Archie Comics has updated the release status of The Mighty Crusaders: The Shield #1 (see "Preview: 'The Mighty Crusaders' #1 Covers"), after writer/artist Rob Liefeld announced he had left the project before completing it.  

On May 19, Archie Comics posted an update on Twitter, stating that the The Mighty Crusaders: The Shield #1 will be released on June 30 as originally scheduled, and adding “A new writer is being brought in to script the issue based on Mr. Liefeld’s artwork.” In the original solicitation, Liefeld was listed as the writer, artist, and cover artist for the issue. Archie encouraged retailers to e-mail any questions or concerns directly to the publisher. 

Liefeld later Tweeted that despite Archie’s announcement, “There will have to be additional art as well. The book was incomplete on the front end and the back end.”

Archie brought Liefeld in late last year to reboot their legacy superhero team Mighty Crusaders (see “Rob Liefeld to Helm Archie’s ‘Mighty Crusaders’”). The project was originally announced as four issues that would reintroduce different members of the team: The Shield, The Comet, The Jaguar, and Fly-Girl. The Shield #1 was solicited with multiple variant covers and scheduled for June 30.

However, on May 8, Liefeld announced he was quitting the project after learning that artist Tone Rodriguez had posted a variant cover that he felt contained a spoiler. “When the key plot point/element is revealed on a retail variant cover - it’s probably time to exit the stage on this one,” he posted on Facebook, including an image of the cover with the post. In another Facebook post, he stated that he has always worked hard to keep the details of his projects under wraps until they are published. “The cover with the big twist being publicly shared as I’m walking out the door to a farewell party for friends was like the big gut punch. All the wind goes out of the sails and the enthusiasm with it.”  

On his own Facebook, Rodriguez posted that he did not know any details of the story and worked only from two covers that had already been released. His cover is a retailer variant for Camelot Books and Comics, and, he said, “[W]e were told it was ok to start sharing the art so that they can possibly sell the 500 copies they were going to have made.”

On May 19, Liefeld Tweeted that he had exercised the release clause in his contract and left the project on May 8. He added, “I have turned in all the final art files for work I produced that was paid for. As I do on any project, I work out of order and sequences are incomplete.” He also Tweeted “Despite ‘Creative Differences’ I offered to complete the issue but this has been rejected.”