10 Best Comic Book Universes
7. Transformers Universe
While you may think that the Transformers franchise began with the animated series and toy launch back in the eighties, you'd be wrong. The first time a Transformer was seen by anyone in the world of popular culture was when Marvel Comics published a four-issue limited series in May of 1984, five months before the cartoon was released.
That series extended beyond its planned four-issue run to become one of the most recognizable and long-lasting comics in the franchise. The UK sister series went on to run for 332 issues, helping to mould and define the Transformers Universe into what it is today.
The Transformers Universe featured here isn't related to the films, but it is closely related to the cartoons. While it can't be said that they are in the same universe, they could be called companion realities, seeing as they share many of the same characters and themes.
The Transformers Universe expanded beyond Marvel's influence to find publication by Dreamwave Productions and IDW Publishing, the company that currently owns the rights to the characters. The Transformers Universe continues to expand and include darker, grittier tones while still remaining true to its origins in the pages of Marvel Comics.