Now at the news site Comics for Sinners, you can read my review of Van Helsing vs. Dracula #1, the start of a five-issue miniseries from Zenescope Entertainment. Written by Pat Shand (Charmed) and illustrated by Michele Bandini (The Jungle Book: Fall of the Wild), this is no story about an elderly professor battling his undead archnemesis, or a reboot of that terrible movie starring Hugh Jackman; rather, it’s a confrontation between the professor’s immortal daughter and the king of the vampires. And, being a Zenescope heroine, she does her fighting while wearing as minimal an outfit as possible—in this case, steampunk-inspired corsets, stockings, top hats, and high heels. Can a scantily clad vampire hunter defeat the lord of the undead? Head on over to C4S to read all about it.
Speaking of immortals who battle vampires (and other monsters), have you met Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin, the 400-year-old, shape-shifting monster hunter who acts as mentor to teenaged Goth adventuress Pandora Zwieback in 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 Annie 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. You’ll find Annie battling evil in the following titles:
The Saga of Pandora Zwieback #0: A free, downloadable comic that serves as an introduction to Pan and Annie—with an 8-page story written by me and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia—as well as Pan’s first novel, Blood Feud (via a pair of preview chapters).
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 friends, and Annie 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 and Annie face even greater challenges as the vampire 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 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).
Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa: Long before she met Pan, Annie was the star of this short-lived “bad girl” comic book miniseries published in the 1990s. 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! Written by me, with art by Uriel Caton (JSA Annual), Holly Golightly (School Bites), and David C. Matthews (Satin Steele), all three issues are available for free from this very website, so download them today!
Blood Feud, Blood Reign, and the Pan Annual are available in print and digital formats. Heartstopper is a digital exclusive. Visit their respective product pages for ordering information, as well as sample pages and chapters.
