Nah, the Marvel Comics were better.
I was introduced to the G1 show in the G2 era. Bad CGI of Optimus vs Ramjet, the CyberCube, and all! And it wouldn't be for another few years before I got into comics. At which point the G1 comic run was long over.
So for the longest time G1 was the cartoon for me. I didn't really become aware of the comics until the early 2000s when I first got acquainted with the online fandom looking for information about Armada.
Which- for a while- people thought could be a Rebirth sequel since Megatron looked like he could be a Scorponok/Megs fusion
That would have been wild.
But I guess what I'm getting at is that to me the comics were this weird "other" take on G1. Make even weirder because I knew they came out before the cartoon but like...everything's different? I didn't understand just how slapdash the franchise was in those days. I mean why wouldn't you coordinate things?
I guess I'm just giving personal context to say I'm not sure I agree that the comics are better, or even the cartoon is better. The cartoon is far more my definitive "G1" personally, but they're each doing wildly different things.
The cartoon is doing a standard 80s action kids show setup, and doing it well.
The comics are far more in the style of mid 80s sci fi speculative fiction. They, like the cartoon, exist to advertise toys but the stories are far more explorative of the concept I guess? Which one could hold against the cartoon, but then again the cartoon wasn't trying to be that.
I still haven't gotten as familiar with the comics as I should have, but they do seem very fun and deep. And there are concepts there the fantasy nerd in me adores.
The cartoon, though, was what inspired me and got me into this fandom. And if it's been thirty-four years since its original run ended? Well that's a fun milestone worth celebrating on its own