After a long hiatus, Milestone Comics is returning with three new digital-first comics series that offer new takes on their iconic superheroes. The publisher has announced the creative teams for their rebooted titles Static, Hardware, and Icon and Rocket.
As previously announced during DC FanDome, the diverse and inclusive comics publisher is making a big comeback, following several years without new content. When artist and creator Denys Cowan revealed the plans in September, a one-shot preview issue of 17 pages titled “Milestone Zero” was released for a limited time to give fans a taste of the upcoming reboot. Today, the “extended cut” titled Milestone Returns #0: Infinite Edition with 48 pages has been made available digitally, and will be out in print on Tuesday, May 25.
Coinciding with the release, DC Comics and Milestone have revealed covers for the first issues of Icon and Rocket, Static, and Hardware, alongside the new creative teams who will carry on the publisher’s legacy. The announced teams assemble some ambitious creatives of the industry, with returning members of the original Milestone Media, accompanied by fresh talent. Static: Season One will be written by Vita Ayala, with layouts by ChrisCross, finishes by Niklas Draper-Ivey, and covers by Khary Randolph. Static’s first season will span six issues and releases digitally on Monday, April 11. Icon and Rocket: Season One will be written by returning original Milestone member Reginald Hudlin, alongside Leon Chills, with art by Doug Braithwaite and covers by Taurin Clarke. Icon and Rocket will release digitally on Monday, June 27. Hardware: Season One is being written by Brandon Thomas, with art by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz, and covers by Mateus Mahanini. Hardware’s first season will release digitally on Monday, August 15.
The new take on the Dakotaverse is exciting for both faithful readers and a younger audience who didn’t grow up with the characters when they were originally published throughout the ’90s. Now, a whole new generation will be able to experience a revitalized Milestone that seems to correspond to the times. Milestone Returns #0 features a reimagined origin story for teenager Virgil Hawkins as he becomes Static while attending a protest against police brutality in Dakota. The “Big Bang” no longer occurs during a gang war, and the dispersed radioactive gas doesn’t only give powers to gang members. Instead, a wide array of Dakota citizens are impacted and turned into metahumans.
It’s likely that such updates will be incorporated into the vigilante Hardware, as well as Icon and Rocket. Milestone Comics has always been ahead of the times, with a finger on the cultural pulse. Their return to comics seems to signal a second renaissance of innovative storytelling for readers of all backgrounds and identities. With the animated series Static Shock now available on HBO Max and the forthcoming movie adaptation with Michael B. Jordan attached to produce, it feels like this is just the beginning of a new era.