Iconic sci-fi heroine Barbarella is returning to the pages of comics for her 55th anniversary, thanks to Dynamite comics. First published in the pages of the French V Magazine in 1962, Barbarella caused something of a scandal for being one of the first 'adult' (erotic) comic book characters in Europe. This "modern" and "liberated" woman enjoyed plenty of inter-planetary adventures, and would give Captain Kirk a run for his money when it comes to liasons with the aliens that they meet.

Barbarella first found her way on to the big screen in 1968, and has since become a pop culture staple. A TV adaptation was even announced as in the works in 2014, but that seems to be languishing in development hell. Now, however, Barbarella is returning to the pages of comics, with a whole new series to mark her anniversary.

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The series will be published by Dynamite Entertainment, and is slated to appear in stores this December. The comic will be drawn by Kenan Yarar and written by Mike Carey, with brand custodian Jean-Marc Lofficier as consulting editor. This will be Barbarella's first time back in print in over 35 years, and her first time in an American comic book.

[vn_gallery name="Barbarella Comic Book Covers" id="1069184"]

The team is thrilled to be working on the project, and Dynamite CEO/Publisher Nick Barrucci spoke about how excited Dyanmite is to be publishing such an iconic character again:

We are extremely proud to not only be the first publisher to bring the iconic character back to print in more than 35 years, but to be the premiere American publisher to have the honor in Barbarella's history. To be able to work together with the incredible talents of Mike Carey, now combined with the artistic brilliance of Kenan Yarar, we're certain we've brought in the perfect team to do her legacy justice.  I cannot thank Jean-Marc and the estate enough for bestowing this honor on us

The new comic is sure to make long-time Barbarella fans happy, and should it be successful, it may even provide the impetus needed to bring that live-action adaptation into active development once more. However, it will be interesting to see how the new series changes Barbarella, who may be 'liberated', but whose feminism will potentially need an update for new readers. It has not yet been revealed how much will change from the original, as the new comic will clearly strive to pay proper homage to the comics from the '60s without becoming imitative or campy. It's a tall order for any team, but it sounds like the creative minds behind Barbarella will be up to the challenge.

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Barbarella is slated for release this December.

Source: Dynamite Entertainment