TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #80.5 for Free Comic Book Day 2012

IDW’s continuation of the original Marvel Comics “Transformers” series will be available in May.

After a twenty-year wait, IDW Publishing today proudly announced the return of the original Generation One TRANSFORMERS comics, beginning with the free TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #80.5, available on Free Comic Book Day, May 5, 2012 as a Gold Sponsorship comic. Fan-favorite writer Simon Furman and legendary TRANSFOMERS artist Andrew Wildman pick up right where 1991′s TRANSFORMERS #80 left off, and lead into this all-new month series, kicking off in July with TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #81.
 
Starting with the free TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #80.5, OPTIMUS PRIME, GRIMLOCK, KUP, HOT ROD and all the favorite Generation One TRANSFORMERS characters charge into the future. Reflecting back on the dizzying highs and the terrifying lows of the original run of Transformers comics, OPTIMUS PRIME watches over a CYBERTRON that hasn’t faced MEGATRON for decades. But that peace shudders to an end and dives headlong into July’s TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #81.

The Future of IDW’s “Transformers”

New IDW editor John Barber, Hasbro’s Senior Global Publishing Manager Michael Kelly and IDW’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations AnnaMaria White recently held a press conference to discuss upcoming plans for IDW’s Transformers series. Spoilers abound in the article, so if you don’t want to know what’s coming, avoid reading any further.

IDW Publishing and Hasbro held a press conference call Wednesday to present the future of “Transformers” comics — a future that, it would appear, does not include the famed leader of the Autobots. Following the two-stream “Chaos” arc now running biweekly in the “Transformers” ongoing series, December will see a one-shot titled “The Death of Optimus Prime,” after which the series will relaunch as two separate, ongoing series, “Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye” and “Transformers: Robots in Disguise.” New IDW editor John Barber led the discussion, with Hasbro’s Senior Global Publishing Manager Michael Kelly and IDW’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations AnnaMaria White also on the call.

Follow the link to read the full article at comicbookresources.com.

IDW to end ongoing; Begin two new series

From this year’s SDCC comic panel comes various tidbits of information about upcoming Transformers comics from IDW.

December – Transformers #125
The “big event” issue. The current ongoing comes to an end. Death of Optimus Prime!

January – All Digital Comic: Autocracy
By Flint Dille and Livo Ramondelli – will be an enhanced comic, with more than just scans of the comics. Likely will be a print version available as well.
Release date is TBD

Two New Ongoing Series – Robots in Disguise and More Than Meets The Eye. These two comics will run in parallel.

Robots In Disguise is written by John Barber, with art by Andrew Griffith

More Than Meets the Eye is written by James Roberts, with art by Nick Roche

See the link for more information and some Q & A with the panelists.

James Roberts to script TF Ongoing 22 and 23

Directly from IDW editor Andy Schmidt, courtesy of the IDW message boards:

The series does lead into CHAOS, and so do James Robert’s two issues of the ongoing series coming up (did I just say that? WHAT?).

James IS writing TRANSFORMERS #s 22 and 23.

For those who don’t know, James Roberts is half of the writing team (with Nick Roche) of the popular “Last Stand of the Wreckers” mini-series.

Dreamwave #14 (unpublished) – summary by Simon Furman

From Simon Furman’s blog:

Not a lot of people know this, but in the final months of Dreamwave (not that we were aware they were the final months at the time), circa November 2004, I was asked to prepare a one-issue fill in for Dreamwave’s G1 book (issue #14 to be precise). Regular G1 writers James McDonough and Adam Patyk had stepped away from the book. (Being closer to the heart of things, Dreamwave-wise, they clearly saw the writing on the wall, so to speak, and stopped pouring work into the rapidly expanding black hole that was Dreamwave.) In the splendid isolation of this sceptered isle, I just carried on regardless.

Follow the link to read the rest of the comments and the summary itself!

Energon unpublished issues 31 and 32

Courtesy of Simon Furman’s blog, here are summaries in two parts of the unpublished Transformers Energon #31, and Energon #32.

#31 Part One:

We cut to Alpha Quintesson (current). He instructs the recently upgraded (and promoted to Terrorcon commander-in-chief) Doom-Lock to continue the assault on Earth. Doom-Lock can’t see the point now the planetary shield is active, but Alpha Quintesson insists. (…more)

War Within: Age of Wrath – issue 4 summary

During Auto Assembly 2010, Simon Furman made available copies of the script for The Age of Wrath issue 4. This six-issue mini-series was cut short by Dreamwave’s bankruptcy, with only the first three issues published. Courtesy of poster Sol Fury of TFW2005, here is a synopsis of the unreleased fourth issue of the six issue mini-series.

We pick up where we left off last time, with Turbomaster Flash stranded on an alien world, pursued by hordes of Sharkticons and Allicons. (…more)

Spotlights to resume?

Spotlight: Prowl was intended by IDW publishing to be the last Spotlight for the forseeable future. But things may have changed, as revealed by IDW editor Andy Schmidt on the IDW boards:

The reason we’ve been holding off on it is this: many of you have requested more spotlights, and they are a great place to get creators I like working with or want to try out something to work on while we figure out a mini or something. (…more)

IDW news from Comic-Con

Courtesy of artoni of TFW2005.

- Generation 1 ongoing will be focusing on “HOT ROD IN SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE”. Don’t worry if you can’t stand the character though – he’s shown being choked by (…more)

Ironhide #3 preview

ComicBookResources.com has a preview of Ironhide #3, due out this week from IDW. Please note, shipment is due on Thursday of this week rather than Wednesday, due to the Independence Day holiday. Also, the preview pages do contain a major spoiler, so if you prefer to wait until you have the entire issue in hand, don’t read it!

He’s been stranded on a deserted Cybertron, but IRONHIDE is about to meet the only two other functioning AUTOBOTS on the planet. One is an old friend in dire need of help, and the other is a legendary character making his IDW debut. Mike Costa and Casey Coller reveal why exactly IRONHIDE—and his death—were so important to the future of Cybertron.