Featuring the Creative Team of Fred Van Lente, Cory Smith, and More
Dynamite proudly announces that the new ongoing Magnus: Robot Fighter comic book series, written by Fred Van Lente (Marvel Zombies) and illustrated by Cory Smith (Fathom), will launch its first issue on Wednesday, March 12, 2014.
Magnus: Robot Fighter #1 marks the second highly-anticipated title release in Dynamite’s “Gold Key” line of comic books, which also includes Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (debuting in February 2014), Solar: Man of the Atom, and Doctor Spektor, a revival of beloved comic book heroes courtesy of Dynamite’s new licensing agreement with DreamWorks Classics.
Fred Van Lente, the New York Times bestselling author at the helm of the new Magnus series, presents the premise for upcoming series:
“Russell Magnus is a seemingly normal guy, a schoolteacher in a small mountain town, who awakens in a vast, far-future megalopolis, NorthAm, where robots have taken over humanity for what they claim in humanity’s benefit. He’s known as a ‘Robot Fighter’, believed to be a liberator by those who want to throw off the machine yoke, a terrorist to those who likes the status quo the way it is – but really, he’s just a guy who wants to get back home, if that’s even possible.”
Van Lente is one of the modern comic industry’s most prolific writers, celebrated for his work on Marvel Zombies, Deadpool, Archer & Armstrong, The Incredible Hulk, The Mocking Dead, Wolverine: First Class, and more. He’s joined on the Magnus: Robot Fighter series by rising star Cory Smith, whose artistic contributions have included such action-packed fare as Fathom, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Legend of the Shadow Clan.
Magnus: Robot Fighter #1 will feature a wide selection of cover variants, presented by some of comics’ most talented artists. The Main Cover will be supplied by Gabriel Hardman (Hulk, Agents of Atlas), and a Subscription-Only Variant Cover, intended as a reward for dedicated fans who preorder with their local comic shop retailers, will feature the art of Joe Bennett (Iron Man, Thor). A Blank Authentix Cover will be created, featuring blank white space on the cover perfect for convention artist commissions or the creative whims of the do-it-yourself fan.
Additional cover artwork by Scott Wegener (Atomic Robo), Tom Fowler (Quantum & Woody), and Ken Haeser (The Living Corpse) will be featured on special Retailer Incentive Covers, rewarded to and available from select retailers that meet certain ordering thresholds through Diamond Comic Distributors.
In addition to the Retailer Incentive Covers, Dynamite Entertainment is offering other special rewards and opportunities for retailers to support the Magnus: Robot Fighter launch in a big way:
Any orders of the Magnus: Robot Fighter #1 Main Cover (Diamond Item Code JAN141066) and Subscription-Only Cover (JAN141067) will be fully returnable. Keith Davidsen, Marketing Manager at Dynamite, says:
“We’re extremely proud of the hard work that Fred Van Lente and Cory Smith have been putting into each and every gorgeous page of Magnus, and have so much faith in this series that we want to take the risk out of the equation for retailers. Comic shops everywhere should feel confident taking a strong stocking position on this book, satisfying the demands of a dedicated fan base and having extra copies on shelves for curious newcomers. We just know that Magnus: Robot Fighter is going to be a successful product for our retail partners!”
Artist Roberto Castro (Lords of Mars, Spider-Man Vs. Vampires) has created a Retailer Exclusive Variant Cover, available for retailers to order through Diamond Comics (Item Code JAN141077). Numerous retailers can share the Castro artwork, but have personalized store names built into the front cover.
Magnus: Robot Fighter #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ January Previews catalog, the premiere source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release on March 12, 2014. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of Magnus #1 with their local comic book retailers. The Gold Key releases of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Magnus: Robot Fighter will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, iVerse, and Dark Horse Digital.