IDW to Lose the Transformers License?

[ZakuConvoy]

• Any other oddities like these that would be worth looking into now before they could potentially be lost?

Well, let's see here:

There WAS apparently a version of the Wreckers text-story Bullets with illustrations on the side. But...it was only available in Sweden in incredibly limited quantities YEARS ago. Good luck tracking THAT down.

Bullets - Transformers Wiki

tfwiki.net

Here's a old interview with James Roberts that fills in some blanks in the MTMTE/Lost Light story.
amegatronfan.tumblr.com/post/180688977922/jame-roberts-instagram-qa-november-18

There's little little one-pager from Nick Roche from post-Spotlight Cyclonus.

File:NickRocheIronhideRevelation.jpg - Transformers Wiki

tfwiki.net

There's the non-canon Simon Furman one-pager "Hail and Farewell" from Transformers Mosaic (...oh geez, remember those? Fun times...)

Hail and Farewell - Transformers Wiki

tfwiki.net

There's that Schick Hydrobot comic, which is pretty easy to overlook.

A New Friend - Transformers Wiki

tfwiki.net

There's First Strike #0, which just has a weird release history.

First Strike issue 0 - Transformers Wiki

tfwiki.net

Various Free Comic Book Day books, which might be worth going through.

Free Comic Book Day - Transformers Wiki

tfwiki.net

The Synergy Showcase one-shot is easy to overlook. One story...may or may not be set after IDW1's end and another is a autobiographical story about one of the writers for IDW1. A curiosity, and I'm not sure it's worth the cover price (a lot of the book is just artwork instead of stories).

Synergy: A Hasbro Creators Showcase - Transformers Wiki

tfwiki.net

Don't forget about Scioli's Transformers vs GI Joe and Gobots comics. They're weird, but fun-weird.

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe - Transformers Wiki

tfwiki.net

Go-Bots (comic) - Transformers Wiki

tfwiki.net

James Roberts would go on to write Starcadia Quest (I believe it ties into a tabletop game?). Also, if you've never read it, his fanfic Eugenesis kind of informs a lot of what he'd go on to do in MTMTE.

SERIES: STARCADIA QUEST

STARCADIA QUEST

www.previewsworld.com

TFArchive - Transformers Fandom

www.tfarchive.com

IDW also put out a 4 issue Battle Beasts comic...which never tied into Transformers or the Hasbroverse, but worth noting.

SERIES: BATTLE BEASTS

BATTLE BEASTS

www.previewsworld.com

Also, worth noting, even though they have NOTHING to do with Transformers. Before IDW got the ROM and Micronauts licenses, Ryall tried to create his own versions of the characters (the man was obsessed!). These were called Onyx and String Divers.

SERIES: ONYX

ONYX

www.previewsworld.com

SERIES: STRING DIVERS

STRING DIVERS

www.previewsworld.com

I feel like there's another "Deleted Scene" comic from MTMTE or Lost Light that got posted on twitter or something, but I can't remember for the life of me. I might be wrong.

 

[Exatron]

Thanks! I'm familiar with a few of those, but still a bunch of stuff there I'll have to look into.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Don't forget about Scioli's Transformers vs GI Joe and Gobots comics. They're weird, but fun-weird.

I don't think those are on ComiXology anymore. GoBots isn't, at least.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

Yeah, I'm worried some of this stuff isn't on there, anymore. And some of it's kind of important. First Strike is kind of a prelude to Unicron, though you don't really need to read that to understand Unicron, for example. I guess that's the downside of the Hasbroverse. Once they start losing licenses to their spinoff properties like Action Man or Visionaries, they can't really support those books, anymore.

Also, here's a reading order that seems fairly comprehensive:

IDW Transformers Complete Reading Order (2005-2018)

I was thinking about going back and reading Revolution, so I took a look at the chronology notes on TFWiki. Then I blacked out and 72 hours later this...

www.tfw2005.com

 

[MAXimum Overdrive]

How do we think Skybound could handale the license sense they may be in talks?

​

 

[Stepwise]

Well, let's see here:

There's the non-canon Simon Furman one-pager "Hail and Farewell" from Transformers Mosaic (...oh geez, remember those? Fun times...)

Hail and Farewell - Transformers Wiki

tfwiki.net

Mosaics! I loved those. It's been a hot minute or two since those were a thing.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

How do we think Skybound could handale the license sense they may be in talks?

I guess it depends on what Hasbro plans for the toys, but going by recent offerings...I'm guessing it'll involve Beasts in some way? WFC Kingdom and Rise of the Beasts points to Hasbro having Beast Wars on their minds, so I'm guessing they'll have the comics follow suit. If they're waiting until 2023, I really don't know what they have planned, though.

Honestly, it's kind of hard to say, because we don't know if they want to do a tie-in or have the comics be their own unique thing. I think the comics are stronger when they're their own thing, but...it's hard to say what Hasbro wants.

It's worth noting that Kirkman has done robotic-ish stuff before with Tech Jacket. Even worked with EJ Su originally on the first miniseries. So, we could be looking at Aubrey Sitterson or Joe Keatinge as writers, since they both have worked on that comic. Khary Randolph was on the art on the second mini, so that's a solid guess.

One that I'm guessing WON'T happen is the person behind Ultramega, a kaiju and toku comic, and Rumble, a monster comic, James Harren The style of his books are pretty ultra-violent and I don't see Hasbro approving that. I could see the writer being interested, since it seems like he'd be interested in giant robots, though. But, he's also probably too slow to churn out a monthly book, anyway.

If we're just going with our ideal picks...I always like Joshua Williamson's stuff (Birthright, Nailbiter, Flash, Infinite Frontier/Justice League Incarnate). He can have a pretty nice combination of grittiness and idealism when he needs it. Not sure if he's still under a exclusivity contract with DC right now, though.

Or...would it be crazy to want James Roberts and John Barber back? If they'd be up for it, I'd probably be up for it. Probably not going to happen, but we can dream.

Mosaics! I loved those. It's been a hot minute or two since those were a thing.

I miss these. I was actually there when they started on IDW's forums. Never had the guts to try and write one of my own, though. There was a follow up, called Multiverse, but it seems that ended fairly early, too.

Transformers-Mosaic User Profile | DeviantArt

Check out Transformers-Mosaic's art on DeviantArt. Browse the user profile and get inspired.

www.deviantart.com

TF-Multiverse on DeviantArt

produced for the project, and a place where folks can meet to network and form creative teams.

www.deviantart.com

 

[Platypus Prime]

I admit I have not been following the comics at all by and large, but I used to wait for the previews to get an idea of what was going on and how the art style was evolving over time.

Recently, I realized I hadn't even been keeping up with that, and even though there were a few previews available just in the last part of the month for free viewing, I didn't bother looking. They just haven't been that interesting. I didn't even think of that till today when I saw new ones up that I skipped again, but if that's my response as a semi-casual comic fan, it's probably a very bad sign for a more dedicated set who will scrutinize stories, continuity, past character usage, etc.

 

[Salt-Man Z]

It's a shame, because Ruckley's run really has been quite good. It's really come into its own, and it feels like it has the potential to go absolutely anywhere if given a few more years to continue playing out. Sadly, it seems like next year's "War's End" arc title coupled with these rumors is probably a good sign that it's coming to a close.

I'll just cross my fingers that IDWv2 ends before Comixology finalizes its fully-absorbed-into-Amazon-so-you-can-no-longer-download-DRM-free-backups-of-your-IDW-books transition that's been promised for sometime next year. (It was supposed to be this fall, but has been delayed, thank Primus.)

 

[UndeadScottsman]

I justb realized this might explain the weirdness with the Beast Wars trade being solicited as a 12 issue series.

 

[Sabrblade]

I justb realized this might explain the weirdness with the Beast Wars trade being solicited as a 12 issue series.

It was announced somewhere last month that the BW comics will be continuing after the 12th issue.

 

[Exatron]

I'll just cross my fingers that IDWv2 ends before Comixology finalizes its fully-absorbed-into-Amazon-so-you-can-no-longer-download-DRM-free-backups-of-your-IDW-books transition that's been promised for sometime next year. (It was supposed to be this fall, but has been delayed, thank Primus.)

They're going to be eliminating the backups as part of the merge? Ugh. That was the biggest selling point that got me to switch from buying physical books to using Comixology. If they get rid of that, I'll be re-evaluating my options, and I almost certainly won't be using them anymore.

Glad I just downloaded almost all my stuff the other day as part of my cataloging activity. Just a few more to go now.

 

[The Phazer]

They're going to be eliminating the backups as part of the merge? Ugh. That was the biggest selling point that got me to switch from buying physical books to using Comixology. If they get rid of that, I'll be re-evaluating my options, and I almost certainly won't be using them anymore.

Glad I just downloaded almost all my stuff the other day as part of my cataloging activity. Just a few more to go now.

You'll be able to download titles that already have the function DRM free still, but no new titles will be able to offer it.

Although maybe they'll fix it, having delayed the merge admitting that it was going to be a dumpster fire launching it as was last month.

 

[UndeadScottsman]

It was announced somewhere last month that the BW comics will be continuing after the 12th issue.

I missed that issue #13 has already been solicited.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

WFC Kingdom and Rise of the Beasts points to Hasbro having Beast Wars on their minds, so I'm guessing they'll have the comics follow suit.

Reading this got me to thinking about the other half of Kingdom, and...

I'd love to see a comic that takes more of its cues from Season 3 than the first two. Set in the future (well beyond 2005, obviously), Rodimus and Galvatron as leaders (bring back Optimus if you must, but maybe make him more of a mentor to Rodimus, rather than reassuming leadership), space adventures, stuff like that.

 

[Questionable Meats]

Personally I am not turned off by the idea, having some new talent in the pool might do the brand some good.

That's not to say that IDW is bad, but by now we know what they are all about. I just want to see some new takes. The current IDW run feels kind of slow, like they are getting bored with it. That's just my opinion on that though on that.

 

[ZacWilliam1]

If I could manifest any TF comic book it would be one set in the Headmasters era. I want a starship full of Autobots and Nebulans out in the cosmos together and I want both groups to be equally important to the story.

A while back I went and read the bios of all the Master partners and Budiansky did a pretty cool job of creating a unique interesting set of characters both in how they related to each other and their Transformer partners and I became bummed that nothing was ever really done with them. I want a story set on the Nebulan deck of the Ark or the Maximus staring all those human-ish guys living among and with their giant alien partners. Cons too, same deal.

-ZacWilliam, yeah I doubt that will ever happen but I'd just love a look of that "Below Decks" world that we've never really dug into.

 

[UndeadScottsman]

A comic series that was a hypothetical Seasons 4-7 of the cartoon would be cool, but I'd take the current stuff over that still.

 

[Superomegaprime]

I wouldn't mind a mini series that explains how the cons conquered Cybertron prior to the start of the 86 movie and how the Autobots came to setup bases/staging grounds on Cybertron's moons!

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

I wouldn't mind a mini series that explains how the cons conquered Cybertron prior to the start of the 86 movie and how the Autobots came to setup bases/staging grounds on Cybertron's moons!

...to say nothing of how those moons got there in the first place.