The Energon Pub

It's from Bleeding Cool, so take it with a grain of salt.
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/idw-to- ... e-in-2022/

Johnston put his own name on this, as he usually does with site scoops. His track record on non-comics media is mixed, but he has been the most reliable source for rumors in comics for decades now. There's also tons of circumstantial evidence in support. Just this year IDW has already lost the Ghostbusters and all-ages Marvel and Star Wars licenses, and Hasbro moved Magic over to Boom!. IDW has also had major financial challenges for a few years now, and in just the last several months, significant executive turnover.

At this point I would be much more surprised if the rumor turned out to be false.

AcademyofDrX wrote:Johnston put his own name on this, as he usually does with site scoops. His track record on non-comics media is mixed, but he has been the most reliable source for rumors in comics for decades now. There's also tons of circumstantial evidence in support. Just this year IDW has already lost the Ghostbusters and all-ages Marvel and Star Wars licenses, and Hasbro moved Magic over to Boom!. IDW has also had major financial challenges for a few years now, and in just the last several months, significant executive turnover.

At this point I would be much more surprised if the rumor turned out to be false.

Who got the ghostbusters licence? I know dark horse got the star wars all ages.

Actually I wonder if hasbro would move them to Boom! Given through success of the power rangers reboot.

If true, great news.

I gave the new direction of the books about six issues before I dropped it. Just wasn’t holding my interest like IDW’s original run. When Dreamwave did a series set entirely on Cybertron, I was all-in. I wanted to be all-in on this too. The plot and the pacing just couldn’t hold up for me.

Rich has an update: https://bleedingcool.com/comics/image-c ... nd-gi-joe/

Headline: "Image Comics, The New Publishers Of Transformers And GI Joe?"

That would be interesting, considering Image had GI Joe once already. As for Transformers, yeah I finished the original IDW continuity to the end of 2018. 400+ issues, of which Maybe...25-50 I actually liked, so around 10% Best case scenario. I realized I would probably not, if ever, read them again, so I sold them all early in 2019, and have had no regrets.

It would be incredible if whoever picked up the books was inspired by Dreamwave (I realize they cannot pick up the threads of those unfinished stories directly), but if similar tone, writing and art style (say what you want about Pat Lee, he might not have been the best, but everyone else who worked for DW was quite talented) were to be presented, I might actually be interested. Unfortunately, given the climate of the comics industry as a whole, I doubt that will happen. In fact there is a good possibility at something new actually being worse than current IDW. I know it doesn't seem likely, but I stopped reading comics altogether 3 years ago when it was already getting bad, and from what I've seen and heard from trusted sources since, its gotten far worse.

Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision Blog confirms Rich Johnson's report: Skybound Entertainment in talks to acquire the Transformers and GI Joe comics licenses.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... 235060895/

This is awkward. The IDW 2.0 comics have been progressing slowly and steadily. Now, they'll have to be wrapped up in a relatively undignified hurry. Ouch.

If you enjoy them, At east you get an ending. RIP Dreamwave.

snavej wrote:This is awkward. The IDW 2.0 comics have been progressing slowly and steadily. Now, they'll have to be wrapped up in a relatively undignified hurry. Ouch.

o.supreme wrote:If you enjoy them, At east you get an ending. RIP Dreamwave.

Considering everything still seems to be a rumour, by the time an actual announcement is made they may only have a small number of issues to go before the license is lost and they may not have the time to wrap things up.

There have been a lot of articles regarding IDW possibly losing their licensing deal with Hasbro for several properties which are filled with speculation and just guesses, so hopefully this article will be clearer and stick to just the facts we know. As of right now, all we know is that, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Skybound Entertainment is currently "in negotiations with Hasbro" to acquire the publishing rights to G.I. Joe and Transformers. This would mean that IDW would lose the license. While Skybound Entertainment is run by Robert Kirkman, and it is he who has apparently been in talks with Hasbro, he would not be writing the Transformers comics if his company would get the rights.

We will let you know of any development. For now, the main question is, how do you feel about the Transformers comic license switching hands again?

AcademyofDrX wrote:Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision Blog confirms Rich Johnson's report: Skybound Entertainment in talks to acquire the Transformers and GI Joe comics licenses.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... 235060895/

What do you mean by confirm? Doesn,t this go against what Rich said since he said Image would be the new home for these comics?

william-james88 wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision Blog confirms Rich Johnson's report: Skybound Entertainment in talks to acquire the Transformers and GI Joe comics licenses.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... 235060895/

What do you mean by confirm? Doesn,t this go against what Rich said since he said Image would be the new home for these comics?

Skybound Entertainment is an Image Studio. In Johnston's original report, he speculated that a studio was a likely home, as Image generally doesn't publish external IP. His two main scoops--rights available, Image most likely home--both track with Heat Vision's report.

Relevant section from Bleeding Cool report about Image:
"Image Comics is best known these days as a publisher of solely creator-owned comic books but with the various studios, that is not always the case. I don't know whether the production will be through an existing Partner studio that publish through Image such as Top Cow, Todd McFarlane Studios, Silverline, Highbrow or Skybound. It may be set up like an independent studio through Image Comics such as the Netflix-owned Millarworld, or these new creator imprints such as that from former IDW EIC Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood. Or something else entirely."

That Kirkman's Skybound is negotiating is Heat Vision's scoop, but it further validates Johnson's reporting, it doesn't challenge it.

AcademyofDrX wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision Blog confirms Rich Johnson's report: Skybound Entertainment in talks to acquire the Transformers and GI Joe comics licenses.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... 235060895/

What do you mean by confirm? Doesn,t this go against what Rich said since he said Image would be the new home for these comics?

Skybound Entertainment is an Image Studio. In Johnston's original report, he speculated that a studio was a likely home, as Image generally doesn't publish external IP. His two main scoops--rights available, Image most likely home--both track with Heat Vision's report.

Relevant section from Bleeding Cool report about Image:
"Image Comics is best known these days as a publisher of solely creator-owned comic books but with the various studios, that is not always the case. I don't know whether the production will be through an existing Partner studio that publish through Image such as Top Cow, Todd McFarlane Studios, Silverline, Highbrow or Skybound. It may be set up like an independent studio through Image Comics such as the Netflix-owned Millarworld, or these new creator imprints such as that from former IDW EIC Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood. Or something else entirely."

That Kirkman's Skybound is negotiating is Heat Vision's scoop, but it further validates Johnson's reporting, it doesn't challenge it.

Alright, thanks for the explanation.

william-james88 wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision Blog confirms Rich Johnson's report: Skybound Entertainment in talks to acquire the Transformers and GI Joe comics licenses.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... 235060895/

What do you mean by confirm? Doesn,t this go against what Rich said since he said Image would be the new home for these comics?

Skybound Entertainment is an Image Studio. In Johnston's original report, he speculated that a studio was a likely home, as Image generally doesn't publish external IP. His two main scoops--rights available, Image most likely home--both track with Heat Vision's report.

Relevant section from Bleeding Cool report about Image:
"Image Comics is best known these days as a publisher of solely creator-owned comic books but with the various studios, that is not always the case. I don't know whether the production will be through an existing Partner studio that publish through Image such as Top Cow, Todd McFarlane Studios, Silverline, Highbrow or Skybound. It may be set up like an independent studio through Image Comics such as the Netflix-owned Millarworld, or these new creator imprints such as that from former IDW EIC Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood. Or something else entirely."

That Kirkman's Skybound is negotiating is Heat Vision's scoop, but it further validates Johnson's reporting, it doesn't challenge it.

Alright, thanks for the explanation.

I thought of a better way to clarify, though mostly just adding this for myself.

The Image studio model can be considered like a movie studio model. Disney is a feature film distributor similar to how Image Comics is a publisher. Various Disney studios (like Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century, Disney Animation, Pixar) actually make the movie. So this is a situation like saying "Disney is going to release a movie" and then adding "Pixar will make it."

One of the ways Skybound is different is that they're actually an independent company rather than a division of Image. So the Transformers license won't be an Image property, just a Skybound one. That's the same way the Lego comics will be put out next year.

I hope that clarifies, I've been trying to follow these things for some time, since modern fandom is largely defined by corporate IP.

I honestly have no problem with this. Barring a few outlier issues, shorts (Annual with Computron and the new Wreckers), the "Bold New Era" has been a car crash.

AcademyofDrX wrote:Just this year IDW has already lost the Ghostbusters.

This, however, was a crying shame. Their Ghostbusters comics were almost universally great. They got the feel and the characters down damn near perfectly.

Grim

What if, instead of anything with comics, Skybound just did Transformers video games? I would be very down for that.

DecepticonFinishline wrote:What if, instead of anything with comics, Skybound just did Transformers video games? I would be very down for that.

Do they even do video games? Plus we're only talking the comic licence which is very different to video games (i think hasbro just hand that out project to project)

ZeroWolf wrote:

DecepticonFinishline wrote:What if, instead of anything with comics, Skybound just did Transformers video games? I would be very down for that.

Do they even do video games? Plus we're only talking the comic licence which is very different to video games (i think hasbro just hand that out project to project)

They publish games, but I don't think they make them. I only know them from the Telltale Walking Dead series. I think what's happening there is that they license out the franchise, which is owned by Kirkman's company, to external developers, but they get to publish the title. That's a very different business structure than you would see for a Transformers game, and I agree that it's almost certainly beyond the scope of this deal.

DecepticonFinishline wrote:What if, instead of anything with comics, Skybound just did Transformers video games? I would be very down for that.

Right now, Skybound is only negotiating for publishing rights, video games are a different matter and a different license.

Hollywood Report Officially Confirms IDW to lose Transformers and G.I. Joe licenses

“At the end of 2022, IDW will bid a fond farewell to the publication of G.I. Joe and Transformers comic books and graphic novels,” the company said in a statement provided to THR. “We’re exceedingly proud of our stewardship of these titles – 17 years with the Robots in Disguise and 14 years with A Real American Hero – and thank the legion of fans for their unwavering support, month in and month out. We’re also eternally grateful to every one of the talented creators who helped bring these characters to four-color life through our comics.”

...

The monthly Transformers series will wrap up by mid-summer, while the Transformers: Beast Wars series, too, will come to its conclusion this summer. That will lead to two new miniseries events. The company will also publish a variety of special one-shot projects spotlighting heroes and villains from across Transformers history.

Kinda a shame. They have done work I enjoyed (mostly the initial run, re-imagining "More Than Meets The Eye" and "Lost Light") but they've properly screwed the pooch with their "Bold New Era". There's been the odd good issue and annual but it's been a massive snorefest for the most part.

~ Grim

Exarchon is emerging for the final battle ... DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!

Good.

maybe whomever gets the license will produce something actually worth buying again.