Following its announcement last fall, Mad Cave Studios has revealed its comic book continuation of the classic sci-fi adventure film The Last Starfighter will begin on July 1. Written by Benjamin Raab and Deric A. Hughes (Quantum Leap, Arrow), with art by Willi Roberts (Antarctica), the book will pick up 40 years after the movie, which saw teenage gamer Alex Rogan (played by Lance Guest) become an alien hero.
The official synopsis says, “Small-town teenager Alex Rogan has already saved multiple worlds. But that was only the beginning of his story. Forty years after the cult-classic movie that pioneered CGI and inspired generations of fans, an all-new story picks up from the end credits and takes off for the stars! Now the leader… and sole member… of the Star League, Alex must rebuild the galaxy’s only defense force against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada. Introducing a new cast of Starfighters alongside fan-favorite faces — and new killers and cutthroats in the shadowy employ of the Ko-Dan — The Last Starfighter #1 launches a sci-fi legacy to new heights!”
Benjamin Raab states, “Back in the ‘80s, The Last Starfighter was the ultimate fantasy for every kid who grew up playing arcade games. Each quarter we fed into those machines was a ticket to a galaxy where we got to be the heroes of our own stories. It was the kind of wish-fulfillment that children of all ages can still relate to today. As a lifelong fan of the movie, I’m honored to be a part of the team continuing this adventure for a new generation of Starfighters, both young and old.”
Deric A. Hughes adds, “In the movie The Last Starfighter, Alex Rogan is told that when an opportunity comes your way, you’ve got to grab it with both hands and hold on tight! So when the fine folks at Mad Cave, along with [producer] Paul Davidson and creator Jonathan Betuel himself, asked us if we’d like to help craft an exciting new spacefaring tale with the characters Alex, Maggie, Grig, and Centauri vs. the Ko-Dan Armada, that’s exactly what Ben and I did. And now, we hope our story inspires you enough to grab a copy with both hands and hold on tight, too.”
Willi Roberts shares, “When I was contacted to work on The Last Starfighter, I was really excited. I remember watching that movie as a very young child, and when we discussed with the team everything we could contribute to this story to make it grow, I understood that we had a great franchise in front of us. When I told my colleagues, they all had a great affection for that movie. So I can guarantee that it will be a sequel that will bring a lot of mixed emotions and a great sense of adventure.”
As Hughes mentions, Jonathan Betuel, who wrote the original film, is involved in the comic. He states, “Chronicling and expanding the ‘Heart Over Hardware’ adventures of a trailer park hayseed as he saves the whales, the universe, and those he loves with Mad Cave’s talented team has been a blast!” Others working on the comic include colorist Francesco Segala, letterer Rob Jones, and cover artists Taurin Clarke, Rahzzah, David LaFuente, and Stephanie Hans (the latter two of whom’s variants for the first issue will be revealed at a later date.)
Directed by Nick Castle, The Last Starfighter was a moderate critical and financial success on its release in 1984, and marked one of the first films to use computer-generated imagery. It received a novelization by Alan Dean Foster, a comic book adaptation from Marvel (by Bill Mantlo, Bret Blevins, and Tony Salmons), video game adaptations, and even an off-Broadway musical. A sequel was being developed by Betuel and Gary Whitta (Rogue One), but there has been no word on the project since 2020. In the meantime, Mad Cave will rerelease the Marvel adaptation on June 23. The first order cut-off date for the new issue #1 will come beforehand on June 8.
