There’s a new comic line to keep an eye on. Incendium has announced its publishing arm, Opus Comics, will be releasing comic books in the direct market, distributed by Diamond Comic Distributors.
Opus and Diamond also announced that the publisher will implement a new Final Order Cut-Off (FOC) program, effective with products scheduled to go on sale on May 4 and now carrying an FOC Date of Monday, April 11.
Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer #1 and Disturbed: Dark Messiah #1 are the first titles from the new publisher, making its retail debut in May. With a scheduled on sale date of Wednesday, May 4, Death Dealer #1 will carry an FOC Date of Monday, April 11. With a scheduled on sale date of Wednesday, May 18, Disturbed: Dark Messiah #1 will carry an FOC Date of Monday, April 25.
The first titles in the lineup, hitting shelves in May and June 2022, include the new Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer comic series and the Bill & Ted Roll the Dice miniseries, plus the music-based titles Disturbed: Dark Messiah and Joe Satriani’s Crystal Planet.
This marks a new stage for the production company, which has been selling comics, toys, games, and collectibles for 15 years, with an emphasis on creating merchandise for the heavy metal music scene. Driven by the company motto of “Myths, Monsters, and Metal,” the brand embraces ’80s and ’90s counterculture with a contemporary twist.
Incendium was founded in 2006 and initially established as a creative service business for the music industry, with clients including Iron Maiden, for which it produced comics, music videos, toys, and more. Incendium grew into a multifaceted production company, remaining independently owned. The company moved into comics with Eternal Descent in 2010, an original series that explores a radical take on the heavy metal music genre with axe-wielding metal masters in a dark fantasy world.
Over the years, the company has been involved in many unique productions, creating video games, animation, comics, music, and more. Incendium also moved into physical manufacturing of toys and collectibles for a number of clients and developed a pipeline for a line of 5” fully articulated “Figbiz” action figures, an homage to the ’90s toys Leon collected as a child.
During the pandemic, Opus Comics started working more with bands as tours and releases were delayed and musicians had more time and opportunity to explore narratives based on their music IP. This led to collaborations with popular metal and rock bands like Evanescence, Exodus, Cradle of Filth, Disturbed, and many more making their comic medium debut with Incendium. In this vein, the team behind Opus Comics always looks to push boundaries with stories exploring genre fiction, especially fantasy, horror, and sci-fi, be it with existing legendary properties or original ideas.
CEO Llexi Leon is joined at Opus Comics by Executive Editor Denton J. Tipton, who spent the past decade rising through the editorial ranks at IDW Publishing, most recently in the position of Managing Editor. R.G. Llarena has also come aboard as International Editor for Opus Publishing. He spent several years working as a freelance writer for both the American and Mexican comic book markets.
Opus Comics will be debuting Bill & Ted Roll the Dice #1 on June 14th, 2022, a four-issue miniseries set after the events of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. The series is written by James Asmus with art by Wayne Nichols, and will also have a backup story featuring the origin of villain Chuck De Nomolos, written by John Barber with art by Andrew Currie. In addition to putting new Bill & Ted comics on the racks every month from June, Incendium also makes official Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey merchandise, including FIGBIZ toys and playsets, art prints, apparel, and accessories.
The first issue of Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer debuts May 4, embarking on a brand-new adventure through the worlds of Frazetta, introducing readers to extraordinary characters and places envisioned by the “Godfather” of fantasy art. This first title, authored by animation writer Mitch Iverson and illustrated by celebrated artist Stefano Martino, begins a major launch of comic books building towards an entire multiverse of stories inspired by Frazetta’s most famous creations. This is the start of a decade-long partnership between Frazetta Girls and Incendium, spanning comics, toys, games, and more across physical and digital collectibles.
Other high-profile titles in Opus Comics’ lineup include direct market releases of the Disturbed: Dark Messiah comic book series, written by Tim Seeley, and Joe Satriani’s Crystal Planet series. Incendium is also releasing collectible FIGBIZ action figures for every project related to the bands and their comic book storylines.
If you’re a die-hard Orphan Black fan who is already having withdrawals—even before the fifth and final season comes out—fret no more. IDW Publishing’s Orphan Black Deviations #1 will curb your cravings, as it’s set in an alternative world based on the original series, where Beth never steps off the Subway platform because Sarah is able to save her—leaving the sisters to meet under entirely different circumstances. 