Revolution: IDW Publishing Comics Based on New Hasbro Universe

Hasbro recently announced they would be creating a shared universe for several of their toy properties with the intent of creating movies and other content around their brands. Included in this new universe are two of Hasbro’s flagship brands, G.I. Joe and Transformers.  Joining them will be ROM, M.A.S.K., Action Man, and Micronauts.  Now, IDW has announced a crossover event coming to their comic series this year.

Even though this new shared universe will combine all the properties in a new storytelling direction, Justin from GeneralsJoes.com confirmed with Chris Ryall, IDW editor, that the current G.I. Joe A Real American Hero comic written by Larry Hama will continue.

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!

About IDW
IDW Media Holdings, Inc. (OTC:IDWM) is a fully integrated media company, which includes publishing, games, entertainment, and the San Diego Comic Art Gallery.

IDW Publishing’s comic book and graphic novel catalog includes some of the world’s most popular entertainment brands, including Transformers, My Little Pony, Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, and Disney’s classic characters. At IDW’s core is its commitment to creator-owned comics including 30 Days of Night, Locke & Key, Wormwood, Ragnarök, V-Wars, and Archangel by bestselling sci-fi author William Gibson.

IDW Publishing is also home to the acclaimed and award-winning imprints; Top Shelf, The Library of American Comics, Yoe! Books, and Artist Editions, showcasing the greatest original art ever published in American comic books.

IDW Games’ diverse line-up includes the international phenomenon Machi Koro, as well as hit licensed games such as X-Files, Back to the Future, The Godfather, and TMNT.

IDW Entertainment currently serves as the worldwide distributor of Wynonna Earp airing on the Syfy Channel in the U.S. and is producing BBC America’s Dirk Gently, based the best seller by Douglas Adams starring Elijah Wood and Sam Barnett, and Brooklyn Animal Control for USA Network.