In May, DC Comics launched a new publishing line where A-list comics creators took iconic characters and properties from the Hanna-Barbera library and reinvented them for comics. For those not in the know, the initial lineup consisted of: Scooby Apocalypse, Future Quest, Wacky Wasteland, and The Flintstones. All four titles debuted to varying degrees of success, with Scooby Apocalypse and Future Quest being the the best-reviewed and highest-selling books of the lineup.
Now, we’ve learned that the line will expand with two new titles. One will spin out of a current title and the other will bring another well-known cartoon family to comics for the first time.
At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, buried under all the chaos and news coverage of that event was the news that acclaimed comics writer Garth Ennis (Preacher, Punisher MAX, 2000 AD) has been tapped to pen a new comic book title centered around Wacky Racers villain Dastardly and his dog companion Muttley, appropriately titled Dastardly & Muttley.
(Image from Wacky Raceland, published by DC Comics)
Announced by editor Marie Javins during a press event at SDCC 2016, it was implied that Ennis’ book will spin out of Ken Pontac and Leonardo Manco’s current series Wacky Raceland and will supposedly follow the further adventures that title’s post-apocalyptic versions of the characters.
In issue #2 of Wacky Raceland, it was revealed that Dick Dastardly had a family before the apocalypse swept the globe. The opportunity to resurrect his dead family is the driving force behind why he and the cybernetically-enhanced Muttley take part in the Mad Max-style death race that is the focus of the series.
An artist has yet to be picked and a release date has yet to be announced, but it’s worth noting that Wacky Raceland will end soon with issue #6 in November, so it’s a possibility that Dastardly & Muttley might take its place.
(Image courtesy of Bleeding Cool)
On the other side of the Hanna-Barbera spectrum, DC Comics recently made the announcement at this year’s Baltimore Diamond Retailers Summit that The Jetsons will arrive to comics for the first time, with the super-star creative team of Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti (Harley Quinn) writing and drawing the book. Judging from the image released below, Conner and Palmiotti’s Jetsons looks to be a fresh and modern (no pun intended) spin on the characters for a post-Modern Family audience, in the same vein as Mark Russel and Steve Pugh’s current run on The Flintstones. Coincidentally, Amanda Conner teased at this year’s WonderCon that she was working on concept designs for Jetsons characters after providing concept designs for The Flintstones, while Palmiotti was hatching possible storylines. Much like Dastardly & Muttley, The Jetsons does not have a targeted release date.
The Hanna-Barbera Beyond books are available at your local comics shop and on digital platforms. Scooby Apocalypse #5, Future Quest #5, Wacky Raceland #4, and The Flintstones #3 are scheduled to hit shelves this month.
What do you think? Any thoughts on the writers/artists picked for these new titles? If you are a comic book reader, which book in the Hanna-Barbera line is your
