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The Original THOR is Returning, Plus More Comics Goodness!

Time for your weekend edition of Comics Relief, where today we’ve got lots of news on retro comics favorites from the ’70s and ’80s, ready to make big comebacks. Read on for all the details…

Genndy Tatakovsky’s Luke Cage Series Finally Scheduled

Way back in 2007, it was announced that Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky was going to produce a Luke Cage limited series for Marvel Comics, set in the yellow blouse/silver tiara era of his heroic career. But for whatever reason, the series never saw the light of day. Now it’s finally coming, as this fall Tartakovsky’s Cage! will finally hit stands.

The first issue of the four issue limited series will have lots of crazy action, which most fans know is Tartakovsky’s calling card, and even cooler, the series will be set in the ’70s, so expect lots of big afros and bell bottoms and other tropes of the era. You can see the cover for the first issue above. Issue #1 hits comic shops in October. [Birth.Movies.Death]

Prince Adam and Lion-O Finally Meet in New He-Man/Thudercats Mini-Series

If you were a child in the ’80s, then this is THE crossover event you’ve been waiting over thirty years for. DC Comics have announced a He-Man/Thundercats mini-series launching this coming October. This six-issue limited series will be written by Mattel Head Writer and Masters of the Universe Lead Creative Rob David and Supervising Producer Lloyd Goldfine, with art by Freddie E. Williams II who recently wrapped the Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover.

The heroes of Eternia and Third Earth will unite thanks to a dastardly plot by Thundercats main bad guy Mumm-Ra, who searches the dimensions looking for a weapon that can defeat Lion-O’s Sword of Omens. Of course, he lands on He-Man’s own power sword, and then wackiness ensues.

Unlike the other two titans of ’80s cartoons/toys, Transformers and GI Joe, Masters of the Universe and Thundercats never crossed over due to being owned by separate toy companies. So this one has truly been three decades in the making. Sadly, I can’t go back in time to the mid ’80s and tell ten year old me this is happening, because it would probably make his week. Issue #1 of He-Man/Thundercats hits in October. You can read our full story on the new series at the following link [Nerdist]

Bryan Hitch talks Justice League Rebirth


This past week Justice League Rebirth hit the stands, with a slightly different version of the iconic team line-up: We’ve got two Green Lanterns instead of one, and a Superman from a now-lost universe replacing the dead, New-52-era Man of Steel. Now writer Bryan Hitch talks to DC All Access about what fans can expect from the new League going forward. You can watch the video in its entirety above.

BOOM! Studios and WWE Partner Up

There’s always been a cross section of comics fans and pro wrestling, and now those worlds are about to collide again. BOOM! Studios have just announced that they are partnering with WWE for a line of comic books and graphic novels. Right now, the only details we have on this partnership are a John Cena illustration by Jamal Campbell.

WWE’s Executive Vice President Casey Collins said in a statement “Boom! is one of the fastest-growing comic book publishers in the industry and their vision for the WWE brand showed us exactly why. We were blown away by the level of detail and creativity and are confident the WWE Universe and comic book fans will agree.” You can see the John Cena illustration by Jamal Campbell above. [Newsarama]

The Odinson Returns in The Unworthy Thor

Last year, Marvel made headlines by making the new Thor a woman — the original Thor’s former love Jane Foster, who was now dying of cancer. But what about the original Thor? He wasn’t dead after all, just deemed “unworthy” of the hammer since the 2014 event Original Sin. But now the Odinson is back, in a new Marvel NOW! series called The Unworthy Thor.

According to the official description, the new book “will follow the god’s escape and captivity – revealed to be at the hands of none other than cosmic archivist the Collector – and his journey to becoming a hero once more.” Long-time Thor writer Jason Aaron will write The Unworthy Thor, joined by returning artist Olivier Coipel, making this an all-star Thor creative team.

It also seems that Thor will carry the hammer of the now-dead Thor from the Ultimate universe. But how can he be unworthy of one hammer and yet worthy of another? Said writer Jason Aaron in an interview “Yeah, certainly the hammer is like the hammer we’ve already got, right? It came over from a completely different Thor, so yeah, that’s a very good question.” The Unworthy Thor is scheduled to debut this fall. [io9]

AfterShock Announces New Warren Ellis Series

New comic book publisher AfterShock has just announced new series Shipwreck from the all-star creative team of writer Warren Ellis, known for his work on legendary books like Planetary and Transmetropolitan, and Ant-Man artist Phil Hester. According to the official solicitation for issue #1, Shipwreck follows Dr Jonathan Shipwright, “the sole survivor of a very unusual and very secret shipwreck, who doesn’t know where he is. Seemingly trapped on an endless road, in pursuit of a saboteur who holds the key to his salvation — or doom.” You can see a preview for the cover to issue #1 above. The first issue goes on sale October 5th.

KFC’s Col. Sanders Comes to the DC Multiverse. For Real.

The DC Multiverse is filled with alternate and wacky versions of Superman, Batman and just about everyone else. As it turns out, it’s also filled with alternate versions of Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harlan Sanders. Yes, in Tony Bedard and Tom Derenick’s KFC: The Colonel Corps, Earth-1’s Colonel Sanders, or at least the fast food icon as seen on ads and commercials over the years, “travels around the multiverse to recollect the missing pieces of his secret recipe”.  The issue also features Earth-1’s Colonel Sanders against Colonel Sunder, his evil doppelganger from Earth-3, home of the Crime Syndicate. KFC: The Colonel Corps is now available for free on comiXology. [CBR]

Images: DC Comics / Marvel Comics / BOOM! Studios / AfterShock Comics

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