AWA Studios has announced The Resistance Universe: The Origins. The super-sized first collection of stories from the developers’ original shared universe, The Resistance, was created and penned by acclaimed filmmaker and comic book writer J. Michael Straczynski and illustrated by Eisner Award-winner Mike Deodato, Jr. Additional creators including Gregg Hurwitz, Kaare Andrews, C.P. Smith, Mike Choi, and more followed suit, creating their own series that each tell a different story within the Resistance Universe. The 368-page collected edition will be available on Wednesday, December 7.

In March 2020, amid COVID-19 lockdowns, AWA Studios launched a bold new universe featuring compelling  21st Century themes with J. Michael Straczynski & Mike Deodato Jr.’s The Resistance, in which “Reborns” gain incredible powers in the wake of a global pandemic. This epic debut series planted the flag for a new universe of heroes and villains. After humanity faced “The Great Death” – a pandemic that killed millions of people – survivors with superhuman powers known as the “Reborns” become Earth’s last hope. The concept of this universe stemmed from an intersection of ideas from J. Michael Straczynski, who was fascinated by where the premise for science fiction ends and the superhero universe begins. 

Over the last two years, other creators like Gregg Hurwitz, Kaare Andrews, and Michael Moreci have followed with their own series’ within the Resistance Universe. Now, for the first time, AWA is collecting each of the initial chapters in this super-sized collection which includes the following series:

• THE RESISTANCE VOL. 1 – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski | Artist: Mike Deodato, Jr.

The epic debut series that plants the flag for a new universe of heroes and villains. A global disaster known as “The Great Death” leaves hundreds of millions dead in its wake. Shortly after the disease mysteriously subsides, amid a rising tide of fascism born of fear, a few thousand suddenly manifest superhuman powers. Are they harbingers of more perils to come…or Earth’s last hope?

• THE RESISTANCE: REBORNS – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski | Artist: C.P. Smith

This special collection explores the origins of five characters in this new universe of heroes and villains including The Mad, the Dangerous, The Hidden, The Lost, and The Transcendent. 

• THE RESISTANCE: UPRISING #1 – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski | Artist: C.P. Smith

To avert decimation at the hands of a fascistic government crackdown in the wake of the assassination of their leader, the Resistance must discover the ace up their sleeve, and then the key to unlocking it. 

• MOTHS #1 – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski | Artist: Mike Choi

Following heroine Emily Kai who is known as a “Moth,” MOTHS #1 is an intimate look at a very special species within the superhuman race known as The Reborns. 

• E-RATIC #1 – Writer & Artist: Kaare Andrews

This series follows Oliver Leif, a fifteen-year-old teenager who is new to town in the wake of The Great Death and is suddenly granted incredible powers. Cool, right? There’s only one problem: he can only use his powers for ten minutes at a time. 

• E-RATIC: RECHARGED #1 – Writer & Artist: Kaare Andrews

In Volume 2 of the fan-favorite series, Oliver Leif picks up right where he left off – saving the world again as he navigates even more pressing perils like young love, bullies, a broken family, and the gauntlet that is high school. 

• KNIGHTED #1 – Writer: Gregg Hurwitz | Artist: Mark Texeira

This action-packed adventure introduces a masked vigilante for the 21st Century named Bob Ryder, whose bad luck streak comes to a crescendo when he accidentally kills the city’s masked vigilante and is forced to take on the mantle of the legendary hero before the city descends into chaos.

• THE JONESES #1 – Writer: Michael Moreci | Artist: Alessandro Vitti

This series focuses on a suburban family with a big secret – mother, father, sister and brother were all transformed into something superhuman. While the world embraces fascism born of fear, the Joneses realize they face grave consequences if they are exposed.

Featuring all-new cover art and a special foreword by J. Michael Straczynski, The Resistance Universe: The Origins will be available December 7, both digitally and in stores wherever comic books are sold for $19.99.