It’s been a year or so since the last attempt at a WWE-focused comic book, a pair of Mick Foley-penned series from Papercutz, quietly faded into obscurity.
In advance of a San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) later this month, word’s come out that they’re giving it another shot, this time with a publisher who has a pretty good track record when it comes to licensed properties - Boom! Studios.
Boom! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon told the Los Angeles Times:
Here at Boom! we’re thrilled to be a part of WWE’s return to the comic book medium. The WWE Universe is a passionate fanbase, and we aim to provide them with the comic series they’ve always wanted — a series featuring their favorite Superstars and storylines, a series that highlights the incredible history of the brand. An authentic series that matters.
Casey Collins, Executive Vice-President of Consumer Products for WWE was also quoted as saying:
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.
The partnership will officially launch at SDCC, according to an exclusive report from IGN. Boom! will be selling one-page mini-comics which feature a cover illustration on one side and an “info comic” on the other. The full page pinups will each be illustrated by different art teams, but the flip side will be drawn, colored and lettered by the same team (no word on the writer).
Here are some examples of the spotlight images, including one of tag champs The New Day, who will be on hand at the Boom! booth on Thursday, June 21:
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These mini-comics will focuse on three current acts, two on retired talents and one Legend... then lead into a one-shot released in November entitled “WWE: Then. Now. Forever.”
No plans have been revealed beyond that, but Comic Book Resources notes that if Boom! follows the pattern of the property they debuted in 2015 at San Diego (Power Rangers), an ongoing series will likely follow in early 2017.
Will this be the effort which breaks the streak of short-lived comic runs for WWE?