March 2, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite is proud to announce a thrilling new title starring one of the crown jewels of the Disney Villains pantheon. The Mistress of Evil, the one and only Maleficent, invades the comic book page via multi-talented creator Soo Lee this coming May.
Maleficent first appeared in Walt Disney Animation Studios' iconic 1959 film Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent has returned to screens in two blockbuster films and now Dynamite is pleased to reveal the debut of her first solo comic series.
Versatile creator Soo Lee (Carmilla: The First Vampire, DC/RWBY) is leading the charge on this all-new series, not only writing the story, but drawing it as well. Longtime fans will be excited to see her portrayal of one of Disney's greatest evildoers, both visually and in channeling her voice. Queen of the Forbidden Mountain, Maleficent's realm is shrouded in darkness and her soul is cold following a life of thwarting foolish adventurers after her powers. It's only a matter of time until she will finally have enough, and descend upon the powerless people below, unleashing her horrible magics upon them.
"I think Maleficent is kind of an icon as a character herself," said author and illustrator Soo Lee. "She is stylish, beautiful in her way and very powerful. Even though she’s a villain I really liked that she was a powerful woman. I mean, she transforms into a dragon! That’s pretty cool."
This new story is meant to fit within the established character arc of Maleficent as depicted in the classic animated film, a sort of prequel peek into her past, set long before the events of Sleeping Beauty. The focus is on her as the main character of the story and her own life, not playing second fiddle to princesses and princes. Soo Lee, editor Nate Cosby, and the Disney team have worked together to deliver this stunning vision of villainy!
Lee is joined by a colorful cast of creatives in bringing this project together. She's writing, drawing, and coloring her own tale, but is additionally joined by letterer Jeff Eckleberry. She also draws one of the covers for the book, perfectly complementing her interior art. Other covers on the series will be done by the legendary Jae Lee (Batman/Superman, Inhumans), Jennifer L. Meyer, Rebeca Puebla, and Erica D'Urso.
DISNEY VILLAINS: MALEFICENT #1 is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ March 2023 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in May 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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