The critically acclaimed Mech Cadets franchise from BOOM! Studios is returning to comic bookshelves for a long-anticipated sequel. The original Mech Cadet Yu series has already returned for a new re-launch collection called Mech Cadets Book One Softcover, collecting all 12 issues into one release. The new release arrives to promote the upcoming animated series adaptation from Netflix, coming this summer and currently slotted for an August 10 premiere.

Mech Cadet Yu fans will be happy to learn the good news rages on, as BOOM! Studios announces it will be releasing a sequel to the original series. The sequel series will be titled Mech Cadets and will be compiled by the creative team of co-creators Greg Pak (Darth Vader) and Takeshi Miyazawa (Ms. Marvel), with colors by Ian Herring (Deadpool) and letters by Simon Bowland (Mech Cadet Yu). Below, readers can check out Takeshi Miyazawa and Ian Herring’s main cover art, as well as variants from Sonny Liew, Junggeun Yoon, and Takeshi Miyazawa. The first issue of Mech Cadets will be releasing on August 9, the day before Netflix premieres the animated series.

Mech Cadets Is Back!

The story sees the return of fan-favorite characters Stanford Yu, Olivia Park, Maya Sanchez, and Frank Olivetti, fresh off of saving the world from the threat of a Sharg invasion. At the same time, the Sky Corps Central Command and the cadets will need to come to terms with the fact that there’s a new most powerful person on the planet: teenage Suprarobo Hero Force 2 pilot Mech Cadet Olivia Park. Meanwhile, the threat of the Sharg takes on a whole new dimension with a shocking revelation that threatens everything the heroes know about their robos and themselves! A preview for what is to come in this follow-up series can be read below.

A Preview of Mech Cadets’ New Series

Furthermore, co-creator Greg Pak hinted at what’s to come in a press release, confirming that with a new sequel, readers will get to see their favorite characters be a little older while the ambitious sci-fi world around them becomes even more complex as the lore expands. Pak says:

Tak’s bringing all his magic to every page and every panel, with that special combination of incredible genre thrills, amazing humor, and fantastic emotional subtlety. And all of our characters are a bit older and the world has gotten a bit more complex, with some shocking twists and challenges. I’m biased, of course, but it feels vital and real and just as fun as ever, and I can’t wait for y’all to see it!

The most interesting prospect about this sequel is that the creative team who were onboard last time have become older and wiser themselves, thus they have a chance to bring those refined skills into making an even better story. Series artist Miyazawa adds:

I’m thrilled to be able to work with Greg again on the next chapter of the Mech Cadet Yu series. I’ve missed these characters and can’t wait to dive back into the world and experience the ups and downs that Greg is so wonderful at creating. The first series was a big test for my skills as an artist and I’m eager to face new artistic challenges and visualize the world once again.

BOOM! Studios is set to release Mech Cadets #1 on August 9, with the option to pre-order either at local comic book shops or digitally via streaming providers like comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle.