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Paperback Spotlight – RESURRECTION MAN VOL. 1: DEAD AGAIN

It’s hard to believe that we’re already almost one full year into DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. To celebrate this monumental anniversary, each day this week on THE SOURCE we’ll be spotlighting a different paperback collected edition being released this month. With the launch storylines of these critically acclaimed series collected for the first time in their entirety, it’s a great way for new readers to join the growing DC Universe. Today, we shed a spotlight on RESURRECTION MAN VOL. 1: DEAD AGAIN.

“Being invited by DC to bring back our character Resurrection Man as part of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 was a big thrill for me and Andy,” co-writer Dan Abnett told THE SOURCE. “We were very, very fond of the character from our run in the late nineties, especially as it was a character we'd created especially for the DC Universe. In his new incarnation, we got to explore the DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 playground, and join in the huge fun of relaunching all these classic characters. Plus we got to tweak and redefine our original idea for a new generation, adding certain elements that were more supernatural, and a much deeper ongoing quest to reveal Resurrection Man's origin. On top of all that, it was great to see how terrific artists like Fernando Dagnino would handle the character and the book. This new collected edition is a perfect way into the wild, scary and unpredictable world of Resurrection Man ... a character always destined to come back.”

“Dan and I have always had a soft spot for Mitch Shelly,” continued co-writer Andy Lanning. “Ever since we created him back in the 90s, he’s held a special place for us. So we didn’t hesitate when our editor Eddie Berganza asked if we’d be interested in reintroducing Mitch to DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. Apart from anything else, it gave us the opportunity to use the line, ‘he’s back!’ We’ve been sitting on that one for over a decade.”

“It also gave us the chance to retell Mitch’s story from a new stand point, making the new series a bit more supernatural in nature than the original run. It also gave us the rewarding opportunity to work with a really fantastic artist and Fernando was able to channel the spirit of Butch Guice, the artist on the original series as well as bringing his own dark and twisted vision to the book. He ran with a lot of really weird stuff that we threw at him and gave the book a unique and compelling look. This collection, along with the collected editions of the original series, will take pride of place on my bookshelf. I’m very proud of all the stories we got to tell about Mitch Shelly, and who knows, maybe in another decade we can get to use the line ‘he’s back, AGAIN!’ Never say never.”

“I grew up reading lots of comics illustrated by Butch Guice such as SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS, THE FLASH, MICRONAUTS and X FACTOR. I consider them all to be masterworks, so you can imagine how huge a challenge it was to resurrect one of his creations,” added artist Fernando Dagnino. “I tried to be true to the spirit of the original series (which I am still a fan of). It was the first time I ever worked with Dan and Andy and you know, I guess it’s not easy to write stories about a character that never dies. But the two of them have amazingly brought new life to this ever resurrecting character and have nourished his world with a whole set of thrilling and distressing secondary characters that complement the main storyline. RESURRECTION MAN features an exciting world where magic meets science and the search for one’s identity reaches out far beyond the boundaries of existence.”

“Before DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 came up, I had worked on a little book called RESURRECTION MAN along with writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and the incomparable artist Butch Guice — it was a great time for us, and the book held a special place in my heart,” concluded Berganza. “Cut to us figuring what would be in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 and Dan DiDio looking at me and saying, ‘hey, why don’t we bring back Mitch Shelley?’ And I was stunned and excited, but thought, why not? He is the RESURRECTION MAN, he has to come back with a new life.”

“I immediately called Dan and Andy and told them the good news. Unfortunately, Butch was busy elsewhere, but we tapped Fernando Dagnino who had been doing work for us and I liked his style a lot and was in keeping with what we had done before. As it turned out, Fernando was a big fan of the original and was really happy to be asked to be part of this second life or first life for many of you discovering it now—either way lots of shocks and surprises for all of including Mr. Mitch Shelley.”

RESURRECTION MAN VOL. 1: DEAD AGAIN will be available in comic book stores on August 29th and in bookstores everywhere on September 4th.

Tags:

Resurrection Man, dan abnett, andy lanning, fernando dagnino, eddie berganza

ARTIST FERNANDO DAGNINO MOVES TO SUICIDE SQUAD

Earlier today, we announced that Jesus Saiz will be taking over the illustration duties on RESURRECTION MAN, kicking things off with a SUICIDE SQUAD crossover in issue 9. But what about Mitch Shelley’s current artist, Ferndando Dagnino? He’s not going far; in fact, he’ll continue to put Shelley through the ringer as the new artist on SUICIDE SQUAD, where he’ll remain at the crossover’s conclusion.

“What’s more fun: figuring out creative new ways to resurrect someone, or finding splat-tastic new ways to kill them?” said Pat McCallum, editor of SUICIDE SQUAD. “Fernando’s gonna find out in a hurry. His style has just enough menace to keep the team looking dangerous, and he’s joined at the perfect time to help with the heavy lifting: we got a lot of body bags to fill.”

"Call me insensitive but I must admit I've really enjoyed killing Mitch twice or thrice per issue,” said Dagnino. “Nevertheless, it all falls into place knowing that he will be in Jesus' hands now. This run on RESURRECTION MAN has REALLY been loads of fun but now I must confess I am even more excited to take over the responsibility of dealing with such a thrilling cast of characters as the SUICIDE SQUAD. Harley...I’m coming!”

Check out the cover to SUICIDE SQUAD #9, by Ken Lashley.

Tags:

DC Comics-The New 52, fernando dagnino, suicide squad

(Everybody’s Talkin’ About) DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, Monday Afternoon (ET) Edition

Sunday’s NEW YORK POST covered this weekend’s New York Comic Con and teased upcoming convention announcements. “It’s a great thing it’s here in New York,” said DC Entertainment Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras. “It’s very exciting for us.” The POST's coverage broke the very first DC Comics news of the Con: Andy Kubert will be illustrating a two part story in ACTION COMICS.

This morning, THE NEW YORK POST followed up with another exclusive announcement sure to get folks talking: Wonder Woman's new origin in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. “In this case, making her a god actually makes her more human, more relatable," said DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee. Head over to THE NEW YORK POST’s website for their full coverage, including the first look at WONDER WOMAN #2, in stores next week.

Can't wait for more announcements at NYCC? There are plenty of previews to keep you occupied ‘til then. Witness:

USA TODAY has the exclusive preview of SUICIDE SQUAD #2 by Adam Glass, Federico Dallocchio and Andrei Bressan. “They're making decisions and doing things that have real costs to them, and those costs are people's lives: their own or other people's," Glass said of the Suicide Squad. "You're on a team with a group of people and you don't know if someone's gonna stick it in your back."

WIRED’s GEEKDAD has your first look at DEATHSTROKE #2 by Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett and Art Thibert. “It won’t be very long until the heroes and villains alike know just who the scariest dude in the new DC universe truly is,” GEEKDAD wrote of Deathstroke.

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES previewed RESURRECTION MAN #2 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Fernando Dagnino. They also interviewed BATMAN and SWAMP THING writer Scott Snyder as part of their ongoing BAT SIGNAL coverage. “What Gotham does is try to convince you that the things you consider your great strengths as a hero are your weaknesses, your weak spots,” Snyder said about BATMAN. “For Bruce that really is his confidence and his sense of knowledge and wisdom about the city, his confidence as its protector.” Be sure to read the full interview for your exclusive look at the cover to BATMAN #5.

Meanwhile, YAHOO!’s ASSOCIATED CONTENT interviewed writers Geoff Johns about AQUAMAN and Judd Winick about BATWING. “The goal of the first adventure takes place to establish how Aquaman is perceived on land and how he's perceived in the ocean,” Johns said of AQUAMAN’s premiere story arc. “Then we send him off on a journey to find out the biggest mystery of all: who sank Atlantis and why.”

And over at GEEKDAD, writer Corinna Lawson decided to do some research on Duane Swierczynski’s previous work before checking him out as the new writer for BIRDS OF PREY. “There’s no doubt that if non-stop, cool action sequences with fun characters are your thing, you need to read some Swierczynski stories.”

To be continued …

From The Editor’s Desk: Rex Ogle on Resurrection Man

Like the phoenix, Mitch Shelley rises from his own ashes each time he dies. Unlike the phoenix, Mitch Shelley is not a mythical bird of fire found in the mythologies of everyone from the Phoenicians to the Romans. Mitch Shelley (a.k.a. the RESURRECTION MAN) has his own mythology based here in the halls of the DC Universe …

The first time I “met” RESURRECTION MAN, he was trying to help Supergirl save a little boy from cancer in 2008. The next time I ran into him was last year in BRIGHTEST DAY #13 when Deadman was trying to figure out who the White Lantern wanted to help save the world. Then I learned that back in the late 90’s, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning worked with editor Eddie Berganza to create a cult hit series following a man who dies a lot—and each and every time he dies, he returns to life with a new power.

What’s great about RESURRECTION MAN is that the story walks the line between science fiction (his resurrections are fueled by man-made tektite nanites) and the supernatural (agents of both heaven and hell want him for something). Without revealing too much, I can say, it’s got something for everyone.

RESURRECTION MAN is resurrecting once again as one of the new “dark” titles in the New 52, and will be scribed by creators Abnett & Lanning with art by Fernando Dagnino. Make sure you check it out…

RESURRECTION MAN #1 is in stores today.

DC Comics

Tags:

andy lanning, dan abnett, fernando dagnino, Resurrection Man

Who’s Who at DC Comics-The New 52: Fernando Dagnino

THE SOURCE: How do you draw a first panel of a first issue?

FERNANDO DAGNINO: Actually the first panel I draw usually ends up in the dustbin. The second or third version of that panel is the one that you will finally see in the finished book. It usually takes me some time to warm up the mind and the hand.

In the case of RESURRECTION MAN #1, I first searched for the correct references of the items featured in the panel – in that particular case a Coroner´s Office building – then I tried to make a nice composition of the panel using the storyboard as a reference, but focusing now in putting as much energy and narrative elements in it as possible.

How do you introduce a new hero?

It depends on the script, but if I have enough space to show off, I prefer to handle it with a cover-like approach rather than dealing with it as just another panel.

How do you introduce characters?

It usually depends on the amount of information I have about the character, but most of the time I use a simple, clear, but powerful shot of the character. If I have some extra info, I will try to focus on his expression and make an attempt at portraying his personality.

How do you draw a first appearance?

Appearances in comic books, like in colloquial language, are a set of formulaic phrases/poses well defined so the reader understands it’s the epic presentation of a hero saying, “Here I am.” Depending on the type of hero, he or she may be coming out of a lurking alley or appearing among the clouds half eclipsing the bright sun. But it certainly should transmit his or her personality, power and determination. The scene itself should be a hyper-concise iconic summary of who this hero is.

What was the first comic you ever worked on?

Tales of the Black Spain (La Factoria de ideas 1998)

What was the first series you collected?

Mr.Men.

Who was the first writer you followed?

I remember being (and am still nowadays) quite intrigued by Bill Mantlo. His stories have left such a huge impact in me.

Who was the first artist you followed?

There were so many that it’s really hard to just choose one. I remember buying everything I could afford of what John Byrne was drawing. Craig Russell is amongst my favorites too. Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian Bolland, Alan Davis, Butch Guice, Walt Simonson, and so many others.

What was the first convention you attended as a fan?

Ficomic Barcelona in 1993.

What was the first convention you attended as a professional?

Ficomic Barcelona in 1999.

What was your first job in the comic book industry?

I suddenly remember I got paid one summer, many years ago for tying up bundles of comic books in a comic book shop in Madrid that were supposed to be sent to the coast. So there I spent that July with my friend Eduardo, listening to Tanika Tikaram’s first album over and over, while packing up comics.

Tags:

DC Comics-The New 52, fernando dagnino, Resurrection Man

Questions About The Dark

We’re just one month after the announcement of the books in the “Dark” group of DC Comics--The New 52. There's a lot of mystery surrounding these titles and the solicitations for the second issues offer another round of questions to keep fans guessing: Can the Justice League Dark turn against one of their own? Was Alec Holland wrong about Swamp Thing’s origins? What is the S.O.M.B.I.E. appearing in FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E.? Will Mitch Shelly, a.k.a. Resurrection Man, find the answers he’s looking for about his past? Find out all of these and more when the below books hit shelves this October.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #2

Written by PETER MILLIGAN

Art by MIKEL JANIN

Cover by RYAN SOOK

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Madame Xanadu continues guiding the world’s darkest heroes in their struggle against evil. But will John Constantine, Zatanna, Shade the Changing Man and the others be able to join forces in time to defeat the dangerous Enchantress before she destroys the world as we know it?

SWAMP THING #2

Written by SCOTT SNYDER

Art and cover by YANICK PAQUETTE

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Alec Holland thought he knew the history of the Swamp Thing – but he was wrong. The creature’s roots run deeper than he knows, and the Parliament of Trees intends to make him understand the responsibility he wants so desperately to avoid! With this issue, the mythology of the Swamp Thing branches out in ways you never saw coming – don’t miss it!

ANIMAL MAN #2

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art and cover by TRAVEL FOREMAN

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Maxine’s new abilities continue to terrify Ellen and Buddy Baker, and things take a turn for the worse as Buddy begins a startling transformation of his own that will lead him on a journey into the heart of The Red. Meanwhile, The Hunters Three arrive on Earth and set their sights on the Baker family. The Hunt is on as DC’s most surprising new series continues to take ANIMAL MAN in shocking new directions.

FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #2

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI

Cover by J.G. JONES

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

It’s all-out war as Frankenstein and his new field team, The Creature Commandos, uncover an age-old conspiracy at the heart of Bone Lake – one that will see them suit up as the world’s first “Necronauts,” traveling between worlds and through “dead space,” toward the mysterious Monster Planet. Meanwhile, the horrifying origins of the Commandos are revealed – and the S.O.M.B.I.E. makes its first appearance!

RESURRECTION MAN #2

Written by DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING

Art by FERNANDO DAGNINO

Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Mitch Shelley’s past remains a mystery. So when he goes looking for answers, will he find them? Not likely, when he has to contend with the bounty hunter femme fatales known as The Body Doubles.

I, VAMPIRE #2

Written by JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV

Art by ANDREA SORRENTINO

Cover by JENNY FRISON

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

True love becomes divine hatred between the Queen of Blood and Andrew, as her vampires begin their attacks across the country. Their past behind them, they find themselves ready to battle to the death... If those feelings really are all gone. Surrounded by swarms of bloodthirsty vamps, Andrew must confront his immortal beloved in a blood-soaked battle he can’t win.

DEMON KNIGHTS #2

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art by DIOGENES NEVES and OCLAIR ALBERT

Cover by TONY S. DANIEL

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The siege that will reverberate through history to the present-day DCU begins as the Demon Etrigan and his unlikely lover, Madame Xanadu, face the Horde! What five (mostly) noble souls would be crazy enough to join them? The cover gives but a hint, and the point could well be moot by the time this issue’s done. For the Horde is armed with the magic of Mordru – including some decidedly different dragons!

“Resurrecting Kills!”

Mitch Shelly is back from the dead. And every time he is resurrected, he acquires a new skill set of powers. But it won’t be long until people start to notice and attempt to stop him from rising again. RESURRECTION MAN is written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, features art by Fernando Dagnino, and is colored by Santiago Arcas.

Can’t wait until September 14th to learn more about the book? Don’t worry. We spoke with much of the creative team about what we can expect from the series come this fall. Check out what they had to say.

THE SOURCE: What about DC's new 52 titles excites you the most?

DAN ABNETT: The balance between re-invention and familiarity.

FERNANDO DAGNINO: Being involved in the new DC Universe is definitely very exciting by itself. I consider the wider scope of themes, genres and characters featured in these 52 new titles to be key to attracting more readers.

SANTIAGO ARCAS: I'm attracted to the JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK concept. I hope it becomes a long-lived series.

How and why are you shaking up the series' status quo?

DA: We’re streamlining and making it faster paced. Basically, we’re keeping the mood and the very cool elements of Resurrection Man, but we’ve got a bigger budget to play with.

FD: Well, having Resurrection Man back from the grave is no big deal … but putting him back into business will surely be.

What new characters will debut in the series?

DA: Oh, there’s a really cool one in particular, but I refuse to give it away.

Will we see new character designs?

DA: Yes. Oh, yes.

FD: Sure, our goal is to give this series a new stylistic ride without losing Jackson Guice’s outstanding artistic depiction of the original books. But we’re setting the characters and locations in a more contemporary style.

SA: Oh yes, you certainly will.

What's the first line of dialogue in the first issue?

DA: “Coming back this time tastes of metal.”

What's the biggest surprise you've had working on this character/book?

DA: How much more pro-active Resurrection Man can be without actually putting on a costume and becoming a cape.

FD: I was not acquainted with the original series before and getting to know the book’s first run was a very pleasant surprise. But what I really liked was that the wide range of stories that unfolded in the series involve weird science fiction, magical entities, superhero action, ironic humour, police investigations and a whole set of supporting everyday characters that tell the story and contribute to depict a unique atmosphere.

SA: Fernando Dagnino's extraordinary work. I had never seen him using this style … and WOW!

What secret has been the hardest to keep?

DA: The one I’m not telling you.

SA: I'm good at keeping secrets.

What’s the unofficial tagline for this series, in your own words?

DA: He’s back. For the first time.

FD: Resurrecting Kills!

SA: A corpse who reinvents him/itself.

What were your thoughts about the day-and-date digital announcement?

DA: It’s an amazing idea and I hope it delivers everything it promises.

FD: I better start working!

SA: I hope people get used to paying to download comic books. I think trades could become the basis of the business and I hope digital makes people buy the hardcovers and trades after reading the monthlies in digital format.

Tags:

andy lanning, dan abnett, fernando dagnino, Resurrection Man, santiago arcas

DC Embraces Its Dark Side

DC Comics embraces its dark side. On the 40th anniversary of the character’s creation, the New York Times bestselling writer of AMERICAN VAMPIRE, Scott Snyder, teams up with Yannick Paquette (BATMAN, INCORPORATED) to bring horror back to the DC Universe in SWAMP THING #1. For years, one man served against his will as the avatar of nature. And while he may have been freed of the monster, he's about to learn the monster will never truly let go of him.

The World’s Greatest Supernatural Heroes

John Constantine, Deadman, Shade the Changing Man and Madame Xanadu are Justice League Dark, a band of supernatural heroes united to stop the dark things the rest of the DCU does not see in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1, by Peter Milligan and artist Mikel Janin.

Acclaimed Creators with New Takes on Cult Heroes

Buddy Baker has gone from “super” man to family man – but is he strong enough to hold his family together when Maxine, his young daughter, starts to manifest her own dangerous powers? Find out in ANIMAL MAN #1, the start of a dramatic new series by acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire and artists Travel Foreman and Dan Green.

Set in the Middle Ages, the Demon leads an unlikely team to defend civilization and preserve the last vestiges of Camelot against the tide of history. Critically-acclaimed writer Paul Cornell and artists Diogenes Neves and Oclair Albert combine sorcery, swords and superheroes in DEMON KNIGHTS #1.

Tomorrow’s Cult Classics

Frankenstein and his network of strange beings work for an even stranger government organization: The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive. It’s the breakout hero of Seven Soldiers as you’ve never seen him before in FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF SHADE #1, the first issue of a dark new series from acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, The Nobody) and artist Alberto Ponticelli.

A cult favorite character returns in a new series written by his classic creative team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Joining them is JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST artist Fernando Dagnino. RESURRECTION MAN #1 is the story of a hero who wakes up with new powers each time he’s killed.

Vampires threaten to bring ruin to the DC Universe in I, VAMPIRE #1 by rising star Josh Fialkov and artist Andrea Sorrentino. Tortured by his centuries-old love for the Queen of the Damnned, Andrew Bennett must save humanity from the violent uprising of his fellow vampires, even if it means exterminating his own kind.

Priscilla Kitaen has just found out she’s a monster. A half-alien hybrid, the woman known as Voodoo must confront the secrets of her past to make sense of the nightmare her life has suddenly become. VOODOO #1 will be written by Ron Marz with art by Sami Basri.

This Just Happened: Justice League: Generation Lost 23

It’s no secret that since the beginning of GENERATION LOST, Maxwell Lord has been plotting something extreme against the Justice League. In JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #23, available today in stores and digitally, Lord reveals this mystery and unleashes his ultimate weapon. If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, then you probably don’t want to click on the jump (spoiler alert!).

Omac Prime is a machine of colossal size and strength. Will a shocking revelation about his abilities prevent Wonder Woman and the rest of the team from stopping an army of cybernetically enhanced killing machines from global domination?

Tags:

fernando dagnino, judd winick, justice league: generation lost, maxwell lord, omac prime, raul fernandez

The GENERATION LOST crew are in desperate need of a morale Boost

Following the loss of Blue Beetle, the JLI faces their darkest hour in JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #21. Captain Atom is still haunted by the thousands that died in Chicago, and now Booster has lost confidence in their mission just as it begins to approach its climax. If only something could jolt them back into action...

JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #21 is on sale today in comic shops and in our digital store.

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blue beetle, booster gold, captain atom, fernando dagnino, jli, judd winick, justice league: generation lost

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DC Embraces Its Dark Side

The World’s Greatest Supernatural Heroes

Acclaimed Creators with New Takes on Cult Heroes

Tomorrow’s Cult Classics

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