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03/19/15 @ 9:46 pm EST
Nancy Collins, writer of Red Sonja: Vulture’s Circle #3, talks with writer David Avallone about the Altered States: Doc Savage one-shot, both on sale now. Cover by Billy Tan.  NANCY COLLINS: What makes your version of Doc Savage an Altered State?DAVID AVALLONE: For this one, I took the assignment maybe too literally and the set-up is a reference to the Paddy Chayevsky book (and Ken Russell movie) of the same name: Doc takes a Mayan drug to unleash the beast within and learn about human capacity for evil. Where the story becomes a true “altered state” is how it all ends, but I don’t want to spoiler it. NC: How does writing an Altered States one-shot compare to your work on Legenderry, which features parallel universe steam-punk versions of established Dynamite characters?DA: In the Legenderry: Vampirella series, the characters and the entire world they inhabit is “altered” from established norms and continuity. In the Doc story, particularly, I wanted the setting and characters to be familiar with just one big change – in this case, Doc regressing to a primitive state – to drive the story. With only 20 pages to work with I wanted to keep the focus on that one story element. NC: Could you give a brief run-down of the characters for those readers unfamiliar with Doc Savage and his Fabulous Five?DA: For readers of my generation, the best shorthand might be “Doc Savage is Buckaroo Banzai”, but that’s cheating. Doc is not a superhuman in the standard comic book sense. He’s a combination of Batman’s training, gadgets and wealth with Superman’s unbreakable moral code and goodness (and first name and Fortress of Solitude.)The Fabulous Five are five guys Doc was in a German prisoner-of-war camp with during World War One. They bonded there, because best friends, and after the war they became his personal A-Team. Quick roll-call: Monk is a chemist who has a rough persona and looks kinda like a monkey (hence the nickname.) Ham is a dandified lawyer with a sword cane, who bickers with Monk. Renny is a very tall, very strong, very moody construction engineer. Long Tom is an electrical engineer, looks sickly and weak but in fact quite tough. Johnny is sort of the nerdiest of the bunch, with glasses and a penchant for using big words, but like the rest of the team, good with his fists. Mention must also be made of Doc’s cousin, Patricia Savage… who, like everyone else on Doc’s team is tough, smart and resourceful. Without her the team is a just a bunch of white dudes, and I was happy to include her here. In my story she takes command when Doc is incapacitated. I don’t think that’s standard in the old stories, but it worked better and was more interesting for me. NC: Were you a Doc Savage fan growing up?DA: I was. My dad had been a fan of the original run of the stories (when he was a little boy in the 1930s), and when the paperbacks came out in the 1970s, with those incredible Bama covers, we got them all. (I’m totally dating myself here.) The stories were so crazy and the prose so purple, they were irresistible to me. As the pulp characters go, The Shadow is probably my favorite, but Doc is a close second, followed by G8. I hope someday Dynamite calls and asks me for a G8 story. NC: David, if I’m not mistaken, you have a family connection to the pulp era—could you elaborate on that?DA: As above, my dad – Michael Avallone — was a big fan when he was a kid and that is very much what inspired him to become a writer himself. In the 1950s the pulps were starting to die out, but he did end up getting a short story into Weird Tales, and he contributed hundreds of stories to the mystery pulps that were still around at the time: Mike Shayne, Ellery Queen, etc. Mostly these stories revolved around his private eye character Ed Noon, who also appeared in 37 novels. He finally paid direct homage to Doc in his final novel, Since Noon Yesterday, which has a villain named “John Sunlight” (Doc’s Professor Moriarity). But all that said, you can find that pulp sensibility – fast paced stories, vivid characters, impossible plots, action and mayhem – in everything he ever wrote. It’s a style, and a legacy, I’m trying to live up to in all my comic book work. He’s gone now, but he would be very proud and thrilled to see me writing a Doc Savage story.
11/18/21 @ 4:16 pm EST
Though it seems far away, Valentine's Day is right around the corner. In 2022, Vampirella and Red Sonja are observing the occasion in their own special one-shot titles. A range of talented creators, including breakout cover artist Sozomaika, are set to tell lovestruck and romantic tales of two of Dynamite's biggest stars. Artist Sozomaika is beloved for her artwork on social media, of comics, anime, and video game characters alike, and at conventions. Dynamite is proud to have noticed her brilliant work via a gorgeous Vampirella illustration, and is among the first publishers working with her to bring her unique style to a broader base of fans. Each Valentine's Special features a stunning Sozomaika take on the two powerful and beautiful heroines. Superstar Lesley "Leirix" Li also contributes a cover to each, and model Rachel Hollon swaps her outfit for the pair of cosplay covers.
  Rising writer Chuck Brown, of the Eisner-nominated hit Bitter Root, leads the charge on Red Sonja's romantic escapades. In a magical land far from Hyrkania, she's temporarily developed supernatural abilities to manipulate fire. In "Burning Love," she must venture into this land where powerful warlords possess ice powers, and one among them has literally exchanged their heart and soul for power. Can Sonja take down this formidable force?
Love is no easy emotion and drive to navigate as a mere mortal. Let alone as a superpowered, alien, vampire woman such as Vampirella of Drakulon. Fans will join writer and colorist Dearbhla Kelly, among others, this February for a trek through love, hate, and their complicated combinations, in Vampi's Valentine's Special.
  Read More Here11/18/21 @ 11:14 am EST
Draculina is coming, the next can't-miss chapter in Christopher Priest's acclaimed expansion of the Vampirella mythos, starring the icon's sister. With her appearance following right after her sister Vampirella with the second issue of the original magazine, Draculina has appeared in sporadic, yet memorable roles since through the years. That all changes this February, as critically acclaimed and history making writer Christopher Priest (Black Panther, Deathstroke) and franchise favorite Michael Sta. Maria (Vengeance of Vampirella) spin her off into her own series that fans of the franchise and newcomers alike will not want to pass up.
"The book is about one child and two destinies," said writer Christopher Priest. "It is a metaphor for life: the road not traveled. Every day each of us make choices that lead to varying consequences which affect our reality. That is what we are seeing here: Lilith’s choices splitting reality and the consequences that brings."
   As seen in Priest's Vampirella and Sacred Six sagas, now also continued in Vampirella/Dracula: Unholy, the original Draculina was a surprise reveal for longtime readers. Now she finds herself "attached" to the new character of homeless, preteen vamp-groupie Katie, with their souls linked a la a twisted Shazam. With her new presence on Earth, Draculina is going by the alias "River East" and playing the part of a high-profile socialite celebrity. All while her machinations of an evil agenda of retribution near its kickoff.
Will these two unique and headstrong women, one young and one much, much older, be able to both survive through Draculina's devilish plans, and will their connection reveal truths to each other?
Priest and Sta. Maria are joined by colorist Ivan Nunes and ... 11/08/21 @ 2:34 pm EST
The holidays are fast approaching now that November is upon us, and Dynamite and Humble Bundle are offering the perfect massive digital haul of gifts for fans to get themselves or their loved ones. Live right now, this expansive bundle dives deep with discounts on tons of beloved comics! The bundle will only be available for a limited time, so check it out! Not only are customers giving a gift to themselves with this unbeatable deal, but the collaboration is bringing a third. A portion of all proceeds will be contributed to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Which is a nonprofit organization that raises funds for 170 member hospitals supporting the health of 10 million children across the United States and Canada every year.          Humble Bundle's "Pay What You Want" structure allows readers to scale their purchase to their budget or their desired contribution to the charity. Multiple tiers offer the chance for up to 330+ issues - adding up to almost 10,000 pages! With the usual standard pricing, this bursting bounty could cost readers well over $1,000. Instead, tiers range from a single buck, up to just $25, with the option to give more for those feeling charitable. Comics included in this bundle feature the absolute greatest writers and artists of this era of comic books. The endless list of top tier talents includes Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Kevin Smith, Mark Millar, Robert Kirkman, Alex Ross, Gail Simone, Warren Ellis, ... 11/05/21 @ 4:30 pm EST
The ultimate crazy crossover comic book collectible is live now on Indiegogo - as five fascinating forces combine their powers for a collaboration like no other! Dynamite Entertainment proudly presents a limited edition variant cover featuring Red Sonja, the aliens of Mars Attacks!, and popular comics YouTuber Comics With Bueller. Oh, and it's drawn by industry icon Dan Jurgens and inked by legend Scott Hanna!
Underneath this special exclusive cover is a presentation of the fan-favorite Mars Attacks Red Sonja #1 by writer John Layman ( Batman, Chew) and artist Fran Strukan. This crossover is exactly the wild thriller it sounds like, with the Martians' ancestors long before our time invading the Hyborean Age. It only goes up several more notches from there, with giant robots and an alien version of Red Sonja! Artist Dan Jurgens is coming up on four whole decades in the comics industry as a multitalented writer and artist. Jurgens has contributed to nearly every major character in the medium, including Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Teen Titans, and much more. As well as his beloved creation Booster Gold. In 1993, he lead the charge on the history making "Death and Return of Superman" story arc. Comics With Bueller is one of the leading voices for the comic book community on YouTube and across social media. Particularly for collectors and those who enjoy all the fun and stories the pages bring to us, Comics With Bueller provides a platform and ongoing discussion. Through collaborations with other figures in the space, live auctions, interviews with creators and industry figures, and much more, it's the perfect source for comics news and tips. And his first official appearance in comics is not to be ... 11/05/21 @ 4:26 pm EST
Dynamite debuts a set of variant covers this December for top titles by artist Jamie Biggs, in homage to Todd McFarlane's famous Amazing Spider-Man #300. The first cover featuring Evil Ernie is on Final Order Cutoff this weekend, available for fans and retailers to order now, while the rest of the set will soon be live to order in advance.    The historic Amazing Spider-Man #300 from 1988 remains one of the most influential comics of all time. From its iconic cover pose and design, being homaged here, to its famous first appearance of Venom, to the long heralded return of the hero's classic red and blue suit in the finale, each page is memorable also as a culmination of the still rising stardom of artist Todd McFarlane. Who would go on to even bigger success with the founding of Image Comics and creation of Spawn. The cover is one of the most popular for other artists and titles to homage, and Dynamite now adds to the fun with covers for the following issues: Evil Ernie #1 Nyx #2 Red Sonja #4 "I had been out of comics for quite a few years and while figure hunting at a Walmart, I saw various multiple issue comic collections poly bagged on the end of the action figure aisle. The five issue run of McFarlane's 'Torment' really grabbed my attention with that iconic first cover," said artist Jamie Biggs. "Needless to say, as I ripped open that bag and thumbed through each issue, I knew that these were not my older brothers' comic books - those dynamic poses and all that detail blew my 14 to 15 year old mind! I fell back in love with comics that ... 10/22/21 @ 9:57 am EST
Fan-favorite heroine Pantha claws into her own series again this January for the first time in 10 years, courtesy of beloved franchise writer Tom Sniegoski, alongside Jeannine Acheson, and artist Igor Lima.
  
 
The woman known as Pantha was once the ancient Egyptian queen Samira. Due to her cruelty, the goddess Sekhmet beset a curse on her, to live for eternity. Yet she also gained the ability to transform into a savage beast. For millennia she has endured her punishment, hiding from the world and humanity. But now someone or something is striking down the gods, and it falls upon the antiheroine to save the pantheon in exchange for redemption and freedom.
"I was psyched to learn that Pantha’s history includes ancient Egyptian lore, as this is right up my alley!," said writer Jeannine Acheson. "Tom and I have done a lot of reimagining of Egyptian gods, goddesses, and mythologies, and we really hope that readers will enjoy the bizarre and horrific take on her story that we’ve come up with."
Tom added, "Jeannine’s take was really crazy and exciting and I knew after working with her on Vampiverse that she would be the perfect collaborator for this series."
The creative team is rounded out by artist Igor Lima (Green Lantern, Mighty Mouse). As well as colorist Adriano Augusto and letterer Carlos Mangual. To celebrate the return of Pantha to fans of the Vampirella mythos' reading stacks, Dynamite has called up a crop of talented artists to tackle memorable covers. Recent ... 10/21/21 @ 3:03 pm EST
Vampirella's 50th anniversary series goes out with a bang, with smashing sales for its issue #25 finale and the Daughter of Drakulon's hotly anticipated wedding to Dracula! Plus, the solo series debut of Vampi's nemesis Nyx kicks off strong! Thanks to all of the creators involved, the support of fans, and confidence of retailers, Vampirella #25 jumped from the 20,000 copies mark up to 60,000 following FOC, aka "Final Order Cutoff." While Nyx saw similar leaps from the 11,000 range up to 30,000.
  Dynamite is confident in the continued success of Vampirella story after it hits the stands, especially in anticipation of its continuation in the new title Vampirella/Dracula: Unholy this winter, and fans tracing backward after trying that title. In light of this, the final print run for the issue has been decided on 75,000 to make sure every existing fan of the character and newcomers won't miss out on this historic release.
It's not a fake out, not an imaginary story, the iconic vampiress is tying the knot following all the critically acclaimed storytelling crafted by writer Christopher Priest and a crew of artists including Ergün Gündüz, Giovanni Timpano, Julius Ohta, Willie Schubert, and a who's who of killer cover artists.
Fans of the Vampirella mythos have been tuning into the tales of Nyx for over 25 years as well. Born from Chaos - literally - she's been a thorn in Vampirella's side ever since. Nyx even killed Vampirella in the iconic Death & Destruction in 1996! Now for the first time, she's breaking out into her own title like many other beloved antiheroes in comics' past. Written by Christos Gage, this new series is going to reveal so much about the character, making ... 10/21/21 @ 3:01 pm EST
Chicago's resident professional wizard is back and ready for action in an all-new graphic novel set in the official Dresden Files continuity and exclusive to Dynamite, releasing in February.
Dresden Files creator Jim Butcher is back with his sixth original graphic novel, co-written by Mark Powers. They're joined by returning artist Joe Cooper (Bloodshot) and fan-favorite cover artist of the prose novel series, Chris McGrath.
Harry Dresden finds himself now working for the one and only Bigfoot. Three hard to find short stories are reimagined and interwoven with additional wholly new material to come together into a thrilling new tale. Readers of the saga of Dresden will not want to miss this essential chapter in the character's ongoing saga.
"Bigfoot hasn't gotten nearly enough attention since we stopped trying to find him every season on Animal Planet, and I feel that needs correcting post haste," said writer Jim Butcher. "As I've often said before, I mostly see the Dresden Files in my head as drawn animation, and I deeply enjoy seeing my often-ridiculous imagination coalesce into imagery that other people can enjoy too!"
Jim Butcher is the New York Times bestselling author and creator of the Dresden Files franchise. The Dresden books have sold millions of copies combined, as well as translated to graphic novels, roleplaying games, and a 2007 television series. To date there are 17 novels in the universe, plus assorted short stories.
Dresden Files: Bigfoot features 120 pages of full color graphic novel storytelling for $24.99 in hardcover format. Collectors can also opt for a limited edition signed by Jim Butcher himself.
  
Read More Here
10/21/21 @ 10:54 am EST
Welcome to Hell... Sonja. The fan-favorite breakout star of the mythos boundary-blasting Sonjaversal is breaking out in a fiery hot new title ready to warm up fans this winter!
She's the Queen of Damnation, lording over the fire-scorched pits of eternal hunger and suffering. But Hell Sonja has had enough of all this boring evil. She's binding together lost souls, other Red Sonja's of the multiverse, and will scour time and space to find the most wicked to feed to her endless realm's churning maw. For those desperate enough and beset by evil, when no one else can help, perhaps Hell Sonja will be their surprising savior!
Writer Christopher Hastings (Unbelievable Gwenpool, Deadpool) and artist Pasquale Qualano (Dejah Thoris) reunite to chronicle the tales of the latest breakout star in the Red Sonja mythos. She's now set up a multiversal bounty hunting operation, assembling teams of Sonja's to accost the most dangerous villains across the multiverse. Each issue will feature a new world and villain to be taken on. In addition to the title-star, the series also includes Blue Sonja, Moon Sonja, Gold Sonja, and of course the beloved classic Red Sonja.
"It's the A-Team meets Hellraiser across a span of wildly different fantasy and sci-fi worlds, care of an elite squad of multiversal Red Sonja alternates," said writer Christopher Hastings. "Easily the most metal thing I've ever worked on."
Beyond the beautiful, action-packed interiors by Qualano, colorist Kike J. Diaz, the series is fronted by a talented team of cover artists. Dynamite depictions of demons would be incomplete without the incomparable Lucio Parrillo. Other fan-favorites answering Hell Sonja's call include Jae Lee, Junggeun Yoon, and Joseph Michael Linsner. Last but certainly not least, fan-favorite Gracie the Cosplay ... 10/21/21 @ 10:24 am EST
The hotly anticipated series Vampirella/Dracula: Unholy is set to continue Christopher Priest's acclaimed tenure on the Drakulonian antiheroine. With January's issue #2, the world-renowned artist Stanley "Artgerm" Lau returns to contribute a breathtaking cover for this steamy couple!
Artgerm returns to the character of Vampirella and this run by Christopher Priest following a trio of sold-out scorching covers he contributed close to the character's 50th anniversary celebration. Each even numbered issue of #2, 4, and 6 on the 2019 relaunch of Vampirella featured one of Artgerm's masterpieces. The first was a scintillating unique take on depicting the character's iconic costume, which has since been brought to the third dimension as a collectible statue bust. The second finally brought a fan-favorite piece originally made in conjunction with Sideshow to the collections of comic book fans. While the final one tapped into Artgerm's rare charcoal abilities and blew everyone away with a memorable blood-soaked acetate cover.
Now he's back with another novel twist on Vampirella's costume in the form of a dress, as well as her dashing new husband, the one and only king of the vampires - Dracula. The variant cover is also available in logo-free "virgin" editions and more.
Artgerm is joined by a squad of superstars for the other covers on this exciting second issue. The others include Shannon Maer, Rose Besch, Lucio Parrillo, and a cosplay cover.
  
VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: UNHOLY #2 is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ November 2021 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in January 2022. Comic book fans are encouraged to ...
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