one-off on Optimus Prime, as well as the two main on-going series in: More Than Meets The Eye featuring Hot Rod (Err, 'Rodimus') and Ultra Magnas as they leave Cybertron to find the Knights of Cybertron... their shuttle take off is interesting to say the least. And the other is Robots in Disguise with Bumblebee, Prowl, Blurr and Starscream on Cybertron with a new dawn now the War is over and Cybertronians are returning home. Some minor differences these with Phase Two Collections. While the paper quality and standard of the hardcover, with its book mark ribbon, are still top notch these volumes feature roughly 60-80 pages less content than the previous series. Not a deal breaker, however; I thought it was worth a mention!

Había leído estos comics cuando salieron hace tiempo y cuanto me entere de esta edición necesitaba tener una, tarde un poco pero lo compre a un muy buen precio y la verdad vale mucho la pena, amo la historia de James Roberts y el Arte de Alex Milne y la portada es muy superior a las compilaciones de la primera fase, me gusto que venia una bolsa de plástico pero un así tiene unos pequeños detalles por almacenamiento, vale la pena comprarlo si eres fan de estos comics

This is the point in the IDW continuity where the comics become more than just the best interpretation of the Transformers franchise to date, but examples of comics that could be favourably compared to the best that the medium can offer. Collecting the beginning of both 'Robots in Disguise' (now renamed to just 'Transformers') and 'More than meets the Eye', the stories in this collection are far enough through the over-arching IDW run that the need to use the standard Transformers tropes has fallen off and instead the authors are concentrating on treating the characters as well, actual characters. Ironically, it makes this an excellent jumping on point for new readers, as the strong characterisation makes understanding the motivations and quirks of a selection of giant robots easier to tell apart than has been the case in much of the previous Transformers fiction. The physical presentation is very good, with lovely glossy paper and top-notch binding. The little ribbon to use as a bookmark is a neat touch as well.

IDW has been publishing Transformers comics for several years now, but the comics contained in this volume mark "phase two", a fresh start and great jumping-on point for new readers. It marks a bold new direction for the Transformers - What happens *after* the war is over? This volume collects the first few issues of two separate ongoing stories - More than Meets the Eye (MTMTE) and Robots in Disguise (RID) which diverge off from a common point. Each one has a distinct writing, art, and coloring style and will satisfy different people in different ways. The issues of MTMTE contained here are a great mix of James Robert's usual mix of comedy, world-building and horror. MTMTE tends to be fairly "episodic" with relatively short, self-contained stories. As such, it is very easy to pick up and enjoy even with only a handful of issues. Milne and Roche turn in fantastic art with great color palettes. RID is quite a different comic by contrast. It is a slower-burn, more arc-focused comic. Due to this, I think the comic may come off as more "boring" or "uneventful" in this volume. The first major arc in RID takes about 16 issues to complete and has excellent payoff at the end of it. However, in this volume, you are only getting the first third of that - which may not be enough to hook all readers given that the major payoff for the events in these issues is yet to come. Still, I feel that there are strong, world-building issues here, with a great new political scene. John Barber likes to make more connections to the phase one comics, so longtime readers will enjoy the nods while newcomers shouldn't feel too left out. Art is solid, although the more dark and gritty art of Livio Ramondelli used for one of the RID issues is a bit of a like it or hate it affair. As a final note, I must praise the construction of the book itself. It's solid, bright and vibrant. The art looks at its best. The cover is also wonderful, a great piece by Transformers newcomer Sarah Stone. I certainly hope she is kept on to do all of the Phase Two covers.

phase two fantastic book La continuazione di una serie che raccoglie tutte le saghe più importanti dei Transformers. per tutti gli amanti dei robbottoni