Massive Publishing Partners With Masked Republic To Release ‘The Luchaverse’ This Summer
by Brendan M. Allen
Massive Publishing and Masked Republic have announced a partnership this July to launch Luchaverse: Catalyst, new exciting stories within The Luchaverse. This genre-blending thrill ride stars iconic luchadores like Rey Mysterio and Tinieblas Jr as they battle in the ring by day, and serve humanity as monster hunters by night.
“Being able to bring some of today’s biggest names in lucha libre into our original story world and break the mold of what lucha libre films were, and what wrestling related comics have been, is a dream come true for me,” Masked Republic founder and CEO and Luchaverse co-creator Ruben Zamora said.
“Teaming up with Massive Publishing to tap into the incredible business they have built over the past two years and enabling us to bring The Luchaverse into comic book shops across the globe – we see a tag team that is primed for success,” Masked Republic President and COO and Luchaverse co-creator Kevin Kleinrock added.
The Luchaverse kicks off with two scripts written by Ivan Plaza and Marco Lopez.
In the first story, Rey Mysterio, the most recognized luchador on the planet, discovers his legacy outside the ring. He’s the next in line to take on a great evil prophesied to return and plunge the world into darkness. It’s all action and adventure as Mysterio, aided by the clandestine military group known as “The Ambassadors,” heads deep into the jungle to an arcane ancient temple with one mission in mind, to retrieve the inconceivably powerful Mask Of The First Mysterio. Ben Harvey provides the linework for this story, with colorist Bryan Magnaye.
The second part of this double-sized first issue spotlights the reigning Legends of Lucha Libre Champion, Tinieblas Jr., whose father was the first luchador, after El Santo, to have his own comic book series in Mexico in the 1970s.
In this story, Tinieblas Jr. is the supreme monster hunter, heir to a legacy as protector of both the human and monster realms forcing him to take on the legions of the damned and all manner of other creatures that go bump in the night. The actions of Rey Mysterio & The Ambassadors have set off a chain of events most in The Luchaverse are still trying to connect, but Tinieblas Jr. and his assistant Ramona are working to remain one step ahead as they race to solve mystery at the heart of where the two worlds meet before both realms are changed forever. Diego Simone provides the art.
“As a kid, my mother introduced me to the work of the classic Lucha Libre film actors Mil Máscaras and El Santo. I loved their larger than life pulp hero personas that transcended the ring. It’s awesome to see Masked Republic giving that treatment to the modern stars of Lucha Libre and getting to debut with a story featuring Rey Mysterio feels special as I remember obsessing over his early matches and to this day consider him one of my favorite wrestlers of all time,” said Michael Calero, CEO/Co-Publisher, Massive Publishing.
Luchaverse: Catalyst #1 is now available for preorder at your local comic book shop and directly on Massive’s website right here. The 3-part event will be released monthly in comic stores with a sprawling cast of legendary luchadores in each 48-page double issue. Luchaverse: Catalyst #1 hits the spinner racks on July 17, 2024.