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Amazon.com has added its pre-orders for IDW titles Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 4 and Transformers Classics Volume 6. The books are currently due for release in October 2013, and cover art has yet to be confirmed, but the descriptions are copied below!

Transformers: Robots in Disguise Volume 4
THE RETURN! He's back... and Cybertron will never be the same! Everything Bumblebee and his Autobots have built teeters on the edge of collapse - and Starscream has to make the choice his whole life has been leading to. And meet the new Prowl - deadlier than ever, colder then any other Autobot, and ready to end the Decepticon threat! This volume collects issues #12-16 of the regular ongoing series.

Paperback: 124 pages
Publisher: IDW Publishing (October 8, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613777655
ISBN-13: 978-1613777657

Transformers Classics Volume 6
The historic comic book roots of THE TRANSFORMERS are re-presented for maximum Cybertronian enjoyment. Collecting issues #63-74, rejoin The AUTOBOTS and The DECEPTICONS as their war stretches across the cosmos. Freshly re-mastered and re-colored, these stories are accompanied by an in-depth introduction as well as select issue notes by Mark W. Bellomo.

Paperback: 284 pages
Publisher: IDW Publishing (October 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613777647
ISBN-13: 978-1613777640

63-74? Darn, that cuts the Matrix Quest in half and ends the book cliffhangered just as Unicron arrives. Was kinda hoping we'd get all of he Unicron saga (61-75) in one book, but I guess not.

Amazon has posted the cover art for Transformers Classics Volume 6, which features the Decepticon Triplechanger Blitzwing. This volume is priced at $22.04 and scheduled to release on October 1st, 2013. See the cover and details below.

Book Description
Publication Date: October 1, 2013
The historic comic book roots of THE TRANSFORMERS are re-presented for maximum Cybertronian enjoyment. Collecting issues #63-74, rejoin The AUTOBOTS and The DECEPTICONS as their war stretches across the cosmos. Freshly re-mastered and re-colored, these stories are accompanied by an in-depth introduction as well as select issue notes by Mark W. Bellomo.

Product Details
Paperback: 284 pages
Publisher: IDW Publishing (October 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613777647
ISBN-13: 978-1613777640

That doesn't make any sense! Blitzwing is DEAD by the time these issues take place, and never came back to life in the original Marvel run. Why are they using his image of all things?

If anything, they should have used Unicron, or Galvatron, or Thunderwing, or Scorponok, or ANY Decepticon who had anything to do with issues 63-74. But Blitzwing is not one of those.

It seems so odd to me that the characters on these covers have nothing to do with the contents inside.

I was expecting Soundwave next. I don't mind that the characters don't necessarily relate to the content, but I thought IDW were selecting the most iconic characters to make the books more attractive to the passer-by. This was certainly the case with OP, Megatron, Bumblebee and Starscream, to a lesser extent Prowl (Jazz would have made more sense) but Blitzwing doesn't fit.

Maybe Hasbro, mindful that they have a new Blitzwing out, thought it would make sense as the profile of that particular character is higher at the moment?

Having said all that, Blitzwing is feckin' awesome anyway.

They're compensating for the new toy's rubber nose cone problem by giving the people a nice drawing with the only fault of not being on the comic's issues.

dabattousai wrote:They're compensating for the new toy's rubber nose cone problem by giving the people a nice drawing with the only fault of not being on the comic's issues.

Or having any feet.

Seibertron wrote:It seems so odd to me that the characters on these covers have nothing to do with the contents inside.

Thus far, Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee (well, in his Goldbug form), and Starscream made sense for each of their volumes, but Prowl and Blitzwing... not so much.

Banjo-Tron wrote:I was expecting Soundwave next. I don't mind that the characters don't necessarily relate to the content, but I thought IDW were selecting the most iconic characters to make the books more attractive to the passer-by. This was certainly the case with OP, Megatron, Bumblebee and Starscream, to a lesser extent Prowl (Jazz would have made more sense) but Blitzwing doesn't fit.

Ratchet would have made more sense than either Prowl or Jazz since Volume 5's issues brought him back into the forefront.

Yeah I just think that the 3rd most 'popular' Autobot (non-movie) if I were to think of one would be Jazz. I do agree that Ratchet had some really good storylines in the US comic, in fact he was one of the few characters in the US run I gave 2 hoots about. He deserved a better fate too Simon Furman

Banjo-Tron wrote:Yeah I just think that the 3rd most 'popular' Autobot (non-movie) if I were to think of one would be Jazz. I do agree that Ratchet had some really good storylines in the US comic, in fact he was one of the few characters in the US run I gave 2 hoots about. He deserved a better fate too Simon Furman

Discounting G2, Classics, or ReG1, Ratchet's final act in Marvel G1 made him go out with a bang. He died a hero, taking four of the topmost Decepticons with him (even though most survived).

Though, Classics did give Ratchet a second chance at life.

Cripes. I'm glad I've read ReGeneration, because those were some brutal spoilers. Sheeeeesh.

That said, agreed on not making sense... but it IS a lovely pic of Blitzwing. So yeah, why no Jazz or Ratchet or other matchy robot. Hmmmm.

gothsaurus wrote:That said, agreed on not making sense... but it IS a lovely pic of Blitzwing. So yeah, why no Jazz or Ratchet or other matchy robot. Hmmmm.

They've been re-using the art Guido Guidi did for the Infiltration incentive covers, and alternating between Autobots and Decepticons.

1) Optimus Prime
2) Megatron
3) Bumblebee
4) Starscream
5) Prowl
6) Blitzwing

From what I can tell, only Ratchet and Ironhide remain. So one of them will likely be on Volume 7. If there's a Volume 8, who knows?

I do hope they issue the Headmasters and movie adaptation. Any other leftovers that could see a reprint in the final installment... besides the GIJoe? I think the 3d were through another company.

gothsaurus wrote:I do hope they issue the Headmasters and movie adaptation. Any other leftovers that could see a reprint in the final installment... besides the GIJoe? I think the 3d were through another company.

The final volume will at least contain the TFU bios.

gothsaurus wrote:I do hope they issue the Headmasters and movie adaptation. Any other leftovers that could see a reprint in the final installment... besides the GIJoe? I think the 3d were through another company.

I'd imagine those will be included. They were in the first round of Classics reprints. Marvel UK and G.I.Joe stories, of course, have their own series of trades.

Only things I can think of would be the Generation 2 comics and the Universe profiles. I've never read the G2 comics, so I'd be ecstatic if we managed to get those.

Oh yeah! Those would be welcome. I hope they get the complete batch. Seems like there were a few missing from the old collected book. (Ones added to the final pages of comics that followed the book, if I remember right.

Sabrblade wrote:The final volume will at least contain the TFU bios.

Including those that were published in the backs of the main comic issues.

AW dang. If you know this for sure, I'm quite excited. I always loved getting the backstory — and unprinted extended tech-spec info. I think Budiansky penned a lot of it. He contributed so much to the lore and history. He's quite an unsung hero. I think the sillier comics left a bad impression until I really found out how much he did for the franchise... so much back story, personalities, etc. Huge props to the man.

gothsaurus wrote:AW dang. If you know this for sure, I'm quite excited. I always loved getting the backstory — and unprinted extended tech-spec info. I think Budiansky penned a lot of it. He contributed so much to the lore and history. He's quite an unsung hero. I think the sillier comics left a bad impression until I really found out how much he did for the franchise... so much back story, personalities, etc. Huge props to the man.

Volume 4 had a note saying the bios from the four TFU issues and the extra ones from the backs of later comic issues would be reprinted in the final volume.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm in the middle of Volume 4 as we speak. Guess I haven't gotten to that note.

Amazon has now revealed the cover art for their second Transformers volume set for release in October, Transformers: Robots In Disguise Volume 4. As you can see in the image mirrored below, this volume reuses Andrew Griffith's retail incentive cover from issue #14 featuring Megatron and Prowl. This volume is scheduled for release on October 8th.

Transformers: Robots In Disguise Volume 4 [Paperback]

Book Description
Publication Date: October 8, 2013
THE RETURN! He's back... and Cybertron will never be the same! Everything Bumblebee and his Autobots have built teeters on the edge of collapse - and Starscream has to make the choice his whole life has been leading to. And meet the new Prowl - deadlier than ever, colder then any other Autobot, and ready to end the Decepticon threat! This volume collects issues #12-16 of the regular ongoing series.

Product Details
Paperback: 124 pages
Publisher: IDW Publishing (October 8, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613777655
ISBN-13: 978-1613777657

So Vol. 3 has a measly two issues + the annual, and Vol. 4 has five issues?

Who designed this division?

Anyway, still gonna' buy it.