The first five books in the Mars series — from A Princess of Mars to Chessmen of Mars — are actually in the public domain, and so, we have a new Mars series, WARLORD OF MARS, coming from Dynamite this October. As a Mars fan, I have to say this looks promising…except for the gross porn star Dejah Thoris in some of the covers. YUCK. PR below:

The original warrior of Mars returns!  Dynamite is proud to announce the October release of Warlord of Mars, an enhancement to the classic story Princess of Mars!  If you thought you knew Princess of Mars before, think again!  We are so proud and excited about this book, that we are offering the first FULL issue for the introductory price of just $1.00!

Princess of Mars is an Edgar Rice Burroughs science fiction novel, the first of his famous series, which initially began publication in serialized form within the pages of All-Story Magazine in February 1912.  It is also Burroughs’ first novel, predating his Tarzan stories. Full of swordplay and daring feats, the story is considered a classic example of 20th century pulp fiction.  This series is written by Arvid Nelson and is illustrated by Stephen (Avengers/Invaders) Sadowski and Lui Antonio, and features covers by Alex Ross, Joe Jusko, Lucio Parillo, and J. Scott Campbell!

“We’re trying to stay as true to the spirit of the originals as possible,” says writer Arvid Nelson.  “The novels are told as the “memoirs” of John Carter, the main character, and the comics will be told the same way.  I think Mars is going to be something really special. We’re doing this adaptation the right way, and I’m so excited for people to read it!”

“This is a project that we’ve been working on for quite a bit,” says Dynamite Entertainment President Nick Barrucci.  “We plan to capture all the grit and action of the original, while expanding the story with brand-new elements, exploring the back story and earlier events of this classic tale!  To allow the series to be accessible to fans old and new, we are offering the first issue at the Introductory Price of $1.00 for the full ENTIRE 32 page comic, as well as dedicating both of the Dynamite front gate folds of the October shipping Previews Magazine to our launch.  Get on board for the biggest comic book launch in October!”

Via PR, Dynamite has announced that Kurt Busiek will be the writer of the Jack Kirby/Alex Ross project they’ve been teasing. Based on some of Kirby’s concepts, Busiek and Ross will co-plot with Busiek writing and Ross supplying some of the interior art.

Having already thrilled fans with the release of teaser images for the upcoming Kirby: Genesis comic book line, Dynamite Entertainment is now proud to announce that “the friend” who is joining Alex Ross will be none other than best-selling and multiple Eisner and Harvey award-winning writer Kurt Busiek! Writer Kurt Busiek will be re-teaming with Alex Ross for their first full collaboration since 1993’s Marvels. With Kirby: Genesis, Busiek and Ross are primed to expand on the vision of the legendary Jack Kirby with the same dynamic and unique perspective on superheroes that made Marvels such an original and successful story, allowing a new generation of comic book readers to become acquainted with the genius that is Jack Kirby!

About the chance to work with Alex Ross and the Kirby characters Kurt Busiek exclaimed, “If you look up ‘dream come true’ in the dictionary, it’s defined as ‘Working with Alex Ross on a big, epic project featuring dozens of Kirby characters.’ In my dictionary, at least. “Jack Kirby was the premier creative force in American comics history. And to have the chance to work with his creations in their purest form — some who’ve been seen before and some who haven’t, from the Ninth Men to Galaxy Green to Tiger 21 to Silver Star — and to build a new world and a grand story with them is the kind of opportunity and challenge I couldn’t possibly turn down. When we started talking about this, there was just so much stuff, so many great ideas, that I was confused as to where we could possibly start. But then Alex described one image — a single moment — and that was all it took to make me say, ‘Got it. I see the whole story now. Man, this is going to be fun.’ “And it is. Stand back. We’re gonna need the room.”

“One thing that Kurt and I have always shared is our love for Jack Kirby’s comics and legacy,” adds Alex Ross. “The Kirby: Genesis project is a way to repay the impact this one man’s creativity has had in shaping our lives. I’m excited to be plotting this adventure with Kurt as well as to be contributing to some of the interior art. This epic will be an ambitious assembly of every Kirby design we can lay our hands on.”

Kirby: Genesis is coming!
Dynamite presents Alex Ross, and he’s bringing a friend!
Stay tuned for full announcement coming soon!

ROBERT JORDAN’S WHEEL OF TIME: EYE OF THE WORLD VOLUME ONE #6
32 pages FC  •  $3.99  •  Teen +
Written by ROBERT JORDAN &CHUCK DIXON
Art by CHASE CONLEY
Cover by JEREMY SALIBA
Thanks to Moiraine, Rand Al’Thor has found out why his quiet life has erupted into chaos and what the myrddraal seeks — and those answers will change his life forever.  Plagued with visions of a great evil, and forced to leave the only home he’s ever known for what promises to be a dark adventure along a mysterious path.

DEEPAK CHOPRA PRESENTS: BUDDHA HARDCOVER
160 page hardcover  •  $24.99  •  Teen +
Story by DEEPAK CHOPRA
Adapted by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by HARSHVARDHAN KADAM, DEAN HYRAPIET & LIQUID COMICS
Cover by SATISH TAYADE
Deepak Chopra (The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, The Book of Secrets) brings the Buddha back to life in this stunning graphic novel adaptation of the of The New York Times Bestselling novel about a young prince who abandons his inheritance to discover his true calling. His iconic journey changed the world forever, and the truths revealed continue to influence every corner of the globe today.

[Do you want to see more first looks here at The Beat? Let us know!]

Chaos flourished in the ’90s under publisher/chief creator Brian Pulido. Various characters from their library have been controlled in recent years by Tales of Wonder, Crossgen, Devil’s Due and Avatar.

PR Below:

Dynamite Entertainment has acquired the Chaos! Comics’ library and all associated assets which include the publishing labels Black Label Graphics, Infinity Comics and the properties Evil Ernie, Smiley the Psychotic Button, Chastity, Purgatori, Jade, Omen, Bad Kitty, Cremator, Lady Demon and many more (with the exception of Lady Death).  Chaos! Comics was the leading independent comics publisher of the 1990’s, achieving over thirty million dollars in sales in eight languages. 

Chaos! featured such prominent writers such as Peter (Incredible Hulk) David, Brian (Lady Death) Pulido, Alan (Watchmen) Moore, and Christopher (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Golden, and artists such as Jae (Dark Tower) Lee, Greg (X-Force/Spawn) Capullo, Mike (Dark Avengers/Secret Avengers) Deodato, Art (Ultimate X) Adams, Boris (Conan the Barbarian) Vallejo, Steven (Lady Death) Hughes, Adam (Wonder Woman) Hughes,  Joseph (Dawn) Michael Linsner, Berni Wrightson and many more.  

The Chaos! library was known for its dark yet seductive characters that pushed the boundaries of horror comics.

”After announcing our acquisition of Vampirella, and now the Chaos! properties, Dynamite Entertainment is in possession of some of the most iconic horror characters in comic book history, with Evil Ernie and Chastity arguably being the most iconic” says Dynamite Entertainment President Nick Barrucci.  ”Dynamite Entertainment has grown significantly these past several months with our acquisition of Dabel Bros., our publishing relationship with Liquid and Grant Morrison, and with several other more surprises coming up, we are aiming to be the most diverse publisher in comics!”

For those who were not around for the Chaos Era, here’s a gallery:

Pat Lee, the creator who revitalized The Transformers, makes his return to comic books with Widow Warriors!  Written by Lloyd Chao and drawn by Pat Lee, Widow Warriors is a full color series that will be released by Dynamite Entertainment!  Based on the popular Chinese legend Women Warriors of the Yang Family, Widow Warriors takes place during the reign of Emperor Song Ren Zhong  (AD 1022-1064), a powerful barbarian tribe invaded the western territories of the Chinese Empire.  A brave clan of generals, the Yang, and their men fought bravely, but were massacred by the invaders.  Unable to convince the Emperor to send reinforcements, the widows of the family, also trained warriors, took it upon themselves, journeying west on a perilous mission to avenge the deaths of their loved ones and save a nation.

“I was pretty thrilled to be able to collaborate with a Chinese and international team on Widow Warriors, my first comic series after several years,” says Pat Lee.  ”The original story is so rich with historical characters that it was a real challenge to filter it down into an American comic format.   I wanted to blend my comic style with the richness we find in historic Asian art and culture, and we are pretty happy with the end result.  We are going to turn Widow Warriors into a film next, and I think a lot of the panels already have a cinematic feel to them.”

”Pat has grown as an artist, and we’re proud to be working with him on this project.  Looking at the art, you can see the depth he’s added since the beginning of his career.  We’re proud to be working with Pat on this project, and hope that this is the first of many projects together.” states Dynamite President Nick Barrucci.

At an early age of 16, Pat Lee began his career in the comic book industry right after graduating in high school by sending over 150 pages of sample artworks to Marvel and DC editors with no success. It took nearly a year before he finally caught the attention of Image co-founder Rob Liefeld at a Toronto convention in 1994. Four months later, he was hired by Image Comics and went off to train at Extreme Studios. There, he learned an invaluable skill: speed.  Lee worked on various titles such as Bloodpool, Extreme Sacrifice, Black Flag, Glory, Darkchylde, Avengeblade, Extreme Prelude, and Prophet.  Soon after, he was hired in Wildstorm Productions to work on Jim Lee’s WildC.A.T.S., Allegra and Whilce Portacio’s Wetworks. His career in comic books led him to work in Marvel Comics with a Wolverine/Punisher mini-series entitled Revelation.  Pat and his brother Roger Lee founded Dreamwave Productions. The two secured comic licenses for the popular toy line Transformers, which Lee would illustrate.  His work on Transformers brought newfound attention on the Transformers property, making way for the incredible success it would eventually achieve on film.

IDW claims the #3 publisher spot in units, followed by Dark Horse, which is third in dollars. But then, in a bit of a surprise, Dynamite claims the hotly contested #5 spot in both dollars and units, with Image close behind.

While Marvel and DC have always been the “Big Two”, they’re traditionally followed by “The Next Two” of Dark Horse and Image, the only other front-of-the-book publishers– that is until IDW joined the elite last month. With the addition of Dynamite to the mix, you have a loose confederation of “The Big Two” and the “Next Four” with BOOM! aggressively knocking on the door of the RV.

At any rate, if you were to poll the man in the street and ask “Who is the #8 publisher in the direct market?” we doubt too many would have gotten “Zenescope.”

Proving the law of physics that states that matter and Grant Morrison projects cannot truly be destroyed, only transferred from one publisher to another, Liquid has teamed with Dynamite, and Morrison’s “Mahabharata” project — announced a few years ago with now defunct Virgin Comics — will be seeing print as an “illustrated script book” entitled 18 Days. Hte project is billed as joint venture between Dynamite and LIquid, the company that was created from the remains of Virgin. The project began as

Morrison’s bible and scripts for an animated series based on the Mahabharata  it remains in development with Liquid and Perspective Studios. The final result will be a hardcover book collecting Morrison’s original unedited scripts, story bible, character descriptions and commentary, illustrated by Mukesh Singh (Devi, Gamekeeper, Shadow Hunter). The original — a classic Indian myth telling of three great warriors and their cataclysmic battles — is the world’s longest epic poem at more than 1.8 millions words, so there was certainly a lot of source material.

Grant Morrison commented, “18 Days is a labor of love made all the more exciting by having a collaborator as original and groundbreaking as Mukesh. His techno-Vedic superheroes and spectacular scenes of cosmic warfare bring a dazzling new and contemporary dimension to one of the world’s greatest stories.”“

18 Days takes one of the most enduring tales of the East and places it in the capable hands of Grant Morrison, one of the greatest storytellers of the West. Combined with the visual spectacle of Mukesh Singh’s artwork, this is a book that goes beyond myth, beyond generations and beyond borders, transcending the story’s origins and showing the world a dynamic new vision of gods and war,” Liquid’s CEO, Sharad Devarajan commented, “Dynamite is the ideal partner to help us bring this book to all fans of comics, pop culture and myth.”

“Sharad and his partners at Liquid have been able to work with an incredibly gifted group of talented creators, and now they’ve added Grant Morrison to that list. To be able to partner up with them to release this deeply personal project of Grant’s is beyond an honor. Grant is one of the best and most thought provoking writers in comics today, with an incredible resume of past and present work. He’s partnered here with the equally talented Mukesh Singh – whose artwork is truly mind-blowing. Together, they have created a new world of gods, war and more!” stated Dynamite’s President and Publisher, Nick Barrucci. “We’re thrilled to be working with them on this, and hopefully many more projects to come.”

Morrison has long had an interest in Indian myths — see much of the Invisibles — and he and Deepak Chopra appeared on a panel together at San Diego in 2008 to tak about aspects of the project.

More artwork from the book can be viewed here: http://issuu.com/liquidcomics/docs/18days

Vampirella debuted in 1969 in a black & white magazine titled simply VAMPIRELLA. With a stunning cover by legendary artist, Frank Frazetta, Vampirella #1 quickly made publishing history with its depiction of a vampire heroine, and its success prompted comics giants DC and Marvel to launch horror titles of their own. Vampirella appeared in this magazine format throughout the 1970’s. Many of these classic stories were illustrated by the legendary artist Jose Gonzalez and have remained quite popular with comics fans to the present day. After a brief publishing hiatus, Vampirella returned in 1992 and quickly regained her reigning status as the queen of all female comics characters! In continuous publication since her early 90s comeback, Vampirella has been written by top talents including Alan Moore, Mark Millar, Grant Morrision, James Robinson, Jeph Loeb, Warren Ellis, and illustrated by fan favorite artists such as Joe Quesada, J. Scott Campbell, Michael Turner, Jae Lee, Adam Hughes, Mark Texeira, Joe Jusko, Arthur Suydam, and many more! A Vampirella feature film premiered on Showtime Networks in 1996, and the character continues to appear on numerous items of licensed merchandise.

Commenting on the acquisition, Nick Barrucci, President of Dynamite Entertainment said, “Vampirella is one of the most well known and longest running comic characters in the history of the business. Outside of Marvel and DC characters, very few comics characters that debuted in the 60’s still resonate with fans today. Our acquisition of this iconic brand is another step in Dynamite’s exciting growth and builds on the ongoing success of our line.”

“I am incredibly pleased to be passing the stewardship of Vampirella on to Dynamite,” says Stanley Harris, President of Harris Publications. “Dynamite has proven to be one of the premiere publishers in the comic book industry, and Vampirella couldn’t be in better and more caring hands!”

For the past five years, readers have been thrilled by the Harper Connelly series.  Featuring Harper Connelly, a woman who has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who’s passed, and share their very last moment. The way Harper sees it, she’s providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living-but she’s used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech. Traveling with her step-brother Tolliver as manager and sometime-bodyguard, she’s become an expert at getting in, getting paid, and getting out fast. Because for the living it’s always urgent-even if the dead can wait forever.

“I’m thrilled to join such great writers,” says Charlaine Harris. “I’m excited about seeing a different vision of my novels, and I’ve seen enough of the Dynamite Entertainment to know this will be an interesting and entertaining process.”

“Charlaine has thrilled millions of readers with her novels, and millions more with the adaptation of her Sookie Stackhouse series as the TV Show known as True Blood.  We at Dynamite are honored to be the first comics publisher to be granted the right to adapt her novels in to the first ever  comics adaptation. And Charlaine’s kind words on our comics and confidence in our ability to execute will be rewarded with Dynamite’s placing the best talent available on these adaptations!” Stated Dynamite President and Publisher Nick Barrucci.