Back in 2000, years before becoming the supstar in the comics industry he is today, writer Robert Kirkman along with artist Tony Moore created the superhero parody comic Battle Pope. With this year marking the 25th anniversary of the original series, Skybound and Image Comics have announced an anniversary hardcover collection available this September.
For those unfamiliar with the series:
When Heaven, Hell, and everything in between go to war, you better hope your prayers don’t get answered by anyone but Battle Pope. Once condemned by God Almighty for his hard drinkin’, womanizing evil ways, Pope has one last chance at salvation, and he’ll greet it with twin Uzis and the help of his new roommate, Jesus H. Christ.
Given the recent election of new Pope Leo XIV, it’s tempting to assume the release was timed to coincide. But much like the movie Conclave, chalk it up to a well-timed coincidence. According to co-creator Robert Kirkman, “I swear we had this planned months ago! Full disclosure, we did try to time this announcement around the conclave but it happened so fast! And the first American Pope? Seems suspicious, right?”
He added:
“Well, regardless of all that, I couldn’t be more thrilled to see my earliest professional(ish) work collected in a deluxe and downright heavenly format! And Tony Moore came back to do a new cover, how cool is that? I can’t believe I’ve been in this business for a whole 25 years. I mean, I’m still having fun and all but man… it sure does make someone feel old. That someone is me! I think back on my early years in the business very fondly. Battle Pope is where I first met and got to work with Matthew Roberts, Cory Walker and E.J. Su and all that work is collected here. The beginnings of The Walking Dead, Brit, Manifest Destiny, Invincible, Science Dog, Tech Jacket and Blood & Thunder… all started here… in this ridiculous comic. I mean, Tony Moore and I met in the 7th grade, how crazy is that? And then years later… Battle Pope. There were so many people from our high school who thought we were, well, morons, who would never amount to anything. Well, we showed them. Ha!”
Kirkman continued his immense enthusiasm:
“Wait until you hold this book in your hands, it’s just gorgeous. Andres Juarez, designer supreme at Skybound put, let’s be honest, way too much work into this thing. He really deserves an Eisner for best reprint collection design for this book. Just wait until you see it. To be completely clear, Andres deserves an Eisner award for every book he designs, not just this one, he’s a very talented person. I’ve loved everything he’s done. Look how slick those Energon Universe books look, that’s all Andres. Do you think there’s a word limit on press release quotes? Can you just keep going and no one will stop you? Honestly, this book is really cool and if you’ve ever wanted to check out Battle Pope or are a longtime fan just itching to buy it again, this book will not disappoint. It’s going to have gold foil and everything. Seriously, the chances of this book earning a profit are slim to none. We’re just doing this for the love.”
Battle Pope 25th Anniversary HC (ISBN 978-1-5343-3393-2) be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, and at booksellers, along with digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Tuesday September 23, 2025.
