Hey hope this isnt weird or annoying but I really wanna try getting into Transformers the series, but there's quite a few series and comics and I was wondering where would be a good place to start for like watching the series? I just adore your art and after seeing the movie bumblebee I really wanna try getting into the series!
Cracks knuckles, here we go.
I’m going to take your ask as an example for anyone else that will ask me about this in the future!! First of all, thank you for the compliment!! I’m happy my drawings were a gateway for your interest in transformers!
So from here on, a list with my personal opinions on the shows/comics and different continuities which you can dig into. I will mention things that exist but I will not put ratings on them if I didn’t watch/read them!! It’s just to help you out with names!
CARTOONS
G1 - The Transformers (1984): You can easily find it online if you just type ‘g1 cartoon’. It’s like, awful but in a charming way. It’s the Good Awful. It’s mindless fun and randomness for kids that was the staple of 80s American cartoons, so you can start from here if you want to get a jest of who the main names are and what they are like, in very broaddefinitions (ex. Megatron, Optimus Prime, Starscream, Bumblebee etc.). It has no plot and your brain will melt after 24 episodes. G1 is 98 episodes. 5/10
BW - Transformers Beast Wars/Beast Machines(1996-1999/1999-2000): I haven’t watched it, so no rating but it’s G1 in the future. IN CGI! All the previous characters are dead and the main factions are the Predacons (Megatron's sly gang) vs the Maximals (OP’s furry friends). These bots turn into organic animals. Megatron is a bi dinosaur? I don’t know ok. Optimus Primal (!) is agorilla so good luck with that. Apparently S2 sucks.
TFA - Transformers Animated (2007-2009): This is a completely unrelated universe, we have a smaller cast comprised of 5 autobots+1 child and 4 decepticons, plus cameos of other characters. OP is the Young (!) leader of the earth-based group but like, he is not the leader of the autobots. It’s another guy with a hammer. Also, the decepticons have lost the war! Megatron has been living in exile while trying to regain some power, crashes onto Earth and is consequentially Tortured By Humans For 50 years before getting freed by his minions and, honestly? I would have tried to kill us all too. Relatable motive. Also, he has no idea who the hell OP is, which is funny. The designs are… peculiar. Many chins are involved.
The show, to me, is very polarising in its comedy and characters’ writing so it all depends if you like the type of style of American cartoons from the late 00s. Personally, absolutely not my genre. Cool Japanese opening tho. 6.5/10
This show was cancelled before reaching a proper ending so it’s left kinda… out there.
TFP - Transformers Prime (2011-2013): Another completely unrelated universe, called “Aligned Universe”(!), which also comprises some games and other shows later in the list. We have the autobots and the decepticons running around on Earth to scavenge resources, our teams have 6 autobots+3 kids and 7decepticons? It… depends who you count as a decepticon I guess. Here we have extremely kinetic fight scenes and stylish designs, even though they need quite a bit of getting used to, in all honesty. I am still not over Megatron’s design. I will never be over Megatron’s design. The stakes are high when the climaxes hit, and in general, the episodes are well crafted and well executed. Look, the kids are realistic enough to be taken seriously (even though one of them is annoying sometimes but u know kids are annoying) and I actually cared for them so that’s also a plus! I will defend the TFP kids with my life, fight me. I definitely suggest this show if you want a taste of the Transformers universe. 8/10
This show was given one movie to wrap things up before being cancelled, since it was too expensive to produce.
RID15 – Transformers: Robots in Disguise(2015-2017): Aligned Universe, a direct continuation of TFP. Bumblebee leads a team of three autobots and a half (1 minibot), they have two human companions who have adecent father-son relationship and shenanigans ensue. Also OP is a ghost (?)(????) with massive shoulders. Megatron gets distracted for five seconds and his decepticon ranks are full of furries. I’ve watched one season of this and I am still mourning the cute and colourful designs because this sucks and it’sboring. 4/10
TRB – Transformers: Rescue Bots (2012-2016): Aligned Universe, a side story of TFP. IT’S!!!!!!!!! BABIES!!!!!!!!! It’s a show, for babies with babies!!!!!! I guess??? I haven’twatched it but I’ve heard it’s wholesome and cute. Very simple, no stakes, the tiny cast is all of new characters leaded by Heatwave. He looks like a grumpy yet reliable boy, I trust him. There are some OP cameos? Is he... a ghost?
Machinema – Transformers: Power of the Primes trilogy (2017): They are youtube shorts, another universe. Like, there are three other people besides me who have watched this shitshow. The plot is convoluted and doesn’t make sense, but if you really wanna have fun seeing the sassiest Megatron ever written, go ahead. He uses the word “precious”, so you know. 4/10
TFC – Transformers: Cyberverse (2018): A different universe, yet again! This cartoon is on crack. The aesthetics are adorable, honestly, they all look like they have garter belts and cat eye makeup. For the story, it’s clumsy and silly, but it does have an underlining plot that builds over the course of S1, even though the action isn’t great and sometimes characters can be written in a rush. You can start from here if you want. Bumblebee has lost his memory and tracks back the history of cybertron thanks to his friend, Windblade! You actually see Cybertron’s golden age before the war, there are no humans (even if it’s set on Earth) and it’s just pure fun tbh. It’s not Superb but I love it. Wholesome. 7/10
COMICS
Marvel comics: I haven’t read these, yet. Sounds like a bad idea.
Dreamwave Comics: I have NEVER heard anyone talk about these comics and I haven’t read them, but I know the company failed mid universe so I guess it’s not worth the trouble as a first dip into the franchise.
IDW Comics: This… this is a long beast that just ended after 12 years. It is a very, very long read, usually linked by red threads inbetween titles, but some stories are more stand alone-ish than others so I will suggest you these with my ratings, even though I'll link you this otherlist for the chronological order.
- Megatron Origins (7/10)
- The Wreckers Saga (Last stand of the Wreckers, Sins of the Wreckers) (8.5/10)
- Spotlights I personally love: Megatron (7/10), Kup (8/10), Wheelie (7/10), Trailcutter (6/10), Hoist (6/10)
- All Hail Megatron (6.5/10)
- Optimus Prime (maybe I can give it a 7)
- Death of Optimus Prime (8/10)
- More Than Meets The Eye (8.5/10)
- Lost Light (7/10)
MOVIES
Transformers: THE MOVIE (1985): You have to watch this with as little knowledge as possible. Please. You can even start from this. Trust me. 8/10
Transformers: Prime - Predacon Rising (2013): It’s TFP the movie in which Optimus does the same thing he does in 1985 and the decepticon doctor gets offended. 6.5/10
Bayverse (2007-2017): No
Bumblebee (2018): yes
AND HERE ITIS. I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR DEEP DIVE INTO THIS MASTODON.
