BOOM! Studios is thrilled to announce MECH CADET YU, a new monthly series launching in August from longtime collaborators Greg Pak (The Incredible Hulk, War Machine) and Takeshi Miyazawa (Ms. Marvel, Runaways). The pair has worked together in the past on projects like Code Monkey Save World and ABC Disgusting, and are widely known for the creation of Amadeus Cho, who would eventually star in Marvel’s Totally Awesome Hulk.
Mech Cadet Yu is the story of Stanford Yu, a young janitor who is unexpectedly chosen to join the sacred ranks of the mech cadets at Sky Corps Academy. Once a year, giant robots from outer space come to Earth to bond with the cadets to defend the world from terrifying aliens known as the Sharg. After he unintentionally bonds with his robot, Yu is thrown into training, hoping to prove he is worthy of being there at all.
“I love giant robots. And I love quirky, personal stories about lonely kids trying to find their crew and mission in the world,” says Pak. “So many of the stories I’ve written over the years are rooted in things I loved the most when I was 10 years old—like giant robots, natch. It’s a thrill to finally be writing that kind of story from the point of view of a character who’s an actual kid. And I’m excited to be writing multi-dimensional Asian American lead characters in a genre that’s so beloved by so many Asian Americans, but seldom features them.”
“To me, working with Greg Pak is a chance to work on something special,” adds Miyazawa. “Mech Cadet Yu is one of those special projects, an underdog story about beating the odds, making friends, and kicking alien butt in giant robots. When he came to me with the idea, it was something I couldn’t turn down.”
“Tak’s got an incredible ability to bring out all the emotional nuance and humor that makes the friendships and rivalries of young characters feel utterly real and relatable,” praises Pak. “And he draws giant robots like nobody’s business. He’s delivering fun and wonder in every page and every panel.”
Mech Cadet Yu #1 features covers by Miyazawa, Marcus To (Joyride), and Juan Doe (Uncanny X-Men).
In August, print copies of Mech Cadet Yu #1 will be available for sale at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! webstore. Digital copies will be available to purchase on digital book marketplaces, including ComiXology and the BOOM! Studios app.
BOOM! Studios announces the creative team for SISTERS OF SORROW, the first original series created exclusively for comic books by Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter. Launching in July, Bram Stoker Award-nominated novelist Courtney Alameda (Shutter) and breakthrough artist Hyeonjin Kim join Sutter for a revenge story he describes as, “Nuns with guns.”
“I really love to f— with genre,” declares Sutter. “With Sisters of Sorrow we’ve created what presumably just looks like high camp and kickass action, but right below the surface, we reveal three-dimensional women, struggling with real-life abuse and the scars of deep emotional pain. At its core, weaved in and out of the action-packed narrative and amazing artwork, SOS is about abused women empowering themselves. We actually get to tell stories that matter. Like with SOA, it might be the flash of guns and leather that entice you to show up, but it’s the characters and their struggle that keeps you coming back.”
By day, Dominique, Misha, Sarah, and Greta run a nonprofit women’s shelter. At night, they each don a nun’s habit and move through Los Angeles hunting down violent abusers who have escaped justice. Their increasingly public vigilantism has earned them the nickname, “Sisters of Sorrow”—and has drawn the ire of L.A.’s notorious anti-crime task force.
“As a woman who’s experienced intimate partner abuse—and watched her friends deal with it as well—I can’t lie, Sisters of Sorrow is cathartic to write,” says Alameda. “And while I may personally identify with the issues that Dominique, Misha, Sarah, and Greta each face, I also believe the story of their crusade for justice will resonate broadly with readers, too. Who can say they haven’t secretly dreamt of meting out justice to their bullies or abusers? And as someone who grew up watching Westerns with her father, I love the way Sisters of Sorrow subverts the stereotypical vigilante tale and puts the power in the victims’ own hands. Dominique, Misha, Sarah, and Greta don’t need a man to save them—they can save their own damn selves.”
“The main focus of Sisters of Sorrow is that the female characters are antiheroes. Despite prior challenges in their life, they strive to overcome them,“ adds Kim. “As an Asian woman, it means a lot for me to work on a project like this since it defies the racial and sexual standards and expectations of society. It is a project that introduces harmony amongst female characters of different races, while presenting them as strong, individual women who strive to solve social problems.”
Sisters of Sorrow is the latest project Sutter has worked on with BOOM! Studios, having supervised original stories in the publisher’s hit Sons of Anarchy comic book series (including the current Sons of Anarchy Redwood Original title) and launching an original supernatural series, Lucas Stand.
Sisters of Sorrow #1 features covers by Jae Lee (The Inhumans, The Dark Tower: Gunslinger Born) and Andre De Freitas (Evil Empire). Print copies will be available for sale at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! webstore. Digital copies will be available to purchase on digital book marketplaces, including ComiXology and the BOOM! Studios app.