Warning: contains spoilers for recent issues ofThundercats!
TheThundercatsfranchise is finally exploring its lore-defining Thunderan War from the perspective of the Mutants. As it heads towards the conclusion of its first year,Dynamite Entertainment’sThundercatsrevivalcontinues to upend fan expectations in issue ten by shifting the focus to Slithe and the rest of his Mutant horde.Slithe and his associates had lives of their own before coming to Third Earth, and now their story can be told.
Dynamite’sThundercatstitle is part of a larger deal with Warner Brothers/Discovery, and also includesJonny QuestandSpace Ghost.
Dynamite Entertainment has shared their solicitations for titles shipping in November, includingThundercats#10. The book will be written by regularThundercatsscribe Declan Shalvey, who will be joined by guest artist Joe Mulvey.
Dynamite’s solicitation for the issue reads as follows:
In this special standalone issue, the perspective shifts from the besieged ThunderCats to the attacking Mu’Tants. In the quiet before the assault seen in issue #9, Slithe thinks back over his old life on Plun’Darr, and how his world was shattered by the Great War with Thundera. But even as he readies his forces, other eyes are upon him unsuspected watchers who are neither Thunderan nor Mu Tant!
It can be inferred that the mysterious presence watching Slithe is Mumm-Ra,the franchise’s central antagonist.
Dynamite’sThundercatsWas Just What the Franchise Needed
Everything Old is New Again on theThundercatsAdopted Home World of Third Earth
Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of theThundercats, and Dynamite’s recent revival proves there is still a lot of mileage to be had in the franchise. Declan Shalvey and primary artist Drew Moss, aware that nostalgia alone will not carry them, have put their own spin on it, by creating new characters such as Apex and Calica. On top of introducing new Thundercats to the mix, Shalvey and Moss have strengthened other, already existing elements, such as hinting at a connection between Jaga and Mumm-Ra. These new developments keep classic fans on their feet, and give new fans an on ramp.
Dynamite’s newThundercatsgave Third Earth a bleak makeover, revealing it to be a penal colony for Thunderan prisoners.
Perhaps the most intriguing revelation that has come to lightconcerns the nature of Third Earth, the adopted home of the Thundercats. While the originalThundercatscartoon had a slightly more developed backstory than some of its contemporaries, a lot of gaps were still left in the lore.Dynamite’s newThundercatsgave Third Earth a bleak makeover, revealing it to be a penal colonyfor Thunderan prisoners. Third Earth was loaded with fearsome villains, and not just Mumm-Ra or the Mutants, and now fans have learned why. This bombshell upped the ante by making Third Earth even more dangerous for the Thundercats.
Thundercats Introduces New Character APEX with an Unbelievably Badass Design
Declan Shalvey and Drew Moss continue their expansion of the Thundercats lore with a new, badass character named Apex–but who are they?
The Mutants, just like Third Earth, barely received any character development in the classicThundercatscartoon. In the action figure boom of the 1980s, studios were working under a mandate to sell toys, not tell cohesive stories. From a visual standpoint, the Mutants looked fierce and menacing.Thundercats#10 will finally reveal the Mutants’ origins against the backdrop of the Thunderan War. This epic event, which set the Thundercats on a course for Third Earth, has rarely been seen or talked about even from the Thundercats, let alone the Mutant’s, perspectives. Once again, gaps in the lore are being filled.
Were the Thundercats the Aggressors in the War?
Thundercats#10 Will Raise Intriguing Questions About the Thundercats
Now that fans are seeing the Thunderan War from the Mutants’ point of view, it raises some serious questions about the Thundercats and their lives prior to coming to Third Earth. The solicitation mentions Plun’Darr was “shattered” by the War. What this means is not elaborated on, but could be interpreted that Thundera may have been the aggressor in the War. This would certainly keep with the tone of Dynamite’sThundercats,and if so, pushes the new book into iconoclastic territory. The Thunderan War shattered Plun’Darr and may do the same for fans’ expectations as well.
