Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Image, san diego comic con | Tagged: Energon Universe, gi joe, skybound, transformers, Void rivals

Image/Skybound Will Reprint Marvel & IDW Transformers & GI Joe Comics

San Diego Comic-Con saw Joshua Williamson, Robert Kirkman and Daniel Warren Johnson talk about bringing Transformers and GI Joe to Image.

The Energon Universe panel at San Diego Comic-Con saw Joshua Williamson, Robert Kirkman and Daniel Warren Johnson talk about bringing Transformers and GI Joe comics to Skybound and Image Comics via their Void Rivals series, and teased much to come.

That will include the Transformers series by Daniel Warren Johnson, and the two GI Joe titles, Cobra Commander and Duke, seen above.

Sean Mackiewicz teased some major violence to come, saying "We read on the message boards, we check them from time-to-time, 'how can a G.I. Joe kill a Transformer?'… you're gonna find out" though Daniel Warren Johnson, writer/artist of Transformers #1 with Mike Spicer added "You wouldn't know how fun it is to draw humans getting squished."

Transformers #1 is out on the 4th of October, with subsequent issues on the 8th of November and the 13th of December. Here's these solicit for issue 1.

Optimus Prime was supposed to have led the Autobots to victory. Instead, the fate of Cybertron is unknown, and his allies have crash-landed far from home, alongside their enemies-the Decepticons. As these titanic forces renew their war on Earth, one thing is immediately clear: the planet will never be the same. New alliances are struck. Battle lines are redrawn. And humanity's only hope of survival is Optimus Prime.

Duke #1 by Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly and Jordie Bellaire will be out on December 27th and will tell all-new origins for GI Joe and Cobra. Joshua Williamson says that Cobra Commander "is a horror comic" about "a master manipulator" – it's not just about him being in fights." Cobra Commander #1 by Williamson, Andrea Milani and Annalisa and will be released on the 17th of January 2024.

As to which Transformers would be coming to the comics, Robert Kirkman talked about his choice to make Jetfire the first Transformer seen in Void Rivals, "Cool toy I got to play with as a kid, cool toy I get to play with as an adult." And that he hopes to still be introducing characters by issue 150. "I'm gonna make it my mission to get Bulkhead in the comics." As to the timeline of this all, Robert Kirkman mentions that the Transformers and GI Joe came available about three years ago and they had to turn a pitch around very quickly. Bleeding Cool broke the news that IDW Publishing was to lose the Transformers and then the GI Joe comic book rights back in November 2021,  So it took a year and a half before Bleeding Cool would get to break the news… this was clearly Hasbro's plan for some time before IDW lost the license.

But for The Energon Universe, much will revolve around the central mystery in Void Rivals that kept these two supposed-species apart and at war.  But as to who constructed these lies, who set up the conspiracy and why? That will be the pay off. And for those who asked, yes they have plans to republish both classic Marvel and IDW Transformers and GI Joe collections, possibly this year. You might even get some Void Rivals toys from Hasbrom if the representative in the room wa being serious Here, have a trailer…

Saturday, July 22 • 4:15pm – 5:15pm Room 6A
Transformers & G.I. Joe Return in The Energon Universe
The Transformers and G.I. Joe are back at Skybound, kicking off The Energon Universe! Superstars Robert Kirkman (Void Rivals), Daniel Warren Johnson (Transformers), Joshua Williamson (Duke, Cobra Commander), and Sean Mackiewicz (SVP/publisher, Skybound) reveal the secrets behind the most anticipated comics of 2023.

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