Over at the news site Comics for Sinners, you’ll find my review of Arhian, Head Huntress #1, now on sale from ARH Comix. Written by Arahom Radjah, Abraham Kawa, and Ben Bishop and illustrated by Yannis Roumboulias, it’s the start of a five-issue miniseries that stars a Red Sonja–esque warrior woman who, as the old saying goes, is as deadly as she is beautiful, and who’s hired by a nobleman to rescue his daughter from kidnappers. Considering the story’s pulp-fantasy roots, there’s probably more to Arhian’s quest than even she knows—and all of it dangerous. Head over to C4S to learn more.
Speaking of action heroines, are you aware that StarWarp Concepts has a few of its own? No? Then allow me to fill you in…
Lorelei: SWC’s first leading lady of horror, Lori is a succubus who revels in devouring the souls of bad guys, and currently stars in two critically acclaimed projects: the graphic novel Lorelei: Sects and the City, in which she battles a cult of Elder God worshippers to prevent them from unleashing hell on Earth; and the one-shot special Lorelei Presents: House Macabre, in which she tries her hand at hosting an old-style horror anthology comic.
Pandora Zwieback and Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin: Pan is a teenaged Goth with the power to see through the human disguises of the monsters that actually exist in the world; Annie is Pan’s immortal, monster-hunting mentor. Together they star in The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, a series of dark-urban-fantasy novels that involve vampire civil wars, fallen angels, and a legion of other monsters. Currently, you’ll find Pan and Annie clashing with monsterdom in the novels Blood Feud and Blood Reign, as well as the comic book The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1.
But long before she started teaching Pan how to deal with the creatures of the night, Annie was also the star of a short-lived “bad girl” comic book miniseries in the 1990s: Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa. Here you’ll find Annie doing a bit of research for an article about gentlemen’s clubs in Times Square—research that includes actually performing as an exotic dancer (I did say it was a ’90s comic, didn’t I?). It’s that part-time gig that brings her into contact with Corum de Sade, a heavy metal singer with a deadly secret: he’s a soul-devouring incubus! All three issues are available for free from this very website, so download them today!
Dejah Thoris: Created by author Edgar Rice Burroughs, Dejah Thoris is the sword-wielding princess of the Martian city of Helium and the costar of the classic science-fantasy novel A Princess of Mars, first in Burroughs’s “John Carter of Mars” series about a post–Civil War era American who suddenly finds himself on the Red Planet, battling to stay alive against all sorts of alien threats. It served as the basis for Disney’s 2012 film adaptation, John Carter, and inspired a century’s worth of SF works, including Flash Gordon, Star Wars, and James Cameron’s Avatar. Dejah Thoris is no pulp-fiction damsel in distress, ready to fight alongside Carter in his quest to end the ongoing war that threatens to tear apart the red planet.
Carmilla: The blood-drenched temptress of a 19th-century novella by author J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Carmilla is a vampiress who desires not just blood but love from her victims, and when she enters the life of a young woman named Laura, Carmilla decides that her new friend will become her next great love—and won’t take no for an answer. Regarded as the one of the earliest lesbian vampires—if not the first—Carmilla was an influence on author Bram Stoker in the creation of the vampire brides in his seminal novel, Dracula, and remains a popular character in fiction to this day.
All titles except Heartstopper—which is a digital exclusive—are available in print and digital formats. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages.
