Here are the Transformers Daniel Warren Johnson will use in the new Skybound series

See the Autobots and Decepticons who will throw down in the new series.

With their surprise reveal of a whole new universe featuring both G.I. Joe and Transformers in the pages of Void Rival #1, Skybound has revealed the teams of Autobots and Decepticons that will star in the new series by Daniel Warren Johnson.

It sounds like the series is a reboot back to the time when the Transformers first arrived on Earth:

Transformers #1 begins an all-new era for the iconic Robots in Disguise from Daniel Warren Johnson (Extremity, Do a Powerbomb, DC’s Wonder Woman: Dead Earth) and colorist Mike Spicer (Stillwater, Murder Falcon). Optimus Prime was supposed to have led the Autobots to victory. Instead, the fate of Cybertron is unknown, and his allies have crash-landed far from home, alongside their enemies—the Decepticons. As these titanic forces renew their war on Earth, one thing is immediately clear: the planet will never be the same. New alliances are struck. Battle lines are redrawn. And humanity’s only hope for survival is Optimus Prime. 

Here’s who arrives with Optimus Prime:

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Larry Hama’s ‘G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero’ will continue at Skybound

Chris Mooneyham joins Hama on the series, which will pick up with issue #301 in November.

When Skybound announced they will work with Hasbro on a new universe featuring Transformers and G.I. Joe, many fans wondered what that meant for Larry Hama, whose name has been synonymous with the G.I. Joe comics since the 1980s. Today Skybound confirmed something Hama had already mentioned on social media — that they will continue to publish G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, and will even keep the legacy numbering.

“Several years ago, a fan at SDCC asked me how long Larry Hama would be writing G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comics,” said Michael Kelly, VP of Global Publishing at Hasbro. “My response was the only appropriate answer for someone in my position: ‘for as long as Larry wants to keep writing them.’ It’s exciting to be continuing this journey that started back in 1982, and I’m grateful to the great team at Skybound for helping me keep that promise.” 

Hama will be joined by artist Chris Mooneyham and colorist Francesco Segala, with G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 coming to shops in November. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was originally published by Marvel in 1982 and then revived by IDW in 2010.

“I am delighted to be continuing the saga of G.I. Joe with the good folks at Skybound and totally amped to be taking the G.I. Joe team to issue #301 and beyond,” said Hama. “Little did I know back in 1982 that I would be associated with the Real American Hero for over 40 years. My thanks to the whole crew at Skybound for allowing me to continue to chronicle the exploits of characters who have become like a family to me.” 

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Skybound ‘stealth launches’ a new Transformers/G.I. Joe universe

‘Void Rivals,’ which arrived in stores today, also kicked off the Energon Universe, which will feature both Hasbro properties.

If you’ve read the new Skybound title Void Rivals today, then you know it’s actually part of a bigger Energon Universe launch — a universe that includes both G.I. Joe and Transformers.

Last seen in comics in 2022 as IDW wrapped up their work on both properties, early rumors and speculation mentioned Skybound as a potential new home. Now, through a license with Hasbro, Skybound has launched them in a way that only the company who once put out fake solicitations to keep the ending of The Walking Dead a secret could — as a surprise. Surprise!

“It’s a tremendous honor to be able to reintroduce this world to a new audience under the Skybound banner,” said Kirkman. “I’ve loved these characters for most of my life and to have the opportunity to add to the already rich tapestry Hasbro has built with the all-new Void Rivals is an unbelievable opportunity. If you look at everything done with Transformers and G.I. Joe, you can see the inkling of a vast universe with tremendous potential for crossovers and interaction that will enhance the fan experience while staying true to the individual identities of both concepts. I look forward to exploring that potential for years to come.” 

In addition to Void Rivals, Skybound has plans for three additional titles, including a Transformers title written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson of Do A Powerbomb and Beta Ray Bill fame.

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A ‘Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker’ sequel will arrive in September

‘Junior Baker the Righteous Faker’ by Joe Casey and Ryan Quackenbush will explore the superhero genre from a different angle than its predecessor.

Joe Casey will return to the world of Butcher Baker in the five-issue miniseries Junior Baker the Righteous Faker, where he’ll be joined by artist Ryan Quackenbush.

The new title coming from Image Comics has a definitively different look and tone than the 2011 series, which featured gonzo art by Mike Huddleston. Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker was an in-your-face tribute to, and satire of, the excesses of the superhero genre, channeling books like Marshall Law, Brat Pack and pretty much anything Howard Chaykin did in the 1980s.

Casey said questions about his own waning interest in the superhero genre led to the sequel.

“Lately, I’ve been asking myself a lot of questions about my own relationship with the superhero genre, something I’ve been associated with professionally for over twenty-five years,” said Casey. “Did it still speak to me? Did it still hold the same kind of relevance as it did when I was just a fan? How many other readers of my generation were feeling this ambivalence to something that meant so much to us since we were kids? Doing this kind of sequel series confronts some those questions. So both conceptually and narratively, it’s a really big swing we’re taking here. Not to mention, Ryan is a brave, new talent and his art on this alone is worth the price of admission.”

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Skybound announces a second ‘Creepshow’ miniseries with Hester, Cloonan, Ennis + more

The anthology will run for five issues and include stories by Michael Walsh, Dan Watters, Abigail Larson, Zoe Thorogood and more.

Creepshow, the iconic horror movie that Skybound turned into a comic last year, will return with a second miniseries in September.

Creepshow by director George Romero and writer Stephen King debuted in theaters back in 1982. Inspired by EC Comics’ horror titles like Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror, the film featured a kid reading a comic called Creepshow and a host, “The Creep,” who was reminiscent of the Cryptkeeper and other horror comic hosts.

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Ed Brubaker + Sean Phillips will tell us ‘Where the Body Was’ in December

The award-winning team presents a stand-alone suburban mystery graphic novel that draws from Brubaker’s life.

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, creators of the critically acclaimed, award-winning Criminal and Reckless, have a graphic novel coming out from Image Comics at the end of this year — Where the Body Was, which will arrive in December.

Colorist Jacob Phillips, who has worked with the duo in the past as well as on his own projects like That Texas Blood, will join them on the project. Described as “a true crime podcast crossed with a long-lost diary,” Brubaker said he’s drawing from his own life for this one.

“This is a story I’ve been trying to find a way to tell for half my life,” said Brubaker. “Inspired by a bunch of wild things that happened when I was a teenager in Southern California—from small time crimes to a murder plot—this book is kind of a diorama of a crime scene, with all the action confined to one small neighborhood… And it even comes with a map. I can’t wait for our readers to get their hands on this one, just in time for the Holidays.”

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Image Comics signs exclusively with Lunar for direct market distribution

The publisher will still work with Diamond for bookstore distribution.

Image Comics will join DC Comics and other publishers at Lunar Distribution for their direct market distribution. Beginning with their September titles, which will be solicited in June, Image will shift away from Diamond Comics Distributors to a new distributor for the first time since the company was founded three decades ago.

“We have enjoyed our relationship with Diamond over the decades and we have made some wonderful friends there, so this decision has been a difficult one,” said Erik Larsen, a founder and current CFO at Image Comics. “It was not a move that we made lightly, though, and ultimately, the change was made because of the benefits to readers and retailers who are our real customers. There are services Lunar will provide that will make it easier for stores to buy our titles, and for fans to find our books. This is a big win for them, and we hope this new partnership is as strong and long-lasting as the previous one. We wish Diamond nothing but the best as we look toward the future.”

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‘The Cull’ by Thompson + De Iulis arrives in print this August

The coming-of-age horror tale will be published by Image Comics.

The Cull by Kelly Thompson and Mattia De Iulis, which was previously syndicated by Thompson on Substack, will arrive in print this August. Image Comics will publish the coming-of-age horror miniseries.

Thompson and De Iulis previously worked together on Marvel’s Jessica Jones, but this was an opportunity for them to create something together.

“When Mattia reached out to partner on something creator-owned together, I was over the moon,” said Thompson. “What we came up with for The Cull is both horrifying and delightful, and of course stunningly gorgeous thanks to Mattia’s mind-blowing visuals.”

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Stegmen, Porter + Cannon present the body-swapping adventures of ‘The Schlub’

The new ongoing series will debut from Image Comics in August.

Writers Ryan Stegman and Kenny Porter will team up with artist Tyrell Cannon for the Freaky Friday-esque The Schlub, the story 0f a failing dentist who is body-swapped with the world’s greatest superhero.

They’re joined by colorist Mike Spicer and letterer/designer John J. Hill on the Image Comics series, which kicks off in August.

Stegman said the series is something he was thinking about even before his time on Venom.

“A few years back I pitched Image a comic that I would write and draw about a Michael Scott/Kenny Powers type character if they became a superhero that the entire world relied on. It was approved and I had started work on it when Marvel came along and asked me to do a little book called Venom,” said Stegman. “I couldn’t say no, but I couldn’t shake this idea of the superhero that just can’t do the right thing. So I asked my buddies Kenny, Tyrell and John to help me make this book a reality and here we are! The greatest superhero comic book on the planet.”

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Cyberforce, Street Angel + more guest star in Seeley + Fleecs’ ‘Local Man: Gold’

Crossjack will confront his past in the new one-shot this August.

I’m a big fan of Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs’ work on Local Man, the story of a washed-up 1990s-era Image superhero dealing with a bad rep and murders in his home town. Now the main character, Crossjack, will have to literally confront his past and team up with some of Image’s finest (finest?) in a new one-shot titled Local Man: Gold.

“Tony and I are really happy with the critical success of Local Man, and we want to make sure we give readers who’ve heard the buzz a chance to sample our story,” said Seeley. “Gold is steeped in the ’90s-comics-by-way-of-crime-noir vibe people are loving, and is easily accessible to newcomers!’

The title and cover pay tribute to the Deathmate crossover, which brought together the Image and Valiant universes in the early 1990s (and is considered one of many straws that broke the comic industry’s back at the time):

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Peace with a price: ‘The Sacrificers’ by Remender + Fiumara debuts in August

The science fiction series follows the preview that was released on Free Comic Book Day earlier this month.

After fans received a preview during this year’s Free Comic Book Day, Rick Remender and Max Fiumara’s new ongoing series The Sacrificers will debut from Image Comics in August.

The high-concept science fiction series is set on another world where peace comes with a price. Remender and Fiumara are joined by colorist Dave McCaig on the project.

“Max has long been one of my very favorite artists,” said Remender. “We worked together briefly on a Spider-Man story years ago and he’s always been at the top of my list of artists to reunite with. I think what we’ve developed here is one of the most beautiful and unique stories in the marketplace, in no small part due to Max and color master Dave McCaig’s next level world creating. It is truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”

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‘That Texas Blood’ spinoff miniseries will explore the past of Ambrose County

Creators Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips will tell the story of ‘The Enfield Gang Massacre’ this August.

That Texas Blood, one of my favorite comics from the past few years, is getting a spinoff miniseries this summer that will explore the past of Ambrose County, Texas, the comic’s setting.

Writer Chris Condon and artist Jacob Phillips will tell the story of The Enfield Gang Massacre in a six issue miniseries at Image Comics. Condon said he unknowingly set the stage for the new series in the back matter of a previous issue.

“Way back in That Texas Blood issue seven’s back matter, I mentioned ‘the Enfield Gang’s reign of terror in the 1870s’ which ended in a ‘shootout.’ That got Jacob’s imagination going and he wondered if we’d ever see that (or, more importantly, if he’d ever draw it). And, well, now we’re here,” said Condon. “That may have been the catalyst, but the truth is that I’ve always wanted to tell the story of the origin of Ambrose County, a birth fraught with violence and terror.”

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