Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Starsaberdub
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Expectations on new Transformers comic.

Post by Starsaberdub »

What do you think we can likely expect from the new Transformers run and what kind of series of the Transformers lore will likely be published?
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

Post by Denyer »

Well, Hasbro have said they want an Earthspark series.

Beyond that, most conventional takes on TFs have already been done by Dreamwave or IDW. It's not much of a money-spinner for comics companies any more, so the likely reason for acquiring the licence is that a publisher either a) already has a mind to do something as different as they can imagine to what's gone before, or b) has an eye on the forty-something audience that collects MP figures and wants another G1 cartoon derivative.
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Denyer wrote: Thu Jan 05, 2023 9:24 pm Well, Hasbro have said they want an Earthspark series.

Beyond that, most conventional takes on TFs have already been done by Dreamwave or IDW. It's not much of a money-spinner for comics companies any more, so the likely reason for acquiring the licence is that a publisher either a) already has a mind to do something as different as they can imagine to what's gone before, or b) has an eye on the forty-something audience that collects MP figures and wants another G1 cartoon derivative.
What are the odds of the new publisher continuing the Beast wars run and the Shattered Glass run from IDW as well as do a Earthspark series and a new G1 series, Denyer?
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Depends entirely on sales and whether anyone at the new company cares about those story-lines, plus whether Hasbro has any designs on making it part of the contract.

On the Hasbro side we know they'd like an Earthspark series. We know that there's a BW related movie due to be released. And we know that Hasbro has Shattered Glass repaints amongst its product releases.

There's no particular reason that future BW comics will have anything to do with the IDW or BW ones.
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Denyer wrote: Sun Jan 08, 2023 1:40 pm Depends entirely on sales and whether anyone at the new company cares about those story-lines, plus whether Hasbro has any designs on making it part of the contract.

On the Hasbro side we know they'd like an Earthspark series. We know that there's a BW related movie due to be released. And we know that Hasbro has Shattered Glass repaints amongst its product releases.

There's no particular reason that future BW comics will have anything to do with the IDW or BW ones.
Maybe because they were started not too long ago and could still continue them as well as maybe being easier than coming up with new ones ?
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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If you've just acquired a comics licence, it's likely to be because of an interest in telling your own stories rather than someone else's.
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Denyer wrote: Mon Jan 09, 2023 8:00 pm If you've just acquired a comics licence, it's likely to be because of an interest in telling your own stories rather than someone else's.
How well did the IDW Beast wars do and the IDW Shattered Glass?
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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The original BW: The Gathering sold in a similar ballpark to IDW's main "G1" title in 2006 (maybe 75% as well, I haven't done the exact maths and that ignores the cheap #0 issue). Sales across all books tailed off from there -- halving for The Ascending in 2008 and half that again for the more expensive sourcebooks. By the time we get to Shattered Glass years later TF titles are much less commercially viable.

It doesn't help that IDW BW wasn't particularly inspiring, particularly in retrospect.
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Denyer wrote: Mon Feb 06, 2023 12:59 pm The original BW: The Gathering sold in a similar ballpark to IDW's main "G1" title in 2006 (maybe 75% as well, I haven't done the exact maths and that ignores the cheap #0 issue). Sales across all books tailed off from there -- halving for The Ascending in 2008 and half that again for the more expensive sourcebooks. By the time we get to Shattered Glass years later TF titles are much less commercially viable.

It doesn't help that IDW BW wasn't particularly inspiring, particularly in retrospect.
Do you mean the IDW Beast wars 2021 series and could IDW no longer pay for Transformers?
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Nope, IDW first did BW stuff in 2006-2008. It was fairly unremarkable but there was goodwill sloshing around about giving page space to secondary and tertiary characters.

With the disintegration of the direct market hastened by global pandemic there's not much hard data on recent comic sales. But the last Diamond sales figures showed sales down to single digit thousands IIRC, and not particularly high in that bracket. Ending their first TF continuity cost a fair chunk of the remaining readers.

Hasbro themselves don't seem to be terribly bothered by sales, it's more of a vanity licence by this point to keep the TF brand in circulation in another market. But a publishing company still has to pay creators, taxes, in-house staff, and physical production costs for hard copy singles plus the inevitable collection editions. And cuts to resellers for the digital copies.
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Denyer wrote: Mon Feb 06, 2023 6:12 pm Nope, IDW first did BW stuff in 2006-2008. It was fairly unremarkable but there was goodwill sloshing around about giving page space to secondary and tertiary characters.

With the disintegration of the direct market hastened by global pandemic there's not much hard data on recent comic sales. But the last Diamond sales figures showed sales down to single digit thousands IIRC, and not particularly high in that bracket. Ending their first TF continuity cost a fair chunk of the remaining readers.

Hasbro themselves don't seem to be terribly bothered by sales, it's more of a vanity licence by this point to keep the TF brand in circulation in another market. But a publishing company still has to pay creators, taxes, in-house staff, and physical production costs for hard copy singles plus the inevitable collection editions. And cuts to resellers for the digital copies.
On Twitter the Beast wars writer Erik Burnham said that Hasbro got a better offer, any idea on what that could be?
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Got a link?
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Denyer wrote: Tue Feb 07, 2023 1:54 amGot a link?
I Don't know how to make a link or put one on so do you have any idea about what the better offer means?
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitt ... moment-url

Without context (time/date, rest of conversation, etc) it's more about guessing.
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Denyer wrote: Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:06 pm https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitt ... moment-url

Without context (time/date, rest of conversation, etc) it's more about guessing.
Erik Burnham posted this this on feb 18 2022, "Another publisher pitched a take Hasbro liked. This is normal business with licensed IP... & publishers can regain licenses as often as not. Who knows what future holds? Maybe IDW will get TF/Joe again. Maybe Marvel will. heck, maybe someone else will."



So what do you think "Another publisher pitched a take Hasbto liked" could mean?
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

Post by Denyer »

From an outside perspective, it's as likely to be what a creator has been told or inferred as it is hard evidence of anything.

IDW haven't been without problems or covered themselves in glory in recent years.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/report- ... ud-meyers/
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by- ... shing.html

https://boundingintocomics.com/2023/01/ ... or-losses/

And they held TFs for a long time. I'd say part of it is Hasbro being ready for a change.
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Denyer wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 11:11 pm From an outside perspective, it's as likely to be what a creator has been told or inferred as it is hard evidence of anything.

IDW haven't been without problems or covered themselves in glory in recent years.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/report- ... ud-meyers/
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by- ... shing.html

https://boundingintocomics.com/2023/01/ ... or-losses/

And they held TFs for a long time. I'd say part of it is Hasbro being ready for a change.
Any idea on any other reasons at all?
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Denyer wrote: Thu Jan 05, 2023 9:24 pm Well, Hasbro have said they want an Earthspark series.

Beyond that, most conventional takes on TFs have already been done by Dreamwave or IDW. It's not much of a money-spinner for comics companies any more, so the likely reason for acquiring the licence is that a publisher either a) already has a mind to do something as different as they can imagine to what's gone before, or b) has an eye on the forty-something audience that collects MP figures and wants another G1 cartoon derivative.
What about a series taking place in the Transformers cartoon after Rebirth ?
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Possibly before his semi-departure Ryall misplaced Chris Cocks' cocaine spoon. Any speculation is just that, speculation, and there are unlikely to be reveals about the situation for business reasons.

A post-Rebirth story line probably has some mileage, particularly if it resurfaced popular high-recognition characters like Prime and Bumblebee. The movie cast don't have quite the same draw, but very few were confirmed killed.
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Re: Expectations on new Transformers comic.

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Denyer wrote: Sat Feb 11, 2023 7:51 pm Possibly before his semi-departure Ryall misplaced Chris Cocks' cocaine spoon. Any speculation is just that, speculation, and there are unlikely to be reveals about the situation for business reasons.

A post-Rebirth story line probably has some mileage, particularly if it resurfaced popular high-recognition characters like Prime and Bumblebee. The movie cast don't have quite the same draw, but very few were confirmed killed.
With the Kingdom series with Beast Wars characters and Autobots against Galvatron as well as Unicron in it and a movie coming up with Beast Wars characters and Autobots against Scourge with Unicron in it could there be a comic with them against Cyclouns and Unicronn involved?
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