The rumor out there is that Robert Kirkman and his Image imprint Skybound are in talks to take over the Transformers license. This concerns some because they’re mostly known for rather violent stuff like Invincible or The Walking Dead, projects not really made for kids. Consider that IDW wasn’t exactly making kid-friendly comics at all during their run. Transformers Prime had a few comics as a separate continuity but wasn’t even as light as the show, which was already the darkest kid-targeted Transformers cartoon. (I think only the Machinima and Netflix shows went darker.) Meanwhile the second Robots In Disguise, the Rescue Bots lines, and Cyberverse were all ignored by IDW, which is another reason I wonder why they did the Marvel Kids line.
On the other hand Skybound did make Super Dinosaur, an all-ages title that I think would have had more sales if they were also sold places kids would find comics outside of a comic store. They have to be introduced to comics to want to visit a store that sells them, which has been one of the problems of modern comics. Super Dinosaur did have a one season cartoon but I only learned about it recently so that wasn’t marketed very well either. This is Transformers so I would imagine the marketing would be easier. Hasbro might be smarter in pointing kids to the comics. I would hope, anyway.
So how should Skybound handle the Transformers brand? Granted I can only speak for what I would like to see them do. I’ve had an idea ever since I lost all interest in IDW’s take (which was before I lost my income) as to what I would do with a Transformers comic series, so let me run an imaginary scenario past you.
KIRKMAN: “Okay, Troy, the floor is yours. You can go ahead and run these comics any way you want and make the Transformers comic you’d want to see…and if it actually sells we’ll keep everything going the way you want to go.”
Unlikely, I know, but if you think that’s unlikely wait until I get the time to do the same thing with the DC Universe. So if I had carte blanche to do a Transformers comic run the way I’d like to we start the planning with one simple acknowledgement: Transformers is a kids toyline that adults also enjoy about living alien robots at war. “Well obviously” says you, but this will affect my story approach to the whole universe.
