Bill & Ted return to comics with new publisher, new artist, but a familiar fan-favorite writer

Bill & Ted are returning this fall to 'Face the Music' in their new film coming out August 14, but they'll also be returning to comics.

Dark Horse Comics has announced the acquisition of the comic rights to the Bill & Ted film franchise, and will kick it off with a four-issue prequel to the upcoming film.

(Image credit: Roger Langridge (Dark Horse Comics))

Bill & Ted Are Doomed brings back writer Evan Dorkin and the film franchise's co-creator/co-writer Ed Solomon to create this story, along with artist Roger Langridge, to tell this story.

"There's tension in the band and worry at home. Bill and Ted's obsession with writing the one song to bring peace to the world is affecting both their playing and their relationships with their families," reads Dark Horse's description of the limited series. "The band is losing fans and the future isn't shaping up as they were led to believe it would. Desperate for a solution, Bill and Ted burst in to announce their great idea to revive the band's fortunes: A world tour to spread the love – and the rock, and the love of the rock – to the world."

While Solomon co-created Bill & Ted, Dorkin has a long history with the franchise himself - writing and drawing Marvel's comic book adaptation of the second film, then going on to write original stories of the characters in comics.

(Image credit: Evan Dorkin/Sarah Dyer (Dark Horse Comics))

"My first full-time job in comics was adapting Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey in 1991," Dorkin said in the announcement. "Now, in 2020, I'm writing a sequel — that's also a prequel — with the input and blessing of Ed Solomon, and the artwork of Roger Langridge, one of my all-time favorite cartoonists. It's been a total blast to work on, and I truly hope the fans have a most excellent time reading it."

While Langridge is the relatively new face to the Bill & Ted franchise, he has written and drawn everything from Judge Dredd to The Muppet Show.

"I think Bill and Ted strike exactly the right tone for these times," Langridge said. "Their good spirits and most excellent hearts are the tonic we all need. And it’s an absolute, tick-one-off-the-bucket-list delight to be working with the incredible Evan Dorkin. I’m really proud of this comic."

Bill & Ted Are Doomed #1 (of 4) is scheduled to hit shelves September 9.

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)