Posted in: Archie, Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News | Tagged: jaguar, Keryl Brown Ahmed, Tango

Archie Comics Brings Back The Jaguar for 2024

Keryl Brown Ahmed and Turtles artist Tango are bringing back The Jaguar to Archie Comics in February 2024 in a new one-shot.

Keryl Brown Ahmed and Turtles artist Tango are bringing back The Jaguar to Archie Comics in February 2024 in a new one-shot that may signal more to come, with Ivette Velez, the most recent hero to assume the mantle of The Jaguar, whose legacy dates back to the Silver Age of comics. "The character's long history and many iterations provided a great creative foundation for me while also leaving plenty of room to explore The Jaguar's character in ways that felt exciting and authentic," Ahmed said. "I'm very grateful to Archie Comics for entrusting me with her, and I'm excited to see where she goes next!"

In the new one-shot, Ivette, a zoologist, is called to Peru to investigate a mysterious predator killing off wild cats, but she soon finds herself in its sights instead. The story serves as both an introduction to the character for new readers and a follow-up to Ivette's adventures chronicled in the 2012 series New Crusaders, where she debuted in a story by Ian Flynn and Ben Bates. The Jaguar follows last year's Bob Phantom by James III and next month's Darkling by Sarah Kuhn in reviving Archie superheroes for a new generation.

"When bringing these classic superheroes back to life, it's our mission to handle each one with care, crafting a story that balances enough familiarity for readers who are aware of the character, with a clear jumping-on point for new readers that we hope turn into new fans," said Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante. "The Jaguar is a spiritual successor to Darkling and Bob Phantom; all origin stories that are less about our heroes discovering their powers, and more about understanding what having these powers means."

The Jaguar first appeared in 1961's Adventures Of The Jaguar #1 as Ralph Hardy, in a story by Robert Bernstein and John Rosenberger. Ralph, an archaeologist and zoologist, discovers a magical totem in Peru granting him animalistic powers and senses. In New Crusaders, Ralph passed the mantle to Ivette, and in Ahmed's new story, her powers are reconciled with her ancestry.

"I took the opportunity to address the provenance of The Jaguar's powers and how they're Ivette's birthright even before Hardy bestows the Jaguar suit upon her, whereas Hardy sort of stumbled upon them on his travels," Ahmed explained. "Ivette's destiny may have been written by her ancestors, but she feels so disconnected from her Peruvian heritage that she has to literally walk the halls of their civilization to fully activate the powers within her."

Given the character's rich history spanning several milestone eras of superhero comics, Tango says he drew on classic superhero action for inspiration when developing the comic's dramatic visuals and updated look for the characters. "There's nothing I love more than really getting to dig in on the physicality of the characters," they said. "The thing that excited me the most about the project was finding the roots of the Crusaders brand stretch all the way back to the days of Alex Toth and Steve Ditko. Those names hold a real sense of reverence. So, contributing in any way to the timeline of these characters came with a very real sense of responsibility for me."

The Jaguar with a cover by Maria Sanapo, an open-to-order variant cover by Reiko Murakami, colors by Ellie Wright, and lettering by Jack Morelli, is published on the 21st of February, 2024.

THE JAGUAR #1
Something is killing the Pampas cats of Northern Peru. A group of zoologists has come together to investigate these mysterious slayings. They know the culprit is a bird of prey, but the method of killing is unlike any of the birds local to the region. It's going to take someone with apex predator abilities to find out who's causing these murders…someone like Ivette Velez, aka The Jaguar! But will the predator become the prey?
(W) Keryl Brown Ahmed (A) Tango (CA) Maria Sanapo, Ellie Wright, Reiko Murakami
Colors: Ellie Wright, Letters: Jack Morelli
On Sale Date: 2/21 $3.99

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