If you’ve ever played with toys, then it’s just as likely that there was nothing to stop you from combining your action figures from different toy lines all at once. That’s essentially what IDW and Hasbro are doing in the comic book world…except on a much larger scale.
Over at Entertainment Weekly, IDW broke the news that several major Hasbro properties will now take place in the same fictional comic book universe. That includes the two big guns: G.I. Joe and Transfromers, the cult classics ROM, Micronauts, and Action Man, as well as M.A.S.K., the toy line that featured G.I. Joe-like action figures who used transforming vehicles. If this was the ’80s, it would be the ultimate crossover. Even today, it’s still compelling!
Related: IDW is Bringing M.A.S.K. Back to Comics
To set the stage for the new status quo, IDW is releasing a bi-weekly crossover event called Revolution, which will be written by Cullen Bunn and John Barber, with art by Fico Ossio. As you can see by the artwork posted above, Ossio has a pretty good handle on those characters.
Revolution will hit comic book stores in September, followed by a relaunch of all of IDW’s Hasbro properties, with new first issues. However, this will not be a reboot. Instead, it will be in continuity with all of IDW’s previous comic book storylines. Although I have to say, the world could have really used the G.I. Joe team during the “All Hail Megatron” and “All Hail Optimus” stories.
Considering that Hasbro already has plans to unite these properties on the big screen, this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Truthfully, this is one of the few shared universes that may work. G.I. Joe and Transformers have very loyal followings, and there’s a natural overlap between them. It’s still going to come down to the quality of the comics and the films, but this has a lot of intriguing potential.
What do you think about IDW’s Revolution? Let us know in the comment section below!
