Transformers and G.I. Joe are two of Hasbro’s largest properties, and the pair have crossed over quite a few occasions over the many years. Coming off the heels of the not too long ago launched Transformers: Rise of the Beasts film, Hasbro goes all in on mixing its two manufacturers collectively, and throwing them right into a shared universe.
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IGN revealed that Skybound Leisure, the media firm from Robert Kirkman (The Strolling Useless, Invincible) is heading up the trouble on the comics entrance. As a part of the newly christened “Energon Universe,” Transformers is getting a brand new month-to-month comedian from author/artist Daniel Warren Johnson (Do a Powerbomb, Jurassic League), whereas Joe may have a restricted run of character-centric one-shots beginning with points centered on Duke and Cobra Commander. The primary will come from Joshua Williamson (Darkish Disaster) and Tom Reilly (Fury), and the latter from Williamson and Andrea Milana (Dahlia within the Darkish).
Kirkman promised {that a} full-blown Joe comedian will come ultimately, however wished to concentrate on a small forged earlier than “[ramping] into G.I. Joe in a method that you simply see the worth and the way nice these characters are the way in which that we do.” Beginning out, the navy group doesn’t exist but, however the formation of it and Cobra will each play out over the course of the one-shots. “You’re going to sort of get to see these characters from the bottom up and have a extremely particular person expertise. […] You’ll have gone on a journey with them, in order that’s sort of our strategy.”
As for the how of this within the comics themselves…
Picture: Daniel Warren Johnson/Skybound Leisure
The Energon Universe formally begins within the pages of Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici’s not too long ago launched Void Rivals #1. Late within the subject, the e book’s two leads—Darak and Solila, pilots from totally different factions who crash land on an alien planet—come throughout Jetfire, a Transformer in stasis. However as Kirkman famous, Void Rivals doesn’t simply develop into a comic book in regards to the Transformers. Darkish and Solila will nonetheless be Void Rivals’ leads, however the look of Jetfire helps widen the e book’s scope and gives “a plethora of alien races and totally different characters…that these rivals might be interacting with.”
Picture: Daniel Warren Johnson/Skybound Leisure
Kirkman additional defined his need to tie Transformers and Joe collectively years in the past when Hasbro was contemplating opening up the licenses. Upon listening to that, Kirkman mentioned he immediately began attempting to type concepts that may develop into the Energon Universe, and had a need to “determine new methods into these characters. The Energon Universe sort of strips issues again to the start and it’s going to sort of be a ground-floor exploration of those characters.”
A part of what allowed Void, Transformers, and Joe to face collectively is how every of them inform tales of neverending battle between opposing sides. Calling the idea “magic simplicity,” Kirkman mentioned he discovered “loads of originality and loads of room to discover inside that opposing drive dynamic.” And whereas longtime followers know what to anticipate from Transformers and Joe on that entrance, he mentioned Void might be “a very totally different idea with a very totally different narrative constructed round that tough skeleton.”
Rise of the Beasts has already teased out Hasbro’s plans to deliver Transformers and G.I. Joe collectively, so the comics’ Energon Universe provides one other concept of how the 2 franchises may hyperlink up on the silver display. And it has the additional benefit of missing any actual baggage whereas additionally leveraging the clout of two big-name properties to attract consideration to a model new comedian.
Transformers #1 will launch in October, whereas G.I. Joe: Duke comes out in December and Cobra Commander in January 2024. Void Rivals will proceed with its second subject in July.
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