Dan Dare is being revived as a modern graphic novel titled Dan Dare: First Contact, published by B7 Comics with the blessing of the Dan Dare Corporation.

Prof Peabody is reimagined as a diplomat of Indian descent, and Digby is recast as a young working-class engineer, reflecting broader representation goals while keeping Dare’s foundational tone.

The project builds on a lineage of Dan Dare iterations since Eagle’s 1950 debut, acknowledging prior revivals while emphasizing a return to the original spirit of space adventure and hope.

The new take relocates the setting to a future where climate change has ravaged Earth, the USA has become the United Corporations of America, spaceflight is privatized, and Britain maintains strong public services and leadership in space exploration.

Writer Alex de Campi and artist Marc Laming lead the project, motivated by a personal re-engagement with the original strips and a desire to refresh the franchise for contemporary readers.

The story reboots classic characters, including Digby and Prof Jocelyn Peabody, and introduces the Mekon as the arch-enemy, while preserving core elements of the Dare universe.

The graphic novel embraces modern storytelling by aiming for accessibility without prior knowledge of Dan Dare, with a retro-feel and updated political and social context.

Dan Dare: First Contact is a 100-page work scheduled for release in November after a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.