IDW have posted their solicitations for August 2018. August is set to see two more issues of the Unicron event which will mark the end of the current IDW Transformers universe, together with issue 23 of Optimus Prime and Lost Light, respectively. While Unicron #3 and #4 continue the story of cosmic destruction – with Unicron turning his sights on Earth itself – Optimus Prime #23 sounds like it will be continuing its trend of examining how the characters on the ground respond to the tremendous losses they are enduring. Meanwhile, Lost Light #23 features the beginning of its own end – the final battle begins!
Meanwhile, in a different continuity, Bumblebee takes the spotlight in his own movie prequel – in its third issue – as well as the “Win if You Dare” graphic novel, telling a different all-new Bumblebee centric story.
All this, and an advance solicit for September’s Lost Light volume 3, covering issues 13-18 of James Roberts’ ongoing series.
Check out all of the solicits, together with their excellent cover artwork, attached to this post.
Transformers: Unicron #3 (of 6)—Cover A: Alex Milne
John Barber (w) • Alex Milne (a & c)
Unicron approaches Cybertron, so Windblade enacts a desperate plan—one neither Optimus Prime nor Starscream agree with! Has Windblade outmaneuvered Shockwave’s machinations—or played right into his deadly hand?
FC • 32 pages • $4.99
Transformers: Unicron #3 (of 6)—Cover B: James Raiz
John Barber (w) • Alex Milne (a) • James Raiz (c)
FC • 32 pages • $4.99
Bullet points:
- Variant covers by Nick Roche, and Francesco Francavilla!
Transformers: Unicron #4 (of 6)—Cover A: Alex Milne
John Barber (w) • Alex Milne (a & c)
Unicron sets his sights on Earth… but is anyone left to defend it?
FC • 32 pages • $4.99
Transformers: Unicron #4 (of 6)—Cover B: James Raiz
John Barber (w) • Alex Milne (a) • James Raiz (c)
FC • 32 pages • $4.99
Bullet points:
- The destruction continues! We’re halfway to the end and Unicron is winning. Will Optimus and his allies be able to save anything?!
- Connecting B covers by James Raiz featuring destruction at the hands of Unicron!
- Covers by fan-favorite Transformers artists of the past decade!
- Variant covers by Guido Guidi and Francisco Francavilla!
Optimus Prime #23—Cover A: Kei Zama
John Barber (w) • Priscilla Tramontano (a) • Kei Zama (c)
The battle against Unicron forces Optimus Prime’s colonist soldiers to contend with a brutal reality—they have no homes to return to. But when they make a move against Trypticon, the human-controlled home of the next generation of Cybertronians… can the end be far behind?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Optimus Prime #23—Cover B: Priscilla Tramontano
John Barber (w) • Priscilla Tramontano (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
- Tie-in to the Unicron event!
- Part of the summer of Transformers—all building up to the end of the universe as we know it!
- Variant cover by Kei Zama!
Transformers: Lost Light #23—Cover A: Jack Lawrence
James Roberts (w) • Jack Lawrence (a & c)
The final battle is here! Bots will live, bots will die, and the craziness can only increase! We’re halfway through a finale six years in the making! And if you’ve ever loved a bot, you won’t want to miss this.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Transformers: Lost Light #23—Cover B: Geoff Senior
James Roberts (w) • Jack Lawrence (a) • Geoff Senior (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
- Lost Light’s grand finale kicks into high gear!
- Bringing the story to a close at long last—and everyone’s involved!
- Don’t miss the B cover by beloved Transformers artist Geoff Senior!
- Variant cover by Geoff Senior!
Transformers: Bumblebee—Win If You Dare
James Asmus (w) • Marcelo Ferreira (a) • Nicoletta Baldari (c)
Life can feel rough when you aren’t the fastest, or the bravest, or the tallest Autobot, and Bumblebee’s feeling the pressure. When he’s hurt, Bumblebee takes it upon himself to prove his worth to his fellow Autobots. Things get tense as ‘Bee and his new human companion race into action hunting down dangerous foes and a devastating device. It’s ready, set, go in this new exciting ’80s adventure packed filled with laughs and thrills!
TPB • FC • $9.99 • 72 pages • 6” x 9” • ISBN: 978-1-68405-227-1
Bullet points:
● Advance solicited for September release!
● The first Bumblebee original graphic novel!
● Bumblebee: The Movie premieres in theaters December 21st, 2018.
Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Prequel #3 (of 4)—Cover A: Andrew Griffith
John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a & c)
Energon is Forever. It’s war in the streets of swinging 1960s London, baby—and it’s freaking Bumblebee out! The Decepticon scheme to lure the world’s top espionage organizations into war shifts into high gear—so Bee and his super-spy friends call in some international help!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Prequel #3 (of 4)—Cover B: Fico Ossio
John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a)• Fico Ossio (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
- The prequel to the new Bumblebee film (coming this winter), geared toward a younger audience!
- Sometimes serious, sometimes campy action spy adventure for fans of James Bond or Mission Impossible!
- Black and white variant cover by Andrew Griffith!
Transformers: Lost Light, Vol. 3
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne, Brendan Cahill, Jack Lawrence (a) • Jack Lawrence (c)
Crammed into a dead Decepticon astropod that’s 10 sizes too small, the displaced crew of the Lost Light faces their most serious threat yet: each other. No worries though, Rodimus can save the day! Or maybe they’ll all die… Plus, the Scavengers have never had it so good. The war is a receding memory, their patchy service records have been forgotten, and the five of them can roam the galaxy as they please. All’s well that ends well? Not quite. Collects issues #13–18.
TPB • FC • $19.99 • 144 pages • ISBN: 978-1-68405-331-5
Bullet points:
● Advance solicited for September release!
● Winner of the Comixology Award for Best Ongoing Comic Series of 2017 as well as Best Writer for James Roberts!
Offered Again!
Transformers Lost Light, Vol. 1 • FC • $19.99 • ISBN: 978-1-63140-992-9
Transformers Lost Light, Vol. 2 • FC • $19.99 • ISBN: 978-1-68405-148-9
Starscream Gaga
Hook, Line and Sinker, please!
Sol Fury
That'd also make a neat Prime callback if they were zombielike Terrorcons, including a monstrous Cliffjumper.
Digger
That could provide some trauma for the characters if they have to fight they’re dead friends.
Negativedark
I look at that picture and read the solicits and all I can think is \"They are all gonna die.\"
As for Unicron\'s minions… Doesn\'t have have dead Transformers from worlds he\'s devoured on his surface? I\'m thinking he might animate those.
Digger
I’m fucking pumped!
Nemisispath
The quality of the comics has been declining, so better to end it now than to run it completely into the ground. Hopefully the rebooted comic will be on par with the old one at it\'s peak.
Megastar
Every god has their followers.
Omegashark18
My ideal lineup is The Fallen, Sideways, Thunderwing, and Bludgeon.
Slide’s anger can be so grating. If I were there I would say, “Oh would you just give it a rest already!”
It all started with him, only fitting that it should end with him.
Right, Monstructor’s a bit of a loose end there. Omega Supreme definitely would have to be the one to finish that fight.
Thumbaticon
I'll admit I enjoy Midnight Express and Roulette, but Slide… I'll try to tolerate her presence.
"Has Windblade outmaneuvered Shockwave’s machinations—or played right into his deadly hand?"
At the moment, I don't think any of us can predict what Shockwave's role in all of this is. Even Unicorn #0 didn't mention him. He could be pulling the strings, the wildcard, the herald, the master, maybe all of the above?
All I want is Monstuctor to come out of the cybertronian woods like an angry bear only to get smacked down by a resurrected Omega Supreme. Make it happen Barber.
Chopperface
If I ever made a Transformers series, Unicron’s four heralds would be Sideways, Tarantulas (as a nod to the “Unicron’s spawn” line from BW), The Fallen, and Scourge.
At this stage though, the Heralds would probably be characterized as well as the Children of Thanos. As in, almost not at all, they’re just midbosses.
MrSoundmeister
Well. Out of the four of them, Sideways would be the one that would get SOME sort of characterization. Basically, they be just random obstacles anyways.
Purple Heart
In a six issue series, I wouldn’t expect them to get much characterization. They do have to kill the universe in these issues you know.
MrSoundmeister
I wonder if those minions include Bug Drones, Sideways, Nemesis prime and Decepticharge to name a few?
The Mad Demobot
Wow. And I bet that bee is mirrored too from another pic. Do they even care anymore?
Omegashark18
Really?
Hmm, I wonder who or what they’ll be…
Sockie
Actually, in a Transmissions podcast interview, Milne did confirm that Unicron will have some minions.
GrimLocke
I think it’s possible Shockwave and Bludgeon might be, and so then might Monstructor and Jhiaxus.
But, they probably aren’t, and, instead, they’re just contesting the Heroes’ right to lead the final battle like Bian Zoldark in Super Robot Wars.
MrSoundmeister
In other words… He's HANGRY!!!
Danny-Boy
Unlikely. He's already arrived, and this version of Unicron seems to be more of a classic Elder God who just consumes everything in his path without regard or personal interest in the heroes.
YoungPrime
What are the odds that Unicron has minions or Heralds or something?