Seeley & Molnar’s ‘Imaginary Fiends’ is coming to get you this November

New six-issue Vertigo series features aliens, murder and the creepy ‘Polly Peachpit.’

Hack/Slash and Nightwing writer Tim Seeley returns to horror for a new miniseries from Vertigo, Imaginary Fiends, which pits a young woman against a “hungry spectral alien” parasite that made her try to kill her best friend. Seeley will be joined by Star Trek artist Steve Molnar on the title.

Imaginary Fiends is a return to horror for me … a chance to tell a story about a broken person and her monster friend,” Seeley said in a press release. “But Fiends is darker, scarier and more fanatical than anything I’ve ever done. Stephen Molnar is providing some amazing artwork, and his Polly Peachpit is one of the creepiest monsters I’ve ever seen. I’m proud to bring this book to Vertigo and work with my friend and editor Molly Mahan—who is, fortunately, as far as I know, not imaginary.”

Continue reading “Seeley & Molnar’s ‘Imaginary Fiends’ is coming to get you this November”

Betty and Veronica re-imagined as biker chicks in ‘B&V Vixens’

New series by Jamie Rotante and Eva Cabrera launches in November.

Archie Comics continues its wave of “re-imaginations” of its characters with B&V Vixens, a take on Betty and Veronica as leaders of a biker gang in Riverdale. The idea for the series came from Archie editor Jamie Rotante, who will be joined by artist Eva Cabrera.

“I couldn’t be more honored and excited for the opportunity to not only let pop culture’s two most recognizable BFFs take center stage, but to give them the opportunity to kick a whole lot of ass along the way,” Rotante said to The Hollywood Reporter. “Betty and Veronica aren’t just two young ladies who happen to like the same boy — they’re two hard-working, intelligent and strong women who maintain a friendship despite their differences; consistently defying all expectations to overcome the odds stacked against them. That’s something I really wanted to explore with this series — and not just Betty and Veronica, many of the female Archie Comics characters will get a chance to tell their own unique stories in a way that’s fun and action-packed.”

Continue reading “Betty and Veronica re-imagined as biker chicks in ‘B&V Vixens’”

Smash Pages Q&A: Kim Newman on ‘Anno Dracula 1895: Seven Days in Mayhem’

The prose author discusses his comic book sequel to Anno Dracula, his own comics reading history and much more.

Kim Newman is a beloved and acclaimed cult writer. Comics fans may only know him for his 2015 miniseries Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland, but prose fans know him for his dozens of books which include Professor Moriarty – The Hound of the D’Urbervilles, The Night Mayor, and the Diogenes Club series. Perhaps his best known works are the series Anno Dracula. The 1992 novel is something of a what if – what if Dracula defeated Van Helsing. The resulting novel – and the sequels – mixed real life figures and literary characters in a way that is much more common today than it was when the novel first came out.

The new miniseries from Titan Comics, Anno Dracula 1895: Seven Days in Mayhem, is written by Newman and illustrated by Paul McCaffrey. The comic, which wraps up this week, is a direct sequel to the novel Anno Dracula – and a prequel to the second book in the series Bloody Red Baron, which takes place in World War I. Like the novels this one mixes real and fictional worlds. Newman was kind enough to talk about the miniseries, his novels, and everything from Philip Jose Farmer to possible comics crossovers he’s eager to write.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A: Kim Newman on ‘Anno Dracula 1895: Seven Days in Mayhem’”

Alternative rockers Me Like Bees creating soundtrack for Image’s ‘The Realm’

Each issue of the apocalyptic fantasy series by Seth Peck and Jeremy Haun will coincide with a new single by the band.

When The Realm by writer Seth Peck and artist Jeremy Haun kicks off next month, the series will be accompanied by its own soundtrack, courtesy of the band Me Like Bees.

“Musicians are such natural storytellers,” Haun told Alternative Press. “I’ve always had an obsession with concept albums. You’d have Bowie or Nick Cave or Johnny Cash telling these stories across an album. They were brilliant. Always sparked my imagination. I was as inspired by that as any movie, book or comic story.”

Each issue will coincide with the release of a new single from Me Like Bees, eventually resulting in a new EP from the band. The first single, “The River Divides” is already out and serves as a theme song for the entire series. Check out the video below:

Continue reading “Alternative rockers Me Like Bees creating soundtrack for Image’s ‘The Realm’”

The dead of summer brings ‘Dead of Winter’ #1 from Oni Press [Preview]

New comic based on the tabletop game kicks off this week from Kyle Starks and Gabo.

As announced at C2E2 earlier this year, Kyle Starks and Gabo have teamed up for a new horror-comedy mini-series based on the board game Dead of Winter by Plaid Hat Games.

The first issue arrives this week, and publisher Oni Press has shared a preview:

Continue reading “The dead of summer brings ‘Dead of Winter’ #1 from Oni Press [Preview]”

Frank Miller, John Romita Jr. team up for ‘Superman: Year One’

Miller surprises panelists at DC’s “Master Class” panel today to break the news.

Following the theme of earlier panels hosted by Dan DiDio, co-publisher at DC Comics, their “Master Class” panel at Comic-Con International today had a surprise guest — Frank Miller, creator of Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns and many other classic comics.

Continue reading “Frank Miller, John Romita Jr. team up for ‘Superman: Year One’”

Check out a bunch of covers from upcoming Black Crown titles

Artwork for ‘Assassinistas,’ ‘Kid Lobotomy’ and more revealed at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

Yesterday in San Diego Shelly Bond announced three more titles that’ll launch in a few months from her Black Crown imprint at IDW Publishing, joining the already-announced Kid Lobotomy. If you’re curious what those titles will look like, wonder no more and check out some art below.

Continue reading “Check out a bunch of covers from upcoming Black Crown titles”

Young Animal books to cross over with DC Universe

Doom Patrol to meet the Justice League in January, courtesy of Gerard Way, Steve Orlando and ACO.

At Comic-Con International today, Gerard Way, curator of the Young Animal line at DC Comics, announced that Doom Patrol, Shade the Changing Girl, Mother Panic and Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye will cross over into the DC Universe, starting with the Doom Patrol meeting Justice League of America.

The first of the four-part crossover, Doom Patrol Special arrives in January after the line takes a brief hiatus that starts in October. This issue will be co-written by Way and Steve Orlando, with art by ACO and cover art by Frank Quitely. It’ll also feature Milkman Man:

Continue reading “Young Animal books to cross over with DC Universe”

Shelly Bond’s Black Crown expands with three more titles

New comics by Tini Howard, Gilbert Hernadez, David Barnett and Martin Simmonds, plus an anthology, set to debut after ‘Kid Lobotomy.’

When Shelly Bond’s Black Crown comics line was announced earlier this year, we were told “Black Crown” not only referred to the line’s name, but also to a pub that would anchor this shared, creator-owned universe. In April we found out that Kid Lobotomy will be the first Black Crown title, and now we know three more that will join it at the bar:

Continue reading “Shelly Bond’s Black Crown expands with three more titles”

Ghostbusters + Ninja Turtles team up in second crossover

Five-issue series will be released weekly starting Nov. 1.

When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles get stuck in a ghost dimension, who ya gonna call?

At Comic-Con International, IDW answered that question the only way possible — with a second Ghostbusters/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover comic, which will come out weekly for five weeks starting Nov. 1.

“When Erik and I first broached the idea of joining the TMNT with the Ghostbusters way back when, it felt like a wonderfully impossible dream,” said co-writer Tom Waltz. “Well, that dream came true with the first volume in a big way, and now I’m absolutely ecstatic to have the opportunity to once again help bring my two favorite quartets together for another massive comic book crossover event! And, like the first go-around, the events in this story directly flow out of and affect the storylines in both ongoing series.”

Continue reading “Ghostbusters + Ninja Turtles team up in second crossover”

Moore, O’Neill to conclude ‘League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ with ‘The Tempest’

Six-issue series to serve as conclusion to Moore and O’Neill’s “equally legendary comic-book careers.”

At Comic-Con International, Top Shelf Comix and Knockabout announced the final edition of Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen epic. The last chapter featuring their crazy, cross-continuity adventures will be titled, appropriately, The Tempest. Per Top Shelf, it will also conclude both gentleman’s comics careers.

From the press release:

Continue reading “Moore, O’Neill to conclude ‘League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ with ‘The Tempest’”

Dynamite launches new ‘Swords of the Swashbucklers’ series

Marc Guggenheim to write the new series, which starts in December.

After successfully funding a collection of the original Swords of the Swashbucklers series published by Marvel’s Epic Comics line in the 1980s, Dynamite Entertainment has announced an ongoing series featuring new stories about the space-faring pirates.

Swords of the Swashbucklers by Bill Mantlo and Jackson Guice began life as a graphic novel from Marvel back in 1984, followed by a 12-issue series. It’s about a teenage girl whose parents are kidnapped by an alien empire, so she joins up with a crew of space pirates to try and save them.

The new series will be written by Marc Guggenheim, current writer of X-Men Gold for Marvel. “Swords of the Swashbucklers has long been a favorite of mine and it remains one of the great high concepts in all of comics, which is unsurprising when you consider that Bill Mantlo and Butch Guice were the creative forces behind it. I’m humbled to continue their work and looking forward to introducing this remarkable comic to a whole new audience,” he said in a press release.

Continue reading “Dynamite launches new ‘Swords of the Swashbucklers’ series”