Shredhead is getting a toy! And it's not a remold; it's a fully original design, complete with Daniel Warren Johnson art for their mural.

One of Hasbro's rumored issues with IDW was that the comic writers there were thoroughly uninterested in making new toys for any of the brands, while Kirkman and friends have wholly embraced such a challenge.

On a similar note, a new G.I. Joe Classified figure of Duke in his Energon Universe fit has been released with the promise of more EU-inspired Joe figures, such as the Baroness.

According to the Hasbro panel, plans are set for Energon Universe figures through 2028, although many will be exclusive to the Hasbro Pulse website.

OK, with the toy news out of the way (and well, that's what keeps the lights on, something IDW didn't really think about after the fifth time IDW Optimus said power-ups were for dorks), we move on to the comic news.

Yes, Scott Trakker, Matt's son, and T-Bob, his robot buddy will be introduced to M.A.S.K., which Scott looking more like his dad and T-Bob getting an upgraded exo-suit of sorts that will allow him to be slightly more useful. Given how defensive Matt has gotten over the mention of his kid, one wonders how they'll get involved in the antics of M.A.S.K. and V.E.N.O.M.

Meanwhile, over in Void Rivals, more confirmation of the official debut of ROM the Space Knight, as well as a lot of previously unknown characters from other properties including the ill-fated G.I. Joe Star Brigade line (a line that had alien toys, although you'd never know since it was a hard line in the sand for Larry Hama, who still had enough influence to avoid writing about those kinds of things).

The big news for Void Rivals is we're getting a new artist!

Frank Mazzoli is an Italian artist whose portfolio includes titles like the Guns N' Roses graphic novel "Appetite for Destruction" and a lot of covers for companies like Boom! This is arguably his biggest title to date. Here's his Instagram portfolio to get an idea of what to expect:

https://www.instagram.com/frank_mazzoli/

Moving on to G.I. Joe, we finally found out what's going on with that Cobra Valkyrie, and it's a new character who will likely be a new toy:

Seemingly using a variant of Crystal Ball's D.I.R.E. technology, Major Medusa, is well, looks like the Cobra equivalent to Madame Hydra now that the Baroness is with the Joes. She appears in G.I. Joe #25 next month.

Finally, Transformers.

First things first, Jason Howard, whose work has been...contentious, is being fully credited with the redesigned Superion, something that the fandom demanded the second Thundercracker officially defected, and something that will likely be a Hasbro Pulse toy in the next year or so.

Next is Transformers #37, a one off that while Kirkman is writing it, will have a guest artist: Karl Kershel.

Kershl is most famous for doing Superman and Gotham Academy, but actually won an Eisner for his webcomic The Abominable Charles Christopher, about the adventures of the titular Sasquash. (Abominable Snowman, get it?) He's probably not on the book full time but he will be a very interesting contrast to Howard. Whether Howard and Kirkman stay on the book past Issue 37 is another matter.

No Lawrence, that’s not what happened. 😒

The Matrix chose, and if you bothered to be there, instead of causing Matt to experience secondhand embarrassment, you could’ve helped convince Elita that your “whole dang planet” is more valuable than she realizes—

Or, irdfk—

Use taxpayer money to bomb Megatron to a crisp while they fled?

I’m sure the public would support that. 😑

And don’t BS me and say Destro’s got everything lol (he literally mentions “the CIA infiltrating American companies to steal industrial secrets”, which like…you don’t even have to do??? I mean, not that I’m an expert on that crap 😭)

Lockheed Martin? RTX? Northrop Grumman?Boeing?

???

Oh. And Optimus—

Why are you kneeling? Stop that.

(This is especially irksome when people got upset about everyone kneeling before Elita Prime, and whatever your opinions about that are, can we agree that at least that’s more deserved than this?)

*Sigh*

We’re still on the first page. 🫩

No…energon deposits…what.

(You guys. He has to be an unaware dire wrath in disguise at this point. Like I firmly believe that no human being can be this stupid, youse 🥀)

Ya know, Lawrence? Why don’t I introduce you to this magical concept known as ✨ fossil fuels ✨? :D

Amazing stuff to harvest with an energy transfer module (I’m sure Wheeljack has mentioned those right?)—

You’d practically murder for it.

“Or we could use a dam, or power plant again. Sounds a lot more environmentally friendly? Maybe? Not to mention it might save on gas prices”

That too! 😄

“What about the remaining Autobots part?”

Yeah we’re gonna lie. We’re gonna lie big time— 👀💧

“Hey, at least we’re getting Autobot City”

“Frag Tacoma and Seattle tho. Way too West Coast 👋”

“I say let’s wait a little. Let them perfect the reconstruction process with Chicago first”

Sure…

If getting the city destroyed so he can amass lots of Cybertronian tech for means of world domination wasn’t part of his evil plan to begin with!

“Now you’re just getting ridiculous. I hope you know that”

Not so far fetched if he’s a dire wrath after all!

Then start acting like one?????? Brat (Bro)—

No insignia, no stars—

You’re not even buttoned and you have your hands in your pockets, which tells me you still really have no sense of urgency about this—

Wypierdalaj (Gtfo), and send a Nimitz. We’ll even take a Patton. Just no more Dugouts, they’re fall risks.

Yeah, I’m sure I’d love an unprofessional creep pressing down on my shoulder after I’ve spent months in hospital due to a spinal injury, while referring to me and my deceased family by our nicknames (you don’t know us like that), and faking sympathy—just to move on to what you really came here for.

“You’re never giving this man a single break, are you?”

Make me.

“Okay, keep talking smack. You’re gonna be real sorry when he needs to step in to help Shredhead since…Yo?”

Oh. Oh he totally murdered Doc.

“You don’t know that. For all we know he could appear next issue”

Yeah after being beaten the crap out of.

Arkeville. Arch-villain. Like do you…

See, this is how I know he’s Philadelphian besides his bio—he’s functionally illiterate, and I’m being very generous on the “functional” part.

(God, I really should create some heroic Philadelphian OCs to improve the rep)

“Wow, Flagg sure does have a habit of recruiting nefarious people”

It’s almost as if Flagg is super nefarious himself, but God forbid Elita do anything even remotely close to this…

Y’all if Carly doesn't get to have some sort of mental breakdown from this, then I'd really want whatever meds she's on.

Should’ve been Brawl. 😔

“What the hell were the Combaticons doing in town?”

Idk I thought the explosion shown last issue was one of Arkeville’s experiments, so you’re gonna have to tell me. 👀

“Bro if TC’s aft doesn’t show up in the next 5 astrominutes, embarrassment will be the least of his worries!”

Eh, he won’t get in trouble. Nobody does, and while at first that’s narratively refreshing (Beachcomber)…yeah it’s another sign of the lack of page space.

Arcee, Carly…please be allowed to be angry. Let me have my female rage.

“You know what I think your problem is? You’re either giving Flagg too much credit, or no credit at all, so maybe just…reserve a little more judgment?”

He lowkey might be responsible for everything that happens on Earth in this comic, when you think about it, if he’s supposed to be the general in the sense that most people would report to him (unrealistic I know, but still). 😐

But Elita will be everyone’s downfall, got it.

“You also misinterpreted the panel in Issue #30 with her and Carly”

*Gasp* Oh no. If Carly were to continue being blindly vengeful, she might end up as someone like Elita? :0

Sounds cool. Gimme that drama.

“Or she might end up as someone like Starscream”

See—comic deaths are comic deaths—