The following is a segment of the interview where Barber and Kelly discuss why a reboot was done. You can read the full interview here.
As you'd expect, this is part of an attempt to broaden the appeal of the franchise and make the Transformers comics more accessible for new readers who might be intimidated by the sheer number of books available. Kelly told us, "When you are working with a continuity that spans 13 years, it can be pretty daunting to jump on board. The creative teams we’ve worked with in the former continuity excelled at appealing to new readers, and I think it is safe to say that over the past 5 years we’ve had the broadest and most diverse audience in the history of our Transformers comics program. But this new series provides an opportunity for new readers to join us who may have been on the sidelines wanting to get in but overwhelmed by the sheer volume of storytelling, while at the same time renewing our commitment to our long-time fans and giving them both a satisfying ending and an exciting new beginning."
"We already had the best fans in the world, so we had that going for us." said Barber. "That said—absolutely, we all want to reach out and introduce new readers to these characters and worlds and mythology. The previous Hasbro comics universe was one that meant a whole lot to me. I love that series and those versions of the characters. But we hit a really natural point to put a genuine, and I hope satisfying, ending on that story.
As for whether fans can expect the Hasbro Comic Book Universe continuity to continue in some form, it doesn't sound likely. Barber said, "I really love that story and that universe. I still talk to everybody that worked on those comics. I love reading them, and we’ll continue to keep the comics in print and in our deluxe IDW Collection hardcovers. But there’s no plans for ever going back to that universe. Much as I love it, personally I feel like we told the story we set out to tell."
