I remember the first time I discovered Voltron as a kid. In the Chicago area, we had a couple cool (non-cable TV) channels that showed a bunch of old syndicated shows. A lot were of the Japanese flavor such as Speed Racer, Spector Man and Johnny Socko and his Flying Robot (or was it just called Giant Robot?). Voltron came a little later and I really dug it. At least I liked the first series, with the robot lion ships. Dynamite Entertainment has announced that they are bringing Voltron back to comics.
Coming in December, the series will feature covers by Alex Ross and written by Dynamite's own up and coming writer Brandon Thomas. The show was first released in 1984 and became an immediate hit. Featuring five young pilots (you can see them and get a tiny bit of information on them here, note that art doesn't represent this series) commanding five robot lions which could be combined into one cool looking giant robot, Voltron. The Voltron Force was in charge of protecting the planet Arus (ruled by Princess Allura) from the evil King Zarkon (from the plaent Doom). Zarkon's son Lotor and the witch Haggar would also cause mischief and just be a giant pain in the rear.
'Voltron is one of the most well-known cartoons of all-time,' says Dynamite President Nick Barrucci. 'Classic Media and World Events Productions are working with a wide-range of licensing partners to ensure Voltron's success. With the upcoming cartoon and a feature film in the works, now is the perfect time to launch a Voltron comic book for a new era, which will feature amazing Alex Ross covers! Our acquisition of this incredible brand is another step in Dynamite's exciting growth and builds on the ongoing success of our line.'
'I grew up loving the big robots from Japan,' says legendary artist Alex Ross. 'And Voltron is one of the coolest-looking of them!'
Who else is excited for the return? I'm looking forward to this. Check out the other covers to the first issue.
