Archie Announces New Mega Man Comic Book at NYCC (Updated)

LanceHeart

October 8, 2010

Today, during the “Archie Comics Means Business!” panel at the New York Comic-Con, Archie Comics announced that, through a partnership with Capcom, they will be producing a new comic book series based on the original Mega Man in 2011.
As many of you may know, this is not the first time Archie Comics has ventured into the arena of video game-based comic books. They first tread this ground back in 1989 with a five-issue series based on Konami’s The Adventures of Bayou Billy, and subsequently followed it up with SEGA’s NiGHTS into Dreams and Sonic the Hedgehog, the latter of which going on to sell over 215 issues and counting, not including numerous specials and spin-offs.

The last attempt at an American (or rather, Canadian) produced Mega Man comic book was in 2003 by the now-defunct Dreamwave Productions. The series ended after only four issues, and the promises of a Mega Man X series fell through as the company went bankrupt in 2006.

Presently, plans are for current Sonic the Hedgehog scribe Ian Flynn to take on the task of writing, while renowned Sonic and Mega Man comic artist Patrick Spaziante (whose previous interview with us can be found here) will also be involved in some way.

We’ll update with more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you are in attendance at the New York Comic-Con, both Flynn and Spaziante are there as well, so you can try to squeeze some more info out of them– or just express your delight while asking for autographs.

Update: Press release following the break.

New York, NY (October 8, 2010): Archie Comics—home to Sonic the Hedgehog comics—is about to become the base of operations for a comic series featuring Capcom’s heroic video game legend, Mega Man!

The Mega Man® franchise is hotter than ever and in the spring of 2011, Archie Comics will take his heroic adventures to new heights with a brand new monthly comic!

With the aid of his mighty Mega Buster blaster arm and a killer creative team including renowned artist Patrick “Spaz” Spaziante and infamous Archie action/adventure writer Ian Flynn, Mega Man is equipped to blast his way back into the comic book world in his own monthly action. Arriving Spring 2011, the new Mega Man™ comic from Archie Comics promises to build a faithful legacy while exploring a vast universe of heroes, villains, and robots.

“Since 1987, the enormously successful Mega Man franchise has conquered media from video games to television to manga. Archie Comics is ready to carry on this tradition of success, holding true to the spirit of the old school with a fresh eye on Mega Man’s strong potential in the world of American comics,” promised Archie Comics editor of Sonic and now the Mega Man franchise, Paul Kaminski.

The Mega Man comic book series will follow the original Rock/Mega Man in his battles against the maniacal Dr. Wily. Mega Man’s jam-packed, fast-paced adventures are told from the perspective of Rock (a.k.a. Mega Man) the young boy with a peaceful heart now thrust into a life of conflict.

“Readers can expect non-stop action, as well as an exploration of the themes of family, choice and loyalty that make the Mega Man franchise a property that connects on a very personal level,” continued Kaminski. “From there, we hope to fully explore not only that classic world, but the other spin-offs including Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero, Mega Man Legends and more!”

“We’re thrilled to be creating a definitive version of Capcom’s Mega Man to American audiences,” remarked Archie Comics Co-CEO Jon Goldwater. “And to do it with our top-notch creative team who all love and understand the property inside and out is going to be spectacular!”

In honor of the announcement at NYCC, Archie Comics and Capcom® will each be hosting signings of an exclusive print with the Mega Man creative team Patrick “Spaz” Spaziante and Ian Flynn.

Stay tuned to ArchieComics.com for updates on the “Mega Man” comic series coming from Archie Comics in Spring 2011.

Capcom, and Mega Man are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.