The Energon Pub

The confirmation for Transformers #81 isn't the only Transformers comic related news from this years SDCC, please read the following transcript of Hasbro's and IDW's "Transformations" panel by Supreme Convoy.

• The new Transformers editor Carlos Guzman recapped that the ongoing Transformers series bi-weekly for the Chaos Theory arc in #22 & 23 with James Roberts & Alex Milne
• #24 will being Mike Costa, James Roberts, & Livio Ramondelli Chaos arc will have the Transformers going back to Cybertron “where things get crazy.”
• #25 will be the Police Action arc with Mike Costa and Brandon
• IDW revealed that #125 is the total of all the IDW Transformers comics published. They revealed the issue will be titled The Death of Optimus Prime, which shocked the crowd.
• IDW also announced a digital exclusive comic called Autocracy, which will be an 8 page comic released bi-weekly, written by Flint Dille, Chris Mowry, and Livio Ramondelli.
• IDW announced after #125, there will be two brand new ongoings. Transformers: Robots in Disguise by John Barber and Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye by James Roberts. These will not be a series reboot and will pick up after the events of Chaos.
• Mike Costa’s run will come to an end with Chaos. Everything he’s been building to will culminate with this arc. This was the story he had to tell and it was time to hand off the Transformers to new creative teams. He however, will stay on Cobra.
• On the GI Joe front the biggest announcement was after the Cobra Civil War there will be an arc called Cobra Command, featuring the first mission by the new (still yet to be revealed) Cobra Commander.
• During the panel, IDW also announced they have the Magic: The Gathering license and will make comics with the franchise in the future.
• In regards to Transformers #81, Chris Ryall said that there wasn’t enough interest to pursue it. During BotCon, he did a poll with the attendees. Fans seemed to want more Animated comics as opposed to following up with the Marvel run.
• At the very end of the panel, Chris Ryall pulled the rug out from under us and showed us the last slide. “FURMAN & WILDMAN. TRANSFORMERS #81. 2012.” The room went CRAZY. Ryall said that they’ve been listening to fans on Twitter and fan polls, fan petitions and are giving us what we want. The plan is to publish #81 through #100, wrapping up everything Simon Furman had planned.
• I asked the panel about #125. Will Bumblebee become a Prime? Mike Costa said, “I can’t answer that, senator.” (It’s this fan’s hope Bumblebee becomes a Prime!) Ryall did say that they have big plans for the character.
• A fan asked if there are plans to wrap up the Dreamwave storylines. Another fan screamed, “Boo!” The room laughed and the panel said there were no plans.
• Ryall teased that there are plans for a Transformers/GI Joe crossover
  

For more San Diego Comic Con 2011 coverage, just click here or visit the seibertron.com SDCC 2011 Event Page

an ongoing written by James Roberts? I think I've just died and went to heaven

Oh. my. Primus. From two transformers comics a months to four? Hell yeah!

James Roberts and Furman on ongoing series? Awesome. Man, british writers and sci-fi/Transformers comics go together like peanut butter and jelly man.

Said to see Optimus go. If they do bring him back though, I want it to be a long time before he joins up with the autobots again.

Pretty exciting stuff. But killing Optimus Prime? Yawn... been there done that way too many times.

Dead Metal wrote:[*]Mike Costa’s amok running will come to an end with Chaos. Everything he’s been building to will culminate with this arc. This was the story he had to tell and it was time to hand off the Transformers to new creative teams. He however, will stay on Cobra.

*Opens champagne*

[*]A fan asked if there are plans to wrap up the Dreamwave storylines. Another fan screamed, “Boo!” The room laughed and the panel said there were no plans.

That's a real shame. I actually liked the Dreamwave storylines. Matter of fact, I like them better than most of IDW's titles (G1 Ongoing, Bumblebee, Ironhide, & Maximum Dinobots). (I haven't read Drift. I also thought the ending of LSotW was disappointing. All Hail Megatron was ok.) ETA: (Beast Wars, Stormbringer, & Megatron: Origin were great series.)

I know Furman has put out the outlines for the rest of Energon, but I wish we would get comic resolutions of Energon, as well as for G1 Ongoing & War Within: The Age of Wrath.

[*]Ryall teased that there are plans for a Transformers/GI Joe crossover

For the love of Primus, please no more human-centric series!

In regards to Transformers #81, Chris Ryall said that there wasn’t enough interest to pursue it. During BotCon, he did a poll with the attendees. Fans seemed to want more Animated comics as opposed to following up with the Marvel run.

WTF?!

What the hell is wrong with you people!??!?!?!?!

I mean, Animated was fun, but WHAT THA HELL!!

Covenant wrote:

In regards to Transformers #81, Chris Ryall said that there wasn’t enough interest to pursue it. During BotCon, he did a poll with the attendees. Fans seemed to want more Animated comics as opposed to following up with the Marvel run.

WTF?!

What the hell is wrong with you people!??!?!?!?!

I mean, Animated was fun, but WHAT THA HELL!!

Don't worry, if you read the rest you'll see that #81 will get published.

As I've stated before in previous threads, I'm a Mike Costa fan so it's a bummer to read he's not on the ongoing. However, at least he's still writing Cobra, which is a fantastic book. And I can't wait for his Blackhawks comic for the DC relaunch.

Joetx wrote:For the love of Primus, please no more human-centric series!

I can understand the dislike for humans in Transformers stories but I've always enjoyed the Transformers/GI Joe crossovers. They're fun!