Transformers: Armada (comics)

Transformers: Armada is the name of at least three different comic book titles based on the Japanese anime series of the same name. The first being a mini-comic supplied with the toys, coming in various languages, that told small side stories relating to the premise, and eventually began leading into the Unicron Battles. The second comic was an ongoing series published by then Transformers licence holder Dreamwave Productions and ran for 18 issues, before being rebranded as Transformers: Energon.

Dreamwave Productions

Transformers: Armada
Cover of Transformers: Armada #1. Art by James Raiz and Alan Wang.
Publication information
Publisher Dreamwave Productions
Schedule Monthly
Format Ongoing series
Genre Action
Science fiction
Publication date July 10, 2002 – December 10, 2003
No. of issues 18
Main character(s) Autobots, Decepticons
Creative team
Written by Chris Sarracini
Simon Furman
Penciller(s) James Raiz
Pat Lee
Guido Guidi
Don Figueroa
Inker(s) Rob Armstrong, Erik Sander, and Ferd Poblete
Elaine To
Colorist(s) Alan Wang, Gary Yeung, Ramil Sunga
Editor(s) Roger Lee
Collected editions
First Contact ISBN 978-0973278613
Fortress ISBN 978-0973278644
Worlds Collide ISBN 978-0973381740

Transformers: Armada was an ongoing American comic book published by Dreamwave Productions that ran for 18 issues from July 10, 2002 to December 10, 2003. Originally written by Chris Sarracini, writing duties were taken over by veteran Transformers writer Simon Furman after the fifth issue. The comic was based on the Japanese anime series of the same name by Hasbro and Takara Tomy, but is set in its own continuity with an independent storyline.

Commercial performance

Transformers: Armada #1 was the best-selling comic in July 2002, according to Diamond Comic Distributors' ranking for that month, with around 145,567 copies distributed.[1] High sales continued with #2 being the third best-selling comic of the month.[2] Issue #3 was the first one to sell less that 100,000 copies,[3] while #4 was the first one to not rank in the top 10.[4] Sales continued to plummet from that point on. Issue #8 scored out of the top 20,[5] #10 scored out of the top 30,[6] and by #14 the series failed to rank in the top 50.[7]. By the end, Transformers: Armada #18 sold 28,059 copies and ranked 70th in Diamond's rankings.[8]

The series' first trade volume, First Contact, had 2,549 units accounted in Diamond distributed comic shops during its release month, April 2003, placing it 22nd on the trade paperbacks chart.[6] The second trade, Fortress, had 1,952 units accounted in September that same year, and place 37th on the chart,[9] while the third and last trade, Worlds Collide, sold 1,358 units in April 2004, scoring 59th place on the charts.[10]

Transformers: Armada: Physical sales per issue (in thousands)

Collected editions

Dreamwave Productions

TitleMaterial collectedPublication dateISBN
Transformers: Armada Volume 1 – First ContactPreview and Transformers: Armada #1–5April 2, 2003 978-0973278613[20]
Transformers: Armada Volume 2 – FortressTransformers: Armada #6–11September 17, 2003 978-0973278644[21]
Transformers: Armada Volume 3 – Worlds CollideTransformers: Armada #12–18April 28, 2004 978-0973381740

IDW Publishing

TitleMaterial collectedPublication dateISBN
Transformers: Armada Volume 1Transformers: Armada #1–5October 29, 2008 978-1600102677
Transformers: Armada Volume 2Transformers: Armada #6–11January 14, 2009 978-1600103575
Transformers: Armada Volume 3Transformers: Armada #12–18April 15, 2009 978-1600104022
Transformers: Armada OmnibusTransformers: Armada #1–18August 18, 2010 978-1600107153

Panini Comics

Transformers: Armada
Publication information
Publisher Panini Comics
Schedule Monthly
Format Ongoing series
Genre see below
Publication date May 21, 2003 – December 31, 2003
No. of issues 9

The third comic was exclusive to the United Kingdom, and was published by Panini Comics (a company which had long since absorbed Marvel UK, which had launched Furman's career and success in the franchise). This title was also written by Furman, but was tailored towards much younger readers, with bright, block art and simplified stories - although traces of Furman's usual bold storytelling could still be found in it. Furman also included a side story strip called "Tales of the Mini-Cons" which followed the 'Cons on their own personal adventures, sometimes dipping into their past on Earth and spinning off plots that would even be resolved in the main strip. The Mini-Con Destruction Team that Furman had made the chief antagonists of his Moon base DW arc also showed signs of their ambitious hunger for power in one of the last issues, forging an alliance with Starscream.

Unfortunately, and much like the UK Generation 2 comic in the early 1990s', the title did not provide or generate the same success enjoyed by the G1 strips of the 1980s, and folded after nine issues. When Energon arrived in the UK, a comic was not distributed to tie in with the series or the toyline.

References

  1. 1 2 Miller, John Jackson. "July 2002 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Miller, John Jackson. "August 2002 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Miller, John Jackson. "September 2002 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Miller, John Jackson. "October 2002 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Miller, John Jackson. "February 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Miller, John Jackson. "April 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Miller, John Jackson. "August 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  8. 1 2 Miller, John Jackson. "December 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Miller, John Jackson. "September 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  10. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "April 2004 Graphic Novel Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  11. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "November 2002 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  12. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "December 2002 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  13. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "January 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  14. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "March 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  15. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "May 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  16. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "June 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  17. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "July 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  18. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "October 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  19. ↑ Miller, John Jackson. "November 2003 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  20. ↑ Sarracini, Chris (June 28, 2003). "Transformers Armada, Volume 1: First Contact". Barnes & Noble. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  21. ↑ Furman, Simon (September 3, 2003). "Transformers: Armada, Volume 2". Barnes & Noble. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
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