Energon Universe - ongoing Transformers and G.I. Joe comics from Skybound

[Swerve]

Not a spoiler per se, but Kirkman and Mora have both mentioned that they are big Bumblebee fans. Hmmm....

 

[Cyoti]

Spoiler

And who's the head of Shadow Watch? Why none other than Miles Mayhem (of MASK/VENOM fame!). That's...not a good sign. I guess this is all tying back into the Free Comic Book Day issue. We might just get that Skybound Hasbroverse yet! At this point, we're just waiting on Rom and the Micronauts and the band will be back together. (Not literally, though, because Boom's getting the Jem license.)

Jem And The Holograms Jump From IDW To Boom Studios

Jem And The Holograms jump from IDW Publishing to Boom Studios for 2026

bleedingcool.com

Void Rivals feels like Skybound doing the we-have-Micronauts-at-home-kids. I think Rom is probably the only other major Hasbro that could pop up though Skybound would probably have to do a complete makeover of him.

 

[ZacWilliam1]

I wish I could ask for Inhumanoids but it was apparently established that's not possible in anyway for Hasbro for [ndisclosed] reason.


-ZacWilliam, finds it hard to imagine Boom's Jem book being better than IDWs

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

I wish I could ask for Inhumanoids but it was apparently established that's not possible in anyway for Hasbro for [ndisclosed] reason.


-ZacWilliam, finds it hard to imagine Boom's Jem book being better than IDWs

That's unfortunate. Seems like all the reasons that it didn't work before wouldn't apply here.

 

[Magnusblitz]

Well, for anyone who was worried that Kirkman would be dragging his heels like he did at the beginning of Void Rivals...I don't think you'll have to worry about that here. This issue kind of comes out of the gate swinging! We get a lot of reveals, and new characters, and just a lot of STUFF that Kirkman can explore for the next few issues. I think the pace is going be pretty solid on this book.

There's a decent amount of content/dialogue but I felt like, on the whole, not a lot really happened. At least, I can't really guess where things are going. Megatron is rallying the troops but there's no plan beyond still being Decepticons. Optimus gets introduced to Sector Seven Skywatch Shadow Watch so I guess there's something there (I don't know who Miles Mayhem is - GIJOE? MASK? whatever) and then one page of Elita continuing to be overly angry. But she's on Cybertron so I'm not really that moved by her being upset at Optimus.

Oh, and I guess there's the Skywarp/TC/Cobra-La hook too... I think my brain automatically shuts off whenever they're mentioned... so maybe there is a bit more than I originally thought.

On the whole I was just sorta whelmed? I just didn't feel like there were many interesting hooks here, outside of the Shadow Watch stuff. I did sorta like the scene where Megatron calls out his troops individually, since I always wish more time was spent on distinguishing the grunts personality-wise (especially the combiners, of which almost everyone here is). I feel like this Megatron doesn't really inspire much though, he's kinda just a jerk. He even left Soundwave behind!

 

[Cyoti]

Inhumanoids would have worked great with Cobra-La.

 

[ZacWilliam1]

That's unfortunate. Seems like all the reasons that it didn't work before wouldn't apply here.

Inhumanoids would have worked great with Cobra-La.

They also seem right on the tone of the Skybound Energon Universe.

I really wonder how Hasbro could possibly have lost the IP rights to them, not just the name of the brand which I get, but the actual characters/fictional rights.

-ZacWilliam, like how? Or did the writer on that Joe comic misunderstand what he was told and it was only IDW who didn't actually have the Inhumanoids rights?