The DC Universe Meets Anime with Monkey Prince

The story of the "Journey of the West" has long been adapted into countless forms of media, with anime series such as Dragon Ball, The God of High School, Digimon, and more having the age-old tale to thank for several of their characters, and it seems as if the "classical novel of Chinese literature" has inspired once again with DC Comics' upcoming Monkey Prince. Released as a part of the upcoming Festival of Heroes, DC is creating a superhero anthology to celebrate the Asian Superhero and give fans a first look at this new character in the universe of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

DC Comics' Editor Jessica Chen took to her Official Twitter Account to give fans a first look at the Monkey Prince, who is inspired by the same story that was the basis for Goku in Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise and so many other anime series over the decades:

Like most Asians, I grew up with the Monkey King & my parents telling me stories about his adventures in Journey to the West. In a lot of ways, he's my first superhero, so I've always wanted to bring him into the DCU as one. Introducing…THE MONKEY PRINCE!https://t.co/KGBp87Aiwv pic.twitter.com/icLUzKmbON

— Jesschillin (@jesswchen) April 5, 2021

The official description for the Monkey Prince's debut reads as such via an Official Press Release from DC Comics:

"DC Festival of Heroes will treat readers to the first appearance of an all-new character, the Monkey Prince. Debuting in a story written by award-winning writer Gene Luen Yang (Superman Smashes the Klan, Batman/Superman, New Super-Man) with art by Bernard Chang (Teen Titans, Batman Beyond), Monkey Prince is inspired by the Monkey King, legendary hero of Chinese mythology and the classic tale Journey to the West. In Yang and Chang's original 12-page story, "The Monkey Prince Hates Superheroes," Monkey Prince battles and teams up with Shazam to defeat both the evil Dr. Sivana and a Chinese deer demon spirit!"

The anthology will be available on May 11th, celebrating not simply the arrival of the Monkey Prince, but also the Asian superheroes of DC Comics who have helped bolster the roster of the comic publisher since it first hit the scene in 1934.

Will you be checking out the first appearance of Monkey Prince this May? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of DC.