2024 marks the return of the ThunderCats, as the creative team of Declan Shalvey and Drew Moss from Dynamite Comics relaunches a story beloved by many latchkey kids from the 1980s who raced home from school to watch the original animated series each weekday afternoon, and introduces the story for the first time to a new generation of fans.
Right from the first panel of issue one, original fans will be brought back to the familiar beginning of the ThunderCats’ exodus from Thundera, their home world, and their journey to Third Earth. For new fans, the call to adventure begins with a big bang, as Thundera is destroyed by the Mu’Tants of Plun-Darr, as they decided to destroy the Eye of Thundera rather than not possess its power.
The art of the first issue is precise in its dedication to the original animated characters. The art celebrates this connection with a style taken from cartoon animation, with bright colors and cinematic establishing shots of the planet, Third Earth. At times, it seems as if the art is taken from stills captured from animated scenes. The actions jump off the page when Lion-O activates the Sword of Omens and assembles his team by bellowing, “Thunder. Thunder. Thunder. ThunderCats, HO!”
Issue one focuses on introducing the main characters, led by Lion-O, the Lord of the Thundercats, a humanoid lion with the body of an adult and the mind of a pre-teen. By his side, one by one, his royal court is introduced: Panthro, Tygra, Cheetara, Wilykit and Wilycat, and appearing like a force ghost from Star Wars, Jaga. This bit of exposition is captured by offering images of each character adjusting to life on Third Earth, their new home for the foreseeable future, as their escape craft looks to have crashed and burrowed itself into the rocky crust of the planet. These strangers in a strange land will need to come together in order to survive, especially when the Mu’Tants and the evil Mumm-ra find them.
From the point of view of a former latchkey kid who adored the animated characters back in the 1980s, especially Panthro, I am very excited for a new generation of young fans to pick up this book. The story, with its vivid and lovable heroes and despicable villains, is perfect for younger audiences who may just be beginning their love of comic books, heroes, and reading in general.
The panels flow beautifully from page to page, with simple yet clear dialogue, internal monologue, and exposition provided through caption boxes. The limited complexity of characters at the start allows a new reader to become familiar with the characters as the world building is easy to understand.
Overall, I can’t wait to see where Declan Shalvey, Drew Moss and Dynamite take the series. This bit of infinite fiction is sure to engage a new audience and offer a fun ride through nostalgia for fans of the original. The series has it all, a team of heroes, a powerful sword powered by a mystical crystal, a necromancer, ghoulish villains, and, of course, a battle between good and evil.
ThunderCats number one will hit shelves on Wednesday, February 7. Check out the main cover by David Nakayama, as well as two of the many variants by Lucio Parrillo and the multi-talented Shalvey, below.
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