By Todd Allen

Sean Chen cover

Vampirella wasn’t the only reoccurring character from the old Warren comic magazines.  One of the supporting characters in Vampirella was the shape shifting Pantha.  In June, Pantha will be spinning off into her own book, written by Brandon Jerwa (G.I. Joe, the Shield) and illustrated by Pow Rodrix (Justice League).

Now if you’re saying to yourself, “hey, didn’t Warren also publish The Rook,” you are correct.  No Rook yet, but if they’re building out a “Vampirella universe,” the Rook can’t be too far behind.

Official PR follows and then some pages (borderline NSFW — erring on the side of caution, given the dialogue and potentially conservative co-workers/bosses):

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES PANTHA ONGOING SERIES!

STRIKING!  FIERCE!  SEXY! PANTHA!

March 14th, 2011, Runnemede, NJ – Following the incredible success of Dynamite’s Vampirella comics series comes the launch of Pantha in June 2012!  First appearing in Vampirella #30, this ally of Vampirella is an ancient Egyptian cursed to live forever by the gods because of a killing spree she went on in ancient times.  Dynamite Entertainment proudly presents Pantha #1, which will be written by Brandon Jerwa and drawn by Pow Rodrix, with covers by Mark Texiera and Sean Chen!

In Pantha #1, Pantha stalks the night, driving the forces of Chaos from the shadows and hunting them down like prey! Much more than a feral shapeshifter, Pantha is also an avatar for the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet – and she’s going to learn that history can repeat in a violent, terrifying way! Featuring the return of several heroes and villains from the pages of PANTHA and VAMPIRELLA, “Dangerous Game” will be an important cornerstone for the future of Dynamite’s epic Vampirella universe!  Be sure to pick up Pantha #1 in June 2012!

“Like her good friend VAMPIRELLA, the character of PANTHA has many layers,” says writer Brandon Jerwa. “My series is an equal mix of horror, suspense, mysticism, Egyptian mythology, and yes, I’ll say it: Superheroic Action. To my mind, this is a comic for people who love comics as an insane, boundless platform for storytelling. You don’t have to know anything about Pantha or Vampirella to understand this book, but I’m confident that longtime fans will appreciate some familiar themes and a slew of guest-stars from the vast Vampirella universe.”

“Brandon [Jerwa] will be playing a larger role in our Vampirella plans as we take a bite out of 2012,” adds Dynamite Editor Joe Rybandt.  “Pantha is his first stab at all the action!”

“We waited to launch Pantha because we wanted to give her the same long term planning we have given Vampirella,” says Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci.  “Writer Brandon Jerwa has presented a great launch pad and long term plan, and Pow Rodrix’s art compliments it very well. The “icing on the cake” are beautiful and striking covers by Mark Texiera and Sean Chen. This is a great creative team that will hit this one out of the park!”

Join the conversation on Twitter with #Pantha and on Dynamite Entertainment’s twitter page at http://twitter.com/DynamiteComics

To find a comic shop near you, call             1-888-comicbook       or visit www.comicshoplocator.com

For art and more information, please visit:

www.dynamite.net

About Dynamite Entertainment:

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Shadow, The Boys, Green Hornet, Vampirella, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, Game of Thrones and more!

In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and best selling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Michael Avon Oeming, Mel Rubi, Marc Guggenheim, Stephen Sadowski, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Jae Lee, Matt Wagner and a host of up and coming new talent!

DYNAMITE is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles – including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger’s PROJECT SUPERPOWERS – have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. Several of their titles have also hit The New York Times Best-Sellers list: The Boys, Vampirella Archives, Robert Jordan’s New Spring and Wheel of Time graphic novels. In 2005 Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%). The company has also been nominated for several industry awards, including the prestigious Eisner Award.

Dynamite won the Diamond Gem Award for Best Publisher Under 4% of market share for 2011!

1 COMMENT

  1. Actually DE doesn’t own the rights to the Rook. They went back to Bill Dubay in a Harris era legal agreement some time ago

  2. “They went back to Bill Dubay in a Harris era legal agreement some time ago”

    True. He’d planned to republish the Rook material in hardcover volumes: http://timecastlebooks.com/home

    Unfortunately, cancer got Dubay in April 2010. I’d assume his widow and business partner control the rights now.

  3. “We waited to launch Pantha because we wanted to give her the same long term planning we have given Vampirella,” says Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci.

    So, then, 14 issues of having her appear fully (and generically) dressed, coupled with numerous yet disregarded complaints from old-school Warren fans about the writer not understanding/caring for the character? Well, I guess it worked so well the first time… Can’t wait. ;-)

  4. Hey guys, I’m really sick and tired of this kind of “pose” covers. Caracthers look all the same. Are there no good cover artists anymore?

    Give a break with Pantha and get some one to make a decent cover while you’re at it