Three scans from the UK Transformers comic, issues #9, #10, and the 1986 Annual. Issue 9-10 written
Three scans from the UK Transformers comic, issues #9, #10, and the 1986 Annual. Issue 9-10 written by Steve Parkhouse, art by John Ridgway. Annual written by Ian Mennell and Wilf Prigmore, art by Will SimpsonWhen the Diaclone and Microman toys imported from Takara were first rebranded as Transformers, Marvel Comics creators such as JIm Shooter and Bob Budiansky developed much of the basic lore for the transforming robots, including the planet Cybertron, the factions of Autobot and Decepticon, and many of the names and personalities of the original Ark and Nemesis crew. While not as famous as the cartoon, the Mavel Comic was actually the first piece of Transformers fiction, beginning as a miniseries in 1984 before being extended into a full series.The US comic, mostly written by Bob Budiansky, was darker and more willing to take risks with the status quo than the cartoon. Just in the first 10 issues, Shockwave usurps power over the Decepticons, most of the Autobots are knocked into a coma and strung up over the Ark, Ratchet is forced to square off against Megatron, Optimus Prime is reduced to a head at Shockwave’s mercy, and the battle between Autobots and Decepticons leaves a young woman paralyzed and hating all Transformers. On the other hand, because of the fast pace of the action, very few of the Transformers get spotlighted like they do in the cartoon.In the UK, Transfomers comics were published on a bi-monthly schedule. Each US issue was re-published in two parts, and several filler issues were added while waiting for the US issues to accumulate. The UK-exclusive issues were darker and moodier than the US issues (helped along by some superb art), featured long and compelling story arcs, and gave the spotlight to some of the less frequently occurring Transformers like the Dinobots.One side-effect of this tone shift is that even the most kind-hearted and cheerful Autobots, like Jazz, could get downright disturbing in the pages of the UK comic. In the first UK filler storyline, Man of Iron, Jazz is featured first as an otherworldly horror wandering the outskirts of a rural English town, then in his first speaking scene, outright kidnaps a young boy in front of his horrified mother. In the second Annual, he (accidentally) shoots an East German spy with a heat seeking missile to stop him from allying with the Decepticons. -- source link
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