Last year, Archie Comics gave the, err, Archie treatment to another old name from its library: Cosmo the Martian, kicking off a new look and new series of adventures for a character not seen in comics since the late 1950s. Now, though, he’s back once more for a set of adventures that see him officially upgrade from a Merry Martian to a Mighty one.
io9 can exclusively reveal a first look at Cosmo the Mighty Martian, a new five-part miniseries set to begin later this year. Featuring the same team as Cosmo’s returning miniseries—writer Ian Flynn as well as art team Tracy Yardley, Matt Herms, and Jack Morelli—Mighty Martian will see Cosmo and his friends head on an even bigger adventure, taking them away from their Martian home and out into the solar system.
“It’s both exciting and satisfying that Cosmo was so well received we get to continue his adventures,” Flynn said in a statement provided to io9. “This time we have to go bigger and bolder. Cosmo volume one was a fun adventure where a crew of Martians (and one wayward human astronaut) discovered danger and mystery on the Moon. Cosmo the Mighty Martian will be building off of that and exploring even more of the Solar System!” That danger sees Cosmo and his crew head to Ceres for a new investigation, only to draw the ire of not only battle princess Shih, but the Queen of Venus herself, as she plans an intergalactic invasion of the entire cosmos.
“Cosmo was such a joy to write last time—funny, adventurous, equal parts whimsy and drama,” Flynn continued. “And now I get to do it again, and more of it! You can’t go wrong.”
While Cosmo himself might be facing new threats, the creative team behind Mighty Martian is a reunion of familiar faces who worked on last year’s reboot. “Working with Ian, Matt, and Vin always means a good time for me and the readers,” artist Tracy Yardley told io9. “Cosmo is one of the most creatively interesting projects I’ve ever done. I’m very grateful for the chance to do more of it!”
“I’m especially excited to be reuniting with Ian and Tracy,” Herms added. “We’ve worked together for 10-plus years—we’re a pretty well oiled machine! Nobody does fun and imaginative action adventure like Ian and Tracy. I’m overjoyed to be returning to these characters, and so excited to be exploring new worlds with them! With a book like this, I get to create an all new palette for every planet Cosmo and company visit.”
Cosmo the Mighty Martian #1 hits shelves November 13.
For more, make sure you’re following us on our new Instagram @io9dotcom.