| "Hasbro Comic Book Universe" | |
|---|---|
 Official teaser for 2016's Revolution . | |
| Publisher | IDW Publishing |
| Publication date | October 2005 –December 2020 |
| Genre | Various |
| Main character(s) | |
The Hasbro Comic Book Universe (HCBU) is an American comic book franchise and shared universe created and published by IDW Publishing, based on various properties of the toy company Hasbro.
Following the bankruptcy of Dreamwave Productions in 2005, IDW picked up the Transformers comic book license and hired veteran writer Simon Furman to craft a rebooted continuity based on the Generation 1 toy line, similar to what Marvel Comics did through Ultimate Marvel. [1]
In May 2008, IDW obtained the G.I. Joe comic book license from Devil's Due Publishing. [2]
Over the years, both comics participated in several crossover events, like Infestation and Infestation 2 .
In 2016, IDW gained the rights of Rom , Micronauts , Action Man and M.A.S.K. from other publishers. That same year, IDW announced the Hasbro Reconstruction campaign, in order to converge those brands in the same continuity, starting with the crossover event Revolution . [3]
In 2017, IDW gained the rights of Visionaries , with most of its characters debuting after the crossover event First Strike .
In April 2018, IDW announced the HCBU would conclude with the limited series Transformers: Unicron in November 2018.
IDW has never established a shared continuity between its own Transformers and G.I. Joe comics, even during the crossover event Infestation , when they both exist in separate universes, with other licensed franchises. While The Transformers has only participated in Infestation, the miniseries The Transformers: Hearts of Steel , also set in its own alternate timeline, has participated in Infestation 2 . On the other side, G.I. Joe participated in both events.
While other brands exist within the HCBU (e.g. Jem and Clue ), they did not appear in Revolution, First Strike or Transformers: Unicron for tonal reasons. IDW's versions of My Little Pony , Dungeons & Dragons , Magic: The Gathering , Stretch Armstrong and Go-Bots exist "outside" of this universe entirely.
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Transformers: Infiltration | 0–6 | October 19, 2005 | July 12, 2006 |
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Transformers: Evolutions — Hearts of Steel | 1–4 | July 5, 2006 | September 27, 2006 | ||
| The Transformers: Stormbringer | July 19, 2006 | October 18, 2006 | |||
| The Transformers: Spotlight | 31 (unnumbered) | September 13, 2006 | May 1, 2013 | ||
| The Transformers: Escalation | 1–6 | November 29, 2006 | May 2, 2007 | Sequel to The Transformers: Infiltration. |
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Transformers: Megatron Origin | 1–4 | June 20, 2007 | October 24, 2007 | ||
| The New Avengers/The Transformers | July 5, 2007 | October 10, 2007 | Crossover with the New Avengers (Marvel Comics). | ||
| The Transformers: Devastation | 1–6 | October 3, 2007 | February 27, 2008 | Sequel to The Transformers: Escalation. |
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Transformers: All Hail Megatron | 1–16 | July 10, 2008 | October 14, 2009 | ||
| G.I. Joe (vol. 1) | 0–27 (plus 1 special) | October 22, 2008 | February 23, 2011 | ||
| The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots | 1–5 | December 10, 2008 | April 15, 2009 |
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G.I. Joe: Origins | 1–23 | February 2009 | January 2011 | ||
| G.I. Joe: Cobra (vol. 1) | 1–21 | March 2009 | June 2009 | ||
| G.I. Joe: Cobra Special | 1–2 | September 2009 | September 2010 | Tie-in to G.I. Joe: Cobra (vol. 1). | |
| The Transformers | 1–31 | November 18, 2009 | December 7, 2011 | Sequel to The Transformers: All Hail Megatron. | |
| The Transformers: Bumblebee | 1–4 | December 16, 2009 | March 10, 2010 |
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G.I. Joe: Cobra II | 1–13 | January 2010 | February 2011 | ||
| The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers | 1–5 | January 27, 2010 | May 19, 2010 | ||
| G.I. Joe: Hearts & Minds | May 2010 | September 2010 | |||
| The Transformers: Ironhide | 1–4 | May 12, 2010 | August 4, 2010 | ||
| The Transformers: Drift | September 2010 | October 20, 2010 |
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Transformers: Infestation | 1–2 | February 2, 2011 | February 16, 2011 | Part of the crossover event Infestation. | |
| G.I. Joe: Infestation | March 2, 2011 | March 16, 2011 | Part of the crossover event Infestation. | ||
| The Transformers: Heart of Darkness | 1–4 | March 23, 2011 | June 29, 2011 | ||
| G.I. Joe: Cobra Civil War | One-shot | April 1, 2011 | Prelude to Cobra Civil War. | ||
| G.I. Joe (vol. 2) | 1–21 | May 2011 | January 2013 | ||
| G.I. Joe: Cobra (vol. 3) | December 2012 | ||||
| G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes | May 18, 2011 | February 6, 2013 | Separated inside three storylines. | ||
| The Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime | One-shot | December 21, 2011 | |||
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye | 1–57 (plus 1 annual) | January 11, 2012 | September 28, 2016 | Issues #23-27 tied to Dark Cybertron; issues #56-57 tied to Titans Return. | |
| The Transformers: Autocracy | 1–12 | January 18, 2012 | June 20, 2012 | ||
| The Transformers: Robots in Disguise | 1–57 (plus 1 annual) | January 25, 2012 | September 28, 2016 | Issues #23-27 tied to Dark Cybertron; retitled as The Transformers (vol. 2) in issue #35; retitled as Transformers in issue #39; issues #56-57 tied to Titans Return. | |
| The Transformers: Infestation 2 | 1–2 | February 1, 2012 | February 15, 2012 | Part of the crossover event Infestation 2; related to The Transformers: Hearts of Steel. | |
| G.I. Joe: Infestation 2 | March 14, 2012 | March 28, 2012 | Part of the crossover event Infestation 2. |
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G.I. Joe (vol. 3) | 1–15 | February 2013 | April 2014 | ||
| G.I. Joe: Special Missions | 1–13 | March 2013 | April 2014 | ||
| The Transformers: Monstrosity | 1–12 | March 1, 2013 | July 31, 2013 | Sequel to The Transformers: Autocracy. | |
| G.I. Joe: The Cobra Files | 1–9 | April 2013 | December 2013 | ||
| The Transformers: Dark Cybertron | One-shot | November 6, 2013 | Tied to Dark Cybertron. | ||
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Finale | One-shot | March 26, 2014 | Tied to Dark Cybertron. | ||
| The Transformers: Windblade (vol. 1) | 1–4 | April 16, 2014 | July 23, 2014 | ||
| The Transformers: Punishment | 1–5 | June 2014 (printed on January 21, 2015) | Digital comic. | ||
| The Transformers: Primacy | 1–4 | August 13, 2014 | November 19, 2014 | Sequel to The Transformers: Monstrocity. | |
| G.I. Joe (vol. 4) | 1–8 | September 2014 | April 2015 | Retitled as The Fall of G.I. Joe. | |
| The Transformers: Drift — Empire of Stone | 1–4 | November 26, 2014 | February 25, 2015 | Sequel to The Transformers: Drift. | |
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes — Agent of Cobra | 1–5 | January 2015 | May 2015 | ||
| The Transformers: Windblade (vol. 2) | 1–7 | March 25, 2015 | September 23, 2015 | Sequel to The Transformers: Windblade (vol. 1); issues #1-5 tied to Combiner Wars. | |
| Transformers: Combiner Hunters | One-shot | July 29, 2015 | Tied to Combiner Wars. | ||
| Transformers: Redemption | October 28, 2015 | Sequel to The Transformers: Punishment. | |||
| Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers | 1–5 | October 2015 | June 2016 | Sequel to The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers. | |
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jem and the Holograms | 1–26 (plus 1 annual and 2 specials) | March 25, 2016 | June 14, 2017 | ||
| Micronauts | 1–11 (plus 1 annual) | April 27, 2016 | April 12, 2017 | ||
| Transformers: Till All are One | 1–12 (plus 1 annual) | June 15, 2016 | December 13, 2017 | Sequel to The Transformers: Windblade; issues #5-8 tied to Titans Return. | |
| Revolution | 0–5 | June 21, 2016 | November 30, 2016 | [3] | |
| Action Man | 1–4 | June 22, 2016 | September 21, 2016 | ||
| Rom | 0–14 (plus 1 annual) | July 27, 2016 | November 1, 2017 | ||
| Transformers: Titans Return | One-shot | July 27, 2016 | Tied to Titans Return. | ||
| Transformers: Revolution | October 26, 2016 | Part of the crossover event Revolution. | [3] | ||
| Transformers: Till All are One: Revolution | November 2, 2016 | ||||
| G.I. Joe: Revolution | November 16, 2016 | ||||
| Rom: Revolution | September 21, 2016 | ||||
| Micronauts: Revolution | September 28, 2016 | ||||
| M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand: Revolution | September 29, 2016 | ||||
| Action Man: Revolution | October 26, 2016 | ||||
| M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand | 1–10 (plus 1 annual) | November 30, 2016 | October 11, 2017 | ||
| Transformers: More than Meets the Eye: Revolution | One-shot | December 7, 2016 | Part of the crossover event Revolution. | [3] | |
| Optimus Prime | 1–25 (plus 1 annual) | December 14, 2016 | November 21, 2018 | Sequel to The Transformers: Robots in Disguise. | |
| Transformers: Lost Light | 1–25 | November 7, 2018 | Sequel to The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye. | ||
| Jem: The Misfits | 1–5 | December 21, 2016 | July 6, 2017 | Spin-off of Jem and the Holograms. | |
| G.I. Joe (vol. 5) | 1–9 | December 28, 2016 | October 11, 2017 | ||
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revolutionaries | 1–8 | January 18, 2017 | September 27, 2017 | Team-up between various Hasbro characters. | |
| Transformers Annual 2017 | One-shot | March 9, 2017 | |||
| Micronauts: Wrath of Karza | 1–5 | April 26, 2017 | September 20, 2017 | Sequel to Micronauts. | |
| Transformers: Salvation | One-shot | June 14, 2017 | Sequel to Transformers: Redemption. | ||
| Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook | 1–3 | July 14, 2017 | October 25, 2017 | Featuring various background stories. | |
| First Strike | 0–6 | Sequel to Revolution. | |||
| Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor | 1–5 | July 19, 2017 | November 27, 2017 | ||
| Jem: Infinite | 1–6 | June 29, 2017 | October 19, 2017 | Crossover event between Jem and the Holograms and Jem: The Misfits. | |
| Clue | November 23, 2017 | ||||
| G.I Joe: First Strike | One-shot | September 20, 2017 | Part of the crossover event First Strike. | ||
| Micronauts: First Strike | September 27, 2017 | ||||
| Optimus Prime: First Strike | October 18, 2017 | ||||
| Rom: First Strike | |||||
| M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand: First Strike | November 1, 2017 | ||||
| Transformers: First Strike | November 8, 2017 | ||||
| Jem: Dimensions | 1–4 | December 6, 2017 | March 7, 2018 | ||
| Rom & the Micronauts | 1–5 | December 20, 2017 | May 9, 2018 | ||
| Scarlett's Strike Force | 1–3 | December 27, 2017 | February 28, 2018 | ||
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transformers vs. Visionaries | 1–5 | January 3, 2018 | May 2, 2018 | ||
| Rom: Tales of the Solstar Order | One-shot | April 4, 2018 | Back-up strips published in Rom #11–14. | ||
| Transformers: Unicron | 0–6 | May 5, 2018 | November 14, 2018 | ||
| Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers | One-shot | May 30, 2018 | Sequel to Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers. | ||
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synergy: A Hasbro Creators Showcase | One-shot | March 27, 2019 | Contains stories for G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Jem and the Holograms. | ||
| Title | Issue(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rom: Dire Wraiths | 1–3 | January 15, 2020 | December 30, 2020 | Prequel and spin-off to Rom, uses characters from Inhumanoids . |
Transformers is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, such as vehicles and animals. The franchise encompasses toys, animation, comic books, video games and films. As of 2011, it generated more than ¥2 trillion in revenue, making it one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
There have been four main publishers of the comic book series bearing the name Transformers based on the toy lines of the same name. The first series was produced by Marvel Comics from 1984 to 1991, which ran for 80 issues and produced four spin-off miniseries. This was followed by a second volume titled Transformers: Generation 2, which ran for 12 issues starting in 1993. The second major series was produced by Dreamwave Productions from 2002 to 2004 with multiple limited series as well, and within multiple story continuities, until the company became bankrupt in 2005. The third and fourth series have been published by IDW Publishing with the third series starting with an issue #0 in October 2005 and a regular series starting in January 2006 to November 2018. The fourth series started in March 2019 with issue #1 and concluded in June 2022. There are also several limited series being produced by IDW as well. Skybound Entertainment began publishing Transformers comics starting in June 2023, kicking off the Energon Universe. In addition to these four main publishers, there have also been several other smaller publishers with varying degrees of success.
G.I. Joe has been the title of comic strips and comic books in every decade since 1942. As a licensed property by Hasbro, G.I. Joe comics have been released from 1967 to present, with only two interruptions longer than a year. As a team fighting Cobra since 1982, the comic book history of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero has been covered by three separate publishers and four main-title series, all of which have been based on the Hasbro toy line of the same name.
The Transformers: Hearts of Steel is a comic book miniseries published by IDW Publishing. It was intended to be part of a comic book line titled The Transformers: Evolutions, following the same idea of DC Comics' Elseworlds series. Each series was to create an alternative reality: a continuity in a different time era during which the Transformers would exist. In other words, the Transformers can exist at places and at points in time that would not be possible in the current 'IDW-verse'. As of 2007, only the Hearts of Steel series was produced, which is set in the United States during the Industrial Revolution. The rest of the series was cancelled, likely due to poor sales and IDW had announced that there would be no more Evolutions series until after the 2007 movie, as Hasbro did not want to make things confusing with more alternate universe tales.
The Transformers is a comic book line by IDW Publishing based upon Hasbro's Transformers characters and toy line, featuring many writers and artists across multiple series. It is notable for being the longest continuously running Transformers continuity to date, beginning in October 2005 with The Transformers: Infiltration and ending in November 2018, after the six-issue Unicron event comic. The following year, it would be rebooted and succeeded by a new comic book series on 2019.
Jinx is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. She debuted in 1987 as the G.I. Joe Team's female ninja, and since then her code name has been the identity of several other incarnations of the same character, including one of Snake Eyes' apprentices in G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, Chuckles' undercover contact in G.I. Joe: Cobra, and Storm Shadow's cousin in G.I. Joe: Renegades. She is portrayed by Élodie Yung in the 2013 film G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
Joseph Colton, the original G.I. Joe, is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys created by Hasbro. He also appeared as a character later in the comic book series, but did not appear in any of the animated series. He is portrayed by Bruce Willis in the film G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
G.I. Joe is a comic book series by IDW Publishing, based upon Hasbro's G.I. Joe characters and toy line.
The Hasbro Universe refers to several shared fictional universes featuring characters from several franchises owned by toy and entertainment company Hasbro.
Hasbro Reconstruction was a 2016 comic book launch by IDW Publishing about its line of comic books based on properties of the toy company Hasbro. Since June 2016, this branding converged most of IDW's Hasbro comics into the Hasbro Comic Book Universe, using the end of Revolution as its launching pod, which then continued with First Strike. For November 2018, IDW concluded the branding.
First Strike is a 2017 comic book storyline published by IDW Publishing, running from August 9 to October 25, 2017. It is the sequel to 2016's Revolution in the Hasbro Comic Book Universe. The story is written by Mairghread Scott and David Rodriguez, featuring art by Max Dunbar and Freddie E. Williams II, and colors by Ander Zarate. A few back-up strips were written by John Barber, with art by Netho Diaz and Walden Wong, and colors by David Garcia Cruz.
Transformers: Unicron is a science fiction comic book limited series presented by IDW Publishing, in collaboration with Hasbro. The series is being written by John Barber, with art from penciller Alex Milne and colorist Sebastian Cheng. Issue #0 was published during Free Comic Book Day before running from July to October 2018, featuring references in Optimus Prime and Transformers: Lost Light.
Transformers is an American comic book series that is mostly written by Brian Ruckley and was initially published twice-monthly by IDW Publishing. Based upon the Transformers franchise by Hasbro and Takara-Tomy, this series is a reboot of the previous comic book series that started with The Transformers: Infiltration in 2005 and concluded with Transformers: Unicron in 2018, taking place in a new continuity that is separate from the Hasbro Comic Book Universe.
G.I. Joe is an American comic book series published by IDW Publishing, written by Paul Allor and drawn by pencillers Chris Evenhuis, Niko Walter, Ryan Kelly and Emma Vieceli, alongside colorist Brittany Peer. Based upon the G.I. Joe franchise by Donald Levine and Hasbro, this series is a reboot of the previous comic book series that used to take place in the Hasbro Comic Book Universe.
Rom: Dire Wraiths is a limited comic book series by Chris Ryall, Luca Pizzari, Guy Dorian Sr and Sal Buscema. It is based on the toy of the same name by Hasbro, and is published by IDW Publishing.
Snake Eyes: Deadgame is an American comic book limited series by Rob Liefeld and Chad Bowers, and debuted on July 15, 2020, by IDW Publishing. The series features several characters from the G.I. Joe franchise by Donald Levine and Hasbro, but focuses on Snake Eyes as the main character.
The Energon Universe (EU) is an ongoing American comic book franchise and shared fictional universe created and published by Skybound Entertainment, an imprint of Image Comics, in collaboration with Hasbro.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is an ongoing American comic book series published by Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment based on the G.I. Joe toy line by Donald Levine and Hasbro. The series is being written by Larry Hama and continues the run left from the previous series by Marvel Comics and IDW Publishing, starting with issue #301. The series debuted on November 15, 2023.
G.I. Joe is an ongoing line of American comic books published by Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment based on the toy line of the same name by Donald Levine and Hasbro.
