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

[ZakuConvoy]

I, personally, don't really mind spoiler tagging things. I'm just spoiler tagging things, just in case people don't remember there's a new issue out.

And I feel like it's kind of nice to have a one-stop-shop for all the Skybound related news.

Plus, as much as I hate to say it, I'm just not sure if there's enough consistent comic-book related discussion to justify having two threads.

But, depends on what everyone else wants.




Although, speaking of solicits, the January solicits are out!

Official Image Comics Full January 2027 Solicits And Solicitations

Image Comics January 2027 Solicits launch Lake Totem, Book of the Dead, Gehenna, The Territory, Innen and Transformers: Bumblebee

bleedingcool.com

The images:

Spoiler

And some discussion:

Spoiler

The Bumblebee Lost Planet miniseries is starting. And it seems like there's some mystery about this planet Bumblebee lands on. So, it's not JUST a alien world, there's something special about it. Interesting enough.

And speaking of Baroness, there she is as a Agent of Cobra, in GI Joe. I guess I missed that bit of news from New York Comic Con. But...yeah, I'm still kind of wondering if there's a double-agent thing going on here. This does feel like such a obvious stunt, that I have to wonder if there's more to it. Maybe even a triple-agent thing is on the table, if Baroness ALSO goes back to work for whoever she contacted last issue.

Also...Lara Croft versus Baroness! Someone made their teenage fanfic canon! And many, MANY fans around the world rejoice! And from the looks of one of the variant covers, Destro is VERY interested in this fight...for reasons that are pretty easy to imagine.

Over in MASK, we're getting the debut of another new character! I really need to sit down and watch the original MASK at some point, so that these characters actually mean something to me, I guess. Looks like Flagg is "adopting" the team. And he's setting up a playdate with Battle Force 2000. Who are *googles*...a subset of GI Joe focusing on tech and vehicles. Okay, I guess that makes sense.

https://gijoe.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_Force_2000

In Void Rivals, Darak is fighting in a gladiatorial pit! As is tradition, when you go on a intergalactic space voyage. Someone always ends up in a gladiator pit in those type of stories. That's some interesting looking spiky armor he has on in one of the variant covers. Looks like a giant bug's exoskeleton. So, I wonder if this has something to do with the Micronauts, somehow? And he's trying to win....SOMETHING. Something they don't want to spoil. My guess would be ROM's Neutralizer, but maybe that's too obvious?

In Transformers, Beachcomber is looking for Autobots around the world! That's a pretty good excuse for a road trip! Who will he find? Yeah, it'll probably involve following up on that FCBD story with Ironhide.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

That's kind of the other thing -- a separate news thread would feel kind of redundant, at least for solicitations, because those wind up spoiled, too, on account of containing... well, spoilers.

 

[Haywire]

Spoiler

Finally got a weekend to binge-read and catch up on the EU. Thoughts in no particular order:
That looks like GI Joe survivalist Outback on the cover with Beachcomber. We haven't seen him yet in these books, I think?

Baroness joining Cobra feels like it was inevitable, but if it's not a bait and switch, I'll be kind of disappointed; GI Joe Baroness was kind of a cool aspect of this continuity.
I want GI BAT as a Super7 ReAction+ O-ring figure. Don't care if he ultimately turns eeeee-vil, it's a cool idea and surprising the Joes haven't had anything like it before now.
Kind of surprising we have yet to see Snake Eyes in this universe at all, as far as I've noticed, anyway.

Shockwave kind of admired earth whales even when he was running them through his energon blender. Anyone think he gets a new body from Vector Sigma with a whale altmode?

MASK is...interesting. I never paid much attention to the show as a kid (maybe it didn't play on our stations?), though I was aware of it, and had friends with MASK toys. Seems to be something of a crossover nexus at the moment, between Micronauts and Battle Force 2000.

BTW, General Flagg is...odd. He seems to be pretty sharp usually, but also easily duped? I wonder if he's not a couple steps ahead of Zartan, actually?

 

[Swerve]

Spoiler

MASK is...interesting. I never paid much attention to the show as a kid (maybe it didn't play on our stations?), though I was aware of it, and had friends with MASK toys. Seems to be something of a crossover nexus at the moment, between Micronauts and Battle Force 2000.

BTW, General Flagg is...odd. He seems to be pretty sharp usually, but also easily duped? I wonder if he's not a couple steps ahead of Zartan, actually?

Spoiler

I think MASK is one of the easier titles for them to play around with..second only to Void Rivals. Old MASK is not quite as built into the collective consciousness of the 80s like Transformers and G.I. Joe.

General Flagg is an odd fellow. He works with people he should t trust and gets betrayed by them and acts surprised....fake Hawk tricking him is no surprise and when he gets double crossed by Dr. Archevil someone should say told you so.

 

[The Phazer]

To be fair, comic MASK was properly weird even back in the 80s. The UK comic had a long running arc with a set of Mask toys (in universe) that were made sentient and were taken on an adventure to find the Blarney Stone so they could be made in to real people and there'd be two MASKs or two VENOMs depending on which got there first.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

....I might need to check out the UK MASK comic, sometime.


Also, Void Rivals #35 is out!

This is kind of a fun issue. EVERYONE IS HERE! It's just fun to see representatives of just about every corner of this universe all together in this comic. It's mostly talking, not a ton of action. But, it manages to keep up the drama. I'm enjoying this. I feel like Void Rivals has found it's footing, finally. They can stay in space exploring other planets for as long as they like, in my opinion!

Spoiler

"This is official Galactic Authorities business! DO NOT INTERFERE! Or I will be forced to report you!" Predacron is...surprisingly polite for a saber-toothed dreadlocked alien bounty hunter. Never judge a book by it's cover.

Although, apparently, Skuxxoid doesn't have a lot of respect for the Galactic Authorities. Calling them a "alliance of criminal warlords", which feels like a possible hint about who they could actually be. Although...Skuxxoid has been out of the loop, what with his memory problems. So, it's possible something's changed in the years that Skuxxoid has lost. Also, we get a Star Brigade reference! Which means...there are already GI Joes in SPACE?! I do wonder how Kirkman will square that circle, if they ever come up again.

But, Pythona is ending this NOW...by kidnapping Predacron's children. Yeah, those weren't monsters on Predacron's ship before. Well...they look like toddlers, so I guess it's like 50/50. Predacron's a single dad! But, still, Pythona WILL take a low blow if she sees a opening.

But, ROM won't. He surrenders, so that nothing bad will happen to those kids. Okay...he's living up to the "Space Knight" title. Most excellent honor, my dude.

But, Skuxxoid has a DIFFERENT plan in mind! And DIFFERENT sure is the word for it! Skuxxoid orders his robot to come down and...chop a arm off him. So, that the arm can regrow into a new clone of him, which Predacron can collect the bounty on, since Skuxxoid is worth so much money. Instead of collecting the bounty on ROM. That's...uh...a plan, alright! I gotta appreciate the creativity, at least.

Skuxxoid only asks that Predacron let his bud-clone spend some time with Predacron's kids, since he misses his own children so much, before Predacron collects the bounty on him. D'awww...I guess? This is a weird situation. So, Predacron takes the arm and leaves with his kids.

ROM calls the Galactic Authorities "disreputable", too, so I guess they really are basically space mafia or something.

Pythona tries to kill Skuxxoid for supposedly killing dear, sweet, precious Akronus...until darling Akronus himself shows up and explains he's still alive. But, Pythona is DISGUSTED by Akronus's new Junkion armor, (and not just because of the smell!) since it goes against their beliefs...I guess? And then Pythona exiles Akronus from Cobra-La society and attempts to execute him. But...this IS dear, sweet Akronus we're talking about, and she can't bring herself to kill him. So, she'll let him bring them all back to Earth, where he'll have to face GOLOBULUS'S JUDGEMENT! Honestly, that kinda sounds like a new brand of candy.

And even without a arm, Skuxxoid can muster up the energy to be indignant that Akronus is technically the owner of his Rockeroid. Classic Skuxxoid! *GROUP LAUGH* Anyway, Skuxxoid agrees to let them fly in his Rockeroid, with ROM offering him a favor, later. I smell SPINOFF BOOK!

But, the drama isn't over yet! Because onboard the Rockeroid, Solila meets none other than Proximus! (...And Ultum!) And Proximus reveals to her that he is Solila's long-lost brother, Polada! *Dramatic music sting!* To be continued next time on...."As the 'Oid's Skuxx! *soap opera music plays"

In the letter's page, Kirkman describes how he names new characters. It's...about as goofy and random as you would expect. But, also confirms there's no real plan for ROM ongoing series. Instead, he might be popping up in some of the other books. Which...sounds kind of interesting, honestly. We'll have to see how that goes.