New Crusaders
| New Crusaders | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Archie Comics/Red Circle Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | May 2012 - March 2013 |
| No. of issues | 6 |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Ian Flynn |
| Penciller(s) | Ben Bates |
| Inker(s) | Gary Martin |
| Letterer(s) | John Workman |
| Colorist(s) | Matt Herms |
The New Crusaders is a fictional superhero team and their eponymous title published by Archie Comics' imprint Red Circle Comics. A revamp of the previously published Mighty Crusaders title, New Crusaders follows the sons and daughters of the original Mighty Crusaders as they acquire their own powers and attempt to become superheroes. The series was written by regular Sonic the Hedgehog writer Ian Flynn and ended on a cliffhanger.
The first issue of New Crusaders was released digitally on May 16, 2012, through Archie Comics' Red Circle app, with print publication set to begin monthly on September 5, 2012. The digital release was part of a partnership between Archie and iVerse Media and the subscription also gave readers access to an archive of older Archie superhero comics.
The initial story arc, Rise of the Heroes, ended with the shock death of Fireball, a decision made to ramp up the stakes and to remove the most grounded character, leaving the others at a disadvantage. Editor Paul Kaminski also said this was in response to reader feedback: "They've said, "This is awesome, but give us more action. Give us more realism in there." That's what we're doing."
During the first storyline, Archie announced a spinoff called Lost Crusade which would run every fifth week and fill in the gaps between the 1980s Red Circle comics & New Crusaders; the first writers announced were Chuck Dixon and Flynn. After six months, Archie went for same-day print and digital releases and Paul Kaminski announced the second arc: "we’re going to be exploring just how deeply that hell has burned this team (pun fully intended), and just what in the world Brain Emperor is after. Or should I say, what in the world(s)?" Lost Crusade was announced as going monthly. Archie's co-CEO Jon Goldwater said the New Crusaders: Dark Tomorrow arc would start "in May" in a January 1, 2013 interview and two #1 covers were released. However, neither Dark Tomorrow or Lost Crusade(after the Prelude) would come out.
Incoming Red Circle editor Alex Segura mentioned "[I] have a great fondness for New Crusaders and the stuff that book aimed to do" in a March 2014 interview, but announced that Archie was not going to continue it: "These won’t be all-ages superhero books that we hope will appeal to older readers. As much as I love New Crusaders, it won’t be a direct follow-up to that. If you want an idea of what we’re shooting for, Afterlife with Archie is your best example. We see the Red Circle expansion as a continuation of the success of Afterlife." On July 10, 2014, Archie Comics announced another relaunch of their superhero line as Dark Circle Comics.New Crusaders: Dark Tomorrow Special #1 was released in March 2015 under the Dark Circle Comics imprint but still featuring the Red Circle versions of the characters.
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