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Graveyard Wars: ABLAZE teams up with AJ Lieberman

Welcome to the world of Graveyard Wars. Image credit: ABLAZE
Image credit: ABLAZE

Imagine that people among us, all of whom have had a near-death experience, now have an ability called a Soul-Skill. This allows them to access the skill sets of the dead. Fighter. Surgeon. Sniper. Anything. Welcome to the world of Graveyard Wars.

ABLAZE  has announced that it will publish Graveyard Wars as a series of original graphic novels, with the first graphic novel set for publication this September. Graveyard Wars is written and created by AJ Lieberman, illustrated and colored by Andrew Sebastian Kwan, and lettered (with color design) by Darren Rawlings.

Welcome to the world of Graveyard Wars. Image credit: ABLAZE
Image credit: ABLAZE

Graveyard Wars is my first new book in a few years and my only goal was to be sure from a story and art standpoint it surpassed the others. And I think we did it. It’s a fun, action story that doesn’t fully reveal itself until the very last page. My only other hope? That it would attract the attention of a director/producer like Chad Stahelski so I can hear all the batshit stuff that goes on during the [John] Wick movies,” Leiberman said in a press statement.

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Jupiter’s Legacy trade paperbacks sent back to print

Jupiter’s Legacy, one of the most critically-acclaimed superhero series of the past decade, will have its trade paperbacks sent back to print this September.
Image credit: Image Comics

Jupiter’s Legacy, one of the most critically-acclaimed superhero series of the past decade, will have its trade paperbacks sent back to print this September. Image Comics said this will give readers a chance to catch up before the Netflix Originals TV adaptation streams later this year.

Written by Mark Millar (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kick-Ass), Jupiter’s Legacy is set in mid-century America. It follows the world’s greatest superheroes as they face epic threats in public while battling private scandals behind closed doors.

The trade paperback collection will have four volumes, featuring cover art by the multiple Eisner Award-winning Frank Quitely.

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Jungle Girl makes lord of the jungle look like an amateur

Who needs the lord of the jungle when Jungle Girl is around? Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment
Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment

Frank Cho’s Jungle Girl Complete Omnibus
Writers: Frank Cho, Doug Murray
Artists: Frank Cho, Adriano Batista, Jack Jadson
Cover: Frank Cho
FC | 392 pages | $39.99 | Action/Adventure | Teen +

Who needs the lord of the jungle when Jungle Girl is around? Frank Cho’s Jungle Girl Complete Omnibus is an exhilarating adventure starring the beautiful, charismatic, and deadly Jana Sky-Born.

This omnibus from Dynamite Entertainment contains all three seasons of the Jungle Girl series, collected for the first time in one book. Writer and artist Cho doesn’t waste time, plunging us right into epic action from the start.

In fact, epic is an understatement. We’re talking Jana Sky-Born hunting Mosasaurus for food. I was hooked immediately, and it really sets the tone for this graphic novel. It’s larger than life, taking place on an unknown island that’s somehow a Lost World with cavemen, dinosaurs, and other creatures from different eras. Spoilers ahead.

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TRESE comes to readers worldwide via ABLAZE

Portland-based ABLAZE has announced that it will bring the critically-acclaimed Filipino comic book series TRESE by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo to English readers worldwide. Image credit: ABLAZE
Image credit: ABLAZE

Philippine mythology will now reach an even bigger audience. Portland-based ABLAZE has announced that it will bring the critically-acclaimed Filipino comic book series TRESE by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo to readers worldwide. TRESE is a three-time winner of the Philippine National Book Award for Best Graphic Literature of the Year. It won in 2009, 2011, and 2012.

ABLAZE will release the series of graphic novels, starting with TRESE Vol 1: Murder on Balete Drive this September. When the sun sets in the city of Manila, don’t you dare make a wrong turn and end up in that dimly-lit side of the metro, where blood-sucking aswang run the most-wanted kidnapping rings, where gigantic kapre are the kingpins of crime, and magical engkantos slip through the cracks and steal your most precious possessions. When crime takes a turn for the weird, the police call Alexandra Trese.

In a press statement, writer Tan talked about how TRESE started.

“When we started TRESE back in 2005, we did it for fun, because we wanted to tell stories about Philippine myth and folklore through the lens of a detective story. We photocopied 30 copies and sold it for less than a dollar. Most of copies ended up with friends. Thankfully, more people wanted to read our stories. So, we are extremely excited to have partnered up with ABLAZE and now have a chance to share with the world the wonders and mysteries of Philippine mythology to a new set of readers,” Tan said.

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Comics previews: Dynamite releases on June 24, 2020

Comics previews: Dynamite releases on June 24, 2020.John Wick Trade Paperback. Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment
Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment

Here are the comics previews of the titles that Dynamite Entertainment will ship on June 24, 2020.

John Wick Trade Paperback
Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Giovanni Valletta, Matt Gaudio
Cover: Giovanni Valletta
FC | 160 pages | $19.99 | Action/Adventure | Teen+

When a young John Wick embarks upon an epic vendetta, he comes up against a strange, powerful community of assassins and must learn how to master the rules that guide their lethal business. What are the Three Bills? Who is Calamity? And why is John Wick seeking vengeance?

Contains issues 1-5 of the John Wick series.

Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment
Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment

“Greg Pak and Giovanni Valletta have come together to give fans of this popular action franchise a fascinating first look into the past of John Wick.” - Infinite Earths

“John searches for someone from his childhood past and as you guessed it, lots of blood, bullets, and bravado fills the pages till the end.” - Outright Geekery

“The visuals are stunning.” - Scifi pulse

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Negan Lives: Surprise The Walking Dead one-shot in July

Negan Lives #1 will be available exclusively at comic book shops. Image credit: Image Comics
Negan Lives #1 will be available exclusively at comic book shops. Image credit: Image Comics

To help comic shops recovering from the COVID-19 crisis, a surprise one-shot story, Negan Lives #1, will arrive in stores this July from Image Comics.

The award-winning creative team behind The Walking Dead phenomenon — Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard — are returning to the beloved series. Negan Lives #1 will not be available digitally and will be available exclusively at comic book shops.

“I’ve been inspired by Steve Geppi and Diamond’s efforts to shine a light on how essential the Direct Market is to our beloved industry with their #backthecomeback campaign,” Kirkman said in a press statement.

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Red Sonja: Age of Chaos shows She-Devil, vampires rule

Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #4. Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment
Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment

Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #4
Writer:  Erik Burnham 
Artist:  Jonathan Lau
Cover: Lucio Parrillo
FC  |  32 pages  |  Fantasy/Horror  |  $3.99  |   Teen+ 

What happens when you have Red Sonja and throw in a punk vampire, a winged vampire goddess, and a vampire-sorceress to the mix? With a dash of undead psychotic killer? You get Dynamite Entertainment‘s highly entertaining limited series, Red Sonja: Age of Chaos.

I’ve loved Red Sonja ever since I was a kid. But this is my first time to encounter Chastity, Purgatori, Jade, and Evil Ernie. They’re the Chaos! Comics characters that Dynamite Entertainment owns after purchasing the imprint.

Red Sonja meets these Chaos! characters for the first time ever in this limited series. What kind of havoc will they wreak in the Hyborean Age? And why must Red Sonja now have to resurrect her sworn enemy? Spoilers ahead.

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Vengeance of Vampirella releases the dogs of war

Vengeance of Vampirella #8. Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment
Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment

Vengeance of Vampirella #8
Writer: Tom Sniegoski
Artist:  Michael Sta. Maria
Cover: Lucio Parillo
FC  |  32 pages  |  Horror  |  $3.99  |   Teen+ 

I have to confess: I don’t know Vampirella. Sure, I’ve heard of the character, and I know what she looks like. But that’s it. Even though I’m a comic book geek, I’ve never read a Vampirella comic. So I’m really glad that I’m finally getting to know her through Dynamite Entertainment‘s Vengeance of Vampirella #8.

Reading this as my first Vampirella comic book, however, is like jumping in at the deep end of the pool. This issue features a lot — and I mean a lot — of characters. So many things happen in Vengeance of Vampirella #8 that it was quite dizzying at first.

But it’s a fascinating world, particularly if you like horror like I do. I soon found myself just immersing myself in this unfamiliar environment. Enjoying how it was weaving together different elements from pop culture, literature, myth, and religion. I still don’t really know Vampirella, but I definitely want to find out more about her and her world. Spoilers ahead.

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Death on the Nile? Ash vs the Deadites in ancient Egypt

Death to The Army of Darkness #3. Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment
Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment

Death to The Army of Darkness #3
Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist:  Jacob Edgar
Cover: Ben Oliver
FC  |  32 pages  |  Comedy/Horror  |  $3.99  |   Teen+ 

Reading Death to The Army of Darkness #3 made me literally laugh out loud a number of times. And reminded me why Ashley Joanna Williams, better known as Ash, is one of my favorite characters. Even if this is a comic book instead of a movie or TV show starring Bruce Campbell.

Think one Ash is funny? Imagine how crazy things get when his essence gets split. So that he’s now walking around with a woman, a skeleton, a dog, an imp, and a chainsaw with some Ash in them.

And then they get sucked into a time portal, and find themselves in ancient Egypt. Where the biblical plagues are apparently in full swing, thanks to the Deadites. Spoilers ahead.

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Red Sonja: When the She-Devil was Sonja the Red

Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil trade paperback. Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment
Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment

Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil TP
Writer: Luke Lieberman
Artist: Sergio Davila
Cover: Lucio Parrillo

FC  |  104 pages  |  $17.99  |   Sword and Sorcery  |  Teen+

Long before Xena burst into the scene, Red Sonja was my favorite female warrior. My late dad always bought comic books when I was a kid, which is why I became a comic book geek. That’s how I discovered the She-Devil and fell in love with her tales of sword and sorcery.

I haven’t read a Red Sonja comic book in decades. So it’s somewhat fitting that the first one I’m reading is about her early adventures as the young and untamed Sonja the Red.

This Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil trade paperback from Dynamite Entertainment collects the four issues of the mini-series written by Luke Lieberman, with art by Sergio Davila and a gorgeous cover by Lucio Parrillo. It features the She-Devil’s mentor Ozzyus, who raised the orphan Sonja the Red. Spoilers ahead.