Dark Horse will continue to partner with Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale) for her second comic book, according to the The Hollywood Reporter. The three-issue miniseries, called “War Bears,” is written by Atwood with art by Ken Steacy (“Astro Boy,” “Iron Man,” “Tempus Fugitive”), and follows a comic book creator in Toronto during World War II.
Dark Horse previously published “Angel Catbird,” written by Atwood, with art by Johnnie Christmas (“Firebug”) and colorist Tamra Bonvillain (“Doom Patrol”), and will be collecting all three volumes in one 320-page edition entitled “The Complete Angel Catbird.”
“War Bears” begins September 5, 2018, and look for “The Complete Angel Catbird” in comic stores on October 3, 2018. You can read the full press release about both titles below:
Publisher to Release New Comic Series “War Bears” and “The Complete Angel Catbird” Collection in Fall 2018
Dark Horse has purrfect additions for Margaret Atwood fans’ bookshelves! From the Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Handmaid’s Tale, comes “War Bears,” a historical fiction comic series that traces the Golden Age of comic books, and “The Complete Angel Catbird,” a trade collection of the #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel.
“War Bears” is Margaret Atwood’s latest foray into the graphic novel medium alongside visual storyteller Ken Steacy (“Astro Boy,” “Iron Man,” “Tempus Fugitive”). Steacy is an Eisner and Inkpot Award-winning creator and Canadian Comic Book Hall of Fame Inductee.
“War Bears” follows comic book creator Al Zurakowski, who dreams of making it big in the early world of Canadian comics publishing. Al creates Oursonette, a fictional Nazi-fighting superheroine, at the peak of World War II. This three-issue miniseries explores the early days of comics in Toronto, a brutal war that greatly strains Al personally and professionally, and how the rise of post-war American comics put an end to his dreams.
“The Complete Angel Catbird” is a beautiful trade collection of the New York Times bestselling “Angel Catbird” graphic novel series. Artist Johnnie Christmas (“Firebug”) and colorist Tamra Bonvillain (“Doom Patrol”) joined Margaret Atwood on the critically acclaimed three-volume series. Dark Horse published Angel Catbird in tandem with Keep Cats Safe and Save Bird Lives, an initiative led by Nature Canada, the oldest conservation charity in Canada.
“Angel Catbird” follows the adventures of a genetic engineer caught in the middle of a chemical accident as he discovers new superhuman abilities. With these new powers, he takes on the identity of Angel Catbird and gets caught in the middle of a war between animal/human hybrids. What follows is a humorous, action-driven, educational, and pulp-inspired superhero adventure — with a lot of cat puns.
The first issue of “War Bears” goes on sale September 5, 2018, and will be available for preorder at your local comic shop for $4.99 soon.
“The Complete Angel Catbird” goes on sale October 03, 2018, and is available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at your local comic shop. The 320-page trade collection retails for $24.99.
Praise for “Angel Catbird:”
“Angel Catbird is a triumph of genre play, a superhero comic book that looks like a superhero comic book, reads like a superhero comic book, but gleefully capsizes all the usual notions of what a superhero comic book should be.” — National Public Radio
“An eccentric and entertaining combination of a superhero comic . . . and an appeal to consider the impact of cats on the environment.” — Publishers Weekly
“The cat’s meow.” — New York Daily News
“A fun, pulpy read.” — The Daily Dot
“Angel Catbird sits at the intersection [of] Atwood’s love for superheroes, cats, birds, and mythology.” — Slate