Alternate Transformers realities are the focus of two new IDW series

(Image credit: IDW Publishing)

The Transformers will explore the genre fiction staple of alternate realities when IDW Publishing debuts two new titles in August - Transformers: King Grimlock and Transformers: Shattered Glass.

Transformers: King Grimlock #1 — (Image credit: IDW Publishing)

King Grimlock is a five-issue limited series written by Steve Orlando, with art by Agustin Padilla and colors by Jeremy Colwell, that casts the iconic Dinobot into a world of "fantastical beasts and magical powers!"

"In a savage world where the strong rule with sword and iron, the Dinobot Grimlock finds a new opportunity to prove he's the strongest there is..." reads IDW's description (which is more fun read in Don LaFontaine's movie trailer voice in your head).

"But as Grimlock and the human barbarian Arko will learn, sometimes brute strength isn't enough."

Orlando says King Grimlock "is a sky-high dream come to life," and so big he wasn't sure if the Transformers universe could contain it.

"This is a first-of-its-kind, science/fantasy epic for fans new and old, whether you follow the animation of the '80s, the modern shows of the '00s, the big-screen blockbusters, the decades of incredible comics, or if you've been intrigued by Grimlock action figures on the shelf. Everyone's welcome!" says Orlando.

Covers will be by Cary Nord, Padilla, and Mateus Santolouco.

"By spotlighting a beloved character like Grimlock in an epic barbarian fantasy, Steve, Agustin, and Jeremy are crafting an iconic story that expands the understanding of who Grimlock is and what a Transformers story can be," says editor David Mariotte. "Plus, a two-story tall robotic T-rex battles dragons, magicians, and monsters, which is awesome."

Transformers: Shattered Glass is also a five-issue limited series based on a previously-announced Hasbro toyline. Written by Danny Lore with art by Guido Guidi (issues #1, 3, and 5) and Dan Khanna (issues #2 and 4), and colors by John-Paul Bove, this one promises to take everything fans know about "Cybertronian lore" and turn it inside out.

In other words, it's kind of like a Mirror Universe/Elseworlds story.

"In a parallel universe, a war raged across the cosmos from Cybertron to Earth… a war between Decepticon laborers-turned-freedom fighters and the power-hungry Autobot autocrats," reads the description. "Many kilocycles after the blue planet was devastated and the Decepticons were brought to heel, the evil Autobot bodyscrapper named Blurr hunts a new bounty... one who holds a piece of information that could reignite the war!"

Lore self-describes as a nerd "whose heart swells when they hear Optimus Prime and Starscream's voices."

"As a writer, I love exploring characterization, what the core elements are that make someone who and what they are," Lore says. "Creating these Shattered Glass versions of childhood favorites is like building the perfect Combiner for me: what are the nuts and bolts that we can swap out while still making them recognizable?"

Cover artists for Transformers: Shattered Glass #1 are Alex Milne, Khanna, and Sara Pitre-Durocher.

"Our wonderful partners at Hasbro made a huge splash with their recent announcement of new Megatron and Blurr action figures packaged with our Shattered Glass comics, and we’re proud to bring that story content -- and specifically three cover variants exclusively available to the comics retail channels -- to the wide audience of monthly comics readers," says assistant editor Riley Farmer.

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I'm not just the Newsarama founder and editor-in-chief, I'm also a reader. And that reference is just a little bit older than the beginning of my Newsarama journey. I founded what would become the comic book news site in 1996, and except for a brief sojourn at Marvel Comics as its marketing and communications manager in 2003, I've been writing about new comic book titles, creative changes, and occasionally offering my perspective on important industry events and developments for the 25 years since. Despite many changes to Newsarama, my passion for the medium of comic books and the characters makes the last quarter-century (it's crazy to see that in writing) time spent doing what I love most.