Warning! Spoilers ahead for Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1!

Fans asked, and Robert Kirkman answered, as the Invincible creator has confirmed that the Battle Beast spin-off series, which debuts this week, is just the beginning of a greater expansion of the franchise's comic book universe, with Kirkman promising “new characters, new concepts,” and “new worlds” being added to the Invincible mythos, some of which will take readers by surprise.

Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1, written by Robert Kirkman, with art by Ryan Ottley, is the official return to the comic canon of the franchise, reuniting the co-creators of the original series for a story following one of their greatest creations.

Referring to Battle Beast as “one of [their] favorite characters,” Kirkman noted that while the great thing about the series, first and foremost, is the way it expands its protagonist’s lore, he also teased bigger things ahead for the world of Invincible.

Invincible Co-Creators Confirm That Their Return To Invincible Comics Is Focused On Expanding The Universe

Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1; Written By Robert Kirkman; Art By Ryan Ottley; Available Now From Image Comics/Skybound Entertainment

The Invincible comic series is epic both in of scope and longevity; Invincible introduced a number of enthralling alien characters and worlds as its action took to the stars over the years; now, that universe is about to get even more in depth, as the franchise returns with Battle Beast.

Considering the success of Amazon’s Invincible adaptation, many fans expected more comics set in the Invincible Universe, but now it has officially been confirmed with the debut of Battle Beast. As Robert Kirkman wrote in a note accompanying the first issue:

You love INVINCIBLE, too? Sure you do. This comic will give you a lot of what you're looking for, I promise! Hoping to see some cool cameos and call backs to the INVINCIBLE series, well...just you wait. It's coming! BUT the main thing that has me jazzed for this series is that while Ryan and I are going to be expanding the story of one of our favorite characters from the series, we're also going to be expanding the universe in some cool ways. Adding some new characters, new concepts, new worlds, and all kinds of things you might not expect.

In other words, more than just filling out the franchise’s mythology and populating its universe even further, it is a sure thing that Battle Beast will feature some familiar faces, and tie-in to the Invincible comic in ways that should be satisfying to loyal readers.

Robert Kirkman Promises "Cameos And Call Backs" Along With New Additiosn To Invincible Lore

Battle Beast Inaugurates A New Era For The Franchise

Considering the fact that Robert Kirkman has also confirmed that the Invincible TV show will feature an entirely new storyline next season, moving further away from being a direct adaptation and toward delivering its own distinct take on the mythos, it is clear that the Invincible franchise is entering a prolific new epoch, one in which the vast possibilities left untapped by the end of the comic in 2018 are finally going to be explored in more detail. Invincible Universe: Battle Beast is now poised to play a pivotal role in that project.

Battle Beast is the next vital step towards once more immersing readers in the world of Invincible and offering a refreshing new perspective on it, as well as a perfect jumping on point for new fans.

Invincible has reached a rare level of success for an independent superhero comic, and part of that, even before the Amazon series, relied on the lush, detailed world of the franchise, as much as the appeal of its lead character and dynamic ing cast. Few series are more deserving of more worldbuilding, and Battle Beast is the next vital step towards once more immersing readers in the world of Invincible and offering a refreshing new perspective on it, as well as a perfect jumping on point for new fans.

Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1 is available now from Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment.