Greg Weisman will return Gargoyles fans to the Dark Ages in GARGOYLES: DARK AGES.
The press release follows:
Media Release -- Dynamite announces an exciting new miniseries event further expanding the return of Disney's smash hit Gargoyles to comic books! In Gargoyles: Dark Ages, franchise creator Greg Weisman is peeking back into the past, bringing fans to the very origin story of the Manhattan Clan!
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Gargoyles fans have known for years that their beloved characters like Goliath, Hudson, Brooklyn, Lexington, Broadway, and more can trace their history back to Scotland over a thousand years ago. Some fleeting moments of those times have been mentioned before, but never shown in as much depth as will be seen in this upcoming series! Greg Weisman is pulling back the curtain alongside artist Drew Moss (Vampirella/Red Sonja, Copperhead) and letterer Jeff Eckleberry, for the ultimate treat for Gargoyles fans, and a perfect entry point for newcomers to get to know these characters and their rich relationships.
As Goliath's narration explained, "One thousand years ago, Superstition and the Sword ruled. It was an Age of Darkness. It was a World of Fear." For a time, the Gargoyles of that era lived peacefully alongside humans, each species having sworn to protect the other. But that truce didn't last, and in 994, the Gargoyle Clan was cursed to sleep as stone statues for a millennium - until they eventually awoke in modern Manhattan. Gargoyles: Dark Ages, set in the year 971, depicts the origins of the Gargoyle-Human Alliance - some twenty-plus years before things came to a bad end. In this never-before-explored era, monsters still come in all shapes and sizes, forcing Gargoyles and Humans to work together to repel the forces of evil, which threaten to bring the Alliance down, from both without and within.
"I have ALL these stories that I've wanted to tell for decades now, so I pitched a number of ideas to Dynamite and Disney, and this is the one that excited everyone the most," said writer Greg Weisman. "This is an exciting era for the Gargoyle Clan (not to mention an exciting time in Scottish History), and I'm thrilled we'll all have a chance to explore it together."
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First and foremost, directly following the present day return of Demona in Gargoyles #7, readers will get to see her in this earlier era, as a young Gargoyle Warrior and loving partner to Goliath. Could some of her earliest turns to the darkness be revealed here? Either way, the events and consequences of these stories will reverberate through the years and into the present day, with each era and series playing into each other as part of Weisman's grander Gargoyles saga!
"I really enjoyed the show back in the 90s and was super excited to be even considered for this project," said artist Drew Moss. "I am trying to do interior art traditionally, so this allows me to do some washes and other things that allow me to get my hands dirty. I hope to stay true to the art from the show while infusing my own art style to it."
In addition to the first issue having an oversized 24-page story, each issue of Dark Ages will also feature four pages of complementary prose storytelling by Weisman with spot illustrations. This extra material will allow him to tap into corners of the mythos in a way that will amplify the impact of the entire series. The series will also feature high quality cardstock covers on each variant. At 40 total pages, Gargoyles: Dark Ages #1 will be the next ultimate celebration of Disney's iconic franchise.
Dark Ages will feature a range of stunning covers featuring a look at these younger visions of iconic characters, with a new mix of artists separate from the main series to offer fans and collectors more unique portrayals of the cast. Legendary artist Clayton Crain (Venom, Spider-Man) leads the way, alongside Alan Quah, Mirka Andolfo, Kenya Danino, and Erica Henderson. Unique and limited edition variants feature an action figure inspired piece, some pitch artwork from the TV show, and covers by both Jae Lee and interior artist Drew Moss.
GARGOYLES: DARK AGES #1 is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' May 2023 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in July 2023. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the issue with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more!
About Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, Red Sonja, James Bond, Warlord of Mars, Nancy Drew, A Game of Thrones, Elvira, Pathfinder, Disney franchises including Gargoyles, Darkwing Duck, and more. Dynamite owns and controls an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such as Vampirella, Pantha, Draculina, Evil Ernie, Chastity, Purgatori, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and bestselling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high-profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Gail Simone, Christopher Priest, Brandon Sanderson, Leah Moore, Kevin Smith, David F. Walker, Vita Ayala, Greg Weisman, Neil Gaiman, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Pierce Brown, Mark Russell, Charlaine Harris, Amy Chu, Reginald Hudlin, Nancy Collins, Jim Butcher, Greg Pak, Jenny Frison, 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. 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%), and again in 2011. The company has also been nominated for and won several industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards.
