Manga: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 12:15, 26 December 2025

The very first *Transformers* manga ever.

Manga (漫画 or まんが) is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons.^[1] Manga are usually black and white comic books which are read from right to left, published in Japan by various comic magazines or packaged with toys and DVDs. There has almost always been a manga to accompany the newest Transformers toyline, sometimes taking place in the same continuity as the concurrent animated series, and sometimes presenting a different take on the story.

Until the publication of Viz Media's official English translation of the original Generation 1 TV Magazine stories in 2020, no Transformers manga series had ever been made available outside of Japan. Unofficial English translations by fans appeared online for years, most notably at the websites TF Pulp and TF Archive.

The following Japanese magazines have published Transformers manga or illustrated text material:

Transformers manga series and specials

Generation 1

TV Magazine

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers
The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers (featuring Transformers 2010 characters)
The Great Transformer War
"The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!" (Transformers/Beastformers special)
The Headmasters
Super-God Masterforce
Victory
Zone
The Battlestars

Comic BomBom

"A Birth of Planet Saybertron" (illustrated text story)
"Full Throttle Scramble Power!"
Famicom How-to Manga: Transformers: Mystery of Convoy
Transformers (Mystery of Convoy) (strategy guide)

Beastformers

Robotmasters

Robotmasters (online and catalog manga)
Robotmasters (3D diorama manga)

Binaltech Asterisk

Asterisk Story

Kiss Players

Kiss Players
15 Go! Go!

e-HOBBY

United

"A New Battle!"
"The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos"
Transformers United EX (illustrated text stories)

Generations

Unite Warriors

Unite Warriors Offshot (illustrated text stories)
Unite Warriors (manga)

Other Generation 1 publications

PDTF Comic
The Transformers (MC Axis pack-in manga)
The Battle of the Star Gate
Transformers: All Spark
"Yokohama Decepticon Secret Base"

Generation 2

G-2 (pack-in manga)
"The New Battle!!"

Beast Wars

"The Maximal Brainwashing Operation"
Beast Wars II
Beast Wars Neo
Beast Wars Metals
Beast Wars Reborn (illustrated text stories)

The Cool/The Cool Extra

Aligned

Prominent continuity-hopping publications

Miscellaneous

Go-Bots

Rescue Hero Go-Bots

Henkei! Henkei!

Henkei! Henkei! (pack-in manga)
Henkei! Henkei! (Comic BunBun series)
Visualize (illustrated text stories)

Transformers GT

Transformers GT: Mission GT-R

Comedy manga

Kre-O

Kre-O Transformers

Shattered Glass

"Solar Requiem"

Cloud

Spacetime World: Guardians of Time (illustrated text stories)

Primus Vanguard storyline

"Cybertron Convobat prequel comic" (online manga)
"Cybertron Convobat" (pack-in manga)
"Cybertron Magna Convoy prequel comic"
"Cybertron Magna Convoy"
"Blue Big Convoy comic"

Dialect Girl

Transformers × Dialect Girl: My Toys

Mazinger Z versus Transformers

Mazinger Z versus Transformers

Collected editions

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Comics (graphic novel collection)
Transformers: The Manga (English-language translation series)

References

↑ In Japan, the term is used regardless of a publication's national origin, while in English the term is primarily used to describe publications of Japanese origin specifically.

External links

Manga at Wikipedia
TF Pulp - Contains translations of Transformers manga from various generations.
TF Archive - Contains translations of Transformers manga from various generations.

[1] In Japan, the term is used regardless of a publication's national origin, while in English the term is primarily used to describe publications of Japanese origin specifically.

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-:''Manga are comic books published in Japan.''
+[[Image:G1MangaPrologue01.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The very first ''Transformers'' manga ever.]]
-Manga are typically black and white comic books which read from right to left.  They are published in Japan by various Shonen (boys) magazines, such as [[TV Magazine]] and [[Comics Bon Bon]].  The Transformers have almost always had a consistent manga series in every line.
+'''Manga''' (漫画 or まんが) is the Japanese word for [[comics]] and print cartoons.<ref>In Japan, the term is used regardless of a publication's national origin, while in English the term is primarily used to describe publications of Japanese origin specifically.</ref> Manga are usually black and white comic books which are read from right to left, published in Japan by various comic magazines or packaged with toys and DVDs. There has almost always been a manga to accompany the newest ''Transformers'' toyline, sometimes taking place in the same continuity as the concurrent animated series, and sometimes presenting a different take on the story.
+Until the publication of [[Viz Media]]'s [[Transformers: The Manga|official English translation]] of the original Generation 1 [[TV Magazine]] stories in 2020, no ''Transformers'' manga series had ever been made available outside of Japan. Unofficial English translations by fans appeared online for years, most notably at the websites ''TF Pulp'' and ''TF Archive''.
+The following Japanese magazines have published ''Transformers'' manga or illustrated text material:
+*''[[Comic BomBom]]''
+*''[[Comic BunBun]]''
+*''[[Dengeki Daioh]]''
+*''[[Dengeki Hobby|Dengeki Hobby Magazine]]''
+*''[[Figure Ō]]''
+*''[[Hyper Hobby Magazine]]''
+*''[[Kerokero Ace]]''
+*''[[Super Robot Magazine]]''
+*''[[TV Magazine]]''
+*''[[Square Enix|Young Gangan]]''
 ==Transformers manga series and specials==
+===[[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]===
+====''TV Magazine''====
+*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]''
+*''[[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers]]'' (featuring ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (franchise)|Transformers 2010]]'' characters)
+*''[[The Great Transformer War]]''
+*"[[The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!]]" (''Transformers''/''[[Beastformers (franchise)|Beastformers]]'' special)
+*''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (manga)|The Headmasters]]''
+*''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|Super-God Masterforce]]''
+*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (manga)|Victory]]''
+*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone]]''
+*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (manga)|The Battlestars]]''
+====''Comic BomBom''====
+*"[[A Birth of Planet Saybertron]]" (illustrated text story)
+*"[[Full Throttle Scramble Power!]]"
+*[[Famicom How-to Manga: Transformers: Mystery of Convoy]]
+*''[[Transformers (Mystery of Convoy)]]'' (strategy guide)
+====''[[Beastformers (franchise)|Beastformers]]''====
+*"[[The Water Gem of Stillness]]"
+*"[[Legend of the Three Wise Ones]]"
+*"[[Beastformers VS Laser Beasts]]"
+====''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]''====
+*''[[Robotmasters (comic)|Robotmasters]]'' (online and catalog manga)
+*''[[Robotmasters (3D diorama comic)|Robotmasters]]'' (3D diorama manga)
+====''[[The Transformers: Binaltech Asterisk|Binaltech Asterisk]]''====
+*''[[Asterisk Story]]''
-===Generation 1===
+====''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]''====
+*''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (manga)|Kiss Players]]''
+*''[[Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go!|15 Go! Go!]]''
-*[[Fight!  Super Robot Lifeform Transformer (manga)|Fight!  Super Robot Lifeform Transformer]]
+====[[e-HOBBY]]====
-*[[Scramble City (manga)|Scramble City]]
+*"[[Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version]]"
-*[[The Transformer (manga)|The Transformer]] (featuring [[Transformers 2010]] characters
+*"[[64 Cybertron Urban Defense Robot GADEP]]"
-*[[Transformer Big War]]
+*"[[Destron Leader Megatron Black Ver.]]"
-*[["Great Decisive Battle of the Beast Lifeforms"|"Great Decisive Battle of the Beast Lifeforms"]] (Transformers/[[Beastformers]] special)
+*"[[Destron Aerospace Warrior Sunstorm]]"
-*[[Headmasters (manga)|Transformer Headmasters]]
+*"[[MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.]]"
-*[[Super-God Masterforce (manga)|Transformer Super-God Masterforce]]
+*"[[MP-3G Destron Air Commander / Starscream Ghost Ver.]]"
-*[[Victory (manga)|Transformer Victory]]
+*"[[Nissan GT-R / Ultra Magnus (Brilliant Pearl White)]]"
-*[[Zone (manga)|Transformer Zone]]
+*"[[Destron Doppelgänger Black Rodimus Convoy]]"
-*[[Battlestars (manga)|Transformer Battlestars]]
+*"[[Badlands (issue)|Badlands]]"
-*[[Transformer PD Type]]
+*"[[Decepticon Dark Commander Grand Scourge]]"
-====Generation 2====
+====''[[Transformers United|United]]''====
+*"[[A New Battle!]]"
+*"[[The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos]]"
+*''[[Transformers United EX]]'' (illustrated text stories)
-*[[Generation 2 (mini-manga)|Generation 2]] (mini-manga)
+====''[[Transformers Generations (series)|Generations]]''====
-*[["The Earth is in Danger"]] (Generation 2 special)
+*"[[A Tale of the Pretenders]]"
+*"[[Metrowars]]"
+*"[[Metrowars 2]]"
+*"[[Starscream's New Power]]"
+*"[[Train Wars]]"
+*"[[Controverse]]"
+*"[[Train Wars 2]]"
+*"[[Rodimus Wars]]"
+*"[[Reborn]]"
+*"[[Headmasters VS Masterforce]]"
+*"[[Rescue the Monorail!]]"
-====Beast Wars====
+====''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]''====
+*''[[Unite Warriors Offshot]]'' (illustrated text stories)
+*''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' (manga)
-*[[Beast Wars II (manga)|Beast Wars II]]
+====Other Generation 1 publications====
-*[[Beast Wars Neo (manga)|Beast Wars Neo]]
+*''[[PDTF Comic]]''
-*[[Beast Wars Metals (manga)|Beast Wars Metals]]
+*''[[The Transformers (MC Axis manga)|The Transformers]]'' ([[MC Axis]] pack-in manga)
+*''[[Transformers: The Battle of the Star Gate|The Battle of the Star Gate]]''
+*''[[Transformers: All Spark]]''
+*"[[Yokohama Decepticon Secret Base]]"
-====Kiss Players====
+===''[[Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]''===
+*''[[Transformers: G-2 (pack-in manga)|G-2]]'' (pack-in manga)
+*"[[The New Battle!!]]"
-*[[Kiss Players (manga)]] (set in 2006, between [[The Transformers: The Movie]] and 2010)
+===''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]''===
+*"[[The Maximal Brainwashing Operation]]"
+*''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|Beast Wars II]]''
+*''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (manga)|Beast Wars Neo]]''
+*''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (manga)|Beast Wars Metals]]''
+*''[[Beast Wars Reborn]]'' (illustrated text stories)
-===Unicron Trilogy===
+===[[Unicron Trilogy]]===
+*''[[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]]''
+*[[Energon Volume 4]]
+*"[[Optimus Prime VS Mysterious Supreme Commander Scourge"|Optimus Prime VS Scourge]]"
+*''[[Transformers: Galaxy Force (manga)|Galaxy Force]]''
-*[[Armada (manga)|Transformer Micron Legend]]
+===[[Live-action film series|Live action movie series]]===
-*[[Energon (manga)|Transformer Superlink]]
+*"[[Keroro Gunsō × Transformers]]"
-*[[Cybertron (manga)|Transformer Galaxy Force]]
+*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Unite for the Universe]]''
+*"[[The Creation Revoltech!]]"
+*''[[Movie Trilogy]]''
-==Mail-Away specials==
+===''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]''===
+*''[[Transformers Animated: The Cool|The Cool/The Cool Extra]]''
-Many of the lengthier manga stories were mail-away specials.  The first Transformer mail-away special was the Scramble City manga.  Others include the [[Beastformers]] special and the Battlestars special.
+===[[Aligned]]===
+*"[[Birth! Black Knight Bumblebee]]"
+*"[[Return! The Most Evil Duo]]"
+*"[[Decepticon Jaeger Deadlock]]"
-==Continuity==
+===Prominent [[continuity]]-hopping publications===
+====Alternity====
+*''[[Transformers: Alternity]]''
+====[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]====
+*''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Transformers Legends]]''
+====[[Generations Selects (franchise)|Generations Selects]]====
+*''[[Generations Selects Special Comic]]''
-The Generation 1 manga acts as both a suppliment to the television series as well as an alternate telling, depending on the line.  "Fight!  Super Robot Lifeform", "2010", "Headmasters", "Zone", "Battlestars", "Generation 2", and "Kiss Players" take place in the animated universe, expanding and continuing its story.
+===Miscellaneous===
+====''[[Go-Bots continuity family|Go-Bots]]''====
+*''[[Kids' Transformers: Rescue Hero Go-Bots (manga)|Rescue Hero Go-Bots]]''
+====''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (franchise)|Henkei! Henkei!]]''====
+*''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (pack-in manga)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' (pack-in manga)
+*''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (Comic BunBun)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' (''Comic BunBun'' series)
+*''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-|Visualize]]'' (illustrated text stories)
+====''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|Transformers GT]]''====
+*''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (comic)|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R]]''
+====Comedy manga====
+*''[[Ridiculous Legend Transformers]]''
+*''[[Q-Robo Transformer]]''
+====[[Kre-O]]====
+*''[[Kre-O Transformers (comic)|Kre-O Transformers]]''
+====[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]====
+*"[[Solar Requiem]]"
+====Cloud====
+*''[[Transformers Cloud|Spacetime World: Guardians of Time]]'' (illustrated text stories)
+====[[Primus Vanguard]] storyline====
+*"[[Cybertron Convobat prequel comic]]" (online manga)
+*"[[Cybertron Convobat]]" (pack-in manga)
+*"[[Cybertron Magna Convoy prequel comic]]"
+*"[[Cybertron Magna Convoy]]"
+*"[[Blue Big Convoy comic]]"
+====Dialect Girl====
+*''[[Transformers × Dialect Girl: My Toys]]''
+====[[Mazinger Z]] versus Transformers====
+*''[[Mazinger Z versus Transformers]]''
-Conversely, "Masterforce" and "Victory" are alternate tellings of the storyline and do not take place in the same animated universe.
+==Collected editions==
+*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Comics]]'' (graphic novel collection)
+*''[[Transformers: The Manga]]'' (English-language translation series)
-"Headmasters" is somewhat unusual, with a relationship to the cartoon that would best be described as being similar to the relationship between the US [[Marvel Comics]] and their UK counterpart - it is a universe in which the majority of events from the animated series take place, but with some extra stories and some differences... most notably, an alternate depiction of the beginning of [[Daniel Witwicky|Daniel]] and [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]'s friendship and the presence of [[Stepper]] and [[Artfire]].  Stepper and Artfire's appearances were later [[retcon|retconed]] via toy bios to avoid contradiction, though the wackiness with Daniel and Sixshot still remain.
+==See also==
+*[[Comics|An overview of Transformers comics in all languages]]
+*[[Story page]]s
-"Generation 2" is also a bit strange.  The story pages and mini-comics by [[Hidetsugu Yoshioka]] take place within the confines of the animated universe, continuing the storyline after Battlestars and Operation Combination.  The ''Comics Bom Bom'' manga special, "The Earth is in Danger", is a separate continuity from the Hidetsugu Yoshioka-produced works.  It takes place in its own universe with the events happening in the year 199X (basically, some time in the 1990's).
+==References==
+{{reflist}}
-The ''Beast Wars'' mangas are all alternate timelines from the television series, although the events of Season 1 of Beast Wars took place in the Beast Wars Metals Manga.
+==External links==
+*{{w|Manga|Manga at Wikipedia}}
+*[http://www.allspark.com/content/blogsection/5/37/ TF Pulp] - Contains translations of Transformers manga from various generations.
+*[http://tfarchive.com/comics/japanese/ TF Archive] - Contains translations of Transformers manga from various generations.
-[[Category: Generation 1]]
+[[Category:Manga| ]]
-[[Category: Generation 2]]
-[[Category: Beast Wars]]
-[[Category: Manga| ]]
-[[Category: Unicron Trilogy]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>