Creed: The Next Round Is A Sequel With The Perfect Hook - In A Comic Book

Warning: This post contains spoilers for BOOM! Studios' "Creed: The Next Round" #1.

Adonis "Donnie" Creed is returning in a brand new comic series from BOOM! Studios. The fictional boxer must deal with raising his daughter Amara, who we saw previously in "Creed" 3. She wants to follow his path and become a world champion in the ring.

Creed (Michael B. Jordan) first appeared in the 2015 self-titled film by director Ryan Coogler. Jordan would star in three installments of the trilogy and directed "Creed 3." The latest film featured Donnie competing against his former childhood friend Damian (Jonathan Majors) while balancing being a father, husband, and his business enterprises. 

Now BOOM! Studios and MGM are expanding Adonis' adventures in collaboration with Michael B. Jordan's production company, Outlier Society, and Chartoff-Winkler, to cast the spotlight on the burgeoning boxing career of Amara. The story of "Creed" continues ten years after the events of the latest film in the pages of "Creed: The Next Round." Much to her chagrin, Amara's father wants Amara to think long and hard about taking the next step as a boxer.

"Creed: The Next Round" #1 is crafted by Latoya Morgan, Jai Jamison, and Andworld Design, with Michael B. Jordan serving as the comic book's creative director. Adonis and Bianca Creed continue to build their empire and expand their brand outside of the world of boxing. Meanwhile, Amara begins to follow in her father's footsteps to become the next great boxer from the iconic Creed bloodline. Amara gets a major role increase in the comic, effectively turning into the main character of the series.

Overall, "Creed: The Next Round" does a great job expanding Amara's character. Amara was born deaf, so she uses American Sign Language to speak with her mom and dad. Training with her father, Amara is the spitting image of her pops in the ring. She is uber-confident in her fighting abilities and eager to take the next step and fight more formidable opponents. Like her father, Amara loves the blood, sweat, and glory of the sport. 

But despite her efforts to become the next great "Creed," Donnie fears putting a target on her back in the ring due to her family's legacy. Of course, this results in him urging her to slow down when all she wants to do is speed up. It's a nice change of pace to see Creed evolve into a responsible parent, as Amara reminds him and Bianca of himself when he first started taking fighting seriously. The story does a fantastic job showing off Creed's continued evolution into a caring father.

Like her dad, Amara doesn't quit when told to stop. She defies her father when he and her mother goes on a business trip, participating in an underground fight league. After beating a teenage boy who heckled her, she doesn't want the fights to end. In turn, this results in a full-circle moment from Adonis, who is the one telling his child she's not thinking clearly and could get hurt if she isn't more responsible. Seeing Amara act as reckless as he used to be in his youth scares Adonis. He only wants what's best for his daughter — but his punishment and a temporary ban from training in boxing backfire in a major way.

The comic ends by continuing to build new elements to the "Creed" Universe. Amara meets Artemis Creed, a new character in the "Creed" franchise who is the half-sister of Adonis. Artemis has her own history in the ring. "The Butcher" is the three-time IWBC champion, former #1 ranked middleweight, and is 52-1 in her career matches (with 49 knockouts). While Artemis becomes confused about why her niece is visiting, Amara uses the text-to-speech function on her phone to tell her aunt she wants her to train her. The issue ends on this request, which will surely throw fuel on the fire between Adonis' recent suspension of training activities. But like her father, Amara isn't stopping in her quest to become the world's greatest boxer. The tease for "Creed: The Next Round" #2 reveals Amara will train under Artemis, where she will be tested by her aunt and learn about her family's past. So, things may get rocky for the family's dynamic!

What's great about the series' first issue is that it feels like a worthy extension of the "Creed" films, as opposed to a comic book company using a popular IP solely to make money. The story is sharply written, too. Wilton Santos and DJ Chavis' art and colors capture the intense nature of boxing, carrying the same weight the films did when it comes to action. The comic fits perfectly into the world of Adonis Creed while showing the trials and tribulations of the next Creed. Following the third generation of the Creed family proves to be another welcome addition to a franchise that hasn't yet suffered from storytelling fatigue. Amara getting her own voice, seeing Adonis and Bianca balance their responsibilities in the sports and business industry, and the introduction of Artemis Creed leads to a shift in direction that feels natural and works well in the comic medium. Plus, Jordan's real-life involvement makes things even more exciting. As a creative director, he has a voice in shaping the story. He even plugged the comic on a recent Instagram video from his production company, the Outlier Society.

For "Creed" fans, "Creed: The Next Round" #1 ends up being a heartfelt, must-read story. Amara is a worthy successor to Adonis Creed and is more like her father than he wants to admit. It seems likely that the comic could serve as inspiration for the fourth installment of the "Creed" film franchise. 

"Creed: The Next Round" #1 from BOOM! Studios are in comic book stores and available at online retailers now.