Well this is a total shocker, and truly spectacular news for fans of great animation: months after fairly definitive reports to the contrary, The Boondocks is officially returning to Adult Swim with a fourth season.

Screen Rant got the news at Comic-Con from casting director extraordinaire Andrea Romano (Batman: The Animated Series, Pinky and the Brain, Avatar: The Last Airbender, etc.)

They’re making new ones – I just got word they’re gonna make another season. Can you believe it? After all this time. It’s been out of production for almost two years…The line producer sent me an email and said ‘I believe it’s snowing in hell – do you know what that means?’ and I said, ‘Are we making more episodes?’ Because we all said ‘It’ll snow in hell before we make more,’ because we just never thought after that much time they would [make it]. But apparently there is a fanbase desire and I love the show. I love making the show.

And we love watching it. Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder never officially said "it's over," but quite a few well-connected websites reported that the show was finished, and Adult Swim ran some rather sad bumpers to the effect of [if Aaron ever wants to make more, we'd love to air them - but don't hold your breath].

Not to mention - spoiler alert! - Boondocks season three frequently touched on the theme of finality, and ended in spectacular fashion that suggested there was no way that the show was coming back.

Snowing in hell, indeed. I am super-psyched to see this wonderful show return. They're not known for prompt production time, however, so don't be surprised if it's a pretty long wait before Huey, Riley, and Grandad return.

Way to terrify the autistic in the room, Dr. Nemesis.  Impeccable social skills as always.

Remember Madison, just keep telling yourself:

"My booty is mine, it belongs to me.  You cannot take my boo-ty."

Sigh - Boondocks withdrawal, spilling over into my X-Men event one-shots, like this one (X-Men: Blind Science.

Yes, I know I'm still catching up.  There are like 9 concurrent events at any one time now at each of the big two.

So tonight is either the season or the series finale of the Boondocks.  I sincerely hope it's the former, but in any case season three has come to an end and that means a sweet DVD set in the near future.

As I do with many Adult Swim shows, I pre-ordered the season from Amazon before the season even premiered, and they recently contacted me to let me know that a release date has been set.

After sending me several e-mails saying that they still had no delivery estimate for me, Amazon notified me yesterday that they now expect that I will receive The Boondocks: The Complete Third Season between November 8-12, 2010.  Not quite an official, locked-in release date - but getting close.

I'll update again when I do know when the box set is set to drop, and I'll be watching the season three finale "It's Goin' Down" tonight, hoping that it's not the end of the road for this great show.

Seriously.

The Boondocks gets to go out with a season - or possibly series finale this Sunday, but my friends and family will forevermore have to listen to my mantra "Mah babies want their muh-f**kin' chicken!" when I'm feeling peckish.

Damn you, Aaron MacGruder!  I am a white!  Childless!  Man!

Not cool.  Plus this is one of the best Adult Swim shows ever and that's saying an awful lot.  Three-year waiting periods between seasons are a drag, but losing the show permanently would be a lot worse.

My booty is mine, it belongs to me. You cannot take my boo-ty!

Yeeeaah boyee new Boondocks episode!  Yes, it would seem that at least part of the plot has been seen before in one of the greatest-ever King of the Hill episodes.

Don't care.  I will never tire of the "this bitch wants to die in my house!" trope.

Well, never say never - but I can certainly put up with it twice in one decade.  And I want to meet the rest of Ruckus' family!