The much anticipated Lilo & Stitch comic has introduced the franchise’s brand-new villain – the Cluster Sovereign. In what may be a perfect danger for everyone’s favorite ‘ohana, the Sovereign doesn’t want to defeat or eliminate Stitch – they want an army of him.
In a preview for the comic shared by AIPT Comics, Hawaiian hijinks ensue, but the big news is getting to see the franchise’s new characters. The Cluster Sovereign, a small gold robot that floats in a UFO-shaped body, leads two robots on a break-in of Jumba’s lab. The Sovereign and their incredibly polite shark robots are trying to track down Stitch and his DNA to make their drones more aggressive and destructive in a bid to overthrow the Galactic Federation.
Announced at NYCC 2023, the new Lilo & Stitch series promises an international adventure for the duo. The new comic, by writer Greg Pak (Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker) and Guilia Giacomino (Into the Unknown) takes place in movie continuity, set after the original film.
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Lilo & Stitch’s Cluster Sovereign Is Bringing an Alien Army to Hawaii
Stitch Is the DNA Template for a Vicious New Army
Giancomino’s art keeps to the curved, soft aesthetic of the original movie – the new villains may be dangerous, giant robots, but they’re still very cute and cuddly. Meanwhile, Greg Pak’s writing also shows the balance between comedy and sci-fi, and captures Lilo’s unflappable personality in the face of plasma bombs. The series picks up after the events of the movie, so Lilo & Stitch’s family extends to aliens Dr. Jumba and Agent Pleakley, social worker Cobra Bubbles, and David, now officially Nani’s boyfriend. All will have to work together to protect their semi-peaceful life from the Cluster Sovereign.
There have been other comics featuring Stitch, but both were manga, translated by TOKYOPOP. They also acted as alternate-universe stories for the alien, pairing him with a young Japanese girl in Stitch!, and a “what if” story about his ship crash-landing in Sengoku-era Japan with Stitch & the Samurai. Dynamite Comics points out the new series is the first of its kind, keeping to the movie-canon storyline. This is also Dynamite & Disney’s first original comic series focusing on a theatrical Disney hero; Dynamite has had great success with its Disney Villains line, with multiple series starring Scar, Hades, Maleficent, and Cruella De Vil. They’re also expanding into comic versions of cult-favorite Disney Afternoon classics Gargoyles and Darkwing Duck.
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Stitch! | Stitch & the Samurai |
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Yumi Tsukurino | Hiroto Wada |
352 pages | 564 pages |
August 30, 2016 | September 12, 2023 |
Lilo & Stitch Pay Off the Promise of an International Adventure
The Cluster Sovereign Will Chase Lilo and Stitch to New York and India
Solicits for future issues show Lilo & Stitch hitting New York City, followed by India, as the Cluster Sovereign hunts them down around the globe. While Stitch may try to escape to avoid putting his family in danger, this group have learned that they solve their problems best when they all work together. It’s currently unknown if any of Jumba’s 628 other experiments will make an appearance, and if they would help or hinder the villain in his evil plan. Based on the preview and the talent behind the pages, only one thing is for certain: the Lilo & Stitch comic will have exciting sci-fi adventure, but also the emotion that made the 22-year-old movie an instant classic. Lilo & Stitch will have a lot of fun, but the new villain the Cluster Sovereign won’t make it easy for them.
LILO & STITCH #1 (2024) | |
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Lilo & Stitch #1 will be available January 31, 2024 from Dynamite Comics.
