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![]() The overview takes the reader through the G1 and reformatted G2, followed by the tectonic shifts through Beast Wars, Beast Machines, Armada, Cybertron, Animated, Movies and everything in-between up to the present day SIEGE series. Thankfully, much of the artwork for the initial toys developed by Takara was used wholesale permanently making the fabulous Japanese Mecha air-brushed style a part of the Transformers ever since. Because they could only show one form in the package, the box art showing the robot mode was extremely important in communicating there really were two toys inside. ![]() Every aspect of the packaging was designed to engage kids with this idea. The Packaging chapter opens with an informative historical overview of the Transformers toys from Hasbro's licensing of Takara's toy lines, Microchange and Dialone, to how and what was done to create a whole Universe around the amazing feature of these toys that can change from a vehicle to robot. From there, the book launches into Packaging, followed by Comics, Animation, Video Games, Movies, and finally all the help the book had with a closing Acknowledgements section. This book begins with a big warm hug, as this fan can totally relate to their love for the Transformers in their very eloquent words about how they came to be involved with these Cybertronian beings. Beginning with a forward by Transformers Artist, Ken Christensen, and introduction by the book author, Jim Sorensen. Inside the cover, the book is presented in eight chapters / sections that consolidate the many iterations over the years starting with Pre-Transformers, to as recent as the Cyberverse and War For Cybertron: SIEGE Transformers' series. Find a table and few friends because this the thing is so lengthy it sucks you in with page after page of crisp, glossy images to drool over. It is so big and heavy, you won't be curling up by the fire with this 5 pounds of book. It doesn't stop there, the top-notch cloth sewn binding with laser-cut, silver gilded pages, show every indication publisher VIZ Media went all out to make this the best it could be. Those who purchased the Collector's Edition will also appreciate the luxurious Autobot and Decepticon themed box with a glossy covering, embossed faction symbols, special lenticular book cover print of Optimus Prime and Megatron, and the magnetic-latched case made to hold the book and exclusive prints that will keep your book in perfect condition for years, possibly generations to come. Starting with the book's packaging, I am going to again refer to the "Art Book" classification as this is not another trade-style softback. So I will cover how the book is presented chapter wise more than taking inventory of the actual art content. It would be tedious to do a review that wouldn't leave out your favorites. Not to forget, it also presents a lot of things rarely seen online. Printed in the highest resolution, pretty much all of the what is shown in the book has never been available at this "Art Book" quality level before. Quite the opposite, this book is really the only thing that could be better. What has been long over-due may seem too late for the digital-age that the Internet has brought on. How does someone even begin to review a book as big and deep as the "Transformers: A Visual History"? At 9 x 12 inches (22.86cm x 30.5cm) and 408 pages, this is book is literally heavy, weighing over 5 lbs, with Transformers art covering the 35 years since they came to Earth in 1984.
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