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Creators on IDW / Hasbro Revolution Event - Interview with John Barber, Chris Ryall, Mairghread Scott and More

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Declassifying IDW and Hasbro's Comics Merge: Revolution - With John Barber, Cullen Bunn, Fico Ossio

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CBR spoke with the creators involved in the five-issue unifying series, not only to find out how it came about, but also to learn what -- if any -- relationship it has to the film side of things, as well as what it is that will bring these various groups together.

CBR News: John, you've been involved on the editorial side of things for these books for a while. How did you feel about bringing the universes together?

John Barber: I'd always thought if I could go back in time, I'd make sure the IDW G.I. Joe comics took place in the same universe as the Transformers comics.

[...]

How did the decision to combine the contents of those boxes come about?

Barber: One day, the IDW editors were brainstorming ideas, and this notion of doing a crossover came about -- but I'm never totally sold on big crossovers that don't impact the subsequent status quo. Like, it's fun to cross over two properties and see how they interact, but I mean, if you're getting a lot of characters together, it has to have some impact on the world. Meanwhile, I think what Tom Scioli -- and me, a little -- did on the "Transformers vs. G.I. Joe" comic was great, really fun stuff. But that story was ending; Tom and I had it all planned to wrap up.

Then I remembered something Andrew Griffith, who draws "Transformers," suggested one time: the IDW G.I. Joe comics could fit in between big Transformers comics events. At the time, it wasn't anything we were really serious about, but now -- I started thinking about that. Did that actually kind of make sense?

[...]

This effort seems to reflect a similar plan for Hasbro's big screen adaptations. Do you have any communication with the people working on the films?

Barber: Hasbro Studios is very aware of what we're doing, and there's some back and forth sharing of information and ideas. I don't think there's been any big thing where we've seen things one way and they've seen things other ways. We've been remarkably in sync, I think it's fair to say. There've been some characters that have specifically come from the studio here and there -- some of these brands have been dormant for a while, and there are new angles they have on characters that they've shared with us, like Phenolo-Phi in "Micronauts." They have some amazingly talented people working in that writer's room -- like, seriously extraordinary people who have done amazing film, comics and television. The few I know personally are great human beings, too.

The funny thing with this was, it wasn't like a mandate came down and said, "Do this." Totally the opposite. IDW Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall and I flew out to Hasbro headquarters in Rhode Island to try to convince them to do this, because we really wanted to have this universe exist. And it turned out we were all on the same page. It was great, the people running the brands at Hasbro were all very into this and really supportive, and offered great ideas and angles on what we could do.

[...]

Fico, how is it for you bringing all these different characters who come from various backgrounds and realities together into one cohesive look?

Ossio: It sort of built up from my first take on G.I. Joe. David and John asked me to work on a cover/pinup of the characters and gave me license to give them an "upgrade."

I didn't want to really stray too far from the original cartoon, which I watched as a kid and loved. I had a bunch of G.I. Joe toy,s as well, so I wanted to just take those uniforms and give them more of a body armor look. Especially considering these guys were about to clash against 10-foot-tall robots. I could't grasp the concept of keeping them in regular army outfits or spandex -- sorry Snake Eyes. I think it works, because they still look true to their original design, but with a modern and updated look. Then, I took the new design of Action Man and applied the same as I did on G.I. Joe.

Next was Transformers. A lot of artists had worked on Transformers, and I found most of the designs Andrew Griffith had done were great. I respect his designs and pushed to make them more complex, with new, flexible parts and more of an organic look, which I thought would bring them closer to the combined universe. I also wanted to bring some of the elements from the movies. Except for Optimus. I couldn't help myself, and with him I pushed as far as the guys would let me.

[...]

As "Revolution" kicks off, what kind of threat or event is it that's big enough to bring all these different groups together? And what was the design process like developing that individual or force?

Story continues below

Barber: The background is, Optimus Prime has publicly declared Earth to be under his protection and part of Cybertron's Council of Worlds. This isn't Dark Optimus; he's doing good things -- at least from his point of view -- but the people of Earth are naturally going to be concerned about this turn of events.

Now, one of the reasons Earth has been important to the Transformers is this substance called Ore-13. This has a long history in the Transformers comics, but the short version is it can be converted to Energon, which is the Transformers' fuel source. That means the Earth is one of the few places in the galaxy where Transformers can live -- it has a food source, basically. But Ore-13 has always had other properties -- an ability to supercharge Cybertronians, for one.

Something starts happening to Ore-13 around the world, making it unstable, and all signs point to Optimus Prime, who has no idea why this is happening. That sets the stage for "Revolution."

[...]

How will your own ongoings look different after the events of "Revolution?"

Barber: Lots of the Transformers comic I write will be different, including the title. But at the same time, it's building the same story I started writing five years ago. You don't need to know all that stuff, but if you do, rest assured this is all part of the big story we've been telling. It's an unexpected benefit -- I mean, 2011 John had no inkling that Rom or Scarlett or Acroyear or Windblade or Action Man would be there, but this all fits into the tale Andrew Griffith and I set out to tell.

But coming out of "Revolution," there are some big changes. Lots of stuff is going to happen between now and November, when "Revolution" ends.

IDW Hasbro Comics Crossover: Revolution - Chris Ryall Interview, John Barber Clarifications

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But IDW editor-in-chief Chris Ryall insists this isn’t a reboot.

“We didn’t want this to be what fans have seen from so many others, which is a reboot or a relaunch where you’re asked to forget about all these characters and stories you’ve been following for years,” Ryall says. “It’s just now everybody will be acknowledging each other in a much greater way than ever before.”

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did this whole thing come about?
CHRIS RYALL: It happened in a stealthy way. When I was bringing back ROM, the co-writer Christos Gage and I were talking about a nice way to make something big and impactful happen in that issue. So at the end of the issue there’s a big reveal that shows ROM might be a part of a larger universe than fans expected at the start. We were going to stealthily seed things along the way, so that fans would think these guys might exist in ROM’s world and then, in talking about it internally, it just made sense, now that we’re launching Micronauts and ROM, and we’ve already got G.I. Joe and Transformers, and were looking to do M.A.S.K. All these things should exist together. That’s what fans want to see.

When we first launched G.I. Joe, fans asked us, “Are they gonna meet the Transformers?” And every time we’ve added a Hasbro title since then, it’s been the same question. Are the Micronauts gonna meet the Transformers? Is ROM gonna meet the Micronauts?

[...]

What will the event involve?
Revolution is its own thing. It’s a five-part biweekly series that we’re launching in September, and that series will detail the reasons why these characters are all drawn together. It centers around something called Ore 13, which is an unstable version of Energon, the material that gives the Transformers their power and life. There’s a version of that on earth, that has an adverse effect on tech, which adversely affects ROM, and changes the status of him and his villains, the Dire Wraiths. It affects the Micronauts universe in a way they didn’t expect, and then it also gives birth to M.A.S.K., which is a big new title we’re launching out of this.

So that series details the reason for all these characters to be drawn together. Then all the series will be relaunched with new number ones and this new status quo. The plan is to have the characters go back to occupying their own spaces. I don’t want G.I. Joe or Transformers fans to feel like they have to buy every issue of everything we publish now just to get the whole story. If they do, certainly that’s a nice outcome, but I still want them to read a Transformers book and have it feel like a Transformers book. It’s just, now within that universe, ROM is somewhere in the background and may be drawn back in at some point.

Barber:

I'm very excited about Revolution, and it's absolutely not going to scale anything back from what's happened in any Transformers comics.

Revolution will get these comics where I think they always should have been, and since I like where they are already...

...I don't think we'll be losing anything we already like.

Oh--important note, the list of creative teams in the press release is for the Revolution tie-in stories.

Just to make clear--post Revolution, @SaraLePew and @Max_Dunbar will still be there!

Ryall:

How do the other Transformers books play in (MTMTE, TAAO), renumbered? ending? untouched?

We'll get into more specifics soon but some will end and restart differently; TAAO will keep rolling as is.

It won't affect Titan Wars. We've been threading this needle very carefully for some time know, building to this.

MTMTE untouched?

Rather, you can assume that any involvement will make sense to that series and not change what James has built.

OK now I'm panicking. Restarting MTMTE is just about the craziest thing to do to a book with such a hardcore fandom.

I understand the trepidation but we're not abandoning plans, characters or stories. Just moving things forward.

Not a reboot in any way, shape or form, actually. All the stories you read here before still happened.

We'll get into new-title specifics & teams before long. If you like the way things are, you'll be happy. Only moreso



@chris_ryall How will the IDW GI Joe continuity be reconciled with All Hail Megatron's global invasion that killed 15% of all humans?


It will be addressed. We're not scrapping things.

Please wait and see. It makes sense. And everything is always changing, just changing in the right ways here.

Not TAAO [renumbering]. We'll get into specific post-event plans before long. Never a good plan to reveal everything all at once.

I understand people don't want to lose what they like, I get that. But yes, the comic itself will put fears to rest.

IDW Hasbro Comics Crossover: Revolution - MASK, Transformers, Action Man, Micronauts, ROM, GI Joe

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The Revolution Is Here
IDW Merges Their Iconic Hasbro Comics in an Epic Crossover Event

San Diego, CA (June 1, 2016) – IDW Publishing has unveiled its most ambitious comic book publishing venture in its history revolving around its fan-favorite titles based on Hasbro properties.

The “Revolution” event marks the birth of a comic book crossover that will be comprised of not only the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE properties, but also all-new properties MICRONAUTS, ROM, and ACTION MAN, as well as the launch of a long-awaited M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand series.

This is not a reboot—rather, the Revolution series takes many of the building blocks of what has come before from IDW and builds on them anew, bringing all these elements together in an epic event that results in an all-new status quo for all involved. Everything fans have enjoyed up to this point remains intact as part of this ongoing continuity. The ramifications of Revolution will extend well beyond the event, as all of these iconic characters will henceforth exist in the same universe, altering the scope of IDW editorial in all the Hasbro series from this moment onward.

Revolution, the bi-weekly five-issue event series that launches this initiative, will be co-written by Cullen Bunn (MICRONAUTS) and John Barber (TRANSFORMERS) with art by Fico Ossio (MICRONAUTS). The event kicks off with a world-shaking threat that brings all opposing factions together in a storyline that just might see the destruction of the universe before it can truly begin!

All aforementioned titles will tie-in to the event with a bevy of talent on board including:

ROM
Co-written by Chris Ryall (Onyx), Christos Gage (Marvel’s Daredevil)
Art by David Messina (Star Trek)



G.I. Joe
Written by Aubrey Sitterson (Street Fighter X G.I. JOE)
Art by Giannis Milonogiannis (Prophet)



Transformers: Till All Are One
Written by Mairghread Scott (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, TRANSFORMERS)
Art by Naoto Tsushima (TRANSFORMERS)



Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye
Written by James Roberts (TRANSFORMERS)
Art by Alex Milne (TRANSFORMERS)



Transformers
Written by John Barber (Back to the Future)
Art by Andrew Griffith (TRANSFORMERS)



M.A.S.K.
Written by Brandon Easton (Marvel’s Agent Carter, TRANSFORMERS: Deviations)
Art by Tony Vargas (Rot & Ruin)



Action Man
Written by John Barber (TRANSFORMERS)
Art by Paolo Villanelli (G.I. JOE: SNAKE EYES)



Micronauts
Written by Cullen Bunn (Uncanny X-Men)
Art by Chris Panda



And many more!


“The Revolution series builds out of a detail that was introduced in IDW’s first-ever issue of TRANSFORMERS in 2005,” said IDW’s Chief Creative Officer, Chris Ryall. “So to finally be able to build upon the various story elements we’ve seeded over the years, and which come into play in a big way starting with July’s ROM #1 even before the launch of Revolution, is a blast. We’ve been working toward a full-fledged universe for some time and it’s great fun to be able to finally bring it to vivid life, especially since it allows us to give the world new titles like the very-requested M.A.S.K., as well as some exciting new books still to be announced.”

“We’ve done plenty of crossovers in the past,” said Michael Kelly, Head of Global Publishing at Hasbro, “but nothing near this scope or scale. Our heroes, whether they are from Earth or from distant reaches of the galaxy, all have one thing in common: their powers and abilities are based primarily on technology. We have been able to use this fact to build a natural and believable link between all of these disparate characters. The result is a complex and dynamic world where all manner of conflicts and team-ups can and will exist. If you are a fan of Hasbro’s brands, your time is now.”

As Revolution rolls out, each associated series will receive its own “Revolution” one-shot that ties in to the main event. Revolution will feature an array of variant covers with stunning cover art by Brandon Peterson, Tradd Moore, John Byrne, James Biggie, Adam Riches, Guido Guidi, Ken Christensen, Art Baltazar, and more.

Nothing will be the same after the Revolution erupts this September with issues 1 & 2 plus one-shot tie-ins (G.I. JOE, MICRONAUTS, ROM) all available to order together. Take a stand!

IDW Transformers August 2016 Solicitations: #TAAO, #TitansReturn, War Within, TPBs

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Transformers: Till All Are One #3
Mairghread Scott (w) • Sara Pitre-Durocher (a & c)
WINDBLADE TURNS TRAITOR?! With the rise of the COMBATICON threat, STARSCREAM issues an ultimatum to WINDBLADE: do his—or everyone on Cybertron will learn her darkest secrets!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Till All Are One #3—Subscription Variant
Mairghread Scott (w) • Sara Pitre-Durocher (a) • Priscilla Tramontano (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
Will WINDBLADE betray her own ideals and become STARSCREAM’s crony?
Is ONSLAUGHT really the threat to world peace that STARSCREAM claims?
And where in the name of the Primes is SWINDLE?!
Sets the stage for next month’s REVOLUTION!
Variant cover by Thomas Deer!

Transformers #56
John Barber (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a & c)
TITANS RETURN! Following the literally-Earth-shattering events of last issue… OPTIMUS PRIME establishes a new base of operations—AUTOBOT CITY! Its first visitor: a newly-revived SENTINEL PRIME, who sees a potential ally in OPTIMUS.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers #56—Subscription Variant
John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a) • Casey W. Coller (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
You’ve never seen a TRANSFORMERS crossover like this before!
Ties directly in to this month’s MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!
Leads into next month’s REVOLUTION!
Variant cover by Ken Christiansen!

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #56
James Roberts (w) • Priscilla Tramontano (a & c)
TITANS RETURN! On Luna 1, nothing ever happens—and as far as FORTRESS MAXIMUS and RED ALERT are concerned, nothing ever will. After all, who else could possibly be interested in the Luna 1’s birthing field and its graveyard full of dead Titans?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #56—Subscription Variant
James Roberts (w) • Priscilla Tramontano (a) • Nick Roche (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
You’ve never seen a TRANSFORMERS crossover like this before!
Ties directly in to this month’s TRANSFORMERS!
Sets the stage for next month’s REVOLUTION!
Variant cover by Ken Christiansen!

Transformers vs G.I. Joe, Vol. 3
Tom Scioli & John Barber (w) • Tom Scioli (a & c)
The biggest space battle ever grows to universal proportions! Will the G.I. JOE team and the AUTOBOTS make peace—before COBRA and the DECEPTICONS end the war… the bad way?! Collects issues #10–13.
TPB • FC • $19.99 • 120 pages • 7” x 11” • ISBN: 978-1-63140-693-5

Bullet points:
The series you never thought would happen comes to its thunderous conclusion!

Transformers: War Within Omnibus
Simon Furman (w) • Don Figueroa, Andrew Wildman (a) • Don Figueroa (c)
Collects both the WAR WITHIN and WAR WITHIN: DARK AGES series. In this 12-part story, four million years before the Transformers arrived on Earth, civil war rocks their home world of Cybertron, and Optimus Prime faces his first–and greatest–challenge. But before he can deal with the Decepticons, the new Autobot leader must look within, and decide if Cybertron is worth saving at all!
TPB • FC • $24.99 • 312 pages • 6” x 9” • ISBN: 978-1-63140-692-8

Bullet points:
Back in print!

Transformers: IDW Collection Phase Two, Vol. 4
Chris Metzen, Flint Dille, John Barber, James Roberts(w) • Livio Ramondelli, Andrew Griffith, Alex Milne, Agustin Padilla, Atilio Rojo (a) • Marcelo Matere (c)
In the early days of the war on Cybertron, two leaders start down their paths towards destiny. Meanwhile, on current day Cybertron, Megatron is back! Everything Bumblebee and his Autobots have built teeters on the edge of collapse–and Starscream has to make the choice his whole life has been leading to. On the Lost Light, a secret prisoner is confined in the bowels of the ship. Collects the Monstrosity mini-series, Robots in Disguise #12–18, and More Than Meets the Eye #14–16.
HC • FC • $49.99 • 356 pages • 7” x 11” • ISBN: 978-1-63140-715-4

Bullet points:
Is there such thing as More than More Than Meets The Eye? Must be, because this is it!
Advance solicited for September release!

Toy Fair 2014 Coverage - Marvel Infinite Series Death's Head Gallery

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Revolutionary War: Death's Head II Preview

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Revolutionary War: Death's Head II - Nick Roche Sketches and Signings

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Marvel Revolutionary War: Death's Head II #1 Preview

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Part 4 of 'Revolutionary War' o The long-awaited return of DEATH'S HEAD -- one of the biggest hits of the original Marvel UK! o Death's Head! Death's Head II! On an adventure together for the first time EVER! o What threat could be grave enough to bring these two heroes together from across time? How about the villainous Mys-Tech organization resurfacing with an army?!

Marvel Death's Head II Solicit, Nick Roche Concept Art

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REVOLUTIONARY WAR: DEATH’S HEAD II #1

ANDY LANNING & ALAN COWSILL (W) • NICK ROCHE (A)

Cover by MARK BROOKS

Variant Cover by Sharp

Part 4 of “Revolutionary War”

• The long-awaited return of DEATH’S HEAD -- one of the biggest hits of the original Marvel UK!

• Death’s Head! Death’s Head II! On an adventure together for the first time EVER!

• What threat could be grave enough to bring these two heroes together from across time? How about the villainous Mys-Tech organization resurfacing with an army?!

32 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ …$3.99