Robert Kirkman Announces Transformers / GI Joe Crossover Adult Cartoon Based On Energon Universe.

Robert Kirkman’s Energon Universe has achieved remarkable commercial success, with over one million copies sold in under nine months according to Bleeding Cool. The comic line combining G.I. Joe, Transformers, and original property Void Rivals has broken sales records, with Transformers setting “a record for the highest-selling Hasbro comic debut” and G.I. Joe achieving “a franchise sales record.”

Now Skybound Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment plan an adult animated adaptation with Joe Henderson (Lucifer) as showrunner. The series promises “adult sensibility in the vein of Kirkman’s gritty adult animated series Invincible,” according to Deadline’s exclusive report.

This approach raises concerns given the source material’s origins as children’s toy properties. Invincible, Kirkman’s previous adult animation success on Amazon Prime Video, features extreme graphic violence, dismemberment, and brutal deaths alongside LGBTQ themes and mature sexual content. The show carries a TV-MA rating for its explicit gore and strong language.

“Despite featuring the family-friendly Hasbro characters G.I. Joe and Transformers, the Energon Universe series will be broad, with adult sensibility,” the Deadline report states.

The comic source material has already introduced controversial elements. The Energon Universe G.I. Joe comics depict Scarlett in a lesbian relationship, while some readers have interpreted certain storylines as containing anti-conservative political messaging.

Kirkman explained his childhood connection to the properties: “Kirkman, a Transformers and G.I. Joe fan since childhood, won the comic book publishing rights to the signature Hasbro brands in 2021.”

The commercial success cannot be disputed. “Two years in, Energon Universe has become one of Hasbro’s bestselling comic book lines ever, with over 7 million combined units sold worldwide,” according to the Deadline report. The line launched with Void Rivals in June 2023, followed by Transformers and multiple G.I. Joe character-focused miniseries.

Henderson brings experience adapting comics for television. “Comic book and TV writer Henderson previously served as showrunner on Lucifer, the successful Fox/Netflix TV series also adapted from comics,” the report notes.

The timing coincides with industry trends toward mature content adaptations of traditionally younger-skewing properties. However, transforming beloved childhood franchises into adult-oriented content with graphic violence and contemporary political themes raises questions about respecting source material origins.

Hasbro Entertainment’s expanding slate includes multiple adaptations across age demographics, from Disney+ Power Rangers to Amazon’s My Little Pony film. The Energon Universe series will test whether adult audiences embrace mature takes on nostalgic properties.

The series is “expected to be taken out to buyers shortly,” suggesting streaming platforms will soon evaluate this controversial approach to classic toy franchises.

What do you think about adapting children’s toy properties into adult animated series with mature themes?

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