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IDW Announces Transformers: Shattered Glass 2 for August

Published Thu, 19 May 2022 17:27:05 -0500

Last updated Thu, 19 May 2022 18:51:10 -0500

IDW is making the most out of those Hasbro licenses before Robert Kirkman steals them later this year, according to a story first reported by Bleeding Cool but later also reported by The Hollywood Reporter and erroneously called an "exclusive." It wouldn't be the last story THR has published without crediting Bleeding Cool for reporting it first, as they also claimed an exclusive on the news of Frank Miller's new publishing company, also first reported by Bleeding Cool. But we aren't here to talk about THR's apparent obsession with repeatedly lying about their stories being "exclusives" when Bleeding Cool clearly reported them first, an obsession rivaled only by the website's hunger for sexier content in the Dora the Explorer movie (or maybe we are — it is the sort of thing we would do). We're here to talk about Transformers, as IDW has just announced a follow-up to last year's Transformers: Shattered Glass mini-series with a sequel, appropriately titled Transformers: Shattered Glass 2.

The press release provides more details, though we guess if we were THR, we would probably call this an "exclusive."

By popular demand, the dark reflection of the Transformers universe returns with IDW's upcoming five-issue comic book miniseries, Transformers: Shattered Glass II, debuting in August!

Following the overwhelming success of 2021's original Shattered Glass series, writer Danny Lore, artists Daniel Khanna and Guido Guidi, and colorist John-Paul Bove are back to tell more harrowing tales from this twisted alternate reality, with the new addition of artist Marcelo Matere rounding out the creative roster.

In a world where the virtuous icons you once knew are monstrously evil, Optimus Prime is a ruthless tyrant and Megatron is a compassionate peacekeeper. Cybertron sits on the brink of war as Autobots and Decepticons race to gain control of a Titan juggernaut whose raw power could decide the ultimate victor. However, while seemingly everyone is laser-focused on the Titan, the powerful shadow broker Ultra Magnus puts a sinister plan into action!

Here's some more information in a series of quotes taken from the press release and reused here, like a story on THR that Bleeding Cool reported first, except we're actually acknowledging where they came from. First, from writer Danny Lore:

When we ended the first series, I was overjoyed at the fan reaction to our version of Shattered Glass. It was a world full of passionate revolutionaries, terrifying warlords, and lots of big things going boom. The chance to revisit Shattered Glass, giving you even more of all that, really feels like coming home—a very explosive home with a lot of really tall folk, but home nonetheless!

And from artist Daniel Khanna:

It's great to return to the Shattered Glass universe where we continue to flesh out this whole new twisted mirror take on the normal Transformers universe. I think fans will really enjoy this latest chapter from this alternate reality.

And artist Guido Guidi:

Once again it's great to be back on this series! In the first miniseries, I really loved depicting Blurr as a bad guy and Jetfire's struggle for Starscream, playing with their facial expressions and their body language, yet keeping their basic traits from their original counterparts. But I can say that I'm having fun with any of the characters at this point. It's a really refreshing challenge to draw them as their opposite, yet make them convincing and natural in their new roles, for both new readers and older fans.

And artist Marcelo Matere (how many artists does this book have?!):

What excites me more about the premise of Shattered Glass is the chance to play around with things you usually don't do. For example, after reading the script, one line helped to guide my art style for this book: a description of the Wreckers in a gangster or mobster scenario, calling for lots of shadows and black silhouettes of the characters. It's been great experimentation moving my art to this new level.

Look for Transformers: Shattered Glass 2 #1 in stores in August, with Cover A by interior artist Marcelo Matere, Cover B by Red Powell, a retailer incentive variant by Nick Brokenshire, and more variants on Hasbro Pulse.