Robert Kirkman’s TRANSFOMERS Run Teasing Resurrections, Surprises, and G.I. JOE Crossover

Robert Kirkman has been shaping pop culture for decades with hits like The Walking Dead and Invincible. Now, he’s diving headfirst into Hasbro’s Energon Universe, taking over writing duties on Transformers while continuing to steer Void Rivals.

With a crossover potential between Transformers and G.I. Joe hanging in the air, Kirkman recently opened up about his childhood love of these franchises, the creative process behind the comics, and what fans can expect from his run.

Kirkman explained that his history with these properties runs deep:

“I was born in 1978, and I was six years old when Transformers started in 1984. I saw the Transformers movie in theaters, I claimed I saw G.I. Joe’s movie in theaters, but I don’t think that happened.

“I used to race home every day to watch Transformers and G.I. Joe, I collected both toys. One of the first comics I ever got was a G.I. Joe comic, and the first time I saw Spider-Man’s black costume was thanks to a Transformers comic. I live every iteration of Transformers and G.I. Joe, and I still collect the toys.”

That fandom is what fuels the Energon Universe, but Kirkman revealed the project didn’t come together in a traditional way:

“It’s not like Hasbro came to us or anything, Hasbro was going to other publishers, and publishers were putting presentations together. We were scrambling because we didn’t know it was available.

“We came in at the last minute, put together a presentation, and went all-out. We got lucky enough to secure the rights. I feel like it’s working, and it’s a passion project for all of us. We’re excited to work in this universe. There’s not much business planning with all this; it’s very much creative and fun first.”

Naturally, the big question is whether fans will see the Autobots and Decepticons eventually collide with G.I. Joe and Cobra. Kirkman teased the possibility, but made it clear it won’t be rushed:

“Internally, there is a roadmap of some big confrontation that could eventually happen. It’s not something we’re in a hurry to get to. The ‘event book’ has been kind of abused in this industry and when you have multiple events happening per year, they’re not really events anymore.

“If/when we get to it, it will be very methodically approached and it will be the biggest thing that’s ever happened to the Energon Universe. You will feel the ramifications for years afterwards, so it’s something we’re taking our time building to. I wouldn’t expect it anytime soon.”

When it comes to actually writing the Transformers, Kirkman said one of the most rewarding parts is channeling the iconic voices of the characters:

“Nothing is more fun than trying to channel Peter Cullen when you’re writing Optimus Prime dialogue. I had the pleasure and honor of working with him in Invincible and it’s a real high watermark in my life to have interacted with him, it’s no end of meaningful in trying to uphold Optimus’ character.

“It’s about picturing whether the lines could be spoken by Peter, and the same with Frank Welker (Megatron) and Soundwave as well. Trying to find those voices, I try to feel like these lines could exist in the original cartoon so that’s fun.

“I’m having a lot of fun with the character Bulkhead, he didn’t exist in Generation One and most of our stuff revolves around ‘G1’ so it changes things in an interesting way.”

Kirkman is stepping into the role after Daniel Warren Johnson’s brutal and relentless 24-issue run. He addressed how he’s approaching the title in his own way:

“Daniel’s run was relentless in the best way. Were there any issues where someone didn’t die? I think that I have a reputation for killing characters, and I see comments online about me saying, ‘Oh gosh, the death is going to continue.

“It’s going to get worse now that Robert’s on the book.’ I love playing against type. My first issue, I bring two characters back, and I don’t kill anyone! I may lull readers into a false sense of security for awhile, who knows?”

For Kirkman, death and resurrection are part of what makes Transformers unique:

“Death has been a tradition in Transformers, as set up in the 1986 animated movie, and I also love that there’s a tradition of resurrection. Thanks to the return of Optimus Prime and the fact that these characters are mechanical, in some cases, it’s just a matter of repairing them to bring them back.

“I’m definitely going to be playing with the fact that these are not humanoid, biological entities. There will be things that are different about them, I love the fact that they’re aliens, so I’ll be playing that up. Their lives work differently from ours.”

One of the biggest surprises in the new run is the addition of artist Dan Mora, whose work on Superman, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, and Absolute Power has already made him a superstar in comics. Kirkman couldn’t hide his excitement about working with him:

“He is the most valuable asset at DC Comics, and they want to keep him happy, and he wants to draw some Transformers. He reached out to Ben Abernathy (Executive Editor at Skybound) and has been a huge fan of Transformers forever.

He loves Optimus Prime and has been jonesing to play in the sandbox. We’re really fortunate to have him, and he’s one of the best artists working today. His enthusiasm shows in every panel of every page.

“This is a guy who loves drawing comics, and that’s why he does so much of it. As much as I love Transformers and was dying to write this book, I have so much going on. When I found out Dan Mora was working on it, I had to say yes. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with this guy.”

Fans won’t have to wait long to see Kirkman and Mora’s vision for the Cybertronians. Transformers #25, their first issue, hits shelves October 8, 2025, with the final order cut-off set for September 15.