Declassifying IDW & Hasbro's World-Merging "Revolution"

[CBR News]

John Barber, Cullen Bunn and Fico Ossio discuss combining G.I. Joe, Transformers, Micronauts, M.A.S.K., Action Man and Rom into a single universe.


Full article here.

[Potanical Pardon]

You had me at M.A.S.K.

[DaddyX]

I was excited for M.A.S.K., but as it's own separate thing. I was excited to get into Transformers, because it was it's own separate story. So much so, that I just spent the last month, and $1200 FUCKING DOLLARS, buying all the back issues. This is bullshit! Thanks IDW, you goddamn assholes.

[K. Jones]

So this is picking up on the currently mothballed IDW G.I. Joe comics and not the Larry Hama penned continuation of the original ARAH? It just seems ironic, since Hama has just started reincorporating giant robot mechs and brought in the Red Shadows, all the old Cobra cyberneticists (especially Sidney Biggles-Jones, crafter of G2 Megatron), and has cyberninjas running around.

[cc008]

I was excited for M.A.S.K., but as it's own separate thing. I was excited to get into Transformers, because it was it's own separate story. So much so, that I just spent the last month, and $1200 FUCKING DOLLARS, buying all the back issues. This is bullshit! Thanks IDW, you goddamn assholes.

Yup... I just bought 1-50 of Transformers (Robots in Disguise) over the past 2 weeks or so looking to read Transformers and only Transformers. Granted I didn't spend $1200. So this sucks.

[j9ac9k]

Well, John Byrne can't draw Transformers for ****....

Interesting that Transformers, MASK and ROM have some element of shape-changing to their mythos. I fully expect that MASK will be founded by humans who now have access to Cybertronian technology - which will set them apart from GI Joe...

At one point will we get a Dire Wraith/Transformer Hybrid?? (in the old series, one of Rom's toughest foes as a human/Wraith hybrid)

[unders]

Curious about this, as everyone else who grew up in the 80s is... but is that new, original Byrne artwork displaying the Hasbro cast in the old Marvel Handbook style? His Optimus Prime is atrocious! Looks like he's made of malleable plastic.

Which makes me wonder if I haven't been taking the level of today's artists for granted. The last time I saw steel come across like plastic was JRJr's artwork on Avengers #1 (2010), another legend from our youth.

Makes you wonder what comic book artwork will look like in 10-20 years, assuming the artform survives.

[sifighter]

I feel as though this is a test run to see if the movie universe is going to work, or at least if the idea will be well received. Either way I like GI joe and Transformers in general, although I haven't read the comics all that much, and if this is any good I'll probably pick it up in trade.

[Wulf1984]

Curious about this, as everyone else who grew up in the 80s is... but is that new, original Byrne artwork displaying the Hasbro cast in the old Marvel Handbook style? His Optimus Prime is atrocious! Looks like he's made of malleable plastic.

Yes, that's exactly what Byrne's picture homages...his original MU Handbook covers.

Which makes me wonder if I haven't been taking the level of today's artists for granted. The last time I saw steel come across like plastic was JRJr's artwork on Avengers #1 (2010), another legend from our youth.

Makes you wonder what comic book artwork will look like in 10-20 years, assuming the artform survives.

I think Byrne's best drawing days are behind him, sadly. People get older and they are out of their prime.

[Bl00dwerK]

I like the idea of updating G.I. Joe, but throwing them in with everything else, I don't know. I also heard, via HissTank, that G.I. Joe is getting a revamp followed by a new animated series...

[RobinFan4880]

This could be cool. Gi Joe and Transformers are very comic book-y already, so merging universes isn't a huge deal.

This VERY much sounds like a test-bed for a new cinematic universe.

[Botch the Crab]

No. Do not want. No.

Sure it's a comic book, but Transformers comics had finally evolved into a fully fleshed-out, mature universe. It was still fun as hell, but it was more nuanced and eloquent.

Throwing it in with all the rest of these properties is going to tarnish that. More importantly, these are properties I simply do not enjoy. If I did, I would read those comics.

No amount of "just wait and read the story" blabber can overcome the inherent distaste of this crossover.

[ERON]

If you just want to read Transformers, then just read Transformers. It doesn't sound like you'll need to read Micronauts or ROM to understand what's going on in Transformers, just like how with Marvel you don't need to read Squirrel Girl or Silver Surfer to understand what's going on in Moon Knight.

[Jeremi]

A bit disappointed that it's not the Larry Hama G.I. Joe stuff, but still quite excited for this.

[RobinFan4880]

I was excited for M.A.S.K., but as it's own separate thing. I was excited to get into Transformers, because it was it's own separate story. So much so, that I just spent the last month, and $1200 FUCKING DOLLARS, buying all the back issues. This is bullshit! Thanks IDW, you goddamn assholes.

Does the existence of this crossover negate the good stories you purchased?