You read that headline correctly, my friends. The ascendant Dynamite Entertainment, which is much more known for its licensed work but has been putting in a lot of work to bring in top name creators, has brought the biggest feather to its cap with today’s announcement of signing Warren Ellis to be the man who will mold their Project Superpowers universe, starting with late 2014.
It’s a natural fit, of course, as Ellis has long been someone interested in the era those characters originated from, all of whom are Golden Age comic characters who since have become public domain. As he said in the press release:
“I’ve long been fascinated by the period in comics that produced these characters, and I’m very much looking forward to working out the strange, atmospheric take on the weird thriller that they inspired. Also, it’s going to be a pleasure to finally do a job through the good offices of my old friend Nick Barrucci.”
It’s a bold, unexpected move, but given other things that come from this press release – words like “carte blanche” are thrown around, which is like candy to Warren Ellis’ whiskey drinking baby – it’s one that could prove to be creatively fulfilling to Ellis, prosperous to Dynamite, and damn exciting to read. We’ll see what happens as this develops, but pretty rad news. After all, more Warren Ellis is good Warren Ellis. More as we get it.
Dynamite Press Release
Dynamite is honored to announce that Warren Ellis, one of the greatest and most respected comic book writers in comics, will be working with Dynamite for the very first time! Warren Ellis plans to take control of the Project Superpowers universe in late 2014, as Dynamite Entertainment continues to celebrate its 10th Anniversary.
“I’ve long been fascinated by the period in comics that produced these characters, and I’m very much looking forward to working out the strange, atmospheric take on the weird thriller that they inspired. Also, it’s going to be a pleasure to finally do a job through the good offices of my old friend Nick Barrucci.” – Warren Ellis
“I’ve wanted to work with Warren for many years, and have approached him more than a few times,” says Dynamite CEO / Publisher Nick Barrucci, “I can honestly say that when his schedule allowed for us to work together, I was speechless. We’ve been waiting for the right creative vision to bring back Dynamite’s Superpowers Universe, and I can’t think of anyone better than Warren to do so. I was elated that both came together. He will make this series his own and will bring a larger audience to Dynamite’s Super Powers universe. This is truly an honor to be working with him, as Warren elevates Dynamite to a new level.”
“Warren is truly a visionary storyteller and he’s been given carte blanche to reimagine these characters and this world,” adds Dynamite Senior Editor Joe Rybandt. “The results will appeal to his existing fans for sure, but the world he is creating is accessible to all from the start.”
Warren Ellis is a graphic novelist, columnist and author of the New York Times best-selling novel Gun Machine, which is currently being developed for television. He has a novella, Normal, and a non-fiction book due from Farrar Straus Giroux in 2014. RED 2, the sequel to the Bruce Willis-Helen Mirren film RED based on his book of the same name, was released in August 2013. He holds the lifetime achievement prize from comics’ Eagle Awards and the NUIG President’s Medal for services to free speech. He travels a lot and mostly lives in airplanes now.
