ThunderCats #1

ThunderCats (2024) (Single Issues)

by Declan Shalvey, Drew Moss (artist), Chiara Di Francia (inker)

Fleeing through space to escape their dying home world, the ThunderCats were attacked en route by their mortal enemies, the Mutants of Plun-Darr. After diverting their damaged flagship to a planet called Third Earth, the surviving ThunderCats now strive to rebuild their society in harmony with the new world’s natives. But the Mutants, determined to possess the ThunderCats’ mystical gem, the Eye of Thundera, have tracked them down — and they’ve also forged an alliance with Mumm-Ra, the devil-priest of Third Earth!
 
Now the ThunderCats, led by an inexperienced Lion-O, must band together as never before to protect their legacy from this combined enemy. But will they be able to withstand the onslaught of Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living, once he sets his eyes upon them?
 
The triple-threat talents (writers, artists, and ThunderCats superfans) of DECLAN SHALVEY and DREW MOSS join forces to bring this exciting new entry in the ThunderCats canon to life! This premier issue features 24 story pages as well as a host of the finest cover artists the galaxy has ever seen, including SHALVEY, DAVID NAKAYAMA, LUCIO PARRILLO, JAE LEE & JUNE CHUNG, and IVAN TAO!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Science Fiction

30 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 7, 2024

About the author

Declan Shalvey is an Irish comics artist and writer.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything ThunderCats will always draw me in. I grew up with the original show, and I enjoyed the comics from the early 2000s, which served as a continuation. Even so, I hoped that if and when the property got rebooted, it would either go in a new direction, or rethink and rework some of the fundamentals.

This series is a combination of those two options, and it’s brilliant so far. It addresses quirks from the cartoon (why was Lion-O the only Thundarian to age in the journey to Third Earth?) and sets up new paths for characters such as Lion-O, Jaga, and Mumm-Ra.

Aesthetically, I’m digging Tygra’s steampunk inventor-style look, and the tone finds a satisfying middle ground between the theatricality of the cartoon and more grounded diction. Slythe is especially menacing, and Lion-O especially frustrating—understandably so—as a man who’s physically an adult but emotionally a child.

I found out about this today, read it immediately, and am excited for more.

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t thought about thundercats since I was little watching the animated series with my step dad- this was a much needed refresher and a cute little nostalgic trip for me 🤗

[Kevin Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to a new series of comics coming from dynamite comics. Not too much, not too little. The perfect introduction to get you hooked to what may be coming next.

Art style is great and brief introduction to each characters roles fits the length of the issue.

[David H Dunham · Rating 4 out of 5]

ThunderCats #1 Review
Writer: Declan Shalvey
Artist: Drew Moss
Colorists: Chiara Di Francia & Martina Pignedoli
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Lucio Parrillo; Declan Shalvey; Jae Lee & June Chung; Ivan Tao; Drew Moss
Publisher: Dynamite
Price: $4.99
Release Date: February 7, 2024

Lion-O entered his stasis pod as a boy. He awakened as an adult. Birth makes him the leader of the ThunderCats. But he has much to learn. Can Lion-O lead his people and wield the Sword Of Omens despite his lack of education and experience? Let's leap into ThunderCats #1 and find out!

Story
With their homeworld destroyed and their fleet ravaged, the only surviving ThunderCat ship crashed on Third Earth. Lion-O’s friends WileyKat and WileyKit are cubs. His journey into adulthood begins with no friends his age among the skilled and experienced adults Tygra, Panthro, and Cheetara. Lion-O has no peers. Can he lead and protect his people?

Lion-O seeks solitude in the desert. Instead of answers, he discovers an arriving spaceship. The Mu’Tants tracked their damaged ship! Desperate to prove himself, Lion-O unsheathes the Sword Of Omens. The Eye of Thundera, embedded in the sword, unleashes its power. The adults at his crashed spaceship, the troops aboard the Mu’Tant vessel, and a dark figure who inhabits the Black Pyramid realize Lion-O is in trouble.

In ThunderCats #1, Declan Shalvey introduces a cast of colorful and appealing characters. He paws lightly over their history to focus on the crucible Lion-O must pass through.
Lion-O fled Thundara as a frightened boy. Now, Lion-O must guide and protect an endangered species. Lion-O can look to Tygra for guidance. Panthro can teach him how to wield the Sword Of Omens. But like Paul Atreides, Lion-O must discover his birthright amid a trial by fire.

Art
The ThunderCats leave their damaged ship to explore the alien desert of Third Earth. As Lion-O runs up a slope, a shape emerges from the darkness overhead. A beam of light streaks up from the Sword Of Omens, revealing the ThunderCat symbol to the arriving spaceship. Their leader, Lord Slythe, cringes at its intensity. In the Desert Of Sinking Sands, a giant skull perches on a vine-covered stone floor before a pit within the Black Pyramid.

Drew Moss packs pages with panels that convey history, character, and reactions. Splash pages and double-page spreads introduce and show the cast in action. Backgrounds give way to speed lines amid motion and conflict. Smoke rises from a battlefield when WileyKat and WileyKit surf the air currents on spaceboards and drop capsules onto the combatants.

Reds, yellows, and blues dominate ThunderCats #1. Chiara Di Francia and Martina Pignedoli's limited palette breathes life and drama into each page. The yellow explosions accompanying the ship’s flight from Thundara and the fiery streak of their ship hurtling through Third Earth's sky match the glow inside the stasis pod that robs Lion-O of his teen years. Highlights enrich characters with individuality, while shadows enhance the drama of this opening installment.

Lowercase black letters in colored narrative boxes introduce the characters, relate their thoughts, and tell of the dangers facing them. Black uppercase words in white dialogue balloons grow bold for inflection and swell for shouts but rarely shrink. Jeff Eckleberry infuses training, hunting, and battle scenes with energetic sound effects. When Lion-O raises the Sword Of Omens, his giant white-edged black shout echoes through the remaining pages of ThunderCats #1.

Final Thoughts
Robbed of his teen years, a young hero struggles to lead the hunted survivors of his race with the strength of his adult body and a mythic sword in ThunderCats #1.

8.2/10

[Nathaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takes a very similar approach to Scott Pilgrim Takes Off in that it's a very straightforward adaptation until the ending of the first chapter throws a massive shakeup into the mix. Of course, there's a pretty significant difference between this and SPTO. I cared about what was going on before the twist in SPTO - not so much here.

It's not bad. I think I've just realized that the classic setup doesn't do a whole lot for me. This might be heresy, but Thundercats 2011 is the standard by which I judge Thundercats stories, and this doesn't quite reach that level. Maybe if I read more I'd get hooked. But with how massive my TBR pile is right now, this is on the pretty low end of titles I'm looking to continue.

[R.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT Opening Issue

Loved the slight retelling of a story we.are all familiar, but with "tweaks" to the way some of the team looks. In the 2003 animation, they made Tygra but heads with Lion-O, this time around, it seems as though there is some one else. That ending... didn't see that coming.😁
Proud to be the first to review.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why, but I a week ago I was thinking about Thundercats and how I wished they kept going with the reboot from 2011. Then I went on Amazon and found this...

And now I'm obsessed and more convinced Amazon is Akinator without me even saying anything...

Okay Imma go read the second vol :D

[Andre Rupert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following

I will wait to see if I will recommend this book. The art is meh... The story is familiar but original. I don't dislike it but I don't know if it's what I want to read. I love the thundercats so I believe its worth giving it a shot...

[Dabbling Madman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad

Artwork isn't terrible\ . but something is off with Panthro and Tubes faces. Also the art styles of the characters changes sometimes from one panel to the next. Not the hero shots, just regular story board panels.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun bit of nostalgia. I didn't like that they gave Tygra a mustache, but otherwise it met my expectations as a former watcher of the 80s cartoon turned reluctant adult. For me, it has enough story and mythology to warrant reading the next volume in the story.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful art and a tight focused story make this a good entry point. A prolonged battle or something just a pinch more in #5 to foreshadow could have taken it from a 3.5-near 4 to a complete 4. Will definitely be getting a hold of volume 2.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible start to this series and I hope it only improves from where it is.

[Jodi_ice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cawpile: 7.86 4*

Review to follow

[Bryce Humphreys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Ok this is coming from someone who didn't grow up with the shoe but, I loved this. I can't wait to see where it leads.

[Sam Muncie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome!!!

I barely remember the old Thundercats cartoon but I'm liking how this new adaptation is starting. Can't wait for the next issue!

[Gareth Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

childhood Revived

Hooooooooo great return for the Thundercats. Taking me back to a kid they all talk with the same voices in my mind! Hoping for Visionaries next!

[Julio Bonilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Thundera!

[Dennis Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man... Nostalgia Forever... I think I grew up in the Best Time of kids entertainment!! 4/5

[Ani Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vol 1 - Issue 1: I love the 1985 Thundercats series & just found this comic 🤩 The small changes in plot & character design are pretty cool too - it's not too distracting. So far I enjoyed it!

[Reader_for_LifeTLG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thundercats! Hooooo!!

I loved the cartoons growing up, watched them all, even the new series and I'm far from being a kid. Just as good as I remember.

[M.A. Arana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume into the Thundercats' revival makes for great reading.

[Willie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly by the books nostalgia piece that I don't think I can recommend to anyone but hardcore Thundercats/graphic novel fans.

[Archos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turely capturing the essence of what made the show popular from then.

[Crazed8J8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed the cartoon, but have never read a Thundercat comic.
This was a fun, classic read. The artwork is great, the action is solid, and the characters are spot on. This was a very enjoyable read, and recommended!

[Yasser Maniram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Land Ho! Interesting start, the interior art could be better but is still good enough to flow smoothly with the story in harmony. Really liked the Cheetara cover.