My inbox has been filling up as NYCC approaches (and by "approaches," it's here) and many of them are from Nick Barrucci's Dynamite Entertainment. We already ran the news that the might Mark Waid was writing Green Hornet in 2013, but here are some other equally interesting announcements.
FRED VAN LENTE TO WRITE NEW ZOMBIE SERIES
Fans of The Walking Dead and George Romero movies will not want to miss this series, coming in 2013 from Dynamite Entertainment!
"Like a lot of things that I do, my zombie project at Dynamite mocks a genre while very much being a part of that genre," says writer Fred Van Lente. "In a lot of zombie stories we get the beginning of plague, or the zombie apocalypse, but we skip all the military, governmental and just plain human screw ups that got us from Point A to Point B. Well, that's all this book is about -- a global disaster of this magnitude results in a lot global stupidity, and therein lies comedy. Think of this as World War Z with jokes and a B drive-in movie Grindhouse sensibility. At the heart of our story is a group of message-board experts -- yes, geeks -- recruited (not without real-life precedent) by the Defense Intelligence Agency to see if they can't apply their unparalleled knowledge of the zombie genre to figure a way to solve the crisis. As a professional comics writer, will I allow Internet know-it-alls save the world, or will they all be horrifically slaughtered? I can't wait to find out myself."
GRIMM COMIC BOOKS WILL HIT STORES IN 2013!
In Grimm, Homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt of the Portland Police Bureau learns he is descended from a line of "guardians" known as "Grimms," charged with keeping balance between humanity and the mythological creatures called "Wesen." Throughout the episodes, he must battle against an assortment of dangerous creatures, with help from his friend Monroe (who is a reformed creature), and his partner Detective Hank Griffin.
"The opportunity to delve even deeper into the Grimm universe is an exciting prospect. One we hope fans of the show and comic books in general will equally enjoy." said Executive Producers David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf. "The medium will allow the story to go places we never could within the constraints of a television production. It's pretty cool."
MATT STURGES TO WRITE NEW DAMSELS SPIN-OFF SERIES!
Damsels, a story featuring Cinderalla, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid and Snow White proved to be such a huge hit for Dynamite that they are coming out with a spin-off series to Damsels!
"What Damsels does for dry land, this book does for the ocean," says writer Matt Sturges. "We've got mermaids! Pirates! A kraken! Sirens! All wrapped up in fast-past coming-of-age story, filled with treachery, high adventure, and very probably some sharks. (And maybe even a little romance for good measure.) In short: if it's in a fairy tale or legend, and it's wet, we've got it."
DAN ABNETT AND ANDY LANNING TO WRITE NEW ONGOING CLASSIC BATTLESTAR GALACTICA SERIES
Dynamite has announced the renewal of the classic 1978 Battlestar Galactica license with NBCUniversal, as the acclaimed writing duo of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have signed on to write an epic series in the classic universe for 2013.
"I'm really looking forward to working with Dynamite on this Battlestar Galactica project," says writer Dan Abnett. "I've been a fan of Battlestar Galactica since I was a kid, and it's going to be great for Andy and I to get our cosmically-honed teeth into such a long-standing and beloved Science Fiction franchise."
Andy Lanning adds, "The original series of Battlestar Galactica was like catnip to my younger self; more than filling my rabid craving for spaceships, laser weapons, robots and alien invasions! It had cool characters, snappy dialogue, creepy alien cyborgs, awesome space battles with fantastic special effects (it was 1978 cut me some slack) and a totally cute robot dog! So, imagine the thrill and excitement to be given the chance to develop something in the Battlestar Galactica universe: to get to play with characters and concepts that I've grown up with, that are such a part of my formative years. With this new series from Dynamite, Dan and I are hoping we can add to the established cannon of continuity with our own take on the classic series. I know my inner 14 year old is squealing with delight at this opportunity. I'm still holding out hope that one day I'll get my own Daggit too!"
Fan-favorite Vampirella writer Tom Sniegoski returns with all new series - Vampirella Strikes! Tom is one of the most successful fan favorite writers coming back to Vampirella, having previously written multiple Vampirella series including the long running Vengeance of Vampirella #1- #25.
In Vampirella Strikes #1, Fearful that her monstrous nature is taking control, Vampirella takes solace in some extreme violence, and conversation, all topped off with a nice glass of Merlot, in a Boston tavern overrun by the demonic in the first part of this six issue story. Living in a world of growing supernatural threats, Vampirella never knows what she will be facing from one moment to the next, but what she finds waiting for her in her Boston Brownstone when she returns from a night of hunting is the most unexpected of all. Angels of Heaven sent by God . . . and they want Vampirella to work for them.
"They say you can't go home again," says writer Tom Sniegoski. "But, you know what? It wasn't so hard. I think I might've missed her. For my first Vampirella Strikes storyline (On the Side of Angels), I'm taking our heroine to a place she's never really been before. Sure, Vampirella has done battle with all kinds of monsters, beasts and demons of various shapes and sizes, but I wanted to take her out of her element-I wanted to push her into a world commonly believed to be one of light, and goodness, and show her that there is darkness there as well."
DYNAMITE LAUNCHES NEW CRIME LINE WITH WRITERS GARTH ENNIS AND ANDY DIGGLE
According to Dynamite President Nick Barrucci "We've been working on putting together a line of crime books for quite a bit of time, but needed to ensure we had the right caliber of creators. We've had conversations with multiple creators over time, and as luck would have it, in the last few months, quite a few were coming to fruition."
Garth Ennis will write a new series, Red Team, with up-and-coming artist Craig Cermak. "Earlier this year, the four members of the NYPD's elite strike unit Red Team decided to murder a suspect," says writer Garth Ennis. "And the worst possible thing that could happen... happened!" Adds artist Craig Cermak, "Dark and moody are what I think some of my strong points are artistically, and that is what this series has. Interesting characters, a great premise, and hard situations. Being able to step into this world is such a treat to draw and I'm pushing to really deliver the quality it deserves."
Andy Diggle is set to write his next series which will be part of Dynamite's new crime line of comics.
"It's not every day that a publisher offers you the chance to create a whole new world from scratch, and I'm having fun cooking up something dark, funny, violent and twisted for Dynamite," says writer Andy Diggle. "Hard-hitting genre fiction with a twist, for readers who don't like having their intelligence insulted. The kind of comic I want to read myself. So there's really just one question - are you in or are you out?"
PETER V. BRETT RETURNS TO RED SONJA!
New York Times bestselling author Peter V. Brett returns to pick up where he left off in the critically acclaimed Red Sonja: Blue with a four-part series for new readers and fans alike. Bereft of her signature chain mail, Sonja finds herself free of much of the reputation that went with it, and begins a new series of adventures clad in a familiar blur fur tunic. Haunted by her past and the spirit of the demon whose pelt she wears, Sonja finds beginning over harder than expected.
"I have a reputation for writing strong female characters in my books, but Red Sonja is the OG* where kickass fantasy heroines are concerned," says writer Peter V. Brett. "I've been reading Sonja comics since I was twelve, so working on the Red Sonja: Blue One-Shot last year was a huge thrill. I immediately asked Dynamite to let me pick up where I left off. The new Red Sonja: Blue 4-issue series will add new depth to the character as she finds herself with blood on her hands that doesn't easily wash off, struggling with her inner demons even as a very real one pursues her. It will be a great starting point for new readers, but there will be enough action and classic adventure to satisfy even the most hardcore fans."
* Original Gangster
