Nothing about The Blues Brothers should work in 2025. A 1980 film spun from late-night sketch comedy? With two dead leads and more destroyed police cars than meaningful dialogue? It sounds like cultural taxidermy. But here's the twist: the new graphic novel The Blues Brothers: The Escape of Joliet Jake doesn't just revive the mythology—it burns rubber through it.
This is no dusty cash-in. With the Aykroyd family and Judy Belushi's estate passing the torch, this reboot carries a lineage thicker than Jake's sunglasses. Written by Stella Aykroyd, Luke Pisano, and James Werner—with art by Felipe Sobreiro and oversight by Dan Aykroyd—it's not just canon. It's communion. A wild, reverent sequel masquerading as a comic.
And let's be clear: it had every reason to fail.
A Resurrection With Bite, Not Nostalgia Bloat
Graphic novels are the wildcard of IP reboots. They've been used to bury franchises (looking at you, Transformers: Monstrosity) or redefine them (Star Wars: Dark Empire anyone?). This one lands somewhere unexpected—like a sax solo interrupting a car chase.
It's dedicated to Judy Belushi Pisano, the architect of the Blues Brothers mythos post-John. As her son Luke puts it: “After John's passing, she didn't just preserve the story—she expanded it.” Now, her legacy becomes the springboard for the next evolution.
Stella Aykroyd's perspective brings a rare intimacy. She's not just a writer—she's Elwood's daughter. That's more than fan-service. That's bloodline storytelling. As she writes about inking “ELWOOD” on her dad's knuckles before shows, the lines between fiction and family blur like a backseat sax riff.
And if that sounds too sentimental? Don't worry. Co-writer James Werner gets it: “The possibilities for destroying police cars [in comics] is infinite.” Boom. That's the energy this thing carries.
Blues Brothers, Meet the Panelverse
So why a comic? Because where CGI would cost millions, ink is limitless. Felipe Sobreiro's illustrations allow Jake and Elwood to barrel through physics-defying stunts, supernatural cameos, and musical mayhem—without needing a stunt coordinator or federal bailout.
We've seen this approach work before. The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse) proved comic-to-screen-to-comic synergy isn't just viable—it can be lucrative. Z2 Comics knows this. Their catalog includes graphic memoirs from Gorillaz to Dio. They specialize in mixing music with myth.
And yet, this isn't just marketing. It's myth-making. Just as The Blues Brothers introduced white America to black music legends, this graphic novel aims to introduce younger readers to the genre-spanning, chaos-loving ethos behind the sunglasses.
As Z2 President Josh Bernstein put it, “We apologize in advance to the fine men and women of the Chicago Police Department.”
What Makes This Different: Soul vs. IP
Hollywood's reboot machine is predictable. Take an old brand, slap on a TikTok-friendly cast, sprinkle nostalgia. Done. But Escape of Joliet Jake does something rarer—it expands on character through world-building, not just rehash.
It helps that this wasn't just greenlit after a pitch meeting. It was born from decades of stewardship—Belushi's widow, Aykroyd's daughter, and handpicked collaborators continuing a story rooted in loss, rebellion, and rhythm.
In a decade that's seen everything from Ghostbusters to Matrix rebooted for lesser effect, this stands out by sidestepping the screen entirely. And in doing so, ironically, it feels more cinematic than most streaming series.
So… Should You Care?
If you're a Blues Brothers purist? Yes.
If you're a graphic novel fan? Definitely.
If you're just tired of reboots that feel like brand exercises in cosplay? This might just restore your faith.
Would you buy a comic where police cars fly and nuns swing crucifixes like baseball bats? Or are you stuck in the past, waiting for a 1980 that's never coming back?
