Optimus Prime and Duke Will Meet for the First Time in G.I. JOE
The Worlds of TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE Collide in the Energon Universe Beginning February 2026
“It’s no wonder Williamson is guiding this corner of the Energon Universe” – ComicWatch
"There are twists and turns, huge action, some ridiculous action-figure plot points… Everything you’d want from a G.I. JOE comic, and more." – Comic Book Club Live
LOS ANGELES 11/20/2025 — Today, Skybound, Image Comics, and Hasbro, a leading games, IP and toy company, are bringing seismic changes to the Energon Universe with two explosive upcoming G.I. JOE issues. Led by writer Joshua Williamson (Duke, Superman) and artist Andrea Milana (Creepshow, Cobra Commander), with colors by Lee Loughridge (Universal Monsters: The Mummy), and letters by Rus Wooton (Invincible Universe: Battle Beast), this powerhouse team delivers high-octane storytelling fans can’t miss. G.I. JOE #19 and #20 hit comic shops in February and March, respectively.
Duke and Optimus Prime meeting for the first time in the Energon Universe? What's led to this momentous meeting of the EU's two greatest heroes? All we can say is it involves Clutch, Autobot Hound, and America's most wanted man – Matt Trakker!
G.I. JOE #19 features a main cover by Tom Reilly, plus an incredible lineup of variants from Joshua Cassara & Romulo Fajardo Jr., Ben Oliver, Tonči Zonjić, Trevor Hairsine & Romulo Fajardo Jr., Andy Lanning, a spoiler foil variant by Pye Parr and a premium foil mask variant from John Amor and Andres Juarez.
The G.I. JOE #20 cover lineup includes a main cover by Tom Reilly, two open to order variants from Joshua Cassara and Ben Oliver, a 1:25 incentive variant by Tonči Zonjić, and a 1:50 incentive variant by Jorge Corona.
G.I. JOE is a tentpole of the Energon Universe, the crown jewel of the historic collaboration between Hasbro and Skybound, who has introduced a brand-new era of the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE franchises in one shared comic book universe. Other Energon Universe titles include the ongoing series Void Rivals by writer Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead), artist Conor Hughes (White Ash, The Game), and colorist Patricio Delpeche (The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country) and the two-time Eisner Award winning TRANSFORMERS by writer Robert Kirkman, artist Dan Mora (Justice League Unlimited, Superman), and colorist Mike Spicer (Stillwater, Murder Falcon). Fans should expect can’t-miss moments from every issue of the Energon Universe, as secrets are unveiled along the path to answering the BIG questions from some of the biggest franchises in comics today.
G.I. JOE #19 (Lunar Codes Coming Soon | $3.99 unless otherwise noted) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
G.I. JOE #20 (Lunar Codes Coming Soon | $3.99 unless otherwise noted) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
The full list of variant covers is below:
G.I. JOE #19 Cover A by Tom Reilly
G.I. JOE #19 Cover B by Joshua Cassara & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
G.I. JOE #19 Cover C by Ben Oliver
G.I. JOE #19 Cover D (1:25 Incentive) by Tonči Zonjić
G.I. JOE #19 Cover E (1:50 Incentive) by Trevor Hairsine, Andy Lanning, & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
G.I. JOE #19 Cover F (1:100 Incentive, Foil) by Pye Parr
G.I. JOE #19 Cover G (Foil Mask, $4.99) by John Amor & Andres Juarez
G.I. JOE #20 Cover A by Tom Reilly
G.I. JOE #20 Cover B by Joshua Cassara & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
G.I. JOE #20 Cover C by Ben Oliver
G.I. JOE #20 Cover D (1:25 Incentive) by Tonči Zonjić
G.I. JOE #20 Cover E (1:50 Incentive) by Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer
G.I. JOE #19 Cover A by Tom Reilly
G.I. JOE #19 Cover B by Joshua Cassara & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
G.I. JOE #19 Cover C by Ben Oliver
G.I. JOE #19 Cover D (1:25 Incentive) by Tonči Zonjić
G.I. JOE #19 Cover E (1:50 Incentive) by Trevor Hairsine, Andy Lanning, & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
G.I. JOE #19 Cover F (1:100 Incentive, Foil) by Pye Parr
G.I. JOE #19 Cover G (Foil Mask, $4.99) by John Amor & Andres Juarez
G.I. JOE #20 Cover A by Tom Reilly
G.I. JOE #20 Cover B by Joshua Cassara & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
G.I. JOE #20 Cover C by Ben Oliver
G.I. JOE #20 Cover D (1:25 Incentive) by Tonči Zonjić
G.I. JOE #20 Cover E (1:50 Incentive) by Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer
ABOUT HASBRO
Hasbro is a leading games, IP and toy company whose mission is to create joy and community through the magic of play. With over 164 years of expertise, Hasbro delivers groundbreaking play experiences and reaches over 500 million kids, families and fans around the world, through physical and digital games, video games, toys, licensed consumer products, location-based entertainment, film, TV and more.
Through its franchise-first approach, Hasbro unlocks value from both new and legacy IP, including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, MONOPOLY, HASBRO GAMES, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands. Powered by its portfolio of thousands of iconic marks and a diversified network of partners and subsidiary studios, Hasbro brings fans together wherever they are, from tabletop to screen.
For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, a 2025 JUST Capital Industry Leader, one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50, and a Brand that Matters by Fast Company. For more information, visit https://corporate.hasbro.com or @Hasbro on LinkedIn.
ABOUT SKYBOUND ENTERTAINMENT
Skybound is the leading entertainment company built to create, produce, scale, and sustain world-class IP across comics, television, film, video games, audio, merchandise and collectibles. Co-founded by visionary creator Robert Kirkman and CEO David Alpert, Skybound owns and controls a portfolio of globally recognized franchises and cultural hits including The Walking Dead, Invincible, Impact Winter, Stillwater and others. Through a creator-first model, Skybound has become the go-to launchpad for original stories across all forms of entertainment.
Skybound publishes bestselling comics with top industry talent across its originals, licensed slates, and young readers imprint Skybound Comet. As a licensing partner, Skybound collaborates with Hasbro, LEGO® Books, and Universal Products & Experiences on their most coveted properties. Skybound’s groundbreaking reimagination of TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE in the Energon Universe is Hasbro’s most successful comic book line ever, headlined by the two-time Eisner Award winning TRANSFORMERS. Additionally, Skybound ran the two most funded comic campaigns ever on Kickstarter.