Thunder, thunder, ThunderCats, ho! The heroes of Thundera are heading back to comic shops in a series that leans straight into the original cartoon. Dynamite Entertainment is launching ThunderCats ’85 #1 on January 6, 2027, written and drawn by George Kambadais.
As the title suggests, the series is built as a return to the 1985 animated show. According to Bleeding Cool, the 32-page first issue will cost $4.99, and it opens with a classic matchup: Mumm-Ra versus the ThunderCats.
Back to the start
The solicitation copy does not hold back. It promises “the ultimate, absolute, pulse-pumping, heart-pounding, adrenaline-jangling comic OF ALL TIME,” with “every panel on every page” packed with non-stop action, as Kambadais takes readers “back to the start” with a vision of the 1985 team.
Kambadais has done this kind of nostalgia work for Dynamite before. He has drawn the publisher’s Gargoyles comics with series creator Greg Weisman and worked on SilverHawks, another Rankin/Bass property, as well as John Carter.
Covers for the first issue come from Kambadais, Drew Moss, Craig Rousseau and Federico Mele.
Why ThunderCats still matters
The original ThunderCats followed a group of humanoid cats who flee their dying planet of Thundera and crash-land on Third Earth. Their young leader, Lion-O, wakes from suspended animation in an adult body but is still inexperienced, and he must lead the team against the ancient sorcerer Mumm-Ra and the Mutants of Plun-Darr. The show ran for 130 episodes, sold a huge line of toys and spawned a Marvel comic in the 1980s.
The ’85 label suggests Dynamite is aiming squarely at fans who grew up on that version, rather than the later reboots. More details from Dynamite should arrive with the January solicitations.
It is another nostalgia-heavy project from a publisher that has been busy mining the 1980s, including its upcoming Terminator Valentine’s Day special.
