Over at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of Archie vs. Predator #1, currently available from Dark Horse Comics. Written by Alex de Campi (Grindhouse) and illustrated by Fernando Ruiz and Rich Koslowski, it pits Archie Andrews, America’s favorite high school student, and his friends (Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Richie, and the rest) against the otherworldly technology and savage hunting skills of the terrifying alien race known as the Predators. Thought the 1990s Archie Meets the Punisher was strange? Convinced that Afterlife with Archie and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina were as far as Archie Comics could go in terms of finding weird situations in which to throw their world-famous characters? Get to da choppa and head over to C4S to find out how wrong you could be!
Speaking of teenagers who fight monsters, have you met Pandora Zwieback, star of my young adult novel series The Saga of Pandora Zwieback? Pan is a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets a shape-shifting monster hunter named Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world. Pan’s adventures can be found in the following titles:
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0: A free, downloadable comic that serves as an introduction to both Pan—with an 8-page story written by me and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia—and her first novel, Blood Feud (via a preview chapter).
Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1: This critically acclaimed novel is the beginning of Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents, and her friends, are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. It’s a character-driven action-fest that leads immediately into the second novel:
Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2: Pan faces even greater challenges as the clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Pan’s monster-hunting mentor, Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover!
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1: A spinoff from the novel series, this 56-page, full-color comic special finds the teenaged Goth adventuress battling vampires and a jealous, man-stealing siren. It features stories by me and Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo Team-Up), art by Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0), comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld), and Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), and cover art by award-winning artist Henar Torinos (Mala Estrella).
With the exception of the Pan #0 comic (which is a digital exclusive), all of the titles are available in print and digital formats, so visit their respective product pages for more information, including sales links, sample pages, and sample chapters.
