As a tumultuous solar year of 2024 fades further into the embrace of summer, comic-verse luminaries, BOOM! Studios, have donned their explorer’s hat, taking a proverbial catnip-scented jaunt into the fabled realm of everyone’s favorite fat, lasagna-obsessed ginger tabby in GARFIELD #1.

Treading a well-worn and much-loved path, the maiden issue of the four-part comic series looks set to charm us from the comic strip racks of every little bookstore corner, plunging headfirst into the chaotic, linguini-laden universe of our irascible feline protagonist.

Fueled by the creative heft of seasoned comics virtuosos that include Ryan Estrada of ‘I Climbed Kilimanjaro’ fame and Sarah Graley, the craftswoman behind ‘Kim Reaper’ and ‘Minecraft’, the pages of GARFIELD #1 promise a fresh take on our beloved lasagna-scarfing kingpin. Flanking their narrative prowess are the equally skilled artist Axur Eneas of ‘Princeless’, and letterer Stef Purenins, sealing the team with his ‘Our Super Adventure’ expertise.

If the stray whiskers floating on the winds of comic book alleys are anything to go by, this Garfield escapade will tie in neatly with ‘The Garfield Movie’ presented by Alcon Entertainment, slated for a grand release in the dog days of August. The film stars Chris Pratt, lending his pipes to our eponymous hero, and Samuel L. Jackson voicing Vic, a new addition to the Garfield lore as his father figure.

Our trip down the Garfield wormhole brings us not one but two tantalizing tales. “Midnight Munchies” sees Estrada manning the narrative helm, with Eneas’ graphics and Purenins’ letters fleshing out the hilarity. “Jon Minus Garfield”, handled in toto by Graley and lettered yet again by Purenins, takes us on a Garfield-less whirlwind.

Adorning this much-awaited marvel’s frontispiece is the main cover art, reconnoitered by the dynamic duo, JJ Harrison & Venture of ‘Adventure Time’. Providing alternate renditions are Jay Stephens of ‘The Invisibles’ and Goñi Montes, acclaimed for his work on ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’.

Enlisted in BOOM! Studios’ illustrious award-winning KaBOOM! imprint, GARFIELD is in grand company amid rich narratives such as Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa’s ‘Mech Cadets’; R.L. Stine, Kelly, Nichole Matthews, and Irene Flores’s ‘Just Beyond’; Christine Larsen’s ‘ORCS!’; and many others.

As we wave goodbye to a sweltering August 7, comic shops swing open their doors to the entrancing world of GARFIELD #1. For those bitten by the pre-order bug, you can stake your claim at comic shops across town. Digital enthusiasts, however, can snag copies from their preferred content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play. Following suit are Issue #2 in the crisp autumn air of September 11, Issue #3 on October 9, and the concluding Issue #4 on November 13. Several special variant issues, to pique the interest of hard-core enthusiasts and collectors, accompany the release.

The machinations of your neighborhood eccentric, Jim Davis, who unleashed Garfield upon an unsuspecting populace, have evolved into an irresistible cultural phenomenon. As GARFIELD #1 digs its claws into the comic strip circuit, it makes one thing clear; our unfailing love for this unruly orange blob—part cat, part lasagna vacuum cleaner—is as timeless as it is mirth-inducing.