The Energon Pub

Following a new pattern, because more exclusives means wider audiences, IDW Publishing has started releasing its solicitations for the comics due out in April 2017. The first two books to be seen come from comics media site CBR, who show us Revolutionaries #5 and the 'superdformed' mini-series Revolution: Aw Yeah! #3 by Art Baltazar. More information on the books, and their covers, can be seen below!

Last fall, IDW Publishing’s “Revolution” event brought together several of its licensed Hasbro properties — “Transformers,” “G.I. Joe,” “M.A.S.K.,” “ROM,” “Micronauts” and “Action Man” — into a shared universe that shaped the comic book future of those properties going forward.

A new ongoing series titled “Revolutionaries” launched today from the creative team of writer John Barber and artist Fico Ossio, with a team of characters from across the shared Hasbro universe, including Kup from Transformers and Mayday from G.I. Joe. With this new series now on the stands, CBR jumps ahead a few months with the exclusive first look at the covers for April’s “Revolutionaries” #5, along with solicitation text for the issue.

But that’s not all! A different take on the Hasbro crossover will unfold in the five-issue “Revolution: Aw Yeah!” miniseries, with Art Baltazar — known for his collaborations with Franco on acclaimed all-ages comics such as “Tiny Titans’ — bringing his distinct style to the Hasbro characters. CBR has the first look at the cover to April’s issue #3, which includes a face-off between Destro and ROM, along with the solicitation text.

Revolutionaries #5

John Barber (w) • Fico Ossio (a) • Robert Atkins (c)

M.A.S.K. vs. the ATOMIC MAN! The Revolutionaries uncover the deep, dark secret of Mike Power, the Atomic Man—and enlist the help of M.A.S.K. to bring in the long-lost agent! But there’s more to Power’s story than anyone imagined, in the oddest story of 2017!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Revolutionaries #5—Subscription Variant

John Barber (w) • Fico Ossio (a) • Ron Joseph (c)

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Revolution: Aw Yeah! #3 (of 5)

Art Baltazar (w & a & c)

THIS IS IT! The confrontations you’ve been waiting for! DESTRO vs ROM! Micronauts vs COBRA! The team-ups you’ve only imagined while playing with your action figures! ACROYEAR and BUMBLEBEE! SPACE GLIDER and SCARLET! Action? Excitement? Yes. This one has it all! Oh, and the evil BARON KARZA, too. By the EISNER AWARD Winning Cartoonist, ART BALTAZAR! Aw Yeah!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Hearts of Steel Bumblebee and (Kup?)?? Wow, that is something cool

After a fairly substantial wait, we finally have the full solicitations for the IDW Publishing comics being released in April 2017, covering their Transformers and Transformers-related Hasbro Universe titles. Not included below, but available to find on Previews World, are the MASK, ROM and Micronauts titles - except for Wrath of Karza, as seen here - but Lost Light, Optimus Prime, Till All Are One, Revolutionaries are in, as are G.I. Joe (featuring Skywarp) and Aw Yeah! Revolution.

Check it all out below - and be warned: there are some spoilers to current story arcs!

Transformers: Lost Light #5
James Roberts (w) • Jack Lawrence (a & c)
It's TEAM RODIMUS versus a universe gone wrong! An alternate Cybertron is being torn apart as the malevolent Functionist Council implement a plan that's been millions of years in the making. But with victory within their reach, they find themselves up against someone who really shouldn't exist: MEGATRON.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Lost Light #5—Subscription Variant
James Roberts (w) • Jack Lawrence (a) • Nick Roche (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Lost Light #5—Alex Milne Variant
James Roberts (w) • Jack Lawrence (a) • Alex Milne (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
The end times are here for the crew of the Lost Light!
Variant cover by Jin Kim!

Optimus Prime #6
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a & c)
“NEW CYBERTRON”—CONCLUSION! As the Junkions reveal their ultimate plan, Optimus Prime makes a decision that will define the relationship between Earth and Cybertron for all time... but will Arcee be able to live with the fallout?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Optimus Prime #6—Subscription Variant
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a) • Casey Coller (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Optimus Prime #6—Andrew Griffith Variant
John Barber (w) • Kei Zama (a) • Andrew Griffith (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Variant cover by Jin Kim!

Transformers: Till All Are One #9
Mairghread Scott (w) • Sara Pitre-Durocher (a & c)
After the costly victory against the Titans, Iacon is in shambles and Starscream finds himself on shakier ground than ever. The key to his political (and likely literal) survival rests in the outcome of a very unlikely event: the trial of the Council's first official war criminal—Chromia of Caminus!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Till All Are One #9—Subscription Variant
Mairghread Scott (w) • Sara Pitre-Durocher (a) • Priscilla Tramontano (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Variant cover by Jin Kim!

Revolutionaries #5
John Barber (w) • Fico Ossio (a) • Robert Atkins (c)
M.A.S.K. vs. the ATOMIC MAN! The Revolutionaries uncover the deep, dark secret of Mike Power, the Atomic Man—and enlist the help of M.A.S.K. to bring in the long-lost agent! But there's more to Power's story than anyone imagined, in the oddest story of 2017!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Revolutionaries #5—Subscription Variant
John Barber (w) • Fico Ossio (a) • Ron Joseph (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Revolutionaries #5—Subscription Variant
John Barber (w) • Fico Ossio (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Variant cover by Pierre Droal!

G.I. JOE #5
Aubrey Sitterson (w) • Giannis Milonogiannis (a) • Aaron Conley (c)
MONSTERS! G.I. JOE has fought Cobra, the Dreadnoks and more, but never before have they faced a threat like this: Gigantic, heaving abominations crawling up from the depths of the Earth itself. As teams of Joes struggle to respond to the unpredictable attacks, Scarlett must decide what to do with the enemy in the team's midst. Plus, the G.I. JOE leader reveals a troubling secret to her second-in-command, Roadblock.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

G.I. JOE #5—Subscription Variant
Aubrey Sitterson (w) • Giannis Milonogiannis (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

G.I. JOE #5—Tom Feister Variant
Aubrey Sitterson (w) • Giannis Milonogiannis (a) • Tom Feister (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
New storyarc!
Variant cover by Tom Neely!

Micronauts: Wrath of Karza #1 (of 5)—SPOTLIGHT
Cullen Bunn & Jimmy Johnston (w) • Andrew Griffith (a) • Alex Ronald (c)
As one universe dies, another is invaded! Microspace — the home of the Micronauts — is collapsing. But Baron Karza has discovered a new universe in which the people of Microspace would thrive, a universe in which he would rule! The first world to be conquered is Earth, and the first enemies to be targeted are the TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOE, M.A.S.K., and ROM!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Micronauts: Wrath of Karza #1 (of 5)—Subscription variant
Cullen Bunn & Jimmy Johnston (w) • Andrew Griffith (a) • Michael Golden (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Baron Karza invades Earth and the Micronauts will never, ever be the same!
Variant cover by Valentina Pinto, Paul Pope, and Michael Golden!

Revolution: Aw Yeah! #3 (of 5)
Art Baltazar (w & a & c)
THIS IS IT! The confrontations you’ve been waiting for! DESTRO vs ROM! Micronauts vs COBRA! The team-ups you’ve only imagined while playing with your action figures!  ACROYEAR and BUMBLEBEE! SPACE GLIDER and SCARLET! Action? Excitement? Yes. This one has it all! Oh, and the evil BARON KARZA, too. By the EISNER AWARD Winning Cartoonist, ART BALTAZAR! Aw Yeah!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Revolution: Aw Yeah! #3—Subscription Variant
Art Baltazar (w & a) • Jay Fosgitt (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Eisner Award winning Cartoonist, Art Baltazar, brings his special brand of Aw-Yeah-someness to the new Hasbro Universe!
Variant cover by Franco!

Welp, Megatron v Functionists was always the inevitable outcome, so we'll see what becomes of that.

Based on the synopsis, I'm guessing Prime and the Junkions do not share technology, meaning poor Sideswipe stays comatose.

I'm also guessing Windblade must be stasis locked/comatose if Starscream must resort to Chromia. Though how she can save him is anyone's guess

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I'm also guessing Windblade must be stasis locked/comatose if Starscream must resort to Chromia. Though how she can save him is anyone's guess

Don't you love IDW scheduling?

Va'al wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I'm also guessing Windblade must be stasis locked/comatose if Starscream must resort to Chromia. Though how she can save him is anyone's guess

Don't you love IDW scheduling?

Oh I adore it. To no end actually. Spoil a large spoiler well before the issue the spoiler is revealed in comes out. Why not?

In recent years, they've only spoiled Bee's death, the Cybertronian identity of Blackrock, some revolution stuff. Anything I'm missing?

So, the LL solicitation doesn't say conclusion. I hope that doesn't mean we'll be in the functionist universe for more than 5 issues.

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Va'al wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I'm also guessing Windblade must be stasis locked/comatose if Starscream must resort to Chromia. Though how she can save him is anyone's guess

Don't you love IDW scheduling?

Oh I adore it. To no end actually. Spoil a large spoiler well before the issue the spoiler is revealed in comes out. Why not?

In recent years, they've only spoiled Bee's death, the Cybertronian identity of Blackrock, some revolution stuff. Anything I'm missing?

Hey if you wanna read solicits for comics 4 months before release during big stories you can't get mad something or the over all outcome is spoiled. I know plenty of people who avoid these announcements for that very reason.

Randomhero wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Va'al wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I'm also guessing Windblade must be stasis locked/comatose if Starscream must resort to Chromia. Though how she can save him is anyone's guess

Don't you love IDW scheduling?

Oh I adore it. To no end actually. Spoil a large spoiler well before the issue the spoiler is revealed in comes out. Why not?

In recent years, they've only spoiled Bee's death, the Cybertronian identity of Blackrock, some revolution stuff. Anything I'm missing?

Hey if you wanna read solicits for comics 4 months before release during big stories you can't get mad something or the over all outcome is spoiled. I know plenty of people who avoid these announcements for that very reason.

It's one thing to have story arcs spoiled when they happen at the same time (yes, four months in advance). It's another when the arcs are so mixed up - due to the publisher's inability to stick to a schedule, not the creators' - that soliciting a book four months ahead of time spoils another book's run for the following six.

I mean, Optimus Prime #3 spoils the whole second arc of TAAO. Because it takes place after it, and they dropped all of the orbs in trying to time things.

Va'al wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

Va'al wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I'm also guessing Windblade must be stasis locked/comatose if Starscream must resort to Chromia. Though how she can save him is anyone's guess

Don't you love IDW scheduling?

Oh I adore it. To no end actually. Spoil a large spoiler well before the issue the spoiler is revealed in comes out. Why not?

In recent years, they've only spoiled Bee's death, the Cybertronian identity of Blackrock, some revolution stuff. Anything I'm missing?

Hey if you wanna read solicits for comics 4 months before release during big stories you can't get mad something or the over all outcome is spoiled. I know plenty of people who avoid these announcements for that very reason.

It's one thing to have story arcs spoiled when they happen at the same time (yes, four months in advance). It's another when the arcs are so mixed up - due to the publisher's inability to stick to a schedule, not the creators' - that soliciting a book four months ahead of time spoils another book's run for the following six.

I mean, Optimus Prime #3 spoils the whole second arc of TAAO. Because it takes place after it, and they dropped all of the orbs in trying to time things.

And that I do understand, I was surprised myself reading Optimus #3 but wasn't too surprised because let's be honest, we all knew how that story was going to end. We still don't know what happens with Elita but I wasn't expecting the Titans to win.

With solicits, I'm not antagonizing or picking on anyone specific but it's a total choice to look at what's coming 4 months the in advance. No one is forced to click on a news story.

That being said I am surprised to see Lost Ligjt #5 is still dealing with this functionalist story. I know I'm the only one who's gotten to read #2 but I was not expecting this to be a full 5-6 issue story. Even with just reading issue one I thought this was maybe 3-4 issue story arc like Roberts does.

Randomhero wrote:With solicits, I'm not antagonizing or picking on anyone specific but it's a total choice to look at what's coming 4 months the in advance. No one is forced to click on a news story

(News staff kinda has to... )

Va'al wrote:

Randomhero wrote:With solicits, I'm not antagonizing or picking on anyone specific but it's a total choice to look at what's coming 4 months the in advance. No one is forced to click on a news story

(News staff kinda has to... )

Is that not an option too though? Can't someone whose invested say "hey I'm really into this stuff can someone else do the news on the comics because I don't want it ruined for me?"

I'll admit I am someone who doesn't care about spoilers. Reading spoilers do nothing for me. I am legitimately someone who reads movie summaries on Wikipedia when the movies come out because I don't care. I even read the comic summaries on tfwiki before I get the comics if I can't pick them up.

Randomhero wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Randomhero wrote:With solicits, I'm not antagonizing or picking on anyone specific but it's a total choice to look at what's coming 4 months the in advance. No one is forced to click on a news story

(News staff kinda has to... )

Is that not an option too though? Can't someone whose invested say "hey I'm really into this stuff can someone else do the news on the comics because I don't want it ruined for me?"

We can, but comics news staff - basically me, D-Max, Kurona and Scotty - need to be sort of up to date. Others can choose not to be involved, of course, again, except for myself.

And it was more of a complaint about IDW's erratic scheduling than anything else.

OP #3 was going to be out before TAAO's TR arc had ended regardless of delays. It still doesn't spoil too much, though.

Shot Put wrote:OP #3 was going to be out before TAAO's TR arc had ended regardless of delays. It still doesn't spoil too much, though.

I said scheduling, not delays. TAAO has not been delayed. Neither has OP.

But Revolution JUST HAD TO happen.

Va'al wrote:

Shot Put wrote:OP #3 was going to be out before TAAO's TR arc had ended regardless of delays. It still doesn't spoil too much, though.

I said scheduling, not delays. TAAO has not been delayed. Neither has OP.

But Revolution JUST HAD TO happen.

This month's TAAO was pushed to February, so it kinda has.

And I remember Scott tweeting about how she was writing this current arc of TAAO while Revolution was going on, so it's not like they delayed these four issues for Revolution even while they were completed. Assuming Revolution hadn't happened, the TR arc of TAAO and the first arc of OP would be still happening at the same time.

Shot Put wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Shot Put wrote:OP #3 was going to be out before TAAO's TR arc had ended regardless of delays. It still doesn't spoil too much, though.

I said scheduling, not delays. TAAO has not been delayed. Neither has OP.

But Revolution JUST HAD TO happen.

This month's TAAO was pushed to February, so it kinda has.

And I remember Scott tweeting about how she was writing this current arc of TAAO while Revolution was going on, so it's not like they delayed these four issues for Revolution even while they were completed.

..I fail to see the connection, but sure. My point about IDW not being good at scheduling its own things, however, and then having top-down changes and events - I believe - still stands.

Randomhero wrote:
And that I do understand, I was surprised myself reading Optimus #3 but wasn't too surprised because let's be honest, we all knew how that story was going to end. We still don't know what happens with Elita but I wasn't expecting the Titans to win.

I thought there was a legit chance that things might actually go poorly, and they'd be forced to run off to one of the colonies. Next arc of the book would be either the take-back or the "How do we explain this to dad" (OP), or both. But nope, nevermind that, they win somehow and Circuit's still just doing news and stuff I guess.

Va'al wrote:

Shot Put wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Shot Put wrote:OP #3 was going to be out before TAAO's TR arc had ended regardless of delays. It still doesn't spoil too much, though.

I said scheduling, not delays. TAAO has not been delayed. Neither has OP.

But Revolution JUST HAD TO happen.

This month's TAAO was pushed to February, so it kinda has.

And I remember Scott tweeting about how she was writing this current arc of TAAO while Revolution was going on, so it's not like they delayed these four issues for Revolution even while they were completed.

..I fail to see the connection, but sure. My point about IDW not being good at scheduling its own things, however, and then having top-down changes and events - I believe - still stands.

The connection is that you blame Revolution for this happening, but even if it hadn't and TAAO and OP had gone on regularly, there'd more than likely still be that minor spoiler in OP's pages. That seems more of a writing issue than a scheduling one, unless you're arguing IDW should have delayed OP for several months regardless until the TR arc was over.

Shot Put wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Shot Put wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Shot Put wrote:OP #3 was going to be out before TAAO's TR arc had ended regardless of delays. It still doesn't spoil too much, though.

I said scheduling, not delays. TAAO has not been delayed. Neither has OP.

But Revolution JUST HAD TO happen.

This month's TAAO was pushed to February, so it kinda has.

And I remember Scott tweeting about how she was writing this current arc of TAAO while Revolution was going on, so it's not like they delayed these four issues for Revolution even while they were completed.

..I fail to see the connection, but sure. My point about IDW not being good at scheduling its own things, however, and then having top-down changes and events - I believe - still stands.

The connection is that you blame Revolution for this happening, but even if it hadn't and TAAO and OP had gone on regularly, there'd more than likely undefinedstillundefined be that minor spoiler in OP's pages. That seems more of a writing issue than a scheduling one.

Disagree. It's not a writing issue if the writing fits a timeline. But if said timelines are out of sync, that's editorial/publisher responsibility, not the writers'.

And I will blame Revolution for a lot of things, thankyouverymuch.

Va'al wrote:

Shot Put wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Shot Put wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Shot Put wrote:OP #3 was going to be out before TAAO's TR arc had ended regardless of delays. It still doesn't spoil too much, though.

I said scheduling, not delays. TAAO has not been delayed. Neither has OP.

But Revolution JUST HAD TO happen.

This month's TAAO was pushed to February, so it kinda has.

And I remember Scott tweeting about how she was writing this current arc of TAAO while Revolution was going on, so it's not like they delayed these four issues for Revolution even while they were completed.

..I fail to see the connection, but sure. My point about IDW not being good at scheduling its own things, however, and then having top-down changes and events - I believe - still stands.

The connection is that you blame Revolution for this happening, but even if it hadn't and TAAO and OP had gone on regularly, there'd more than likely undefinedstillundefined be that minor spoiler in OP's pages. That seems more of a writing issue than a scheduling one.

Disagree. It's not a writing issue if the writing fits a timeline. But if said timelines are out of sync, that's editorial/publisher responsibility, not the writers'.

And I will blame Revolution for a lot of things, thankyouverymuch.

Ah, but as I pointed out, TAAO's TR arc was being written at the same time as Revolution, and I assume OP's was as well. They would have known that their books were starting up in November again, as it had been announced at that point, and could have planned ahead of time. Editorial definitely could have helped with that, but I don't see it as a scheduling issue at all.

Shot Put wrote:Ah, but as I pointed out, TAAO's TR arc was being written at the same time as Revolution, and I assume OP's was as well. They would have known that their books were starting up in November again, as it had been announced at that point, and could have planned ahead of time.

TAAO was released later than planned, by a good couple of months, to allow for Sins of the Wreckers to finish up, which was delayed due to Roche's personal issues. That was an editorial decision to shift what was probably a finished product (for a couple of issues at least), not a delay in writing.

The fact that it was being written later just means that Mairghread Scott had her own timeline to work to, and the synopsis/plot laid out (as well as her other comics work and newborn child/giving birth). Previous concerns about Windblade vol 2 were that everything felt rushed and oddly paces - I'd rather have the stellar work in TAAO than something like that again, even with this oddly shifted timeline where it's a couple of issues behind everything else.

The issue with Revolution, on the other hand, is that it was entirely unnecessary and just delayed the process even further, and I just keep glaring at it, hoping it will feel ashamed and stop showing up in things. I am entirely serious. I keep review copies just to never look at them again. (Had Revolution not had to happen, we could've had time for TAAO to catch up, month wise, and keep MTMTE/TF on a hiatus before the OP/LL relaunch, reducing the shift in timelines.)

I hope that makes my point clearer!

See, an interesting thing with the planned schedule versus what happened, and it dates to a year and a bit ago. Sins of the wreckers was supposed to run 5 months in a row, with TAAO taking up the gauntlet right after sins was done. Sins ended up suffering 3 months of delays, so TAAO started months late, you can see it plainly in the storylines. Issues 5 and 6 clearly were meant to go straight with Titans return, but they ended up starting a full 2 months after Titans return ended, after Revolution stormed through, and had they run on time AKA 2 months earlier than supposed to, they would have joined up seamlessly with the titans return stuff, which was already spoiled by MTMTE 56 coming out before RiD 56, which was a scheduling error because MTMTE was supposed to come out second and was planned to.

I get what you're saying, I just don't agree with this idea that TAAO was planned out so meticulously in advance that they couldn't change some of this stuff around--heck, I'm sure Barber could have easily changed OP's first arc to take place before TAAO's current one if it was that important to not spoil that Cybertron doesn't get destroyed and Windblade gets injured. Even if TAAO getting a TR tie-in was always set in stone, its place in the timeline clearly wasn't given that original delay.

But I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this. Also, on a related note, isn't LL way farther back in the timeline than OP or TAAO? MTMTE #50 took place before exRiD #50, and it doesn't seem like months have passed in LL while that has been the case for the other two books.

Am I the only one here thinking that the solicit for issue five of G.I. JOE signals the long awaited return(at least for me) of the Evil That Lies Within ?