Dynamite Bringing Back the Man of Bronze

Dynamite  signed a new agreement with Condé Nast that will bring back the legendary man of action Clark Savage Jr. in an all-new Doc Savage comic book series scheduled to debut in December 2013.  The second project developed as part of their licensing partnership with Condé Nast, the newDoc Savage follows on the heels of their top-selling comic book series, The Shadow, and its related spin-off titles.  Chris Roberson, acclaimed comic book writer ofMasks and iZombie, joins talented artist Bilquis Evely as the contributing creators.  The first issue will feature a cover by superstar painter Alex Ross (Kingdom Come, Marvels, Masks), with special variant cover editions also provided by John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men, Uncanny Avengers) and Stephen Segovia (X-Treme X-Men).

“In the course of my comics career, I’ve been lucky enough to work on nearly every character and series that mattered the most to me growing up,” says theNew York Times bestselling author, Chris Roberson.  “Doc Savage is one of the final characters left on my bucket list.  Growing up in the 70s, it was impossible to miss the Doc Savage reprints in every bookstore and on every newsstand, with those striking covers.  Doc quickly became and remained my absolute favorite of all of the pulp heroes, and the stories of Lester Dent were a huge influence on my own writings.”

Readers were first introduced to the pulp adventures of Doc Savage in 1933, courtesy of Doc Savage Magazine by Street and Smith Publications.  Raised from the cradle to be the pinnacle of mental and physical perfection, Clark Savage Jr. travels the world using science and sinews to right wrongs, aid the oppressed, and liberate the innocent. With his team of able associates at their headquarters high atop the tallest building in the world, he is tireless in his pursuit of knowledge and justice. “In many ways, Doc Savage was one of the most significant precursors of comic book superheroes, and action heroes of the 20th century in general,” says Roberson.  “You can see elements of the character in everything from Superman to Batman, the Fantastic Four to James Bond.”

Doc Savage tales appeared regularly in a variety of media (including novels, comic books, radio serials, and film) over the eighty years since the character’s inception.  The setting of the new Doc Savage comic book series is fitting, as the breadth of its action extends over many decades.  “The story we’re telling is pretty sweeping in scope,” says Roberson.  “We start in 1933, soon after Doc Savage made his first public appearance.  The next issue takes place in the late 1940s, shortly after the last published issue of the Doc Savage pulp magazine.  The third issue jumps forward to the early 1960s, and so on.  Each of these issues will be self-contained adventures that gradually piece together into one larger story spanning some 80 years.  The approach we’re taking is, just because the magazine was no longer being published, that doesn’t mean that Doc wasn’t still out there saving the world.”

New York Times bestselling writer Chris Roberson is best known for his Eisner-nominated ongoing comic book series iZombie (co-created with artist Mike Allred), his modern fantasy series Memorial (co-created with artist Rich Ellis), the Fablesspinoff Cinderella, and his work on Superman, Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes, Masks, and Elric: The Balance Lost. His current projects include Edison Rex with Dennis Culver, The Mysterious Strangers with Scott Kowalchuk, and both Codename: Action and The Shadow as published by Dynamite.

Artist Bilquis Evely is a talented newcomer to the comics scene.  Most recently, Evely contributed interior artwork to the Condé Nast-licensed one-shot special comic book, The Shadow Annual 2013, debuting in stores in early September.

“We are so incredibly pleased to add Doc Savage to our proud line of comic books,” says Nick Barrucci, CEO and publisher of Dynamite.  “Its high adventure in exotic locales, its atmosphere of mystery and magic, and its retro-cool science fiction make for the perfect addition alongside our other Condé Nast mainstay,The Shadow.  Chris Roberson is the perfect writer for the series.  He’ll be presenting Doc’s journey from its beginning to now, highlighting his triumphs and loss (including many of his closest friends, who he will outlive), and establishing how Doc made it through the decades and continues his mission in today’s society.”

Doc Savage #1 will be solicited for retailer order through Diamond Comic Distributors’ October Previews catalog, corresponding to items shipping in December 2013.  Three accomplished industry artists provide cover variants:

• Alex Ross, bestselling and multiple award-winning artist of Kingdom Come,Justice, and Marvels, will provide an iconic cover for Doc Savage #1 and future issues, as well.  Dynamite is proud to share the Alex Ross Doc Savage #1 and #2 covers at press time for this announcement.

• John Cassaday of Astonishing X-Men and Planetary fame provides a “VIP Edition” variant comic book offered to qualifying comic shop retailers that support the launch with strong orders.

• Stephen Segovia (X-Treme X-Men, Adventures of Superman) will provide a variant cover that select stores in the USA, Canada, and the UK may share as a retailer exclusive.