Image Comics is giving Saturday at New York Comic Con 2026 a packed creator-led programme, with the future of the Energon Universe heading the bill. The publisher’s official schedule places three panels at the Javits Center on 10 October, covering Transformers and G.I. Joe, the Massive-Verse and a conversation with the creators behind Paper Girls.

The Energon Universe panel to watch

Transformers & G.I. Joe: What’s Next for the Energon Universe? runs from 11:15am to 12:15pm in Room 406.2. Robert Kirkman, Dan Watters, Tom Reilly, Jason Howard and Conor Hughes are due to join moderator Ben Abernathy to discuss the shared universe spanning Transformers, G.I. Joe, Void Rivals and M.A.S.K..

Image describes the session as a look at what comes next for the record-breaking line, so readers should expect forward-looking publishing news rather than a simple retrospective. For collectors, any cover reveals, new series announcements or first-appearance hints are likely to be the details worth noting.

Massive-Verse and Paper Girls

At 12:45pm in the same room, Image Comics Presents: Kyle Higgins of Radiant Black, the Massive-Verse & More brings Higgins together with Brian Buccellato, Kelly McMahon, Melissa Flores and Rod Reis. Image says the group will reveal new developments for the Massive-Verse across this year and next.

Saturday’s final Image panel begins at 4pm in Room 1B02. Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang will discuss their work together, including Paper Girls, with Image teasing the possibility of a surprise for attendees.

Why Saturday matters for collectors

Convention panels can quickly affect interest in back issues, variants and character debuts. The useful collector move is to separate confirmed announcements from on-stage teases, then check issue numbers, printings and cover details before buying. A surprise logo or character image is not the same as a formally solicited comic.

Fans browsing from home can explore ASACC’s comics and graphic novels while watching Image Comics’ official channels for panel follow-ups.

Official source: Image Comics NYCC 2026 panel lineup.
Featured image credit: Image Comics press artwork; © 2026 Image Comics and respective owners.