Robert Kirkman’s imprint readies its next big thing!
Article by Paul Dunne
21st February 2025
Writer Benito Cereno, artist E.J. Su, colourist MSassyK, and letterer Rus Wooton are about to drop Blood & Thunder on you!
Based on an original concept from Skybound chief Robert Kirkman, this new action epic will arrive at your local comic shop on 7th May. Kirkman is consulting on the story.
Set in a far future where Earth has integrated alien species into a new society, Blood & Thunder plays by a whole new set of rules…and a whole load of new crimes to solve.
Bounty hunter Akeldama “Blood” Bledsoe and her cantankerous talking gun, Thunder, are the best there is at bringing in the bad guys. However, when the galaxy’s most dangerous criminal breaks out of prison, Blood’s hunt delivers her down a path that will unlock secrets about her past, present, and future… and that’s when things get REALLY BAD.
Cover B by David Lopez
“Blood & Thunder is a concept I’ve been dying to share with the world for quite some time. I'm so thrilled to be on the cusp of debuting what Benito Cereno, E.J. Su & I have cooked up,” said Robert Kirkman. “Monsters! Aliens! Space! Talking Guns! I dare you to find a comic that’s more exciting! Blood & Thunder! Shut up!”
Cover C (1:10 Incentive) by Andie Tong & Rex Lokus
“What happens when the best fighter in the colony finally finds something to fight for? That’s what we’re hoping to find out in Blood & Thunder, a book where E.J. Su and I have been given room to stretch our legs in exploring strange new worlds and the people who inhabit them,” added Benito Cereno. “I can’t wait for everyone to see the vibrant and explosive energy E.J. brings to each new environment, alien and familiar all at once.”
“I am thrilled to be partnered up with my old friend Benito, and working with Robert again is icing on the cake,” said E.J. Su. “If you love monsters, aliens, creatures, and going on adventures in strange new worlds, you're going to love this. It was a blast dreaming up different environments and the inhabitants of those particular environments. There is also a lot of action, what else can you ask for? I can't wait for everyone to see what we have been cooking up.”
Cover D (1:25 Incentive) by Bernard Chang
Skybound has been having its best-ever creative period of late, finding success with a host of licensed properties ranging from Hasbro’s G.I. Joe and Transformers which have been grouped together to form The Energon Universe and includes original title Void Rivals, to The Universal Monsters legacy.
Both the Energon Universe and The Universal Monsters series have attracted the very best in creators, including Daniel Warren Johnson (on Transformers), Ram V (who recently did a stellar run on DC’s Detective Comics), Dan Watters (whose Homesick Pilots proved to be a hit for Image) and Martin Simmonds who drew Department of Truth, another Image hit.
Optimus Prime by Daniel Warren Johnson
Will Skybound continue their streak? Highly likely! "You can immediately tell how much the creative team loves sci-fi storytelling,” said Nachie Marsham, Senior Editor at Skybound. “Blood & Thunder brings a mix of high-octane ass-kickery with epic scope and a deep desire to grab readers and keep them guessing. The world is big, the story is focused, and the art is a blast!"
In addition to the main cover by E.J. Su and MSassyK, the lineup of variant covers for Blood & Thunder #1 also includes an open-to-order cover by David Lopez, a 1:10 incentive variant cover by Andie Tong and Rex Lokus, a 1:25 incentive variant cover by Bernard Chang, a 1:50 incentive variant cover by J. Scott Campbell, and a blank sketch cover.
Cover F Blank Sketch Cover (obvs.)
The full list of covers is below:
Blood & Thunder #1 Cover A by E.J. Su & MSassyK
Blood & Thunder #1 Cover B by David Lopez
Blood & Thunder #1 Cover C (1:10 Incentive) by Andie Tong & Rex Lokus
Blood & Thunder #1 Cover D (1:25 Incentive) by Bernard Chang
Blood & Thunder #1 Cover E (1:50 Incentive) by J. Scott Campbell
Blood & Thunder #1 Cover F Blank Sketch Cover
Get the covers when Blood & Thunder arrives at your local comic shop 7th May. Help them out by pre-ordering the book now!
Cover A by E.J. Su & MSassyK