Beast Wars (IDW Publishing)

Infobox comic book title
title = Beast Wars


caption = The Gathering: Issue #1 cover by Don Figueroa
schedule = monthly
format =
limited=y
publisher = IDW Publishing
date = February 2006 onwards
issues = 4 per miniseries
main_char_team = Maximals, Predacons
writers = Simon Furman
Ben Yee ("Sourcebook")
artists = Don Figueroa
pencillers =
inkers =
colorists =
creative_team_month =
creative_team_year =
creators =
subcat=IDW Publishing
sort=PAGENAME

"Beast Wars" is a comic book series by IDW Publishing, based upon Hasbro's toy line and the original television series. The series is set in-continuity with the television show, but also uses characters that were made into toys but not featured in the series.

The first mini-series, ', was released between February and May 2006. The second mini-series, ', was a direct sequel and debuted in October 2007.

Background

After "Beast Machines" finished airing in 2000, there was no official revisiting of the Transformers continuity established by the "Beast Wars" animated series until after publisher Dreamwave Productions acquired the rights to the "Transformers" comic franchise from Hasbro. Although the Transformers convention Botcon created several storylines external to the "Beast Wars" continuity (such as "The Wreckers" and a continuation of "Beast Machines" entitled ') as various comic book miniseries, the canonicity of such stories is disputable. Dreamwave first touched on the "Beast Wars" series with a prequel in 2003's '. In 2004, the publisher's "Transformers Summer Special" featured "Ain't No Rat", which was the first officially approved comic story to carry on directly from the events seen in the final "Beast Wars" cartoon. Dreamwave held a contest to select which "Transformers" continuity ("Beast Wars" or "") would be the next to get its own book, and "Beast Wars" was the victor, with writers James McDonough and Adam Patyk and artist Don Figueroa as the initially planned creative team for the new series. [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/news/109830672541024.htm "Prepare for Beast Wars!" - Press release announcing Dreamwave's Beast Wars series and its creative team.] However, despite several pieces of artwork being released (and according to those involved with the project some impressive pieces remaining unreleased), Dreamwave's bankruptcy caused the end of the series before it began.

The story Dreamwave tried to produce will most likely remain lost, and it wasn't until 2006, when IDW began publishing "Beast Wars: The Gathering", that the "Beast Wars" continuity was again officially revisited.

Publications

Issues

, written by Simon Furman, art by Don Figueroa, Feb 2006
, written by Simon Furman, art by Don Figueroa, Mar 2006
, written by Simon Furman, art by Don Figueroa, Apr 2006
, written by Simon Furman, art by Don Figueroa, May 2006
"The Ascending, Part 1", written by Simon Furman, art by Don Figueroa, Oct 2007
"The Ascending, Part 2", written by Simon Furman, art by Don Figueroa, Oct 2007
"The Ascending, Part 3", written by Simon Furman, art by Don Figueroa, Dec 2007
"The Ascending, Part 4", written by Simon Furman, art by Guido Guidi, Jan 2008

pecial Issues

"Sourcebook, Part 1", written by Simon Furman and Ben Yee, Oct 2007
"Sourcebook, Part 2", written by Simon Furman and Ben Yee, Oct 2007
"Sourcebook, Part 3", written by Simon Furman and Ben Yee, Jan 2008
"Sourcebook, Part 4", written by Simon Furman and Ben Yee, Feb 2008

Collections

, Aug 2006
, Mar 2007
, Feb 2008
, May 2008

The future

With the second series, "The Ascending", climaxing with Megatron's return to Cybertron, it seems that further Beast Wars stories seem unlikely. However, writer Simon Furman has not ruled out a return, noting that stories could have taken place during Megatron's takeover, before Optimus Primal and the Maximals returned [http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/beasts-shot-4/#comments] .

ee also

List of Transformers comic book series

Notes

External links

* [http://idwpublishing.com/titles/tf-beastwars.shtml IDW Publishing Beast Wars Section]
* [http://idwpublishing.com/ IDW Publishing official site]