Titan Transformers v5 AOE [June 2014-Dec14] The End

[primenova]

It should be in the shops in the morning.

[Pinwig]

What a mess this is. So they've stopped bagging it, but kept the cover the same height as the bag was. Which means the cover is about an inch taller than the pages inside.

Think this would do better if it was rebranded as a Rescuebots title.

[primenova]

I always cut the cover down for these oversized issues to get them in a box

[primenova]

Some body at Titan have changed the title name.

Age of Distinction #3

& the title is removed from the subscription page too

[primenova]

I think #5 might be the last issue & they might relaunch RID #1 4 issues a year. or #6 will be out april 2015 if they keep the title running. But with only back issues online listed this makes me think it's getting cancelled.

[KnightBeat]

It's supposed to be out this week. Any subscribers received their copy?

[primenova]

Not yet - but I expect to see no next issue. Titan website has been down for new issue info - but just checking it again

[KnightBeat]

I spotted AoE #5 in a newsagent earlier, but couldn't buy it at the time. As announced a few issues ago, Bulkhead is the only figure with this issue.

TFWiki already has a story summary mentioning that there's no next issue page. It looks like this is the end, which is a shame given the Combiner Wars & RID push at the moment.

In other news, I spotted a kids comic called ACTION FORCE on the shelves as well. Obviously, no relation to GI Joe UK, but I still felt a wave of nostalgia.

Edit: TFWiki claims its 4.99 this issue. I rescind the nice thing I wrote a few paragraphs earlier.

[primenova]

It is £4.99 but states 2 other free gifts but sealed so you can't see. I knew this would be last issue then. We might see a comic around summer time.

I should be getting a letter with paid upto #8 so have refund. I was going to get the pack with the tin

I've sent an e-mail to Titan - comic did last 75 issues

> Or you can phone [phone] and quote TFEML1 - lines are open Monday to
> Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturdays 9am to 1pm.

[primenova]

Thank you for your email regarding your subscription to Trasnformers Comic.

I can confirm that your subscription has been set to expire at the end of the current term. The last issue dispatched to you will be the Volume 5 #5 which goes on sale on the 18th June 2015.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and if you have any further queries please contact me.





Kind Regards

Suzie Irving

Email Response Team
Titan magazines
Tel: [phone]
Fax:[phone]
Tel: [phone]
www.titanmagazines.co.uk

Got my issue today & the letter states #5.5 is the last issue - so is 100% cancelled at 75th issue. Merry christmas from Titan UK - we have cancelled the comic for you & doesn't seem like they have plans to do a new one. A CE format comic with reprints would work seeing they have the rights for all the Marvel stuff & maybe IDW paid stuff might still be valid.

[Pinwig]

That doesn't make any sense though: Vol5 #5 on sale 18th June 2015? what?

I picked up #5 this morning, noticed it cover dated Jan/Feb. So is it not the case that it's just the last AoE issue? if there's a push on RiD when the cartoon launches around March, surely they'd want to try at least a test issue?

[primenova]

I know the e-mail didn't make any sense - with 5.5 being the issue out now but Titan subs are closed saturdays when they say they are open.

Letter with the comic -

Subscriber
Important news Transformers Comic has ceased publication with #5.5. We have thoroughly enjoyed bringing you your Transformers comic over the years.

Did you Titan staff? You should have put some effort into the comic to show that then

[Pinwig]

Just ripe now for panini to pick up the licence and start a brand new fortnightly title!

Yes,I have been drinking.

You know what really annoyed me about this issue? I can understand a price hike if the Bulkhead was in proportion to the rest of the figures, but he's absolutely tiny compared to them.

[KnightBeat]

It's to pay for the extra detail they put on the figure.... No wait.

[inflatabledalek]

No real surprise there. And seven plus years is a very good run for a tie in comic. Whilst it's been past it's best for a long time it's still something of a shame as having a British Transformers comic about was nicely reassuring.

[primenova]

Does anyone know if Titan still have the rights - or if they loose them in June 2015 - if they take them out for a full year or if they have the rights from when they got them back in 2005 & sat on them for 2yrs. But could Panini get them - but they ballsitup for 8 issues last time & cancelled the comic when they got the comic good for the last issue

[Marc Graham]

The comic started off mediocre, slumped - propped up a bit and slumped again never to recover.

Three times during its run they informed me my direct debit details happened to be incorrect and to resend them. My bank details never changed, they just have an awful system. Only earlier this year did I say sod it and give up my subscription.

Truly they ran this comic book into the ground. Oh dear. They made the UK G2 comic look golden in comparison.

Marc.

[Bogatan]

My subscription just stopped around the time the gap between issues stretched in to months, no warning, no request to update info, nothing. I didn't realise it had happened till it was too late to work it out.

Sadly I can't say I missed it, those first few mini prequel issues in 2007 were great, but it all became utterly forgettable by the time ROTF started.

[primenova]

The later issue in v1 where good with 13 pages of strip.

[primenova]

At least I've got my £10.99 refund for 3 issues. I hope Panini do go with a reprint title - then they can take away from Titan trades sales after the mess they made of the comic.

[primenova]

After chatting with the writer over the weekend - found that Titan no longer have the rights to do a Transformers comic (they'll still have the rights for the TPB's which is different because they did them while Panini had the comic rights)

So Titan must have paid for the rights from Jan 2005 or 2006 & they ran out Dec 2014. So that means they 100% knew they where going to cancel the comic pre TF v4 #20 after they ordered in 9 toys.

[Andy Turnbull]

Or they may have been looking to renegotiate the rights and either didn't want to pay the price Hasbro wanted, or someone else has come in for them.

Andy

[primenova]

Hopefully we should find out soon then. If A RID comic is in the works then #1 should be being worked on right now if planned for summer release.

[primenova]

titanmagazines.com/t/transformers/uk/

Titan have completed removed all Transformers pages from their website - so you can't even order back issues. This is quicker than DW website disappeared.

[inflatabledalek]

Looks like they've completely lost (or at least haven't renewed) the licence then. Something similar happened at Big Finish when they lost the Tomorrow People licence, they were no longer able to sell whatever stock they had left of their CD's even though places like Amazon could.

That might mean someone else has picked it up, but it's difficult to see who would want it in the no man's land between films.

[The Doctor]

It's possible but I'm not sure who would take it on in the UK market. I can't see the property fitting with Panini's current portfolio (as much as a CE style title would be nice).

-Ralph

[Pinwig]

I think too barring any NDAs around simultaneous launches that we would have heard some kind of rumour or seen pre-publicity by now wouldn't we? the toys are out and the cartoon can't be more than three months away if Cartoon Network are going to show it in line with the US.

A logical thought would be Rebellion, because of their connection with IDW, but that definitely wouldn't happen. Do Cartoon Network have a specific comic tie-in publisher in the UK?

Nah. I can't see it.

[Andy Turnbull]

Yeah, we would have heard about it by now. I can't see it being Rebellion, given their business model in the UK. The only other game in town is Panini (and they made a howling pigs ear of it last time out), and their GI Joe comic, which I would like to point out was quite good died on it's arse after 6 issues, and Thundercats lasted 11 issues (with only 10 issues of comic strip), the only one that seems to be working for them now is Turtles and that seems to be doing US reprint material now from what I have heard.

Andy

[Pinwig]

Wait, what? Panini did a Thundercats comic? was that based on the reboot series from a few years ago? what strips was it printing?

[Andy Turnbull]

Jan 7, 2015 20:05:36 GMT Pinwig said:

Wait, what? Panini did a Thundercats comic? was that based on the reboot series from a few years ago? what strips was it printing?

Yes it was based on the reboot.

They commissioned their own material, a lot of it was coloured by Kat Nicholson who did work for Titan's TF and is a great artist and top person to boot. The budget obviously ran out for commissioning material but sales were strong enough for one last issue so it was all quizzes and activity.

Some very nice work on the strip actually.

Andy