Dreamwave Era (2002-Present)

Dreamwave Productions acquired the Transformers license. Though they were required to feature Hasbro's new toys, they decided to begin with a new six-issue mini-series featuring the original, classic Transformers who had been seen in the first year or two of the original comic and toy series. Transformers: Generation 1 #1 was the first independent comic to be the top-selling comic book in any month since comic book stores began. It sold more copies than any X-Men title, the usual top-sellers. Transformers posters began to be published almost simultaneously, capitalizing on the success.
Fans' response to the series was mixed. While they enjoyed seeing Optimus Prime and Megatron back in action, the new series, unlike the successful relaunch of Hasbro's G.I.Joe comic, was not allowed by its deal with Hasbro to make reference to the original comics. There was no reference to Transformers characters after the very earliest, and their story was left ambiguous. It was explained that an all-out Autobot and human attack on the Decepticons apparently ended their threat, followed by a Challenger-like explosion of the Arc II, a ship meant to take the Autobots and certain humans back to Cybertron -- leading to the Autobots also being out of action until the present series. Most seriously, perhaps, was the change in artistic style to an American version of Japanese manga artwork, a commonplace at the time but one that failed to partake of the best of either school. Despite these complaints, however, the book sold marvelously and went into several reprints prior to the trade paperback edition.
Near the end of the original mini-series, which had ran late, and thus as the original characters in their new continuity went on hiatus, Dreamwave began publishing the six-issue Transformers: The War Within, a prequel written by Simon Furman and showing Optimus Prime becoming the Autobot leader on Cybertron and battling Megatron in the early days of the Autobot-Decepticon civil war. The mini-series featured many new ideas, but would not be as successful as the Generation 1 mini-series that had preceded it. Although the characters of Generation 1 were featured in War Within, it was not made clear that the prequel was a prequel to Generation 1 and not to Armada, the present Transformers toy line and a series from Dreamwave set in its own Transformers universe.
As The War Within concluded, a second series of Generation 1 was launched, featuring a new writer and the return of the successful original artistic team.

IMAGE	TITLE	DESCRIPTION	STATUS
0. The War Within
Larger Version Available	Transformers: The War Within Preview	includes a 10-page story and 5 pages of artwork; no data entered; published on 18 September 2002	Needed
Transformers: The War Within #1-6: Simon Furman writing
Transformers: The War Within #1-6: no art data entered
	Transformers: The War Within #1	gatefold cover; published on 9 October 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available The gatefold cover to Transformers: The War Within #1.
Larger Version Available	Transformers: The War Within #1 [lenticular cover]	image moves when rotated and thus seen from different directions; published on 27 November 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: The War Within #2	published on 6 November 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: The War Within #3		Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: The War Within #4		Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: The War Within #5		Needed
	Transformers: The War Within #6	final issue; published on Wednesday, 12 March 2003	Needed
1. First Series
Larger Version Available	Transformers Preview	contains a 6-page Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) preview story (with Chris Sarracini writing, Pat Lee pencils, Rob Armstrong inks, and backgrounds by Edwin Garcia), an 8-page Transformers Armada preview story (with Chris Sarracini writing, James Raiz pencils, and inks by Rob Armstrong, Erik Sander), 10 pages of sketches and other artwork published on 24 April 2002	Needed
	Transformers Preview [retailer edition]	only 16 pages; does not contain the 10 pages of sketches and other artwork featured in the regular edition; sent to retailers (one copy each) and thus very rare (reportedly with less than 4500 copies existing)	Needed
Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #1-6; Transformers: Generation 1 (second series) #1: Pat Lee pencils; Edwin Garcia background art
Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #1-2, 4, 6; Transformers: Generation 1 (second series) #1: Rob Armstrong inks
Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #1-6: Chris Sarracini writing
	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #1 [Autobot cover]	reveals how the Decepticons were defeated with international human help, followed by the (apparently accidental) destruction of the Autobots and "Sparkplug" Witwicky; features a wraparound cover of the Autobots; published on on 3 April 2002	Needed
	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #1 [Decepticon cover]	features a wraparound cover of the Decepticons; printed in equal proportions with the Autobot cover and published simultaneously	1
Larger Version Available The wraparound covers to Transformers: Generation 1 #1's Autobot and Decepticon covers, respectively. Larger Version Available
	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #1 [holofoil cover]	features a wraparound cover and the same poster as the version with the Autobot cover	Needed
	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #1 [incentive cover]	features a wraparound cover and the same poster as the version with the Decepticon cover; rare because retailers were allowed to order 1 copy for every 25 of the two normal versions	Needed
Larger Version Available The wraparound covers to Transformers: Generation 1 #1's holofoil and incentive covers, respectively. Larger Version Available
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #1 [second printing]	features a mini-poster featuring Predaking battling Defensor and Superion; published on 24 April 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #1 [third printing]	features two page-sized mini-posters of Shockwave and Megatron; published on 26 June 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #2 [Autobot cover]	features a poster of the Decepticons and Cobra (from G.I.Joe), a similar poster appearing (almost simultaneously) in G.I.Joe #6; published on Wednesday, 8 May 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #2 [Decepticon cover]	printed in equal proportions with the Autobot cover and published simultaneously	1
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #2 [second printing]	features a mini-poster featuring Metroplex battling Trypticon; published on 26 June 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #3 [Autobot cover]	concludes with humans nuking both the Autobots and the Decepticons; features a poster by James Alan Ken; Rob Armstrong, Erik Sander, & Ferdinand Poblete inks; published on Wednesday, 5 June 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #3 [Decepticon cover]	printed in equal proportions with the Autobot cover and published simultaneously	1
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #4 [Autobot cover]	published on Wednesday, 17 July 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #4 [Decepticon cover]	printed in equal proportions with the Autobot cover and published simultaneously	1
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #5 [Autobot cover]	Rob Armstrong & Erik Sander inks; published on 11 September 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #5 [Decepticon cover]	printed in equal proportions with the Autobot cover and published simultaneously	1
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #5 [second printing]	published on 13 November 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #6 [Autobot cover]	final issue; published on 23 October 2002	Needed
Larger Version Available	Transformers: Generation 1 (first series) #6 [Decepticon cover]	printed in equal proportions with the Autobot cover and published simultaneously	1
	Transformers: Generation 1 Volume 1	collects Transformers: Generation 1 #1-6; also includes covers and 12 pages previewing the sequel [REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK]	Needed
	Transformers: Generation 1 Volume 1 [hardcover edition]	hardcover	Needed
2. Second Series
Transformers: Generation 1 (second series) #1: Brad Mick writing
	Transformers: Generation 1 (second series) #1 [Autobot cover]	Shockwave arrives and informs both Autobots and Decepticons that the war is over on Cybertron; Megatron is savagely beaten and tossed out into space by Starscream; gatefold cover; published in April 2003	Needed
	Transformers: Generation 1 (second series) #1 [Decepticon cover]	gatefold cover; printed in equal proportions with the Autobot cover and published simultaneously	1
Transformers: Generation 1 (second series) #2-6: no data entered
	Transformers: Generation 1 (second series) #2		Needed
	Transformers: Generation 1 (second series) #3		Needed
	Transformers: Generation 1 (second series) #4		Needed
	Transformers: Generation 1 (second series) #5		Needed
	Transformers: Generation 1 (second series) #6		Needed
MISCELLANEOUS
	Transformers: Genesis	a book of artwork from Hasbro's boxes, concept sketches, stills, and new art; 200 pages; hardcover; scheduled for publication in November 2002	Needed
Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #1-8: a guide to chracters (originally solicited as a four-volume series of thicker books entitled Transformers: Profile Book, the first of which was to have been published in December 2002 and the second in February 2003)
	Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #1	64 pages; scheduled for publication in April 2003	1
	Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #2		Needed
	Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #3		Needed
	Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #4		Needed
	Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #5		Needed
	Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #6		Needed
	Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #7		Needed
	Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #8		Needed

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