Dynamite Entertainment is teaming with Warner Bros. and writer Jason Aaron for the first-ever Thundarr the Barbarian comic book series, more than 40 years after the cult-favorite cartoon’s original run. The new series will launch in January with interior art by Kewber Baal.
The original Thundarr the Barbarian aired for two seasons in the early 1980s, mixing post-apocalyptic adventure, fantasy and science fiction elements. The show was the creation of Steve Gerber of Howard the Duck and Man-Thing fame, with production design contributions from The King, Jack Kirby, and the legendary Alex Toth, among others — a group of creators that has long made fans wonder why Thundarr never made the leap to comics.
(It almost did, once upon a time).
That gap is finally being filled by Aaron, known for acclaimed runs on Thor, Conan the Barbarian, and Star Wars. In Dynamite’s announcement, Aaron said:
“Thundarr the Barbarian isn’t simply my all-time favorite Saturday morning cartoon. It’s a fundamental component of my DNA as a writer… In a career full of dream jobs, this one will most assuredly go down as one of the dreamiest.”
Aaron elaborated further on his Substack newsletter, noting how the cartoon’s mix of “post-apocalyptic, swords and sorcery, super science, and Star Wars” influences shaped his storytelling career.
“Without the world of Thundarr, Ariel and Ookla the Mok taking root inside my head, I maybe never write Thor: God of Thunder or The Life and Death of Conan,” Aaron wrote. “Thundarr is the dragon I’ve been chasing for 40 years. And I finally caught it.”
The new comic features Thundarr, Princess Ariel, and Ookla the Mok as they battle to free humanity from mutants and wizards — including villains like Gemini and Mindok the Mind Menace. The series will also reveal Thundarr’s origin story and how he first came to wield his signature Sunsword.
Preview art from issue #1 features several familiar creatures from the cartoon, such as the River Pirates, Carocs, Groundlings and Man-Apes.
As Aaron put it, this isn’t just a nostalgic revival but a chance to expand the mythology:
“With this book, I’m trying to be very precious about preserving the feel and spirit of the original cartoon, while also pushing the violence and tone a bit further than the show was allowed to do… I want this story to feel weighty and important, like this adventure is a fundamental piece of the world’s lore,” Aaron said.
Thundarr the Barbarian #1 arrives from Dynamite Entertainment in January 2026. Check out variant covers for the first issue by Rob Liefeld, Björn Barends and Francesco Mattina:
