Comics
[NYCC ’13] ‘Dawn’ And ‘Vampirella’ Cross Paths
Dynamite announced yesterday that they will launching a crossover series between Dawn and Vampirella, written by Dawn-creator Joseph Michael Linsner. The six-issue event, set to debut in January, sees a ten-headed demon that kidnaps Dawn and Vampirella with the intention that one of the deadly ladies become his new mate. The two heroines face off in a wild storytelling competition. It’s a classic tale of dark versus light.
Official Press Release:
October 9th, 2013, Mt. Laurel, NJ – New York Comic-Con Announcement: Dynamite is proud to announce that the acclaimed Joseph Michael Linsner will, for the first time ever, launch a crossover event sharing the spotlight between his beloved creator-owned heroine Dawn and the comic book horror icon Vampirella. Dedicated fans of the two femme fatales can enjoy the six-issue Dawn / Vampirella series when it debuts in early 2014, featuring a whimsical script and breathtaking covers by Linsner himself.
In Dawn / Vampirella, a ten-headed demon named Ravana tricks Dawn and Vampirella, snatching them away and holding them hostage. With the two most beautiful women in all worlds at his mercy, Ravana wishes to select one as a mate to usher in a new age. Rather than a challenge of physical prowess, the ladies choose a more sophisticated and feminine contest, facing each other instead in a competition of storytelling prowess. If Dawn wins, the new age will be one of light. If Vampirella wins, it will be an age of darkness. Together, they take Ravana to the bloody shores of Drakulon, to post-apocalyptic New York, and to worlds beyond his wildest dreams. Ultimately, the ladies know that they must join forces to overcome him… but what common ground can be found between Goddess and Vampire?
“Vampirella is comic book royalty, right up there with Wonder Woman, Sue Storm, and Red Sonja,” says Linsner. “She is an icon; there is only one Vampi. In many ways, she is the original independent ‘Bad Girl.’ She started in black and white, and so did Dawn. It is an extreme honor to have Dawn share the stage with Vampirella in her very first crossover.”
Joseph Michael Linsner is most well-known for Dawn, his personal Pin-Up Goddess. After her debut appearance on the cover of Cry for Dawn #1 in 1989, Dawn struck a chord with thousands of fans on an international level. She is currently published in six languages and has come to life in the form of statues, action figures, t-shirts, lithographs, lunch boxes, and trading cards. An award-winning illustrator, Linsner has painted covers for all of the major comics characters, including Wolverine, Justice League, Conan, and Vampirella. One of his proudest moments was getting to illustrate a short story written by Stan Lee for Actor Comics Presents.
Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite, says, “I’ve known Joe Linsner since Dawn first appeared in comics. For two-and-a-half decades, he’s been a truly innovative, independent voice in this industry, crafting tales that plumb the depths of human emotion and spirituality. I respect his life’s work so much, and have hoped to work with him on a crossover since before the goddess celebrated her twentieth anniversary. At the time, Joe said he would think on it, but it seemed the longest of long shots, as he’s never allowed anyone else to be involved with Dawn on any creative level. Dawn is his legacy… and yet, five years later, he felt that he could craft a story so great that his fans would warmly welcome the best — and only — Dawn crossover in history. It’s truly an honor to be working with Joe on this creative level. It’s one of the most exciting crossovers of 2014.”
The Dawn / Vampirella miniseries will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ Previews catalog, the premiere source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in early 2014. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of individual Dawn / Vampirella issues with their local comic book shop or hobby specialty store. Each issue will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.
Comics
‘You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive’ – IDW Dark’s Next Horror Comic Will Make You Question Reality
Five friends. Four houses. One perfect life. Bloody Disgusting is excited to exclusively announce You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive, a brand new horror comic from IDW Dark.
From Eisner-Nominated writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and rising horror artist Heather Vaughan, You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is described as a “paranoia-laced, socially-conscious, horror mystery that will leave you questioning reality, and reveal that this crafted world is more of a nightmare than the idealistic dream they were expecting.”
Phoebe Joplin has never questioned the world her parents built: a secluded community where she and her friends were raised to be smarter, stronger, and better than anyone else. No distractions. No dangers. No secrets. Until the night of their graduation.
When one of them dies under impossible circumstances, Phee starts to pull at the edges of her perfect life—and what she finds is something far more terrifying than she ever imagined.
Because this place isn’t a sanctuary. It’s a cage. And no one who discovers the truth ever leaves it alive.
Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing (Batman – One Bad Day: Clayface, Star Trek: The Last Starship) co-write the upcoming IDW Dark horror comic, featuring art by Heather Vaughan.
Jackson Lanzing said in a statement to Bloody Disgusting, “You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is in many ways a spiritual successor to our last creator-owned horror, The Principles of Necromancy – a dive into the promise and consequence of playing god with the blood of innocents. But the Hivemind book this reminds me of most is Clayface: One Bad Day. This is a deeply human story with intensely raw emotions – five best friends and their five mysterious parents, tearing one another apart for the promise of some impossible glory that’s waiting just beyond their darkest actions. We’re thrilled to be bringing this story to life with our long-time partner in crime, editor Heather Antos, at IDW Dark – and we’re particularly excited to give our Clayface fans a new, brutal and emotional horror made just for them.”
Adds Collin Kelly, “We’re deconstructing a feeling that seems universal these days; our elders have a death grip on their power, without any intention of giving it up to the generations that come next. YNLTPA is about growing up with the limitless potential of the future… and realizing how much it’s a lie we’ve been fed to keep us under the yoke of the past. Bringing this brutal experience to life is our artist and co-creator, Heather Vaughan, who brings an incredible amount of humanity to our cast. But it’s in our youthful leads that Heather’s art really shines – you are going to fall in love with these young people, even as they go through the worst experience of their lives. What we’ve all crafted together is going to be tragic, painful, but above all else, sincere – with a future so uncertain, there’s only one thing we can trust: you’ll never leave this place alive.”
“Some horror stories are about monsters in the dark. YNLTPA is about realizing the monsters raised you,” previews Senior Group Editor Heather Antos. “Working with Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly on this series has been a dream in the darkest possible way. They’ve built a story that’s layered, brutal, and deeply emotional, and every issue gives artist Heather Vaughan opportunities to push the art into places that feel both haunting and deeply personal. Some horror comics will keep you up at night…this is one that will stick with you for years to come.”
The first issue of You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive goes on sale October 14, 2026! Make sure to pre-order at your local comic shop by September to guarantee a copy.
Exclusively check out the various covers for Issue #1 down below.
IDW Publishing’s horror imprint IDW DARK features comics like A Quiet Place: Storm Warning, Smile: For the Camera, The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, The Twilight Zone, Event Horizon: Dark Descent & Event Horizon: Inferno, and more.
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