However the average cinema goer may be unaware of is that like the heroes of DC and Marvel these films are based on characters from the world of comics. That's right, Optimus Prime and his cohorts have been having panel based adventures since the 1980's which are still going in the present day.
Readers of a certain age may have a fond memory of a time when their toy collections were front and centre of Marvels comic empire. Marvel may not be the current home of our Cybertronian friends but the comics are enjoying a rich vain of form in their new home comics publisher IDW.
While the most well known face of The Transformers at present time is the film franchise here are ten reasons why you should be reading IDW's Transformers titles.
10. Optimus Prime
Whenever the transformers show up be it in a cartoon or a film one thing is certain, Optimus Prime is going to make an appearance. He's the leader of the heroic Autobots and the poster boy for the Transformers in all forms. Unless Optimus makes an appearance a lot of people aren't interested, the Transformers without Optimus Prime is like the Avengers without Captain America or Iron Man.
For anyone whose interest solely rests on Optimus IDW have put him centre stage of his self titled ongoing series. Given his own status quo, Optimus has been moved away from most of the other Transformers and placed on Earth much like the films. So for the reader looking for some Earth based action featuring the leader of the Autobots this is tailor made for you.
9. New and Neglected Characters
One of the many things that can put readers off picking up a new title is the thought of characters with back stories that go back years. We've all been there, a writer that you like moves to a title that's been going for years and you worry that the opening arc may involve an issue from five years ago that you have no interest in reading.
That's not the case with "More than Meets the Eye" and "Lost Light." While there are a few well known characters the majority of the cast is made up of new and neglected characters with little back story along with older characters that have been given a fresh twist.
Examples include;
Tailgate who fell down a hole and took six million years to climb out leaving him with no knowledge of whats happened to Transformer kind in the intervening millennium.
Swerve who fed up with his career as a metallurgist decides to open a bar on the ship and becomes the proprietor.
Rung the wonderfully timid psychologist who finds himself joining the 'Lost Light' and a ship full of deranged bots in need of his services.
8. World Building
Be it computer role playing games or fictional lands on TV like Westeros in Game of Thrones we all love a well built world to explore. Since ending the Autobot Decepticon war writer of "Robots in Disguise" John Barber has done a lot of work in rebuilding a new Cybertron. Much of the title has been focused on what happens to a war torn planet after the war ends and RiD answers this.
The Autobots, Decepticons and neutrals have come together and formed a new society. There are many twists and turns to read as the Transformers try to live together in peace. Things get distinctly political isn't as action orientated as readers might expect.
On top of Cybertron a number of lost colonies have been added into the mix. This adds many an interesting twist as some of the colonies have branched off in different directions including becoming more religious. The title "Till All Are One" focuses on the colonies coming together and also has a political scene.
7. Here Come the Girls
Back in the days of the original TV series there were no female Tranformers until Arcee was introduced in the movie. Feeling tokenistic she was given a pink colour scheme and placed in a double act with the human Daniel so she could be all motherly towards him.
Things have changed, we have many a female Transformer thanks to IDW. For a while Arcee was the only regular character of female persuasion but during "The Dark Cybertron" crossover more female characters were introduced including Windblade the leader of Caminus. Even better the women aren't limited to the one book as they have been introduced into the casts of all the ongoing titles.
6. The Crazy Gang
Transformers has always been known for its mix of characters from the noble to the villainous. However there are a number of characters that can best be summed up as crazy. Yes indeed there are a number of subgroups in the Transformers and a number of the crazier ones are going strong.
The majority of the Dinobots have been supporting characters in "Robots in Disguise" and the Autobot equivalent of the Suicide Squad The Wreckers have had two well received limited series. To counterpoint this IDW have created two Decepticon squads that are pretty far out, the scavengers and Decepticon Justice Division.
This shows that while the Transformers universe has been humanised there is still a lot of crazy to go around.
5. Arcee
Some may be surprised to see Arcee's name on this list. To most Arcee was the pink female Transformer who was Daniels surrogate mother in the Movie and third season of the cartoon. Well IDW has thrown all of that out of the window and replaced it with not only something different but the polar opposite.
If Transformers could be compared to the X-men the current version of Arcee is Wolverine. She's on the side of the angels but she does the things most of the other Autobots don't know about. Like Wolverine she lurks in the shadows and has arguably become the breakout character.
4. Shades of Grey
There has always been a number of constants in the Transformers universe with the main one being Autobots are good and Decepticons are bad. This isn't quite the case anymore, now that the war is over the Transformers status-quo is in flux. Some bots have thrown away their badges and moved on with life but not so others.
On the Decepticon Soundwave has tried to set up a peaceful commune and Misfire has developed a protective bond with a brain damaged Grimlock, neither actions can be described as evil. On the other side of things Prowl has become a Machiavellian figure with plots wrapped up in plots including using Arcee as an assassin.
3. The Combiners
One thing already mentioned in this list is sub groups, which most Transformers were member of be it Insecticons or Triple Changers. A number of those groups were combiners where a team of five or six transformers would combine into a larger and more powerful robot.
IDW has taken this concept and pushed it in a powerful direction. Mostly in the "Robots in Disguise" John Barber has made the ability to combine a pivotal one to Transformers. We have seen how this ability affects the individual as well as the team, one of the highlights in recent years has been Prowl joining the Constructicons in forming Devastator and how this has affected Prowl, the Constructicons and Devastator himself.
2. James Roberts
James Roberts is without doubt the creative sleeping giant of comics and has been for some time - in my opinion he is this generations Chris Claremont. Since breaking into IDW's creative team on "Last Stand of the Wreckers" he has become the sole writer on "More That Meets the Eye" and its follow up volume "The Lost Light."
His choice of cast for his ongoing title is so brave, containing so many characters who can best be described as ignored or unloved. As a result people now care about Ultra Magnus and Swerve, one a character that could only be described as dull and the other someone who had never actually done anything in or out of a Transformers title.
Roberts isn't afraid to drip feed the reader of character information or plot. Quite often an issue will hit that ties up a thread that feels like its two issues old but was actually set up two years previously. Everything from the long ranging arcs to the done in one issues are magnificent, if you pick one title to follow make it one penned by James Roberts.
1. Megatron is an Autobot
Your eyes do not deceive you, after the "Dark Cybertron" crossover Megatron did the unthinkable and defected to the Autobots. The events leading up to this were strong, the reasons behind it were somewhat sneaky but by far the best aspect of this arc is seeing the effect it has had on the Lost Light which he now commands.
Megatrons inclusion of the book signals the start of "season two of mtmte where he is among a number of new cast additions. This one plot thread is systematic of IDW's Transformers, nothing is predictable, shocking events happen and not every cast member reacts to it in a possible way.
There you have What Cultures ten reasons to be reading IDW's Transformer titles.
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