The iconic ’90s cartoon Gargoyles has a wide and passionate following, even after two and a half decades since its cancelation. The show was followed with a few brief comics’ series, but it has always been deserving of a reboot. Now Disney and Dynamite Comics are set to revisit the world of Goliath and his clan, but that is leaving some fans wondering what stories are canon and which are not, and Greg Weisman has the answers.
Goliath is a gargoyle, a powerful winged creature who turns to stone at the first light of dawn and reawakens with the setting sun. Leader of a large clan, Goliath and his kin were charged with protecting their home, a first century Scottish castle, and the humans who inhabited it. However, they were betrayed and the majority of the clan was smashed. The few that escaped were cursed to sleep until the castle rose above the clouds. That prophecy was fulfilled in 1994, forcing Goliath and his remaining followers into the modern world of Manhattan where they swore to uphold their oaths as protectors of mankind.
This was the plot of the Disney afternoon cartoon, Gargoyles. The more serious tone and nature of the show struck a chord with audiences, who kept the fandom alive despite the show only lasting two seasons. Marvel created a comic series based on the show, but it too was canceled. SLG then created two series that continued the show plot in the early 2000s. Now, Dynamite Comics is launching its own series coming in December which is set to continue the adventures of the gargoyle clan, but with so many conflicitng stories and comics, fans are wondering which ones are going to be treated as canonical. In an interview with CBR, Weisman gave his answer:
Canon is the 65 episodes of Season 1 and 2 of Gargoyles (which originally aired from 1994-1996), plus the twelve issues of the SLG [Slave Labor Graphics] Gargoyles comic from earlier this century, and the six issues of the SLG Gargoyles: Bad Guys comic from that same time. Issue #1 of the new Gargoyles comic from Dynamite is set a few months after the last SLG issue.
Goliath’s Story Continues
When it comes to Gargoyles, there is not a more authoritative voice on the subject. Weisman is not only the writer for the new Dynamite series, but was the co-creator of the 90s show (which coincidentally featured a strange amount of Star Trek actors.) Joining him in this next generation of Gargoyles storytelling is artist and colorist George Kambadais and letterer Jeff Eckleberry. David Nakayama has also announced that he will be doing cover work for the series. This is an exciting new chapter for the Gargoyles and Weisman, but with so much time having gone by since the end of the show and comics, a whole generation of fans can now get to know Goliath, Brooklyn, Hudson, Lexington, Broadway, and Bronx.
Thankfully, according to Weisman, the new Dynamite Gargoyles series is up to the task of pleasing old and new fans:
Nate and I agreed from the beginning that we wanted this series to be an entry point for new fans, as well as a treat for old fans, so we’re reintroducing all concepts from scratch. We didn’t want the first few issues to be solid exposition or flashbacks, so there are certain aspects that we glide over, acknowledging but not explaining, because they aren’t immediately relevant to the story at hand. But given enough issues, we’ll get to everything. And hopefully, there’s enough intriguing content in these first few issues that readers new to the property will be hooked.
A thousand years ago superstition and the sword ruled, or so states the opening monologue of the ’90s cartoon. However, much like the titular characters of that show it was put to slumber. Now, after several decades of rest, the Gargoyles are returning thanks to Disney and Dynamite Comics, and fans have an answer to what stories will influence this new series.
Gargoyles #1 will be available on December 7, 2022, from Dynamite Comics.
