IDW announces Rogue Trooper creative team

The big blue guy will have a full squad of writers and pencilers on hand when he debuts in publisher IDW’s new series.

“Rogue Trooper is likely the most recognizable 2000 AD character not named Dredd, and it’s extremely exciting to have the opportunity to reintroduce the character to an all-new audience,” editor Denton J. Tipton says. “Brian and Alberto are longtime fans of the strip, and will bring a fresh spin on Nu-Earth while retaining a healthy respect for the original material. And with gripping covers by Glenn and James, the series is practically going to leap off the rack right into your face.”

Tipton is talking about the newest members of Rogue Trooper’s brigade- cover artists Glenn Fabry and James Stokoe there. As you can tell from the promo shot, the cover art for the series is set be something that’s sure to catch a few eyes. Joining them on the front lines of Nu-Earth will be series writer Brian Ruckley and artist Alberto Ponticelli, who’ll be handling the interiors.

It’s a great team that IDW has assembled to do justice to one of the longest-running heroes from the 2000AD stable. In fact, Tipton is probably on the money when he says that Rogue Trooper is the most recognizable name outside of Dredd in the company’s history.

If you don’t know him, Rogue Trooper is a genetically-modified soldier from the far future. His Earth, called Nu-Earth, is a wreck and a shadow of the world that we know now that’s been decimated by war. RT has, as his name suggests, gone rogue from his unit after he was betrayed and now scours what’s left of the world for answers and a future for himself.

IDW will be producing both an all-new Rogue Trooper series in 2014 and a reprint run of the original 2000AD imprinted comic from the 1980’s. That’s particularly cool as those issues, some of which come form some of the biggest names in British comics (like Dave Gibbons) haven’t been seen in print in a long, long time.

Watch for both some time next year.