BOOM! Studios will release Joss Whedon’s Angel #0 on Wednesday, April 17, marking the publisher’s first ever surprise comic.
The comic will be written by Bryan Edward Hill (Postal, American Carnage) and illustrated by Gleb Melnikov (Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers). What surprise means in this instance is that the book was not solicited months ago, as is the industry standard. Instead, it will show up exclusively in local comic shops next week with little notice, not even available on digital platforms for another two weeks. In that way, it’s almost like a gift from BOOM! to retailers, one the company is shipping in equal quantities to its Buffy The Vampire Slayer #4, thereby eliminating the need for said retailers to place orders.
And the new Angel book isn’t a one-shot. In a press release Tuesday morning, BOOM! noted that this marks the launch of a new monthly comic that will feature the titular character. Angel was originally a spin-off from the Buffy the Vampire television show on the WB in the ’90s, created by Whedon and portrayed on screen by actor David Boreanaz. Angel was a vampire, who moved to Los Angeles and worked as a private investigator specializing in the supernatural.
BOOM! acquired the rights to Buffy the Vampire Slayer last year from Dark Horse Comics, which had published related comics dating back to 1998. Buffy has so far been a notable success story for BOOM!, with the first issue of its series selling out before it even went on sale back in January. That comic essentially reimagines Buffy with the teen sensibilities of today, written by Jordie Bellaire and illustrated first by Dan Mora and more recently by David Lopez.
In the press release from BOOM!, the company hinted that Angel might soon be in conflict with Buffy in the pages of these books, but you can check all that out for yourself in the full PR below:
In a historic move, BOOM! Studios, in partnership with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products, today announced the first surprise series drop in the company’s history – ANGEL #0 will arrive exclusively at local comic shops worldwide on Wednesday, April 17th!
Though comic books are traditionally announced and solicited to retailers months in advance of release, the existence of ANGEL was kept a closely guarded secret by BOOM! Studios to create a true surprise drop that is 100% exclusive to local comic shops around the world (with no immediate digital distribution for two weeks). In order to meet expected fan demand, the first printing of ANGEL #0 will be shipped in equal quantities to the hotly anticipated release of Buffy The Vampire Slayer #4, which features the first appearance of the iconic vampire with a soul.
ANGEL #0 kicks off an all new monthly comic book series reimagining of the titular character in all new stories from the very beginning, with the all-star creative team of acclaimed writer Bryan Edward Hill (Batman, American Carnage) and Gleb Melnikov (Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers), along with visionary writer and director Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marvel’s The Avengers). This will be the first Angel release from BOOM! Studios as part of acquiring the comic book and graphic novel publishing license to officially expand the rich mythology created in television, novels and beyond.
Meet Angel – a vampire cursed with a soul who has spent centuries protecting humanity from the monsters that lurk in the dark…including himself. Now, looking for redemption for the atrocities committed by the monster he was when he was first turned at the age of 18, Angel stumbles upon a new demon uprising and a shocking truth: The restoration of his humanity can only come if he takes one more life: a certain Slayer from Sunnydale who he’s never met…but may now be his greatest enemy.
ANGEL #0 features a main cover and a special one-per-store “Thank You” variant cover, both by Mondo illustrator Boris Pelcer.
Bryan Edward Hill is a writer-filmmaker living in Los Angeles, who has previously written comic books including Detective Comics, Batman and The Outsiders and American Carnage for DC Entertainment; Killmonger for Marvel Entertainment; and is currently writing Titans for the DC Universe.
“ANGEL is a great opportunity to tell a story about the present, the past, redemption and most importantly…love,” said writer Bryan Edward Hill.
Created by visionary writer and director Joss Whedon (Marvel’s The Avengers film franchise), Angel premiered on the WB Network on October 5th, 1999 and was a spin-off from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The series ran for five seasons from 1999-2004, starring David Boreanaz as “Angel,” the tortured vampire destined to walk the earth with a soul who moved to LA to set up shop as a supernatural private investigator. Despite Angel’s best efforts to deal with the sins of his past all by himself, Angel Investigations soon became home to other lost souls searching for redemption and willing to fight by his side.
“Angel instantly connected with audiences worldwide because his very existence asks a question that resonates with all of us – is it possible to find redemption or are we forever defined by our pasts? Now, more than ever, it may be a question without any clear answer,” said Jeanine Schaefer, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Bryan and Gleb are tackling that question head on, exploring a man quite literally combating the monster inside of him.. But even if Angel does find a way to cure his vampirism and put the horrors of his past behind him, it doesn’t mean he has a future ahead of him – especially if our favorite Slayer from Sunnydale has anything to say about it.”
ANGEL is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including Once & Future by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora; Faithless by Brian Azzarello and Maria Llovet; Abbott from Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivelä; Bury The Lede from Gaby Dunn and Claire Roe; Grass Kings from Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins; and Klaus from Grant Morrison and Dan Mora. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties including Joss Whedon’s Firefly from Greg Pak and Dan McDaid; Buffy The Vampire Slayer from Jordie Bellaire and David Lopez; and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Ryan Parrott and Danielle Di Nicuolo.
“Instead of simply announcing and releasing a new ANGEL series in all the expected ways, we wanted to do something truly special to mark the occasion, something that would drive fans exclusively to comic shops. The release of ANGEL #0, spinning out of our top-selling reimagining of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, presented a perfect opportunity to generate nationwide excitement without the typical wait for the issue to hit stands months after an announcement,” said Arune Singh, VP Marketing, BOOM! Studios. “We want to thank our partners at Diamond Distributors for working with us to make sure that we could keep this secret till our announcement today. For any retailers that have questions about ANGEL #0 and details on subsequent issues of the series, please contact your BOOM! Studios or Diamond representative at your convenience.”
For continuing news on ANGEL comic books, graphic novels and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter. And follow Angel on Facebook
