Two All-New Transformers Series from IDW

A few days remain in 2011. That's probably bad news for some and good news for others. Transformers fans can all be in agreement that the changing of the calendar year is only good news, what with two all-new series debuting in January from IDW.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye and Transformers: Robots in Disguise won't be winning any awards for original series titles, but they are interrelated series that continue the IDW Chaos event and will spring from Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime (take a guess waht happens there).

“The response to the TRANSFORMERS ongoing series has been phenomenal,” says IDW senior editor John Barber. “This relaunch is a chance to jump onboard for anybody who might have been missing out. We’ve got big stories planned, and there’s never been a better time to read TRANSFORMERS.”

Each title will explore the leadership of Rodimus and Bumblebee and the choices being made on the new world of Cybertron. It's funny when you think about it that all of a sudden Bumblebee is this beast of an Autobot that is second-in-command and is now a leader. It has to be Shia LaBeouf rubbing off on him right?

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye is written by James Roberts and features art by Nick Roche. Rodimus calls on the Autobots to leave Cybertron in search of the Knights of Cybertron. The lost tribe is apparently the guardian of the original Cybertronian culture.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise is written by John Barber and illustrated by Andrew Griffith and follows Bumblebee and the Autobots who remained on Cybertron. There the Autobots are tasked with rebuilding as the Autobots, Decepticons and civilian Transformers all vie for control.

Each series will feature four interconnecting covers for issue #1. Marcele Matere creates the Cybertronian mosaic for Transformers: Robots in Disguise, with Alex Milne bringing the explorers to life for Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye. Both titles hit stores in January.

Full press release after the jump.

TWO ALL-NEW "TRANSFORMERS" SERIES DEBUT IN JANUARY FROM IDW

Launching in January, IDW Publishing is proud to offer TRANSFORMERS and comics fans everywhere two new ongoing TRANSFORMERS comics series-- TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE and TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE. Under license from Hasbro, the two interrelated series are a direct continuation of IDW’s CHAOS event and spring directly out of the special TRANSFORMERS: THE DEATH OF OPTIMUS PRIME issue releasing in comic stores and online on December 21st. Both series will appeal to existing TRANSFORMERS fans and new readers. Featuring two great stories under one TRANSFORMERS comic universe, each series offers never-before-seen action, new threats and new villains that both current readers and those new to the series will enjoy.

“The response to the TRANSFORMERS ongoing series has been phenomenal,” says IDW senior editor John Barber. “This relaunch is a chance to jump onboard for anybody who might have been missing out. We’ve got big stories planned, and there’s never been a better time to read TRANSFORMERS.”

Created as a stepping on point for both fans of super-heroic and science fiction comics, as well as fans of the TRANSFORMERS characters, TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE and TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE each explore the new status quo coming out of IDW’s CHAOS event including BUMBLEBEE’s new leadership position for all TRANSFORMERS. The war between AUTOBOT and DECEPTICON is over, and now the hard part begins. In the new world of CYBERTRON, there are only two choices: stay or go.

Helmed by writer James Roberts with art and covers by Nick Roche, RODIMUS calls on his fellow AUTOBOTS to leave CYBERTRON in search of the KNIGHTS OF CYBERTRON in TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE. This lost tribe of TRANSFORMERS characters is, according to legend, the guardian of the original Cybertronian culture and RODIMUS and his followers begin a quest that will stretch to the farthest reaches of the galaxy to find the KNIGHTS and restore CYBERTRON to its past glory.

TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE, written by John Barber, with art and covers by Andrew Griffith, follows BUMBLEBEE and the AUTOBOTS remaining on CYBERTRON. Without OPTIMUS PRIME, BUMBLEBEE finds himself in command of a world gone mad. TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DIGUISE brings readers through the struggle to rebuild CYBERTRON as the AUTOBOTS, DECEPTICONS and civilian TRANSFORMERS, who don’t distinguish between the other two groups, all vie for control.

Each series will feature four interconnecting covers for issue #1. Marcele Matere creates the Cybertronian mosaic for TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DIGUISE, with Alex Milne bringing the explorers to life for TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE.

These two new, action-packed series are the direct result of IDW’s CHAOS event, culminating in December’s TRANSFORMERS: THE DEATH OF OPTIMUS PRIME and TRANSFORMERS #31.

In addition to the print editions, IDW’S TRANSFORMERS comics are available digitally through Apple’s App Store in the free TRANSFORMERS app, which features every TRANSFORMERS comic in one place. Many TRANSFORMERS comics are available in the Sony Digital Comics store.

TRANSFORMERS #31 ($3.99, 32 pages; full color) will be available in December 2011. Diamond order code OCT11 0323.

TRANSFORMERS: THE DEATH OF OPTIMUS PRIME ($3.99, 32 pages; full color) will be available in December 2011. Diamond order code OCT11 0326.

TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE #1 ($3.99, 32 pages; full color) will be available in January 2012. Diamond order code NOV11 0260.

TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE #1 ($3.99, 32 pages; full color) will be available in January 2012. Diamond order code NOV11 0264.

TRANSFORMERS comics are available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch through the Apple App Store.