Veteran writer Joe Casey (MCMLXXV, Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker) and artist Paul Fry (Spider-Man 2099, Star Wars) team up for a boundary pushing new superhero series in Blood Squad Seven. Spinning out of the recent Dutch miniseries, this upcoming comic book will explore ’90s superteam dynamics through a contemporary lens and launches in May from Image Comics.
Thirty years ago, Blood Squad Seven was America’s most popular superhero team. Its members were seen on television, on magazine covers, scoring million-dollar endorsement deals…. They were celebrities and they were everywhere.
But that was then… this is now. And so, a new generation of modern-day heroes takes up the mantle—or perhaps, the poisoned chalice—fulfilling a promise made decades ago: to be the heroes that a fractured America needs.
While deconstructions of superhero nostalgia typically center around the classic characters of the Silver Age, Blood Squad Seven will delve deep into ’90s comic book themes with this imagining of what would happen if heroes from that decade returned to action after a 30-year absence.
Variant covers for each issue of Blood Squad Seven will be provided by an army of celebrated artists, including: Chris Weston (Ministry of Space), Nick Pitarra (The Manhattan Projects), Jim Rugg (Street Angel), Chris Cross (Captain Marvel), Elizabeth Torque (Captain America: Secret Empire), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Cory Walker (Invincible), Ryan Quackenbush (Junior Baker the Righteous Faker), Mirko Colak (Punisher MAX), Chris Sprouse (Tom Strong), Dustin Nguyen (Little Monsters), and many more.
“This might be the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my twenty plus years working with Image Comics,” said Casey. “To play in this sandbox is the most fun I’ve ever had writing in a shared universe. This series is much more than a modern deconstruction of what it meant to be a superhero in the ’90s… Paul and I are building on that past to find our way into the future.”
Fry added: “Diving into this project has been a creative roller coaster! Collaborating with the brilliant Joe Casey, we’re resurrecting the original Image vibe with a dash of edgy innovation. Brace yourselves for a comic series that redefines the classic with a modern twist!”
Blood Squad Seven #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, May 22:
- Cover A by Paul Fry – Lunar Code 0324IM161
- Cover B by Chris Weston – Lunar Code 0324IM162
- Cover C (1:10) by Nick Pitarrra – Lunar Code 0324IM163
- Cover D (1:20) by Jim Rugg – Lunar Code 0324IM164
- Cover E (1:50) by Fry – Lunar Code 0324IM165
Blood Squad Seven #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
ABOUT JOE CASEY
Joe Casey is known for his Eisner Award nominated cosmic superhero epic, Gødland. His critically acclaimed run on the series Wildcats and Automatic Kafka landed on numerous “best of the decade” lists. His genre-busting cult-favorites Officer Downe and Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker helped propel him onto MTV.com’s list of the 10 best writers of 2011. In 2013, Casey launched new titles on the Man of Action imprint at Image Comics: Sex, a current critically-acclaimed series, originally previewed in Playboy, and his series The Bounce, now available as a graphic novel. Valhalla Mad debuted in May, 2015 from the man Comics Alliance described as “the most dangerous man in comics.” In 2013, Casey created a one-shot comic, Modern Romance, for the prestigious 60th Anniversary issue of Playboy. Officer Downe was adapted as a feature film starring Kim Coates and with Casey as screenwriter/producer. Casey is also part of Man of Action Entertainment, a collective of creators that includes himself, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, and Steven T. Seagle.
ABOUT PAUL FRY
Paul Fry is a UK based comic book artist having worked for DC, Heavy Metal Magazine and Marvel Comics. He was the artist on the Alpha and Omega 30th Anniversary Spider-Man 2099 Exodus series and has contributed to the Star Wars universe on titles such as Star Wars: Life Day, Han Solo and Chewbacca, Star Wars Revelations, and The Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary one-shot, Max Rebo.