POWERHOUSE CREATORS TEAM UP FOR ALL-NEW SERIESBLACK CLOUD THIS APRIL

Ivan Brandon, Jason Latour, Greg Hinkle, and Matt Wilson launch new fantasy series

Writers Ivan Brandon (DRIFTER, Wolverine) and Jason Latour (SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Spider-Gwen) team up with artist Greg Hinkle (THE RATTLER, AIRBOY) and colorist Matt Wilson (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, PAPER GIRLS) for all-new dark fantasy series BLACK CLOUD this April from Image Comics.

“I think building this book has taken us all by surprise,” said Brandon. “This team makes my jaw drop, and it's been a surreal experience watching all of our different tastes and ideas link up to build something that feels like more than the sum of its parts. This is very different from anything we've ever done before. It's invigorating to be part of it.”

Hinkle added: “I’m thrilled to get to work with so many folks that I’ve looked up to for so long. It’s a learning experience in the best possible way, and I’m really excited to get to share the results.”

Zelda was born in a world of dreams, and hers burned bigger than anyone had ever seen. Now she's on the run in our world, the dreams broken in her hands. But the pieces are for sale, the rich and the powerful are buying, and suddenly her world isn't the only place Zelda's running from.

“Even though it's conceived as a pretty unfettered comic book kind of idea, BLACK CLOUD just seems to grow to fit and reflect the life that's happening around us in real time,” said Latour. “With each passing day, we're reminded more and more of how the stories we consume and tell ourselves really do define our world. Just like real life, this is a story about fact and fiction fighting for supremacy—only here, one of them has a lightning sword."

Dreams come true—and today, they go to war.

BLACK CLOUD #1 hits comic book stores on Wednesday, April 5th.

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The Vans Warped Tour® presented by Journeys® and Valiant Entertainment Team Up for 2017 Artwork and Branding

Valiant Comic Book Heroes to Stand Center Stage All Summer Long for 40+ Tour Dates of the Influential Touring Festival

The Vans Warped Tour® presented by Journeys® and Valiant Entertainment today announced a new partnership to bring Valiant’s award-winning library of comic book superheroes on the road with America’s longest-running touring music festival for an immersive collaboration spanning the summer 2017 season.

As revealed at Entertainment Weekly, multiple fan-favorite characters from Valiant’s 2,000-plus-strong library will make Warped Tour history as the centerpieces of the 2017 tour’s “comic book” theme. All summer long, Valiant’s most iconic heroes – including X-O Manowar, Faith, Bloodshot, Livewire, Ninjak, and more – will adorn posters, promotional pieces, merchandise, and more at over 40 tour dates across the United States. The 2017 Vans Warped Tour® artwork was designed by acclaimed Valiant comic book artist Kano.

Additionally, Valiant will exhibit at select Vans Warped Tour® dates across the summer with a mobile comic book art installation and appearances by major comics creators – the first time that a major comics publisher has joined the touring roster of America’s longest-standing and most renowned touring music festival in more than a decade.

Valiant’s appearances on the 2017 Vans Warped Tour® will benefit the publisher’s ongoing charitable partners at The Keep A Breast Foundation – a leading nonprofit organization with a mission to empower young people around the world with breast health education and support.

"For 23 years, the Vans Warped Tour has been such a great platform for bands, brands, and creative minds,” said Vans Warped Tour® Founder Kevin Lyman. “It's always fun to be able to do collaborations, and this partnership with Valiant Entertainment is very special from a creative standpoint."

“This is a groundbreaking partnership on many levels, and we’re honored and excited to call the Vans Warped Tour our newest partner,” said Russell A. Brown, President of Consumer Products, Promotions & Ad Sales for Valiant Entertainment. “The Vans Warped Tour is an institution, and comics are the next logical extension of their hugely influential footprint. There's a huge reciprocity between music and comics, and we were happy to find that there are just as many fans in their camp as there are in ours. We look forward to doing awesome things together in 2017 and beyond."

Now in its 23rd year, the 41-date tour will commence June 16 in Seattle, WA and end on August 6 in Southern California.

The entire lineup for 2017's Vans Warped Tour®, presented by Journeys®, will be released on Wednesday, March 22nd.

Tickets will also go on sale Wednesday, March 22nd at 10:00AM local time at vanswarpedtour.com.

As a bonus for early ticket buyers, the first 500 tickets sold for each show will be at the lowest price available and will include a digital download of the Official Vans Warped Tour® 50-song compilation.

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HORROR/CRIME SERIES DEMONIC ARRIVES IN PAPERBACK THIS MARCH

Collecting issues #1-6

Eisner Award-nominated writer Christopher Sebela (High Crimes, Escape from New York), artist Niko Walter, colorist Dan Brown (Wolverine Max, Ghost Rider), and letterer Sal Cipriano will release a trade paperback collection of their darkly twisting vigilante series DEMONIC this March from Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment.

Taking place in a world created by THE WALKING DEAD creator Robert Kirkman & THE DARKNESS creator Marc Silvestri, DEMONIC is a sinister tale of curses, dark bargains, and sacrifice.

Detective Scott Graves will do anything to protect his family…even bargain away his soul. Now, the only thing to fear isn’t New York’s worst criminals, but what's already raging inside of him. After all, what's the cost of your soul when it's already damaged? This vigilante answers to no man, only the demon within.

DEMONIC TP (ISBN: 978-1-5343-0057-6) hits comic book stores Wednesday, March 15th and bookstores Tuesday, March 21st.

DEMONIC TP is available for preorder via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and Indigo.

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FINAL FANTASY AWARDED GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS TITLE FOR MOST PROLIFIC ROLE PLAYING GAME

SQUARE ENIX® announced that it has been awarded with three brand new Guinness World Records achievements for records set by games within the FINAL FANTASY® series. The awards were presented on stage during the European FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival event held in Frankfurt.

FINAL FANTASY was awarded for being the “most prolific role playing game series”. As of 15th February 2017, the FINAL FANTASY name has adorned 87 different RPG titles.

Naoki Yoshida’s celebrated MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), FINAL FANTASY XIV, received two specific Guinness World Records titles: the first – “longest end credits in an MMO game” – is in recognition of the 1 hour 38 minute length of the end credits of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn® (2013). While credits typically contain the names of everyone involved with the creation of a game, the credits to A Realm Reborn also contain the names of players of the originalFINAL FANTASY XIV (2010) as a sign of appreciation from the development team for their support.

FINAL FANTASY XIV also received the record for the “most original pieces of music in a videogame (including expansions) achieved by FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn ”. The game features 384 individual pieces of music recorded specifically for the game. This can be broken down as 280 pieces for the main game (Ver 2.0~2.55) and 104 from the 2015 expansion Heavensward™ (Ver 3.0~3.45).

Both Naoki Yoshida (Producer and Director) and Masayoshi Soken (Sound Director and Composer) were present on stage in Frankfurt to accept their awards in front of the Fan Festival crowd. Yosuke Matsuda (President and Representative Director, SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.) received the most prolific role playing game series award on behalf of Square Enix.

Stephen Daultrey, Editor of the Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition said “It is testament to both the size and longevity of the FINAL FANTASY franchise that it can break Guinness World Records titles that are broad, eclectic, and landmark as these ones.”

Stormblood™, the next expansion for FINAL FANTASY XIV, is currently scheduled for release on June 20th 2017. With more than six million players globally, FINAL FANTASY XIV continues to deliver on the promise of bringing the best of the FINAL FANTASY experience to the online realm. 

Related Links: 

STORMBLOOD teaser site: http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/stormblood/

The Lodestone®: http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/

Official Website: www.finalfantasyxiv.com

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasyXIV

Official YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FINALFANTASYXIV

Official Twitter: @FF_XIV_EN

Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ffxiv/?hl=en

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IMAGE COMICS’ 25TH ANNIVERSARY BLIND BOX TO HIT STORES THIS JULY

Box to include randomized mix of 25 polybagged variants 

 
In celebration of Image Comics’ 25th Anniversary, Image Comics is printing 1,992 blind boxes in commemoration of the company’s founding year in 1992. The IMAGE COMICS 25th ANNIVERSARY BLIND BOX will be available in comic stores on July 19th.

Each IMAGE COMICS 25TH ANNIVERSARY BLIND BOX will contain an assortment of 25 polybagged comics comprised of 17 all-new 2017 series and featuring limited edition variant covers only available in this box. Each comic will be bagged in opaque black poly to keep every comic a surprise.

Each box may include a randomized mix of the following variants:

• 25th anniversary variant cover
• B&W 25th anniversary cover
• Virgin 25th anniversary cover 
• Virgin B&W 25th anniversary cover 
• Blank wraparound sketch cover
• Extremely rare sketch covers drawn by each series artists—25 copies per series of the 17 selected launches
• Exclusive THE WALKING DEAD: HERE’S NEGAN! #1 limited to 500 copies—the first 24 pages of Negan’s origin story printed in single-issue-format for the first and only time.

One of the rare Ig Guara ROSE #1 sketch covers that could appear in your BLIND BOX.

One of the rare Geoff Shaw GOD COUNTRY #1 sketch covers that could appear in the BLIND BOX.

One of the rare Leandro Fernandez OLD GUARD #1 sketch covers that could appear in the BLIND BOX.

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YOUNGBLOOD IS BACK

Image Comics is pleased to announce the return of Rob Liefeld’s YOUNGBLOOD—the blockbuster hit series that launched the Image Revolution and turned the comics industry on its head—with story by Chad Bowers (X-Men ‘92, Deadpool: Bad Blood) and art from Jim Towe. YOUNGBLOOD is reborn with an all-new cast and a bold new mission with YOUNGBLOOD #1 issue—set to hit stores this May.

"Youngblood has had outstanding talent contribute to its amazing history,” said Liefeld. “Alan Moore, Robert Kirkman, Keith Giffen and Mark Millar are a few who have left their mark. Chad Bowers and Jim Towe are four issues into their run and are producing stories that will be held as some of, if not the best Youngblood tales ever told. It honors the best of the past and forges exciting new paths for these characters!"

In this YOUNGBLOOD #1, an uber popular self-protection app called HELP! is changing how we stay safe—“HELP! lets you decide who saves you.” But when a high-rated young hero on the app goes missing, his best friend’s search for answers gains the attention of some unexpected allies, and together, they’ll do whatever it takes to find him… even if it means resurrecting the world’s most hated super-team, Youngblood.

"Trust me, you've never read a Youngblood story like this,” said Bowers. “I'm so incredibly proud of what Jim and I are doing on this book, and can't wait for readers, especially those who've maybe never picked up a Youngblood comic, to see what all the fuss is about!"

Jim Towe added: “I've been having the time of my life with Youngblood. The combination of so much creative freedom along with having a fantastic writer like Chad has really made this an artist's dream book to draw. We've crafted an incredibly fun and exciting modern day reimagining of these characters that I think both new and old fans are really going to enjoy.”

The series will also feature jaw-dropping alternate covers by Rob Liefeld, David Finch, and Chris Daughtry—so, gear up, strap in, and get ready to rediscover comics most Extreme universe.

YOUNGBLOOD #1 Cover A by Towe, Cover B by Liefeld, Cover C by Finch, and Cover D by Daughtry hit stores on Wednesday, May 3rd.

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