Dynamite Entertainment has announced the return of four fan-favorite comic series — Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Solar: Man of the Atom, Magnus: Robot Fighter, and Doctor Spektor — through a new licensing agreement with DreamWorks Classics. The publishing company has signed four of today’s most sought-after writers: Greg Pak on Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Frank Barbiere on Solar: Man of the Atom, Fred Van Lente on Magnus: Robot Fighter, and Mark Waid on the long-lost hero Doctor Spektor. Contributing artists will include Mirko Colak, Cory Smith, and more to be announced. Dynamite will launch the bold new universe of name-brand titles beginning in February 2014.
Originally published throughout the 1950s and 1960s as part of the Gold Key Comics imprint and followed by the monumentally successful run from Valiant Comics in the early 1990s, the titles Turok, Solar, and Magnus: Robot Fighter are immediately recognizable to the modern comic-reading audience. Doktor Spektor, a title launched in the 1970s, rejoins its contemporaries for the first time in decades as part of Dynamite’s reimagined line.
Each contributing writer has shared their thoughts on the bold initiative:
Greg Pak, whose innovating writing style has propelled Batman/Superman to the top of sales charts, says, “When Nate Cosby told me the character he had in mind for me, I couldn’t stop grinning. The original Turok, Son of Stone series featured a Native American warrior fighting for survival in a lost valley populated by dinosaurs. I’m just going to go on the record and say that every single element in that description is solid gold. I want to write stories with a Native American hero. I want to write stories about fighting for survival. And you bet your boots I want to write stories about a world populated by dinosaurs. And now you’re telling me I get to do all three? For sheer thrills and adventure, this book is going to be a blast to work on. And I’m always drawn to stories that feature diverse casts, so I love that a Native American hero headlines the book. I’m also loving the worldbuilding we’re doing. We’re exploring the reasons why dinosaurs walk the earth and all of the social, historical, ecological, and political ramifications that follow. This is huge adventure combined with mind-bending alternate history, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Fred Van Lente, a New York Times bestselling author and fan-favorite writer of Marvel Zombies, says, “I’m thrilled and honored to be reviving such a beloved series. I loved the original Russ Manning book as a kid, and am looking forward to bringing science fiction action to the new series in a thought-provoking way. The very nature of robotics questions what it means to be human — that’s ultimately what Magnus: Robot Fighter will be about. That, and punching robots until they explode. There will be a lot that old-time fans will find familiar, but the science of robotics and cybernetics has advanced considerably even since the last time Magnus had a title, and you’ll be seeing a lot of those reflected here.”
Frank Barbiere, a rising star whose work includes Blackout and Five Ghosts, says, “Dynamite has lined up some of the top talent in the business for the new universe of books, and I am both excited and flattered to be part of it. I think fans are going to be thrilled by the new directions we’re taking with many of the properties, Solar included. I’m a huge fan of the character and will be putting a unique spin on the mythology with an emphasis on family and character. I’m hoping my take will resonate strongly across the readership, new and old alike, and I’ll certainly be bringing a lot of new and exciting things to the table.”
Mark Waid, one of the most celebrated comic writers of the modern era thanks to bestselling titles like Kingdom Come, Daredevil, Amazing Spider-Man, and Indestructible Hulk, says, “Launching a publishing event like this is an exciting opportunity to show how it can be done well, stylishly, and cohesively. The key (no pun intended), as far as I’m concerned, is to get to the core of these characters so we can, with dynamism and confidence, tell the readers who they are, what they want, and why fans will invest in that. For Doctor Spektor, the challenge comes in figuring out how a professional skeptic, a famous investigator who debunks and exposes the extra-normal and keeps himself grounded, can function in a world that suddenly hosts superheroes and supervillains. What do you choose to believe in when your lifelong belief system is swept away?”
The new line of titles will be release beginning in February 2014. The entire line will also be available for purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.
