IDW Publishing has had a rough couple of years, with numerous financial troubles being made worse by their losing the comic book licenses of big name properties. One of these just so happened to be Transformers, which is easily the most consistently successful franchise to come out of the 1980s. Currently, the robots in disguise don't have an announced publishing home, though they're certainly in a better spot than former publisher IDW is.
A potential "replacement" of sorts might be another 1980s transforming robot franchise: Gobots. Though largely seen as a failed Transformers wannabe, this series is the perfect candidate for a radical reinvention. Much as their Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles books had once been indie darlings, a Gobots reboot from IDW could help put the publisher back on the map.
Can IDW Make Gobots Comics Like They Did for Transformers?
The biggest irony and saddest development for the Gobots is that the property is actually owned by Hasbro, creator of the Transformers rivals. This has resulted in some interesting "crossovers" via Transformers who are at least named after Gobots characters, if not designed to resemble them. Still, the franchises remain separate, so IDW could likely make Gobots comic books, even without the Transformers license.
In fact, they previously published a miniseries for the property titled Go-Bots, with this strange take on the mighty robots actually tying them to some familiar Cybertronians by the story's end. Keep in mind that, while Hasbro owns both Transformers and Gobots, there are other Hasbro properties whose licenses will still be retained by IDW. These include MASK, Visionaries and ROM, likely meaning that, if IDW desired, they could keep publishing any Gobots titles, as well. The question for most would involve why the publisher would want to, but there's actually a lot of potential for the Gobots, especially if their "nature" as also-ran Transformers is embraced.
A Gobots Comic Book Would Have Far More Freedom Than a Transformers Comic
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It's entirely fair to say that there's not much in way of a fanbase for the Gobots. Seen as more of a punchline, Gobots hasn't ever had a real remake or sequel. This makes it perfect for a new comic book, as the property is essentially a blank slate. Without a strict mythology to follow or decades of fan-favorite continuity and characterization, a Gobots comic book could reinvent the "classic" characters in ways that an entry in the Transformers franchise never could. After all, fans have certain expectations for how Optimus Prime and Megatron are portrayed, but could likely care less when it comes to Leader-1 and Cykill. Thus, the basic "good vs. evil" narrative could give way to something far more, without running the risk of upsetting fans.
Embracing this mentality would be easy, allowing the creative team behind Gobots to go absolutely wild. Whereas selecting a creative team for Transformers might be limited to fans of the franchise, any sci-fi legend can lend their pen to write an interesting Gobots book. Writers like Dan Abnett or even Grant Morrison would be great draws, not only for their talent but also the name recognition. With readers curious as to why the writers were seemingly "slumming it up" by writing Gobots, curiosity would likely be piqued enough for them initially great sales
Even within the confines of fan expectations, the IDW Transformers comics produced some classic yarns, including the well-received Beast Wars ongoing and the series' All Hail Megatron and Last Stand of the Wreckers. Anything approaching the quality of those books would certainly get noticed by those with '80s nostalgia and comic readers in general. Currently, IDW is trying to maintain its place in the industry by focusing more on original properties such as Canto. Their biggest successes have been works based on pre-existing properties, however, and a great Gobots comic book could bolster that side of their publishing. Sure, it might not be a Transformers book but, it could be even more successful.