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a much more comprehensive look at what wasn't collected
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{{disambig3|Titan}}
{{disambig3|Titan}}


'''Titan Books''' is part of the Titan Publishing Group with [[Titan Magazines]]. Founded in 1981 by comic fan and Forbidden Planet founders Nick Landau, Mike Lake, and Mike Luckman, it has been one of the [[United Kingdom]]'s big boys when it comes to publishing US comics for UK readers and also publishes prose fiction and making-of/art books.
'''Titan Books''' is part of the Titan Publishing Group with [[Titan Magazines]]. Founded in 1981 by comic fan and Forbidden Planet founders Nick Landau, Mike Lake, and Mike Luckman, it has been one of the [[United Kingdom]]'s big boys when it comes to publishing U.S. comics for UK readers and also publishes prose fiction and making-of/art books.


In 2001, Titan Books acquired the rights to reprints of [[Marvel Comics]]' U.S. ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Transformers]]'' run, publishing the <strike>complete</strike> near-complete American series in several volumes of trade paperbacks and hardcovers.  They have also released much of the Marvel UK material. As they went for the license ''before'' [[Dreamwave Productions]] had hit big, they were able to get global licensing rights and the option to use Marvel characters without spending much! <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSyBtqe67uk Moonbase 2 AA2010 interview], 7:50 - 9:04</ref>  
In 2001, Titan Books acquired the rights to reprints of [[Marvel Comics]]' U.S. ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Transformers]]'' run, publishing the <strike>complete</strike> near-complete American series in several volumes of trade paperbacks and hardcovers.  They have also released much of the Marvel UK material. As they went for the license ''before'' [[Dreamwave Productions]] had hit big, they were able to get global licensing rights and the option to use Marvel characters without spending much! <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSyBtqe67uk Moonbase 2 AA2010 interview], 7:50 - 9:04</ref>  
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'''''[[Transformers: Treason]]'''''<br>
'''''[[Transformers: Treason]]'''''<br>
''Collects:'' Marvel ''Transformers'' U.S. #31–32, #35–37 (UK #128, 129, 139–144, 154, 155);<br>
''Collects:'' Marvel ''Transformers'' U.S. #31–32, #35–37 (UK #128, 129, 139–144, 154, 155);<br>
'''Omits:''' Marvel US #33–34 — Color reprint of Marvel UK's "[[Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron]]", not part of the ongoing storyline.  ''This story isn't among the collected UK material either.  Bizarre.''
'''Omits:''' Marvel U.S. #33–34 — Color reprint of Marvel UK's "[[Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron]]", not part of the ongoing storyline.  ''This story isn't among the collected UK material either.''


'''''[[Transformers: Trial by Fire]]'''''<br>
'''''[[Transformers: Trial by Fire]]'''''<br>
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'''''[[Transformers: Maximum Force]]'''''<br>
'''''[[Transformers: Maximum Force]]'''''<br>
''Collects:'' Marvel ''Transformers'' U.S. #40–42, #44–45 (UK #162, 163, 174–179, 190, 191);<br>
''Collects:'' Marvel ''Transformers'' U.S. #40–42, #44–45 (UK #162, 163, 174–179, 190, 191);<br>
'''Omits:''' Marvel U.S. #43 — Adaptation of "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]", not part of the ongoing storyline.  ''This story was omitted from the ''[[Space Pirates!]]'' collection too, despite that storyline being written around this issue.  Bizarre.''
'''Omits:''' Marvel U.S. #43 — Adaptation of "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]", not part of the ongoing storyline.  ''This story was omitted from the ''[[Space Pirates!]]'' collection too, despite that storyline being written around this issue, being replaced with a summary illustrated by a few panel excerpts.''


'''''[[Transformers: Dark Star]]'''''<br>
'''''[[Transformers: Dark Star]]'''''<br>
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[[Image:TitanTarget2006tpb.jpg|150px|thumb|Mental wounds still screaming Driving me insane]]
[[Image:TitanTarget2006tpb.jpg|150px|thumb|Mental wounds still screaming Driving me insane]]
'''''[[Transformers: Target: 2006]]'''''<br>
'''''[[Transformers: Target: 2006]]'''''<br>
''Collects:'' Story arc from Marvel ''Transformers'' UK #78–88<br>
''Collects:'' Story arc from Marvel ''Transformers'' UK #78–88, including the "[[Cybertron: The Middle Years!]]" prose feature from #83<br>
ISBN 1-84023-510-1
ISBN 1-84023-510-1
{{-}}
{{-}}
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[[Image:TitanFA.jpg|150px|thumb|Bounty Hunters? We don't need their scum.]]
[[Image:TitanFA.jpg|150px|thumb|Bounty Hunters? We don't need their scum.]]
'''''[[Transformers: Fallen Angel]]'''''<br>
'''''[[Transformers: Fallen Angel]]'''''<br>
''Collects:'' Stories from Marvel ''Transformers'' UK #101–102, #113–120, 1987 Annual<br>
''Collects:'' Stories from Marvel ''Transformers'' UK #101–102, #113–120, 1987 Annual, plus "High Noon Tex" (the first ever [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] strip)<br>
ISBN 1-84023-511-X
ISBN 1-84023-511-X
{{-}}
{{-}}
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==Uncollected material==
==Uncollected material==
* ''[[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|G.I. Joe and the Transformers]]'' #1–4 — Marvel U.S.'s 1986 crossover.  ''This story did not take place in the UK continuity.''
Though the Titan reprints were not fully comprehensive, most of the omissions read as editorial decisions or understandable mistakes. The collections didn't reprint...
* ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' #1–4 — Marvel's character profiles.
*[[Ralph Macchio]]'s U.S. issues adapted from animated material.
* ''Transformers Universe'' (various) — Character profiles printed as backups throughout the Marvel U.S. run.
**''[[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|Transformers: The Movie]]'' #1-3 — Adapted from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. Several of the UK reprint volumes contained editorial material centred around the movie to provide context for the comics.
* "[[Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron]]", "[[The Enemy Within!]]", "[[Raiders of the Last Ark]]", "[[Decepticon Dam-Busters!]]", "[[The Wrath of Guardian!]]"/"[[The Wrath of Grimlock!]]", "[[Christmas Breaker!]]", "[[Crisis of Command!]]", "[[To a Power Unknown!]]" and "[[Ancient Relics!]]". These weren't reprinted until much later, as part of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers Classics UK]]'' series.
**"[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]" (U.S. #43) — Adapted from [[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|the cartoon episode of the same name]]. Furman's UK-exclusive framing material for this story was reprinted alongside a summary of the issue.
*Any of the ''G.I. Joe''/''Action Force'' crossover material.
**''[[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|G.I. Joe and the Transformers]]'' #1–4 — Marvel U.S.'s 1986 crossover, written not by Budiansky but by [[Michael Higgins]].  ''This story did not take place in the UK continuity.''
**"[[Ancient Relics!]]" — Furman's Marvel UK crossover told across ''The Transformers'' #125 and ''[[Action Force (comic)|Action Force]]'' #24-27.
**''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' #138-142 — Marvel U.S.'s 1993 lead-in to the ''Generation 2'' series, written not by Furman but by main ''G.I. Joe'' writer [[Larry Hama]].
*Any of the profiles produced alongside the comic.
**''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' #1–4 — Bob Budiansky's character profiles.
**''Transformers Universe'' (various) — Character profiles printed as backups throughout the Marvel U.S. run.
**''Transformers AtoZ'' (various) — Modified or new character profiles printed as backups throughout the Marvel UK run.
*"[[The Night the Transformers Saved Christmas]]" — a four-page comic produced by Marvel, written by Budiansky, published in ''[[Woman's Day]]'' magazine.
*"[[Ghosts]]" — A comic story from the promotional issue ''Transformers: Generation 2'' #0.
*"[[Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron]]" (UK #9-12, U.S. #33-34) — The first Marvel UK story, by [[Steve Parkhouse]], the only one to have later been reprinted in the U.S. series.
*The rest of the earliest Marvel UK material from prior to issue #45. When this material was finally reprinted as part of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers Classics UK]]'' series, Furman implied that he wasn't so proud of his earliest work on the book;<ref>"I just don't think ["The Enemy Within!" is] my best work. And certainly in terms of ''Transformers'', I only hit my stride later. I possibly could have done with some editorial guidance on my early stories. I look back and, certainly in terms of my technical abilities, I wasn't really clued up enough about how much or how little to put on a page and how not to drive your artist insane... I could have done with some judicious editing."—Simon Furman in interview in ''The Transformers Classics UK]]'' vol. 1.</ref> this, combined with the fact that some of it had only ever been printed in black-and-white, likely explains these earlier omissions.
**"[[The Enemy Within!]]" (#13-17), "[[Raiders of the Last Ark]]" (#18-21), "[[Decepticon Dam-Busters!]]" (#29-30), "[[The Wrath of Guardian!]]"/"[[The Wrath of Grimlock!]]" (#31-32), "[[Plague of the Insecticons!]]" and "[[And There Shall Come...a Leader!]]" ([[Transformers Annual 1985|Annual 1985]]), "[[Christmas Breaker!]]" (#41), and "[[Crisis of Command!]]" (#42).
*A few Annual comic stories not written by Furman:
**"[[To a Power Unknown!]]" ([[Transformers Annual 1986|Annual 1986]])
**"[[Peace]]" ([[Transformers Annual 1989|Annual 1989]])
**"[[Destiny of the Dinobots!]]" ([[Transformers Annual 1990|Annual 1990]])
*"[[The Special Teams Have Arrived]]" — A short semi-canonical comic by Furman commissioned by Hasbro UK to promote the [[Special Teams]].
*Any of the prose stories.
**[[Missing in Action]], [[Hunted!]] (Annual 1985), [[In the Beginning...]], [[The Return of the Transformers]], [[State Games]], [[The Mission]] (1986), [[Doomsday for Nebulos]], [[Stylor's Story]], [[The Final Conflict]] (1987), [[The Saga of the Transformers — So Far!]], [[Prime Bomb!]] (1989), [[The Quest!]], [[Trigger-Happy!]] (1990), [[The Magnificent Six!]] (1991) and [[Another Time & Place]] (1992).
*Any of the letters pages material, including the tie-in stories.
**The relevant ''[[Robo-Capers]]'' strips.
**"[[Dreadwind's Xmas!]]" — The prose story from ''The Transformers'' #302.


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 17:31, 21 December 2021

The name or term "Titan" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Titan (disambiguation).

Titan Books is part of the Titan Publishing Group with Titan Magazines. Founded in 1981 by comic fan and Forbidden Planet founders Nick Landau, Mike Lake, and Mike Luckman, it has been one of the United Kingdom's big boys when it comes to publishing U.S. comics for UK readers and also publishes prose fiction and making-of/art books.

In 2001, Titan Books acquired the rights to reprints of Marvel Comics' U.S. Transformers run, publishing the complete near-complete American series in several volumes of trade paperbacks and hardcovers. They have also released much of the Marvel UK material. As they went for the license before Dreamwave Productions had hit big, they were able to get global licensing rights and the option to use Marvel characters without spending much! [1]

Titan collections

U.S. collections

Transformers: Beginnings
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #1–6 (UK #1–8, 22–25)

Transformers: New Order
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #7–12 (UK #26–28, 33–40)

Transformers: Cybertron Redux
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #13–18 (UK #51–58, 66–69)

Transformers: Showdown
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #19–24 (UK #70–73, 89–92, 94, 95, 105, 106)

Transformers: Breakdown
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #25–30 (UK #107–112, 121–124, 126, 127)

Transformers: Treason
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #31–32, #35–37 (UK #128, 129, 139–144, 154, 155);
Omits: Marvel U.S. #33–34 — Color reprint of Marvel UK's "Man of Iron", not part of the ongoing storyline. This story isn't among the collected UK material either.

Transformers: Trial by Fire
Collects: Marvel Headmasters #1–4, Marvel Transformers U.S. #38–39 (UK #130–145, 156–159)

Transformers: Maximum Force
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #40–42, #44–45 (UK #162, 163, 174–179, 190, 191);
Omits: Marvel U.S. #43 — Adaptation of "The Big Broadcast of 2006", not part of the ongoing storyline. This story was omitted from the Space Pirates! collection too, despite that storyline being written around this issue, being replaced with a summary illustrated by a few panel excerpts.

Transformers: Dark Star
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #46–50 (UK #192–197, 206–210)

Transformers: Last Stand
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #51–55 (UK #211–220, 232–239)

The titles listed after this point, written by Titan affiliate Simon Furman, were the first Transformers collections printed.

Transformers: Primal Scream
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #56–62 (UK #240–254, 259–264)

Transformers: Matrix Quest
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #63–68 (UK #282–305)

Transformers: All Fall Down
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #69–74 (UK #306–318)

Transformers: End of the Road
Collects: Marvel Transformers U.S. #75–80 (UK #319–332)

Transformers: Dark Designs
Collects: Marvel Transformers: Generation 2 #1–6 (UK #3–5)
Omits: Marvel Transformers: Generation 2 #0 — Promotional issue taking place prior to #1, "Ghosts" was not part of the ongoing storyline. This story was also re-printed as a backup story in Transformers: Generation 2 #2. It is not collected elsewhere.

Transformers: Rage in Heaven
Collects: Marvel Transformers: Generation 2 #7–12

UK collections

Color

These compilations are shown in chronological order (based on the first issue, note that many include stories published years after the title arc), the order in which Titan published these is as follows: Target: 2006, Fallen Angel, Legacy of Unicron, Space Pirates, Time Wars, City of Fear, Dinobot Hunt, Prey, Second Generation.

Me Grimlock CRUSH puny wooden building

Transformers: Dinobot Hunt
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #45–50, #74–77, 1986 Annual
ISBN 1-84023-789-9

Fear the puffy arm of Defensor

Transformers: Second Generation
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #59–65, #93, #145, #198, 1989 Annual
ISBN 1-84023-935-2

Mental wounds still screaming Driving me insane

Transformers: Target: 2006
Collects: Story arc from Marvel Transformers UK #78–88, including the "Cybertron: The Middle Years!" prose feature from #83
ISBN 1-84023-510-1


Jesus Christ, it's a Lion!

Transformers: Prey
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #96–100, #103–104, #135, #136, 1987 Annual, 1989 Annual
ISBN 1-84023-831-3

Bounty Hunters? We don't need their scum.

Transformers: Fallen Angel
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #101–102, #113–120, 1987 Annual, plus "High Noon Tex" (the first ever Death's Head strip)
ISBN 1-84023-511-X

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Transformers: Legacy of Unicron
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #133–134, #137, #138, #146–153
ISBN 1-84023-578-0

We don't say the Z word.

Transformers: City of Fear
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #132, #164–171, #188, #213–214
ISBN 1-84023-671-X

Judge not, lest ye also shalt be judged

Transformers: Space Pirates
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #160–161, #172–173, #180–187, 1987 Annual
ISBN 1-84023-619-1

In my time of dying

Transformers: Time Wars
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #130–131, #189, #199–205
ISBN 1-84023-647-7

Black & white

These compilations are listed in chronological order based on the first issue included, however the stories are bound by subject matter as opposed to sequential order.

I warned you Shockwave. Now give me the remote!

Transformers: Fallen Star
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #215–218, #243–244, #248, #268, #270, #275-277 and #284–286

  • Note: The inidicia printed in this collection mistakenly lists issue number contents as those collected in Way of the Warrior.

ISBN 1-84576-060-3

Damn straight I'm with Guy Gardner!

Transformers: Way of the Warrior
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #219–222, #229, #237–239, #272–274, #282–283 and #249–250
ISBN 1-84576-059-X

Killing you softly. With my hand.

Transformers: Aspects of Evil
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #223–227, #235–236, #240, #245–247 and #251–254
ISBN 1-84576-055-7

Me Action Master Grimlock say you overruled!

Transformers: Earthforce
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #228, #234, #261–267, #269, #271 and #278–281
ISBN 1-84576-061-1

Stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself.

Transformers: Perchance to Dream
Collects: Stories from Marvel Transformers UK #230–233, #241–242, #255–260 and #287–289
ISBN 1-84576-062-X


These were the last UK stories to be solicited as Titan reprints. It was claimed that if they were successful they would finance future colour releases. Obviously this did not pan out. What is frustrating is that some stories (notably The Big Shutdown! and the Survivors saga), included within these volumes in black and white, had previously been reprinted within the original UK comics in colour.


Non-Marvel collections

Transformers Adventures: (Vol. 1)
Collects: Titan Transformers UK #1–6
ISBN 1845768361
ISBN 978-1845768362

Transformers Adventures: (Vol. 2)
Collects: Titan Transformers UK #7-13
ISBN 184576837X
ISBN 978-1845768379

Transformers Adventures: (Vol. 3)
Collects: Titan Transformers UK #14-20
ISBN 1848561989
ISBN 978-1848561984

Transformers: Reversal of Fortune
Collects: Titan Transformers UK #2.1-2.8
ISBN 1848567464
ISBN 978-1848567467

Uncollected material

Though the Titan reprints were not fully comprehensive, most of the omissions read as editorial decisions or understandable mistakes. The collections didn't reprint...

References

  1. ↑ Moonbase 2 AA2010 interview, 7:50 - 9:04
  2. ↑ "I just don't think ["The Enemy Within!" is] my best work. And certainly in terms of Transformers, I only hit my stride later. I possibly could have done with some editorial guidance on my early stories. I look back and, certainly in terms of my technical abilities, I wasn't really clued up enough about how much or how little to put on a page and how not to drive your artist insane... I could have done with some judicious editing."—Simon Furman in interview in The Transformers Classics UK]] vol. 1.
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