In the July 2013 issue of Kero Kero Ace a one-shot comic by Naoto Tsushima was produced for the Transformers GT franchise.  The comic features the 4 announced GT robots as well as all of the GT Sisters and the campaign figure Safety Prime.  The comic features the Prime, Saber, and Maximus racing with Megatron interfering and Safety Prime getting involved.  Naoto Tsushima has also tweeted someimages of the manga.

Thanks to The Allspark for the news

IDW have sent out the following previews for their August 2013 releases

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #20
John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a) • Griffith, Casey Coller (c)

NEW CYBERTRON! It’s a brand new day—and STARSCREAM is in charge! But running a planet isn’t as easy as it looks… if BUMBLEBEE couldn’t do it, why does the former DECEPTICON think he can?

2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant Covers:
Variant Livio Ramondeli cover, interconnected with issues 21 and 22!

* Introducing fan-favorite character RATTRAP into the world of ROBOTS IN DISGUISE!
* The dawn of a new age—or the end of everything?!
* The countdown to DARK CYBERTRON continues!

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #20
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Sean Chen (c)

NOWHERE TO RUN! The end is nigh for the surviving members of the Lost Light crew, as enemies old and new move in for the kill. But on the fringes of known space, an ancient visionary is about to eliminate the Cybertronian race with a wave of his hand.

2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant Covers:
Variant Nick Roche cover!

* The penultimate part of the shocking Remain in Light!
* Not for the faint-hearted!

Transformers Regeneration One #94
Simon Furman (w) • Guido Guidi (a) • Andrew Wildman, Guidi (c)

CYBERTRON UNDER SIEGE! As BLUDGEON’s Blitz Engines wreak havoc, the AUTOBOTS struggle to muster a response to a threat that feels all too close to home! But their “greatest warrior,” ULTRA MAGNUS, has problems of his own… in the shape of a fighting mad GALVATRON. It’s the clash of titans you’ve (almost) never seen before!

*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant Covers:

Geoff Senior variant cover!

* Cover-to-cover battle action!
* ULTRA MAGNUS versus GALVATRON—the rematch of the millennium!

Transformers: Monstrosity #3 (of 4)
Chris Metzen & Flint Dille (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a) • Ramondelli x 3 (c)

MEGATRON UNCHAINED! In the early days of the war, MEGATRON—exiled on JUNKION—battles to reclaim the throne of CYBERTRON. But the TERRORCONS have other ideas… Meanwhile, GRIMLOCK and the DINOBOTS threaten OPTIMUS PRIME’s fledgling republic!

*3 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1-to-1 ratio

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

* In print for the first time!
* Terror on Junkion!

Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters #4
Mairghread Scott & Mike Johnson (w) • Agustin Padilla (a) • Ken Christiansen (c)

PRIMEVAL PREDATORS! The DINOBOTS have stumbled upon some of SHOCKWAVE’S old experiments… now they are running rampant across the Cybertronian underground. It’s up to GRIMLOCK and SWOOP to subdue the enemy! But with pressure mounting and his foes wreaking havoc, can GRIMLOCK keep his own rage in check?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant Covers:
Animation art variant cover!

Transformers: Prelude
Nick Roche, John Barber, & James Roberts (w) • Steve Kurth, Chee, Nick Roche, David Daza, Matt Frank, & Agustin Padilla (a) • Nick Roche (c)

The Spotlight falls on Orion Pax, Thundercracker, Megatron, Bumblebee, Trailcutter, and Hoist in this collection of six individual stories that explain an important moment in each character’s life. From the distant past to current events each story adds to Cybertronian lore.

TPB • FC • $19.99 • 152 pages • ISBN 978-1-61377-716-9

Comic Book Movie have posted a brand new preview clip from this evening's episode of Transformers Prime Beast Hunters which is titled "Project Predacon". You can view the clip below which has been mirrored on YouTube.

Thanks to the Sam Palmer for pointing out on Facebook that Comixology's digital release of More Than Meets The Eye Issue 16 actually includes the Robots In Disguise issue 16 instead!

Not very big or clever Comixology

As part of our morning news catchup, where we will quickly take you through the major news stories since out downtime, what better place to start than with Kapow Toys exclusive look at the IDW designs for Transformers More Than Meets The Eye Star Saber.  The UK based online retailer have posted preview images of the designs by Alex Milne on their Transformers site FullMetalHero.com which you can view by clicking the link or by using the mirror below. You can view our Star Saber toy galleries within the toy section of the website.

The official Transformers Facebook page has posted the five-page commentary for Transformers: Robots in Disguise Issue 16 with writer John Barber. You can view a mirror of the preview below.

TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE #16 hits the stands today, courtesy of IDW Publishing and Hasbro! This is it—the climax of the first big ROBOTS IN DISGUISE story. The fate of Cybertron’s leadership is decided, as Bumblebee and the Autobots battle Megatron’s forces in the city of Iacon. Artist Andrew Griffith—along with inker Brian Shearer and colorist Josh Perez—pulled out all the stops on this one; and we sat down with writer John Barber to talk about this monumental issue. TF:RID #16 is available at comic book stores everywhere and at https://transformers.comixology.com/ or via the Comixology and iBooks apps on your computer or mobile device!

PAGE 1- The might against Megatron continues with Bumblebee and his team. Considering the different factions trying to live together on their home world, was there ever a right or wrong in the decisions he took? Or was it simply that he wasn’t strong enough to hold them all together?

JOHN BARBER: That’s a good question. Bumblebee was trying to do what was right, and here—battling Megatron—it’s clear what needs to get done. But would Megatron have had support, would the Decepticon masses have followed him, had it not been for Bumblebee’s policies? He locked them up, he put in the Identification/Deterrence chips, and even once those were gone, he still clearly didn’t welcome them with open arms. I mean, Bumblebee had reason to be angry at the Decepticons, and reasons to not trust them. So maybe he never had a chance.

There isn’t really a clear-cut answer, as to whether Bee was right or wrong, and that’s one of the big themes of the series. I hope the readers will argue about it.

Was Bumblebee too weak? That’s how he sees himself, and how some of the others see him. Maybe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, though. Could anybody have accomplished what he set out to do? Again—I don’t mean to evade the question, it’s that the question is the main thing about the series. I don’t want to cop out on anything, but the question is more interesting to me. And hey, if I had the actual answer, I should be ruling the world myself.

PAGE 2- Megatron, Devastator and the other Decepticons pile on the pressure. You think right now Starscream is regretting the things that he has done prior to this issue, and not done what might have previously done before?

JOHN BARBER: Starscream thought he was playing everything correctly for a while—up to issue 11—then he had a crisis of… well, not “conscious,” as this issue will demonstrate… but a crisis of faith in himself. I’m sure that, in his head, he’s running through every action he’s ever taken, but I don’t think he has Bumblebee’s capacity for self-reflection. He’s more likely to see any failure as a failure of circumstance, not of himself. But this was a big fall—he was about to gain control of the city, and then Megatron showed up and ruined everything, so it’s a crushing blow.

Anyway—he definitely doesn’t have Bee’s capacity for beating himself up over his decisions.Actually, his ego probably protects him a little here (like Prowl’s does).
What is why, at this point in the story, even if it doesn’t look like it, he is actively looking for any opportunity amidst all the action.

PAGE 3- Arcee and Sideswipe do their best to carry on the fight back. With Arcee, was the plan always to make her as ambiguous as possible until she was forced into making a decision on where she truly stood?

JOHN BARBER: Yeah—Issue 18 is where we actually get into her head, and see how she thinks. She just approaches things from a way that other Cybertronians don’t. Her worldview is skewed by all the events in her life—I mean, everybody’s is; it’s just that her event are just a little more unusual.

So, yeah, she was definitely keeping quiet about what she knew, who she would side with, all that—until she had an opportunity to strike most effectively. Which, I don’t think exactly worked out—she definitely didn’t want out-of-control Prowl-Devastator running around, so it’s not like she actually succeeded in her plan. But things could have been worse.

Nevertheless, from my perspective, she’d have been better off going to Bumblebee in issue 4. But she didn’t think he’d trust her, and Bee definitely didn’t act like he was looking to trust Prowl’s secret warrior. So she didn’t think that was a legitimate possibility. And now, hey, look what all that mistrust has sown.

PAGE 4- Ironhide and the Dinobots pile in to provide reinforcements? Considering what is happening to his friends, do you think Ironhide is certain that the visions of the future he saw are going to come true, despite the devastation around him? They seem to have been driving his recent actions.

JOHN BARBER: Ironhide has come to realize that, even if he believes what he saw, there are multiple ways of looking at “fate.” He can just sit back and let the future happen, or he can take an active role. And if he takes an active role, he has to be himself. Beyond that—well, there’s more to come.

PAGE 5- Ironhide literally tries to knock some sense into Prowl/ Devastator’s head, and Bumblebee can see the tide of battle turning. This issue marks the end of the current arc in the series. In the grand scheme of things to come, how important are the issues we’ll find within these pages?

JOHN BARBER: Very. I mean, this issue is the close of the first big RID story arc. The story of Bumblebee versus Starscream versus Metalhawk struggling for control of Iacon comes to a close this issue. And however it works out, any one of them (or none of them) “winning” control of the city will change the face of Cybertron. There’s a lot going on in this issue, a lot of stories coming to a close, and it all matters a lot.

But it’s not the end of the series, and there are still going to be big, pointed questions looming. Where’s Shockwave? Why did what happened to the Aerialbots happen—and what’s the status of them now? Not to give anything away, but how does Starscream justify his actions? What’s up with Ironhide’s vision of the future? What does Jhiaxus want with Gorlam Prime? Lots and lots of other questions…

Not everything ends here—we’re back with another issue in a few weeks—but all that comes will be built on what we’ve done here. And there will be impacts felt in our sister series, TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE, too. But I can’t talk about that without spoiling anything. I can say, that events from MTMTE spill into RID next issue… but if you’ve followed what MTMTE revealed about Shockwave, I don’t think that will be a surprise. Anyway—this comic, RID #16, will have repercussions in the comics—and maybe beyond—for some time to come.

But I do want to thank all the readers who’ve read this series—and read MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE, and all the other Transformers comics, too—from the beginning, or who’ve come in during the run, or who are just joining us. Thanks for being there, hope you’ve enjoyed the ride so far, and it just gets better from here on out.

IDW have sent out the following previews for their July 2013 Transformers releases.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #19
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Sean Chen (c)
BETRAYAL! The Lost Light may be occupied by enemy forces, but that’s the least of RODIMUS’ problems! As he awaits execution, the one-time Matrix holder realizes how little he knows about the people he once called friends. Is there anyone left he can trust? And where does the legendary STAR SABER fit into all this?
2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio

FC • 32 pages • $3.99


*Variant Covers:
Nick Roche variant cover!

Bullet points:
• The game-changing epic REMAIN IN LIGHT continues!
• Major revelations within!

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #19
John Barber (w) • Dheeraj Verma (a) • Verma, Casey Coller (c)
THE DEATH OF A WORLD! Gorlam Prime—the entrance to the so-called DEAD UNIVERSE—holds many secrets… and now ORION PAX—the ’bot who was once OPTIMUS PRIME—pries it’s secrets loose. But will it be too late for CYBERTRON?
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio

FC • 32 pages • $3.99


*Variant Covers:
Phil Jimenez variant cover!

Bullet points:
• The countdown to the biggest TRANSFORMERS comic ever continues!
• Who is WASPINATOR—and what is his secret?!

Transformers Regeneration One #93
Simon Furman (w) • Guido Guidi (a) • Andrew Wildman, Guidi (c)
BATTLETIDE! Opposing factions and forces meet head on, as the battle for
Cybertron (and indeed the future) begins in earnest. BLUDGEON, SOUNDWAVE, GALVATRON, STARSCREAM, and—caught in the middle—the Autobots, most crucially their greatest warrior ULTRA MAGNUS! And HOT ROD meets his maker. Literally.
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio

FC • 32 pages • $3.99


*Variant Covers:
Geoff Senior variant cover!

Bullet points:
• Shock follows shock as total catastrophe looms large!
• The entire universe holds its collective breath!

Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters #3
Mairghread Scott & Mike Johnson (w) • Agustin Padilla (a) • Ken Christiansen (c)
THE BEAST WITHIN! After the Fall of CYBERTRON, GRIMLOCK and his DINOBOT allies are tasked with protecting the last remaining Cybertronians from the dangers of the demolished planet. But as time passes, GRIMLOCK grows more and more uneasy with the rage and power that he’s forced to hold back. Can the AUTOBOT leader learn to control his power or will the beast take over?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99


*Variant Covers:
animation art variant cover!

Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters #3—Subscription Variant
Mairghread Scott & Mike Johnson (w) • Agustin Padilla (a) • Michael Lark (c)
For subscription customers only… enlist up at your local comic shop! A variant cover by artist Michael Lark! Only for loyal subscription box customers!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye, Vol. 4
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne, Guido Guidi (a) • Alex Milne (c)
The journey continues as the crew of the Lost Light confronts a band of rogue DECEPTICONS—with terrible consequences. Plus, a visit to the planet Hedonia—and a chance to put recent events behind them. But all the while, locked in a secret cell underneath the Lost Light, hidden from the crew, a DECEPTICON psychopath is talking...without opening his mouth. And, Rodimus and his crew are confronted by the enemy within—and not everyone will survive the encounter.
TPB • FC • $19.99 • 128 pages • ISBN 978-1-61377-691-9

Bullet points:
• Collects issues #12–15.

Transformers Classics Vol. 5
Bob Budiansky & Simon Furman (w) • Jose Delbo, Jim Fern, Geoff Senior (a) • Guido Guidi (c)
The historic comic book roots of THE TRANSFORMERS are re-presented for maximum Cybertronian enjoyment. Rejoin The AUTOBOTS and The DECEPTICONS as their war stretches across the cosmos. Freshly re-mastered and re-colored, these stories are accompanied by an in-depth introduction as well as select issue notes by Mark W. Bellomo.
TPB • FC • $24.99 • 276 pages • ISBN 978-1-61377-633-9

Bullet points:
• Collects issues #51-62 of the Marvel series.

Transformers: Monstrosity #2 (of 4)
Chris Metzen & Flint Dille (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a) • Ramondelli x 3 (c)
MEGATRON—DEFEATED? Never! The DECEPTICON leader battles through SHARKTICON hordes, while on CYBERTRON, OPTIMUS PRIME struggles to unite his people—and GRIMLOCK and his rogue DINOBOTS go on a rampage!
*3 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1-to-1 ratio
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
• In print for the first time!

Chris Ryall has revealed the cover art for volume 8 of Transformers: The IDW Collection, via his Tumblr account. The hardcover comic collection feature a portrait of Hot Rod by the artist E.J Su.  You can view the image below.

IDW have dispatched the usual preview pages for the latest issue of their Transformers More Than Meets The Eye series.  The preview images, which can be seen below, continue the story with Overlord being on the loose onboard the Lost Light while Chromedome is trapped in the time-dilated cell.

IDW have sent out their solicitations for June which you can read below.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #18
John Barber (w) • Atilio Rojo (a) • Rojo, Casey Coller (c)
SURVIVOR'S GUILT! After the shattering events of the past two issues, we can't tell you who's alive and who's dead. But we will hint that one CYBERTRONIAN has to reconsider her worldview—while she comes face-to-face with some old enemies. We won't mention any names, but she's in for the fight of her life!
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

• Expected in-store date: 6/5/13
• Variant Covers: Phil Jimenez variant cover!
• T-Minus 4 months to the event that will rock the TRANSFORMERS to their core!

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #18
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Sean Chen (c)
"DON'T LET THEM TAKE SKIDS!" The crew of the Lost Light left CYBERTRON before they could hear those words—part of a message from the future warning of terror and catastrophe and a threat to the entire Cybertronian race. Can the AUTOBOTS do anything to stop the beginning of the end?
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

• Expected in-store date: 6/26/13
• Variant Covers: Nick Roche variant cover!
• This is the big one—everything since MTMTE #1 has been leading to this story!
  Heroes will fall—and revelations will change your perceptions of everything, ever!

Transformers: Monstrosity #1 (of 4)
Chris Metzen & Flint Dille (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a) • Ramondelli x 3 (c)
MEGATRON'S DESCENT! In the early days of the war on CYBERTRON, OPTIMUS PRIME puts everything on the line to unify the planet—but not everyone agrees that this new Prime should be in charge! Meanwhile, the fallen DECEPTION leader, MEGATRON, begins a journey that will change everything. Plus—what is the terrible secret of the DINOBOTS?
*3 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1-to-1 ratio
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

• Expected in-store date: 6/5/13
• Exploding from the screen to your comic shop!
• The sequel to the amazing AUTOCRACY!
• Written by Chris Metzen (one of the main creative minds behind Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® universes) and Flint Dille (writer on the original TRANSFORMERS cartoon)!

Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters #2
Mairghread Scott & Mike Johnson (w) • Agustin Padilla (a) • Ken Christiansen (c)
THE WORLD BELOW! Deep beneath the surface of CYBERTRON, the last vestiges of life struggles to survive. Their only protectors: GRIMLOCK and his loyal DINOBOTS—who find themselves at the center of a dark mystery!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

• Expected in-store date: 6/19/13
• Variant Covers: Animation art variant cover!
• Ties in to the smash hit TRANSFORMERS PRIME: BEAST HUNTERS television show as seen on the HUB!
• The creative team from the critically-acclaimed TRANSFORMERS PRIME: RAGE OF THE DINOBOTS is back!

Transformers Regeneration One #92
Simon Furman (w) • Andrew Wildman (a) • Wildman, Guido Guidi (c)
CRISIS ON CYBERTRON! A whole society, wounded and reeling after SCORPONOK's genetic manipulations, teeters on the edge of anarchy and uprising, a situation SOUNDWAVE is only too happy to exploit! When the newly recovered BLASTER uncovers the truth, he finds himself on the endangered species list—courtesy of the all-new, all-deadly MAYHEM ATTACK SQUAD.
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

• Expected in-store date: 6/19/13
• Variant Covers: Geoff Senior variant cover!
• CYBERTRON: The last line of defense!
  Continuing the story of the original 1980s TRANSFORMERS comic book series!
• Non-stop action in the Furman/Wildman manner!

Transformers: Movie Collection, Vol. 1
Simon Furman, Chris Ryall, Kris Oprisko, & Chris Mowry (w) • Don Figueroa & Alex Milne (a) • John Nizzi (c)
From CYBERTRON, to Earth, and back again… the quest for the Allspark begins here! Volume 1 contains the TRANSFORMERS Movie Prequel, the TRANSFORMERS Movie Adaptation, and the comic sequel TRANSFORMERS: Reign of Starscream.
TPB • FC • $29.99 • 324 pages • ISBN 978-1-61377-692-6

• Expected in-store date: 6/5/13
• Now available in paperback!

Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection
Jim Sorenson, Bob Budiansky, Simon Furman, Mike Costa, James Roberts & More (w) • Andrew Wildman, Geoff Senior, Pat Lee, Don Figueroa, EJ Su, Alex Milne, Nick Roche, & More (a) • Alex Milne (c)
It's a celebration 30 years in the making! Relive the landmark comics that helped define the legacy of TRANSFORMERS and read along with the creators that made these great comics as Jim Sorenson provides insight from a range of writers and artists that breathed life into the denizens of CYBERTRON. From Marvel to Dreamwave to IDW and other iterations in-between, this book is a must have for TF collectors!
HC • FC • $49.99 • 320 pages • 7" x 11" • ISBN 978-1-61377-662-9

• Expected in-store date: 6/19/13
• Celebrating 30 Years of TRANSFORMERS comics!

Amazon have posted a new book listing called Transformers: 30th Anniversary Collection [Hardcover] which is due out on the 25th June 2013 priced at $32.99.

The description of the book, which is from IDW Publishing and stands at 320 pages, is:
It's a celebration 30 years in the making! Relive the landmark comics that helped define the legacy of Transformers and read along with the creators that made these great comics as Jim Sorenson provides insight from a range of writers and artists that breathed life into the denizens of Cybertron. From Marvel to Dreamwave to IDW and other iterations in-between, this book is a must have for TF collectors!

The author of the book is listed as Chris Mowry who also worked on the Transformers Revenge of the Fallen movie prequals.

The Botcon website has been updated with the first image of Botcon 2013 Machine Wars Skywarp. You can view the image below,

You can compare this updated version to the original figure by checking out our gallery of Machine Wars Skywarp.  On their Twitter page Pete Sinclair tweeted out that this years set will be both a homage and an upgrade for the figures after there were some questions raised regarding the figures

Jim Sorenson has updated his blog with a new entry titled The Ark Addendum - Atlantis, Arise! Part 1.  The entry covers the part one of Atlantis, Arise! an episode from the Generation One series where the Sub-Atlantican race teamed up with the Decepticons.

Jim also comments on some recent work hs is doing for his next book, the 2nd G.I. Joe Field Manual which is out in a few months and available now at Amazon

In an update over on his website Michael Bay has reported that that no comic book adaptation of Transformers 4 will be released as they want to keep the story under wraps.  Michael posted the statement in a update to his post regarding the fake movie script.

"Some Internet sites this morning reported that some document recovery guy has found a legitimate 120 page script of Transformers 4. I can absolutely 100 percent say this is completely false. The only two people in the world that have our unfinished script are Kruger and myself. Also we are only up to page 70 in our T4 script. Maybe this guy has a cartoon or something else – but definitely not our movie!

Bay

P.S. I bet it is something from Hasbro. This time they are not doing a comic book of the movie because we want to keep our story under wraps. It must be their version of a comic themed Transformers story they are creating."

e-Hobby have updated their wbesite with a preview of the comic which will come with their forthcoming Solar Requiem set which is being produced in conjunction with the Transformers Collector's Club.  The set, for those who have forgotten, is the Shattered Glass repaints of Generation One Blaster, Soundwave, Ratbat, Slugfest, Rewind and the new character, Solar. The preview is the cover of the 10-page comic along with a a glimpse of one of the inside pages.  From the preview, which shows a normal characters mixing with the Shattered Glass universe characters it can be deduced that the events of the comic will take place after the events of this years Botcon Comic, Invasion. You can view the preview below.