Skybound is giving Bumblebee, a G.I. Joe veteran and Turok one complete story each, and handing them to creators you would not expect. Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics, with Hasbro and Universal, announced Skybound Visions at New York Comic Con: a new line of standalone limited series built around bold reimaginings of pop culture icons, exploring who those characters are and who they can be.
The pitch is evergreen stories. Each series is written to be a complete jumping-on point for a new reader and still reward the lifelong fan. The line launches in January 2027 with three books, one a month, each printed on deluxe newsprint with variant covers by top talent. The Cover A art carries a $4.99 price.
“Skybound Visions pairs beloved comic book characters with the most interesting comic book creators working today, to present their personal takes on these fan-favorites,” said Sean Mackiewicz, SVP at Skybound. “Visions is all about surprising creators, surprising characters, and surprising storytelling, and we have plenty more in store for 2027 and beyond.”
Transformers: Bumblebee, Lost Planet (January 27)
Written by Tate Brombal (Batgirl, Everything Dead & Dying) with art by Matt Emmons (The Council of Frogs), colors by Giovanna Niro (Absolute Catwoman) and letters by Becca Carey (Radiant Black). It hits comic shops January 27, 2027.
A Decepticon attack leaves Bumblebee stranded on an uncharted planet with no way to call for help. The so-called weakest of all the Autobots has to pull off the biggest mission of his young life, while something under the planet’s surface is already corrupting and changing the life that lives there, and the deadliest Decepticon of all is hunting him.
Brombal’s own comparison: “This is Scavenger’s Reign meets Horizon Zero Dawn vividly illustrated by your new favorite artist (if he isn’t already) Matt Emmons and the inimitable Giovanna Niro.” Emmons says the team built a new Bumblebee design for the book and filled the world “with all sorts of bizarre plants, animals and a few… other beings.”
G.I. Joe: The Island of Dr. Mindbender (February)
Written by Karl Kerschl (Gotham Academy) with art by Doug Mahnke (Batman: The Man Who Laughs), inks by Jaime Mendoza (Superman), colors by David Baron (JLA) and letters by Tom Napolitano (Kaya). It lands one new comic book day after Bumblebee, the first week of February 2027.
The last team of Joes sent to the Island of Dr. Mindbender never came back. Flint returns to active duty to lead a fresh batch of recruits to the compound of a mad scientist who has gotten madder every year, and whose creations have gotten more monstrous. He wants to rescue his old friends and get home to his family.
Kerschl calls it “a nightmare-fueled version of everything that I love about G.I. Joe: it’s a freight train of 80’s-inspired action and horror.” Mahnke is blunter: “This is definitely not your father’s G.I. Joe story, and it’s entirely awesome.”
Turok: Son of Stone (March 10)
Turok is the first Gold Key character in the line. Written by Stephen Graham Jones (The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, Earthdivers) with art by Leandro Fernández (The Old Guard), colors by Lee Loughridge (G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero) and letters by Tom Napolitano (Kaya). It hits comic shops March 10, 2027.
Turok wanted his dig in New Mexico to make his name. Then the ground gave way and he fell through history into a valley that should not exist, where the Ice Age sits on top of the time of the dinosaurs, and every turn opens onto an era older and hungrier than the last. He has to get back to his son without losing his grip on a reality that keeps shifting under him.
“Don’t we all want to go be in a Turok comic book?” Jones said. “Don’t we all want to see dinosaurs, mammoths, prehistoric birds and snakes and fish? Writing this, it was close as I can get to that.” Fernández says he was hooked from the first script: “A perfect starting point. Let’s enjoy the ride!”
The ashcan comes first
Before any of the three, a Skybound Visions ashcan arrives in comic shops on Wednesday, November 11, with character designs and a look at what to expect from all three series. Preorders for the three #1 issues open soon at local comic shops.
This is the same Skybound that built the Energon Universe, its Transformers and G.I. Joe line that Skybound calls Hasbro’s most successful comic book line ever. Visions is the other door: no shared continuity to catch up on, one creator’s take, one complete story.
Images courtesy of Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics.
Which of the three are you picking up first? Tell me in the comments on the channel.
