I’d like to think that I know a thing or two about VOLTRON, and as someone that holds the 1984 version of the property in high regard and has seen numerous reboots try (and fail) to make a splash, I feel confident that we’re on the cusp of a new golden era for the familiar Lion Force. With the Netflix Original Series, DreamWorks’ VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER streaming starting June 10, fans looking for new adventures will have a whole new chapter waiting for them in print: comic books from Lion Forge Comics – the folks who brought KNIGHT RIDER and MADBALLS into print. Releasing in July, the comic series expands the adventures of the paladins of Voltron with the first of a five-part series of VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER comics. The mini-series is the first of several planned expansions of new storylines between seasons.
Written by DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender’s head writer Tim Hedrick and writer Mitch Iverson, the first comic tells the story of a training mission that goes awry when Coran, Princess Allura’s majordomo, falls prey to a villain looking to settle an old debt. Team Voltron embarks on a series of increasingly dangerous quests to save their friend’s life. Each issue focuses on one of the five pilots who together command the giant mecha known as Voltron, formed from their individual flying robotic lions.
“When the writers for Voltron Legendary Defender were coming up with episode ideas, there were some that were just too epic, too outlandish, too MUCH to be contained in a mere half-hour on the small screen,” said Hedrick. “Thanks to the good people at Lion Forge, one of those stories is now coming to the fans in five red hot issues.”
The limited five-part series will also be collected in a graphic novel releasing in December, followed by another in-continuity mini-series to be announced.
Voltron’s original incarnation debuted in 1984 and quickly became the top-rated syndicated children’s television show for two years. A wide range of toys and other licensed merchandise cemented it as one of the foremost action properties from the golden age of 1980’s animation, with themes of teamwork and heroism at its heart that still resonate with fans today.
“At Lion Forge, we’re fans first, and few TV shows were more influential to me growing up than Voltron,” said Lion Forge CEO David Steward II. “We knew that if we were ever fortunate enough to bring the Lion Force back to comics that we had to do it right, so I couldn’t be happier with the work from Tim, Mitch and the DreamWorks Animation team. They’re just as committed to great comics as we are and the comic feels like it jumped right out of the show.”
Premiering exclusively on Netflix June 10, DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender reimagines one of the most popular fan-favorite shows of all time in an all-new comedic action-packed show from executive producer Joaquim Dos Santos (The Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender) and co-executive producer Lauren Montgomery (The Legend of Korra). A new line of VOLTRON action figures and vehicles from Playmates Toys (makers of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys) are also on the way.
THE ROCK FATHER is a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam, a long-time fan of VOLTRON, and an avid fan (and sometimes writer) of comics.
Want more VOLTRON action? Check out my special hub – http://www.therockfather.com/voltron
