Grimlock and the Dinobots are finally coming to Skybound’s Energon Universe. At the publisher’s Energon Universe panel at New York Comic Con on Saturday, Skybound revealed that the dinosaur-mode Autobots make their debut in Transformers #42, written by Robert Kirkman and drawn by Dan Mora, with colors by Mike Spicer and letters by Rus Wooton. The same panel showed Megatron’s new form, Megatronus Rex.
The announcement copy for #42, published by Bleeding Cool, leans fully into Grimlock’s voice: “THE DINOBOTS ARE HERE! ME GRIMLOCK MAKE MOST ANTICIPATED ENERGON UNIVERSE DEBUT.” Skybound and Image have not posted an on-sale date for the issue on their own pages yet, so no release date is confirmed for now.
Megatron emerges as Megatronus Rex
Before the Dinobots arrive, the Autobots have a bigger problem. Transformers #38, by Kirkman and artist Jason Howard, was already on the schedule, and its solicit only teased the mystery: “WHO OR WHAT HAS EMERGED FROM MEGATRON’S COCOON? SORRY, AUTOBOTS. YOU’RE NOT GONNA LIKE IT.” The panel answered that question. What comes out of the cocoon is Megatron, transformed into Megatronus Rex, and Skybound showed off the new design on Saturday.
Beachcomber goes looking for help
In between, Howard Porter draws Transformers #40 in January. Bleeding Cool reports that Optimus Prime sends Beachcomber on a mission to scour Earth for Autobot reinforcements. The solicit asks, “WHERE ARE THE AUTOBOTS?” and “DO THEY WANT TO BE FOUND?” Bleeding Cool notes that Beachcomber may end up with an archaeological dig on his hands, which fits the Dinobots’ history in some versions of the franchise as robots who reached Earth in prehistoric times and took dinosaur forms.
Kirkman writes all three issues. Spicer colors and Wooton letters each one, which keeps the series’ look steady as the art rotates from Howard to Porter to Mora.
The Dinobots join a shared universe that launched in 2023 with Transformers and Void Rivals and has since grown to include G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K. Skybound’s other NYCC reveals, including the new Skybound Visions line, are in RCG’s Skybound Visions report, and the line’s sales picture is in our look at the Energon Universe passing 7.6 million copies.
