Football legend Roy of the Rovers returns this Summer for a sterling collection of the modern take on the character from creators Rob Williams and Ben Willsher.

Ahead of this year’s World Cup, taking place across Canada, Mexico and the United States, Rebellion are getting young readers ready for a white-hot summer of fantastic football with a massive volume of modern Roy of the Rovers stories, perfect for first-time comics readers and long-time footy fans alike!
Written by Rob Williams (Judge Dredd) with art by Ben Willsher (Doctor Who), this collection features stories about an all-new reimagining of Roy of the Rovers, aimed at younger readers, who want to experience all the glory and passion of the beautiful game without having to leave their sofa!
Sixteen-year old Roy Race has always dreamt of becoming a footballer for his team, the Mighty Melchester Rovers. But the glory days are a distant memory for the team, who have been through tough times and fallen to the bottom of League Two. This once-proud powerhouse of British footballers are all out of luck and most importantly – out of money. Armed with natural talent, a passion for the game and a powerful left foot, the young footballing prodigy might just be exactly what Melchester need to reinvigorate their season and kick off a bold new future for their team.
Is raw grit and determination enough to get Roy into the first time and bring back those glory days for the fans? Or will mounting pressures both on and off the pitch prove to be too much for the aspiring superstar?






From the pages of Tiger to having his own title, Roy of the Rovers is the most popular soccer strip in British comics – and the character certainly thebest remembered to this day. This action-packed sporting drama reboots the iconic character for today’s generation of football fandom.
Following the collection of classic Roy of the Rovers stories which cover the original stories published through the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s – check out our guide here – this all-new version of Roy offers excitement on and off the pitch which hits hard for the modern age, capturing all the passion of the big leagues!
This volume collects together the stories “Kick-Off”, “Foul Play” and “Going Up” for the first time, offering footy fans a fantastic intro into Roy’s world.
All-New Roy of the Rovers Volume One will head off the bench and onto shelves from 2nd June 2026 – just in time for the 2026 World Cup! – and is available for pre-order direct from Rebellion now!
• Roy of the Rovers Volume One | ISBN: 978-1837867820 | Rebellion Publishing Ltd | Out 2nd June 2026 | AmazonUK Affiliate Link | Bookshop.org Affiliate Link
• downthetubes Roy of the Rovers – Rebellion Books Check List
Meet The Team!

Rob Williams is the writer of Suicide Squad and Martian Manhunter for DC Comics, Unfollow for Vertigo and Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor for Titan Comics. As well as his Roy of the Rovers stories for Rebellion, his work for 2000AD includes “Judge Dredd: Titan”, “The Grievous Journey Of Ichabod Azrael (And The Dead Left In His Wake)” and “The Ten-Seconders”.

Ben Willsher got his break in comics in the ground-breaking Deadline magazine (home of Tank Girl), before being stolen by the world of computer games, where he has worked as an Art Director for many years. However, the lure of Comics was too strong and he came back to 2000AD and has drawn “Future Shocks”, “Pulp Sci-Fi”, “Tharg’s Terror Tales”, “Sinister Dexter”, and “Damnation Station”, but he is probably best known for his work on “Judge Dredd”.
Beyond his accomplishments in the world of comics, he has also worked in film, television and the music industry, and is heavily involved in the World of Doctor Who, where he has illustrated work for the Time Lord luminaries such as Russell T Davies and Mark Gatiss.
• Roy of the Rovers Volume One | ISBN: 978-1837867820 | Rebellion Publishing Ltd | AmazonUK Affiliate Link | Bookshop.org Affiliate Link
• downthetubes Roy of the Rovers – Rebellion Books Check List
• Roy of the Rovers Official Site: royoftherovers.com
Categories: British Comics, British Comics - Collections, British Comics - Current British Publishers, Comic Previews, Comics, downthetubes Comics News
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