IDW reboots BEAST WARS so ’90s kids can have their Transformers, too

While the kids of the ’80s had Transformers, ’90s kids had the reinvention of the Transformers franchise, Beast Wars. In place of the Transformers rival factions the Autobots and the Decepticons are their respective descendants the Maximals who changed into mammals, birds or fish and the Predacons who are based on reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates. Give the creators some credit that at least it’s easier to deceive people with the name Predacons as opposed to Decepticons.

It may have been an initial shock to the system for hardened Transformers fans, but they eventually warmed up to them and eventually Beast Wars became a beloved staple of the Transformers franchise.

In addition to the toys, there was also the acclaimed CGI-animated series. Perhaps the quality of the CGI animation may not hold up, but there’s no denying the sophisticated serialized storytelling.

Today IDW announced that it will be releasing a new Transformers: Beast Wars comic written by Erik Burnham and drawn by Josh Burcham this February in conjunction with the 25th Anniversary of Beast Wars.

Let’s see how many times Megatron says “Yes” throughout the comic series.

“Beast Wars is a beloved part of the Transformers legacy,” editor David Mariotte said in a statement. “That’s why we couldn’t pass up launching a new series in tandem with the 25th anniversary! Erik and Josh are going to take everything that’s beloved about Beast Wars — the characterization, the drama, the jokes — and start fresh with a series that will feel at home for fans of 25 years and first-timers alike.”

The series will launch in February, with a first issue featuring covers by Burcham, Pico Ossio, Dan Schoening, and Nick Brokenshire. Below, Burcham and Brokenshire’s covers for that issue, as well as Winston Chan’s cover for the second issue.