The Transformers, G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand, Rom, and the Micronauts—some of your favorite childhood toys—now all inhabit one shared universe! Learn how the creators behind the books work together to create a new world filled with giant robots, magical menaces, and lots and lots of laser guns! This panel will also feature a special sneak preview of the Hasbro comic book event—FIRST STRIKE! Join panel guests Mairghread Scott (Transformers: Till All Are One), John Barber (Optimus Prime), Aubrey Sitterson (G.I. JOE), Chris Ryall (Rom), David A. Rodriguez (First Strike), and Brandon Easton (M.A.S.K.) for an in-depth look at the Hasbro line of comic books!
John Barber: Why does Optimus Prime deserve a book now?
JB: Leader, a Prime, he hasn't been a leader of Cybertron for a while. Revolution is sparked by forced annexation of Earth to Council of Worlds. Not everybody agrees with what he's doing, and there's a wide cast. Several important members, such as Soundwave and Pyra Magna, but it all revolves around the changes brought by Optimus.
Mairghread Scott: What is happening now in Till All Are One?
MS: Starscream supreme leader of Cybertron, dabbling in politics, mind control, manipulation - and getting as close to a happy ending as has ever happened.
Carlos Guzman: What is Lost Light and why is Rodimus purple?
CG: Continuing story of More Than Meets the Eye, with James Roberts and Jack Lawrence, we're heading back to Getaway and the Lost Light pretty soon (LL #10).
Rom: we're getting to find out more about the Solstar Order and the Dire Wraiths as the story continues.
Micronauts were at the heart of Revolution, and now continuing with Wrath of Karza - why are they such important characters?
Brandon Easton on MASK: looking at the series as lynchpin for First Strike, despite the 'Crown Jewel' status of GI Joe.
Aubrey Sitterson: What makes GI Joe The Crown Jewel of the Hasbro Universe? The energy and force they have brought to the title, to the team, to the IDWverse - Giannis Milogiannis and Lovern have created a whole new aesthetic for big action comics.
The idea of First Strike is one of a jumping-on point for readers, with titles not only crossing over, but making it into an actual event, with lasting consequences. Mairghread Scott discusses the intricacies and complexities of managing what wanting to write versus what the Hasbro Universe might want - "You know what would be cool? Let's put G.I. Joe on Cybertron. Let's get weird." - and the editorial weight of that balance of the likes of David (both the co-writer and the editor, one assumes). She reassures on the organic way in which the stories are being allowed to merge, however (despite the rushed nature of Revolution, ndr) - "We wanted a hard emotional center to all the crazy ninjas."
Rodriguez also praises the help and knowledge of John Barber, from the previous experience as editor for a lot of the Transformers books, and just his knowledge overall of the GI Joe and TF lore and stories.
All writers are asked about the perspective of the various tie-ins within the core story, featuring Micronauts and Rom, MASK and GI Joe, with Transformers still at the centre. With the end of the event, new books will be set off, as we covered back here:
But those characters, naturally, aren’t going away for good — September sees a G.I. Joe: First Strike by Aubrey Sitterson and Ilias Kyriazis and a Micronauts: First Strike one-shot by Christos Gage and Chris Panda; October follows with a M.A.S.K.: First Strike one-shot from Sitterson and Kyriazis and Rom: First Strike from Christos Gage and Chris Panda. Additionally, a Optimus Prime: First Strike one-shot is scheduled for September from John Barber and Guido Guidi; Barber is joined by artist Guido Guidi in October for the Transformers: First Strike one-shot.
Then in November, a new series titled G.I. Joe: Unmasked (uniting G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K.) is set to debut in the wake of First Strike, and Rom & The Micronauts is slated for December.
According to Sitterson: "G.I. Joe: Unmasked is going to get very weird, very quickly. Army ants. Dinosaurs."
The Visionaries series has been confirmed to come out of the event, too, as first speculated back here.
And the big tease that will have ScottyP phasing through walls from the high-frequency vibration: UNICRON IS COMING.
Check out the First Strike #1 preview here!
