The review / gallery here is from the Dorling Kindersley book Transformers: The Ultimate Guide (Updated Edition) which was released in 2007 prior to the Transformers Movie. The book was written by Simon Furman and had been previously published, in an earlier hardback and softback version, in 2004. This Updated Version contains the same information as the original version, but with 8 new pages including the IDW Comic series, Alternator and Classics toylines.
Dorling Kindersley kindly sent us a copy of their Transformers: The Ultimate Guide (Updated Edition) to give away as part of our Ultimate Transformers Movie give-away competition. We had already purchased a copy of the original version of the book, and were interested to see what the updated version contained.
For those of you who don't know, the Transformers: The Ultimate Guide book is written by legendary Transformers writer Simon Furman, and contains information on all of the Transformers lines from it's origins in 1984 to present time. The book covers the comic and cartoon series, from the early Marvel US and Marvel UK days, though Generation Two, Dreamwave and IDW alonside the original Sunbow cartoon and Transformers The Movie, through Beast Wars, Beast Machines, Robots in Disguise, Armada, Energon and Cybertron. The new Updated Edition also includes articles on the Transformers Alternators and Transformers Classics lines.
Transformers: The Ultimate Guide (Updated Edition) comes in a softback form, with a chrome silver cover replacing the white cover of the original and has a RRP of GBP 9.99
Transformers: The Ultimate guide is a fantastic book for gaining a summary of the 23 year history of Transformers, from cartoon, comic and toy perspective. The books is well written and covers all aspects of the Transformers, even touching on the UK Trnasmasters Fan Fiction comics. If you're new to the Transformers universe, or it's been some time since you last read / saw anything on Transformers, then his is an essential piece of kit. Even if you're a hardcore fan, the Transformers: The Ultimate Guide book is one you should add to your collection. The only thing in doubt is should you buy this book if you already own the older version?
Well the answer to that will purely be a personal one. For the ten pounds you'll gain eight new pages, which is quiet expensive, working out at one pound per page, although if (like us) you've not followed the IDW series, it could well be worth a look (just be warned you may want to go out and hunt down those missing comics). The book is a bargin for it's cover price, which is a fraction of the original hardback edition, and we'd rate it as a 4/5. If you already own the original there's not much to get you back, and as it was published before the Transformers Movie was releasd, one of the main new areas is missing. The third edition, assuming there will be one, which should include the Transformers Movie and Transformers Animated would be worth buying, if you own the original.
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