DC Comics is home to many classic heroes, such as Plastic Man, Doctor Fate, and Big Barda. Oh, and some lesser-known ones like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. But this May, DC will introduce a new superhero named the Monkey Prince. Like Wonder Woman and many other heroes in both DC and Marvel, the Monkey Prince comes from mythology – but we haven’t seen many Asian deities make their way to the superhero arena yet. So, how will they make the Monkey Price work? By hiring a great creative team.
Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Yang Are Bringing the New DC Superhero Monkey Prince to Life
So, when can we get a Monkey Prince V Gorilla Grodd movie? #RestoretheSimianVerse (Image: DC Comics)
Gene Luen Yang is really making a name for himself at DC Comics. With his hit Middle-Grade graphic novel, Superman Smashes the Klan, and his work on Superman, Batman/Superman, and New Super-Man, he’s proved that his style and stories are perfect for DC. Meanwhile, Bernard Yang brought excellent art to series such as Teen Titans and Batman Beyond. Now, the two creators are teaming up to bring a mythological hero into the fold. However, they are making one change for the Monkey Prince from myth to superhero when he debuts in the DC Comics anthology “Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration.” The Prince is getting a demotion.
I’m just going out on a limb here and guessing Marcus turns into Monkey Prince. (Image: DC Comics)
Who is the Monkey Prince?
As DC Comics says in their announcement, “Monkey Prince is inspired by the Monkey King, legendary hero of Chinese mythology and the classic tale Journey to the West.” It makes sense that they would want to make him a prince first, as it lends to more storytelling. We want to see how the prince becomes a king much more than we want to see a king be a king. Well, unless that king is the Black Panther. In Yang and Yang’s 12-page short story, “The Monkey Prince Hates Superheroes,” we’ll see “Monkey Prince battles and teams up with Shazam to defeat both the evil Dr. Sivana and a Chinese deer demon spirit!”
Wait! Who is this beautiful character and why aren’t we talking about him. Shifu Pigsy is my new comic crush. (Image: DC Comics)
To celebrate the new superhero, DC Comics is also releasing a 1:25 Monkey Prince variant for the anthology, which comes out on May 11th.