IDW Announces Hasbro Crossover Revolution

Today IDW announced a crossover series with their series of Hasbro licenses that will be called Revolution. The bi-weekly five-issue series looks like it will be aimed to re-introduce Micronauts, ROM, Action Man and M.A.S.K. using G.I. Joe and Transformers properties as a kind of bridge to the lesser known characters from the mid-eighties. This is probably the beginning of Hasbro's plans to get audiences familiar with the characters considering they want to create new movie franchises based on those properties. The crossover will lead to the launch of new number one issues and series but which will is unclear (but I assume this will include GI Joe and Transformers current ongoing series). Basically Revolution will solidify the existence of the Hasbro Universe at IDW with the characters crossing paths as story lines dictate much like occurs on a regular basis with DC and Marvel Universes.

From IDW editor-in-chief Chris Ryall:

There’s actually story elements that date back to the very first Transformers comic we did in 2005 that serve as the catalyst for why everything we’ve done exists in the same universe, and why people can be comfortable with everything they’ve followed. It’s just now everybody will be acknowledging each other in a much greater way than ever before.

To some degree there’s a revision of history. It would be presumptuous to say that in our very first issue of Transformers we seeded the way for this event that will eventually include ROM and Micronauts. But now when we look back, we see that yeah, the story does make sense, and there’s reason for it to exist the way that it does.

It centers around something called Ore 13, which is an unstable version of Energon, the material that gives the Transformers their power and life. There’s a version of that on earth, that has an adverse effect on tech, which adversely affects ROM, and changes the status of him and his villains, the Dire Wraiths. It affects the Micronauts universe in a way they didn’t expect, and then it also gives birth to M.A.S.K., which is a big new title we’re launching out of this.

...we want just a fun universe where people can get into where each of these characters serves a different component. The Transformers are kind of the cosmic level beings, whether here on earth or up in space. ROM, I want to be the dark conspiracy-laden corner of this universe. The Micronauts bring in the tech and science-fiction. G.I. Joe is the closest component to a superhero team book that we’ve got. We wanted a universe where all these kinds of stories can be told in different ways, but also still feel like they belong together and feel part of a larger whole.

Revolution will launch in September with issues 1 and 2 and with one-shot tie ins for GI Joe, Micronauts, and ROM. Based on the press release, below are the planned ongoing issues after the Revolution crossover.

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