May 18, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite announces a new spotlight on another iconic Disney Villain, as writer Elliott Kalan sets Hades out on his very own Greek mythological quest, as the Lord of the Underworld is finally taking center stage!
First appearing in the 1997 classic Hercules during the celebrated "Disney Renaissance" era, the character of Hades rose above standard villainous fare as yet another fan-favorite in the Disney filmography. The character's comedic wit and signature appearance stuck with fans immediately. Now it's time to heat things up with his foray onto the comic book page!
Writer Elliott Kalan is no stranger to comedy, with contributions to Mystery Science Theater 3000, The Daily Show, and comics like Spider-Man and the X-Men that have spawned huge memes constantly shared among fans. He's bringing that same comedic energy, which he cites as flowing through both his sweat and blood, to this series. Artist Alessandro Ranaldi (Zorro) joins him with a kinetic style and approach to characters that will feel both right in line with the Disney blueprint, yet with a new layer all his own.
"I was already a teenager when Hercules came out, and a little old -- according to my friends -- to go see it in the theaters," said writer Elliott Kalan. "So of course I saw it in the theaters anyway, because Disney had been on an epic roll for the past decade or so, and I really enjoyed it."
"I took to Hades right away. I've always loved villain characters, and I'm a sucker for demons and devils, so instantly he was my favorite character in the film. Plus, he was the funniest one there."
 
Pending Final Licensor Approval
In Kalan’s new tale, Hades doesn’t get an invite to the weekly brunch at Mount Olympus -- which obviously calls for the complete and total destruction of his fellow deities.
In his mission to make that happen, he must get his devilish hands on the legendary Golden Fleece of Colchis. Because the Fleece happens to be guarded by a dragon and legion of soldiers, the lord of darkness therefore has to round up a ragtag party of minions and allies to accomplish his epic quest.
Readers will meet the spider-girl Arachne, emo singer Orpheus, the childlike brute of the Minotaur, and even winged Icarus. A mismatched group like this is bound to not get along, especially when led by the overconfident and arrogant Hades.
Disney Villains: Hades issues will feature a range of gorgeous covers depicting the titular tempestuous god in all his glory. Karen S. Darboe, Jae Lee, Trish Forstner, Francesco Tomaselli, and Alessandro Ranaldi all have variants for the first issue.
DISNEY VILLAINS: HADES #1 is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ June 2023 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in August 2023. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the issue with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more!
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About Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, The Shadow, Red Sonja, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, A Game of Thrones, and more. Dynamite owns and controls an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such as Vampirella, Pantha, Evil Ernie, Smiley the Psychotic Button, Chastity, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and bestselling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high-profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Gail Simone, Christopher Priest, Leah Moore, Kevin Smith, David Walker, Vita Ayala, Danny Lore, Neil Gaiman, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Mark Russell, Brandon Thomas, Amy Chu, Reginald Hudlin, Nancy Collins, David Walker, Steve Orlando, Greg Pak, Jenny Frison, Matt Wagner, and a host of up-and-coming new talent. Dynamite is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles - including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's Project Superpowers - have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005, Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%) and again in 2011. The company has also been nominated for and won several industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards.
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