Comics
Alex Ross Will Be Painting All Of Chris Roberson’s ‘Masks’
Alex Ross is well known for his comic cover art, however, he has not done a full interior for a book since “Justice”, which ended in 2007. Perhaps even more noteworthy is that fact that this is the first work-for-hire project that Roberson has agreed to since putting the kibosh on DC and Marvel. Masks comes from Dynamite, and it brings together all of their pulpy masked heroes including The Shadow, Green Hornet, Kato, Zorro, The Spider, Miss Fury, The Black Batand, and more. The hype for “Masks” will be insane.
UPDATE: Official press release is now below.
Official press release:
July 11th, 2012, Mt. Laurel, NJ – The Shadow, Green Hornet, Kato, Zorro, The Spider, Miss Fury, The Black Bat and MORE are all featured in Masks, the Dynamite Entertainment cross-over featuring the top pulp heroes of all time. Written by Chris Roberson, the ENTIRE FIRST ISSUE IS PAINTED BY ALEX ROSS!! This is his first full interior work since “Justice” at DC Comics!!! Masks is hitting comic book stores everywhere this November, also featuring covers by Alex Ross, Sean Phillips, Howard Chaykin and Jae Lee!!!
In Masks #1, it’s 1938, and the Justice Party has swept into office in New York State. But the newly-elected officials are in the control of powerful criminals, who quickly corrupt the law to their own advantage. When a fascist police state is instituted, the only ones who stand in defense of the innocent are masked vigilantes like the Shadow, the Green Hornet, Kato, and the Spider. When the law is unjust, justice must be an outlaw…
“For years now, Dynamite Entertainment and I have desired to unite all of the varied pulp characters they’ve been publishing into one big crossover event,” says legendary comic book creator Alex Ross. “When the Green Hornet and Kato paved the way for a successful relaunch of the original masked duo characters, we knew that the grand prize of revivals should then be the ultimate original, the Shadow. Now, to be able for the first time in history to have these legends meet, along with fellow mysterymen; The Spider, Zorro, Black Bat, and others, makes this project a unique accomplishment. I always thought that illustrating the first hero archetypes like The Shadow would be a milestone in my career. I’m thrilled to touch upon the legends that began the very concept of the superhero in Masks with a crossover that is literally the longest overdue.”
“Masks is the comic I’ve wanted to write since I first discovered the pulp heroes in the 1970s,” says writer Chris Roberson. “Just working with these characters is already a dream come true, but having the first issue painted by Alex Ross makes it that much more amazing!”
“When we were exploring writers, I emailed Chris and we spent a couple of emails back and forth and in that short span, he laid out a basic framework that was pitch-perfect for what we were looking for,” adds Dynamite Editor Joe Rybandt. “Alex had initially laid out a character list and high concept, but Chris added the flesh to the bones and we’ve got something really cool coming together here.”
“Alex is so incredible excited about Masks, and realizes that it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to draw so many classic and iconic characters in one series,” exclaims Dynamite President and Publisher Nick Barrucci. “Alex promptly jumped head-first when presented with the idea to pain the interiors of the entire first issue, which will bring the most amount of attention to the series possible.”
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.
Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.
In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”
The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”
Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”
“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.
Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”
Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.
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Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
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Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
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Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
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Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
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Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
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Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)
Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
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