Boom! continues its week of NYCC announcements with confirmation of a new, on-going WWE series. Launching in January 2017, the new series picks up where November’s upcoming WWE: Then. Now. Forever one-shot leaves off.
The cover features WWE’s “Shield” and former World Heavyweight Champion and current COO Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Going by the official solicit, it looks like the series is going to take WWE storylines and flesh them out with added drama. The first storyline, “Breaking of the Shield” follows up from the June 2, 2014 installment of Monday Night Raw, in which Shield member Seth Rollins took a steel chair to the backs of his allies Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. Rollins would defect from the Shield to align with Triple H’s Authority, and go on to become the World Heavyweight Champion at Wrestlemania the following year. It’s no surprise the trio is the subject of the first series. The Shield’s popularity was only eclipsed by the careers of the members as they went on to a singles career. Just a few months ago, the three fought each other for the first time in a Triple Threat match, with Ambrose coming out as the World Heavyweight Champion before being drafted to the Smackdown brand.
It remains to be seen how the stories are going to build on the existing storylines, be it re-telling or by infusing additional drama, or move on to original stories set in the WWE Universe. It also remains to be seen if the stories will be told chronologically, or if the series is treated as an anthology.
I’ve been reading WWE comics since ’97, and this already looks a far cry better than Image’s Undertaker comics. Boom!’s official solicit follows.
WWE #1
Ongoing series
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writers: Dennis Hopeless, Ross Thibodeaux
Artists: Eduard Petrovich, Rob Guillory
Main cover artist: Dan Mora
Format: 32 pages, full color
Price: $3.99
On sale: January, 2017
Synopsis:
BOOM! Studios is proud to present the most authentic line of ongoing WWE comics. Each issue will feature your favorite Superstars in stories that go beyond what you’ve seen on TV.
The first story arcs detail the “Breaking of The Shield.”
Seth Rollins. Roman Reigns. Dean Ambrose. Together they formed The Shield, one of the most dominant factions in WWE history—until the ultimate opportunist Seth chose to betray the group at the behest of Triple H, the “King of Kings” who has cemented himself as the authority in control of WWE.
Now, following a near career-ending injury, Seth is back on the hunt for the WWE Championship, a journey that will send him on a collision course with his former brothers…
Includes a backup story starring The New Day by Ross Thibodeaux (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2016 Annual) and Rob Guillory (Chew).
