Welcome to the Dynamite Comics Pubwatch for the month of September! I’m Lisa, Dynamite is my explosive beat, and here’s this month’s news!
Winner of Vampirella Fanart Contest Announced, Contest to Go Monthly
As we reported last month, Dynamite announced a contest in July which would see a piece of fan art published in the second issue of their Vampirella reboot. This month, they announced a winner: Alex Ogle, whose art is in Vampirella #2, which streeted on August 21st.
But the fun’s not over! Dyamite’s staff will continue to monitor the hashtags #VampiFanArt on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and further highly liked pieces will have feature positions in further Vampirella comics.
Dynamite Announces New Arc with KISS: Zombies
Fans of rock band KISS and their surprisingly good Dynamite series will be excited to learn that the next arc in the comic’s run will take Detroit’s most demonic sons to the undead side.
KISS: Zombies will be set after the conclusion of The End. At the finish of that arc, humanity is an endangered species living in small citadels. Since zombies are attracted to noise, music has become a forbidden fruit: something a group of Detroit native teenagers have become determined to change. They try to track down the long-missing KISS, who might indeed be the secret weapon that’ll turn the tide against the zombie horde.
The series will be written by Ethan Sacks, with art by Rodney Buchemi, colors by Dijjo Lima, and letters by Troy Peteri. Covers for the first issue will be handled by Arthur Suydam (see above), Stuart Sayger, and Buchemi, along with a monthly photo cover.
Readers will be able to rock and roll all night and eat plenty of brains in November, when the first issue is scheduled to street.
Dynamite Launches Indiegogo Campaign for Exclusive Vampirella/Shi Cover Variant
Live on the independent crowdfunding platform is this exclusive Billy Tucci-designed cover variant for Vampirella #1, which also exists to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Shi.
Colored by Wes Hartman, further variants include a virgin cover, dressed black-and-white, black-and-white virgin, and a premium Pure Line Art edition, the last of which is limited to 300 copies. Collectors also have the opportunity to kick in for a limited lithograph or a four pack signed by Tucci.
Vampirella #1 Breaks Dynamite Sales Records
And in a final bit of Vampirella—I mean Dynamite—news, the comics publisher is proud to announce that Vampirella #1 is their best-selling full-priced title of all time. The issue was #11 in units and #10 in dollars in the month of July.
Dynamite, naturally, plans to continue the series well into 2020.
Big Blasts of the Month
The Death-Defying ’Devil Vol. 2 #1
Riccardo Federici (covers), Walter Geovani (art), Tyler Kirkham (covers), Inhyuk Lee (covers), Ben Oliver (covers), Lucio Parrillo (covers), Gail Simone (writer)
August 7, 2019
Simone has put together a truly affecting little piece of work here, and a strong beginning. This is a superhero story that’s just as much about The ’Devil—who, injured in a fight, is living on the couch of a random citizen who saved him—as it is about the neighborhood in which he has found himself.
The most interesting thing about the story is how Simone crafts her tale around the people who live around the ’Devil, keeping him slightly mysterious. It gives him plenty of room to grow. Hopefully he’ll get a chance to do so.
Bangs and Fizzles
Xena: Warrior Princess #5
Vita Ayala (writer), Paulina Ganucheau (covers), Vasco Georgiev (art), David Mack (covers), Ariana Maher (lettering), Rebecca Nalty (colors), Rachel Stott (covers)
August 14, 2019
This isn’t quite Xena-kills-Dracula as the cover copy implies, but it IS Discord-fights-vampires-with-a-capybara-at-her-side. The punchy action, knockout art, and excellent character development for this one make it worthwhile.
Red Sonja Vol. 5 #7
Amanda Conner (cover), Joseph Michael Linsner (cover), Khoi Pham (cover), Bob Q (art), Mark Russell (writer), Collette Turner (cover)
August 7, 2019
The Red Sonja reboot has new lush art from Bob Q and a fun, light sense of humor mixed with action, good character drama, and great storytelling. It has been a solid go-to for me lately: the best Sonja title (aside from the Archie crossover) of the three (!!) Sonja titles Dynamite’s currently running.
Future Fire
Xena: Warrior Princess #6
Vita Ayala (Writer), Olympia Sweetnam (Art), Paulina Ganucheau, David Mack, Rachel Stott (covers)
September 11, 2019
The series concludes as the gang returns to Greece at last!
Vampirella and Red Sonja #1
Jordie Bellaire (writer), Rachel Dodson (covers), Terry Dodson (covers), Drew Moss (covers/art), Leonardo Romero (covers), Babs Tarr (covers), Julian Totino Tedesco (covers)
September 4, 2019
Vampi and Sonja take part in a brand-new crossover in a totally separate continuity from the one they have with Betty and Veronica. Guaranteed to be a bloody good time!
The Complete Gail Simone Red Sonja Omnibus (TPG)
Jenny Frison (cover), Walter Geovani (art), Jack Jadson (art), Gail Simone (writer)
September 11, 2019
Simone’s arc was a crowd-pleasing, rock-solid, and absorbing effort that won a lot of applause. Here it is again, presented in hardback with a gorgeous new Jenny Frison cover!
The Shape Of Elvira TPG
David Avallone (writer), Francesco Francavilla (cover), Fernando Ruiz (art), Fran Strukan (art)
September 11, 2019
This rollicking series is a delightful tweaking of The Shape of Water, and, tongue embedded in cheek, features Elvira falling in love with a suspiciously Gilman-like creature on the set of a movie.
Bettie Page: Unbound #6
David Avallone (writer), Scott Chantler (art), Julius Ohta (art), Pasqual Qualano (art), John Royle (art), David Williams (art)
September 25, 2019
Bettie investigates an alien invasion as this series begins a brand-new arc!
