Comics
[Comic Preview] Valiant Entertainment’s “Book of Death” #1
The next two thousand years of history collide with the most powerful heroes of today in the must-read event of the summer! Here’s your first look inside BOOK OF DEATH #1 (of 4) – the 40-page first issue of the blockbuster Valiant event of 2015 from New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (X-O MANOWAR, Green Lantern) and the twin artistic talents of rising star Robert Gill (ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER, Batgirl) and Valiant heavyweight Doug Braithwaite (ARMOR HUNTERS, Justice)!
The Valiant heroes. X-O Manowar. Bloodshot. Ninjak. The Harbinger Renegades. Unity. This is how they lived. This is how they died.
Now we know. The Book of the Geomancer has recorded it all. But only a young girl – the last in a line of the enigmatic mystics who protect the Earth known as Geomancers – has seen this future come to pass, from the coming cataclysm to the dawn of the 41st century. Alone with her sworn protector, the Eternal Warrior – a soldier battle-forged across five thousand years of combat – the duo must defy their allies to stop the Dark Age that now threatens to eclipse our world.
Together, they are the number one target of every hero and villain on Earth. Either the Eternal Warrior hands her over…or they take him down. But can even he single-handedly protect one child when the entire Valiant Universe wages war against him?
Beginning in BOOK OF DEATH #1, each 40-page chapter of Valiant’s cataclysmic event epic features a full-length installment of the Valiant heroes quest for the Book of the Geomancer, illustrated by Robert Gill. Then, discover essential visions of tomorrow with never-before-seen sequences of the future, torn directly from the pages of the Geomancer’s book and featuring artwork by Doug Braithwaite! Featuring the last stands of Valiant icons, the first appearances of all-new heroes, and tantalizing clues of future events, BOOK OF DEATH is the gateway to the next decade of the Valiant Universe that will have fans returning to each issue for years to come!
On July 15th, the Book of the Geomancer spells doom for Valiant’s most powerful forces in BOOK OF DEATH #1 (of 4) – featuring covers by Robert Gill (ETERNAL WARRIOR), Cary Nord (X-O MANOWAR, Conan), Clayton Crain (RAI, X-Force), Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic (Thor), Pere Perez (ARCHER & ARMSTRONG), and Paolo Rivera (THE VALIANT, Daredevil). Start reading here as all-star creators Robert Venditti, Robert Gill, and Doug Braithwaite begin a thousand-year journey into the future of the Valiant Universe…and rain, fire, blood and war on the heroes of today, only in BOOK OF DEATH #1 (of 4)!
BOOK OF DEATH #1 (of 4)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by ROBERT GILL & DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Cover A by ROBERT GILL (MAY151586)
$3.99 | 40 pgs. | T+ | On Sale JULY 15 (FOC – 6/22/15)
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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