After a summer focusing on OGNs and collected editions, Black Mask Studios is returning to monthly titles with a tale of destiny, romance, and magic. “Destiny, NY,” written by Pat Shand (“Snap Flash Hustle”), with Manuel Preitano (“The Oracle Code”), will launch this March with a double-sized first issue.
The story follows Logan, who after years spent in a boarding school for magical children, managed to save the world from cataclysm at the age of 12, as prophesied. The story picks up when she’s in her twenties, directionless and without a prophecy to guide the rest of her life — at least until she falls in love with Lilith, the estranged daughter of a magic crime family, and finds herself in the middle of a new crisis that threatens her old academy.
“‘Destiny, NY’ is a story about what happens next,” Shand says of the book. “Fantasy stories always end when the prophecy is complete, when the villain is defeated. I wanted to find out what happens next.”
“Destiny, NY” will be Shand’s third book at Black Mask, following the horror-pharmaceutical thriller “Breathless,” and supermodel crime drama “Snap Flash Hustle.” In addition to his creator-owned work, he’s written comics for properties like “Adventure Time” and “Joss Whedon’s Angel.” In addition to his comics work, he’s produced several off-Broadway plays, and written several prose novels for Marvel, including Guardians of the Galaxy: Space Riot, and Avengers: The Serpent Society.
Preitano has worked with numerous publishers including DC Comics, Zenescope Entertainment, Graphic India, Dabel Brothers, and a number of regional Italian companies. When asked what attracted him to “Destiny, NY,” Preitano simply said he likes cats and that Shand promised “it was a series full of felines.”
While Elisa Romboli (upcoming “Alice in Leatherland”) and Rosi Kämpe (“Spider-Gwen”) will provide covers for the series, Issue #1 will launch with a special limited-edition variant from “Strangers in Paradise” creator Terry Moore. Moore praised the book, saying “‘Destiny, NY’ is an engaging modern love story written with hope and compassion. Drawing a cover for a book like this was a privilege.”
“Destiny. NY” will be the first single-issue comic for Black Mask since 2020. After COVID-19 affected the entire industry, the publisher chose not to produce monthly titles, instead focusing solely on trades. “I can’t think of a better time for a story about finding new direction after struggling through a crisis,” Black Mask co-founder and publisher Matt Pizzolo said of the project. ”With ‘Destiny, NY,’ Pat Shand and Manuel Preitano navigate a bold and heartfelt story about trying to find a path you can believe in on the other side of youthful idealism.”
