That’s right, I said, “Explosion.”  And why not?  You know Avatar’s an in-your-face kinda publisher!

We are proud to announce that today, we’ve got some excellent variant covers for some of our fan-favorite titles, hitting shelves in the USA, Canada, UK, and heck, perhaps even Zimbabwe and Pakistan for all we know! So whether you’re a hardcore Avatar fan with a need to collect fantastic cover artwork, or a lucky person who missed out on the first release but now have a second chance to snag a copy, you’ll want to head to your local comic book shop and get your comics on!

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #5 Shark Attack Edition

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #5 Shark Attack Edition
Retail: $5.99, Cover by Matt Martin
Diamond Item Code: DEC110869

Matt Martin delivers this devouring new cover that was previous only available at Wizard Austin convention and is limited to 850 copies. The band of survivors Harold Lorre has connected with have cleverly tricked two giant tribes of Crossed into fighting each other. The hope is that they weed each other out and give the scared humans a chance to get far away. But no one suspects that Lorre himself might be a greater danger than the posse of Crossed that they are hiding from. After all, Lorre has certain needs that he must satiate.

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #7 Auxiliary Edition

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #7 Auxiliary Edition
Retail: $3.99, Cover by Gianluca Pagliarani
Diamond Item Code: DEC110868

A vicious cover from Gianluca Pagliarani on this special edition first printing that is limited to 1500 copies and is the same cover price as the regular edition! What is worse than a homicidal Crossed maniac bent on visiting the most unimaginable atrocities upon you? David Lapham (CALIGULA) reveals the true horror behind a human monster that was twisted beyond belief without the Crossed infection driving his insanity. Harold Lorre is a very special fiend that brings his own unique brand of Hell to the downtrodden survivors of a world gone mad.

STITCHED #1 NYCC Edition

STITCHED #1 NYCC Edition
Retail: $3.99, Cover by Mike Wolfer
Diamond Item Code: DEC110870

Horror artist Mike Wolfer, provides a wickedly visceral STITCHED image on this special edition previously only available at New York Comic Con and limited to 1000 copies! Ripped straight from the debut of his first-ever writing/directing effort comes the ongoing comic book continuation of the acclaimed short film, STITCHED! The three survivors of an American military helicopter crash discover that there is something even more deadly than the Taliban controlled countryside they find themselves trapped in. Garth Ennis weaves a tale that combines today’s headlines with his trademark vision of the supernatural into a modern horror masterpiece.

You may have seen Warren Ellis’ ATMOSPHERICS before, but never like this!

Available at fine comic book shops everywhere, the ATMOSPHERICS Color Edition graphic novel presents Ellis’ psychological thriller in fully painted color, wholly remastered by artist Ken Meyer, Jr.

An event of unparalleled horror happened in the town called Helen, and the only survivor is Bridget Rhinehart. When the entire populace was ripped apart, turned inside out in the style of cattle mutilations, how could one woman live survive? Unless… Bridget herself was somehow responsible. Is she who she claims to be, an escapee of an alien attack? Or is she dangerous, a mass murderer of innocent people and FBI agents? And do her interrogators want the truth, or a scapegoat to pin the massacre on?

We’ve happily provided a preview of the ATMOSPHERICS Color Edition graphic novel below, but we also encourage you to familiarize yourself with Ken Meyer, Jr., the highly skilled artist whose full-color painting gave new life to this science fiction / horror classic. Check out the BleedingCool.com interview by clicking here!

And now, without further ado…

On March 14, Avatar Press will launch the brand-new CROSSED: BADLANDS series, the brainchild of one of the industry’s best-selling writers, Garth Ennis. Building upon the success of three preceding miniseries and an original 3D graphic novel, the new BADLANDS series will be published ongoing and bi-weekly. It’s a huge, ambitious project that we hope will delight fans, capture a new audience, and generate strong sales for our retail partners worldwide.

To create a groundswell of enthusiasm for prospective new readers, we are encouraging retailers will celebrate the launch of the BADLANDS series with an in-store event called “C-DAY”. Retailers are encouraged to stock up on supportive promotional materials, like the CROSSED: GET INFECTED sampler comic and CROSSED C-DAY SURVIVAL KIT (which comes packed with face masks, temporary tattoos, posters, and more), both of which are available for order through the January Previews catalog.

But don’t take just our word for it! Retailers from all over have chimed in with their support for the new series, eager to spread their enthusiasm and share their thoughts on how to make CROSSED: BADLANDS and its C-Day launch a massive success. Just listen to the testimonial of our retail partners!

“I’m always surprised by how many copies of CROSSED we sell. It may not be a mainstream title, nor does it have a television presence like THE WALKING DEAD, but the book has legs. If you stock it, you will sell it – easy as cake.“

– Tate Ottati, Tate’s Comics (Lauderhill, FL)

“Beyond the shocks (and there are plenty), there lies a surprisingly genuine, deep, and engaging story in CROSSED that gives a unique new spin to the survival horror genre. CROSSED is a consistent seller for us, the highest numbers of any Avatar title, and will sometimes sell out within one day of release! C-Day will only improve on that by raising the level of awareness with CROSSED’s first “event”. I look forward to using it to its full potential!”

– Greg Gage, Black Cat Comics (Salt Lake City, UT)

“CROSSED is the worst nightmare I pray you’ve never had. I read it through my fingers. Its sales are right up there with THE WALKING DEAD.”

– Stephen L. Holland, Page 45 (Nottingham, UK)

“CROSSED has served as a fantastic way to reach out to fans of the horror genre that visit our stores. We’ve watched as sales in both the trade paperback collections and the single issues have grown since the series launch, and we are amped for the launch of the CROSSED: BADLANDS ongoing. The perfect answer to that brand new WALKING DEAD fan who says, ‘What do I read next?’ CROSSED: BADLANDS is going to be one of our top picks of 2012.”

– Steve Anderson, Third Eye Comics (Annapolis, MD)

“CROSSED is a series that made me realize that, even as a veteran comic reader and horror movie watcher, I could still be shocked, horrified, and thoroughly entertained by written media. Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows have created a world so bleak and dark that you can’t help but feel the dread oozing out of this book. If you think you can’t be shocked by anything anymore, read CROSSED and get back to me.”

– Jared Whittaker, Super-Fly Comics and Games (Yellow Springs, OH)

“Avatar has successfully found a needed and desired corner in comics. We sell more issues of CROSSED than all but one of the five different AVENGERS books. I am excited to see a bi-weekly ongoing series, not just for more Garth Ennis (who is one of our shop’s top selling authors), but for the financial increase it will bring too. More CROSSED means more money… twisted, terrifying money, but money nonetheless.”

– Matt Johnson, Cup o’ Kryptonite (Des Moines, IA)

If you’re a retailer and want to make the most out of your C-Day in-store event, we’re happy to share a few ideas!

• Create a display of CROSSED-related merchandise on an endcap, a dedicated shelf space, or your counter!

• Stock up on our three CROSSED trade paperbacks, as well as the CROSSED 3D graphic novel.

• Cross-promote other great Avatar Press books featuring the talent of Garth Ennis or Jacen Burrows (like CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD and 303).

• Drop one of the CROSSED: GET INFECTED sample comics into the pull bin for your dedicated zombie-buying customers.

• Organize a CROSSED version of a “Zombie Walk” in the neighborhood of your shop.

For more ideas on how to maximize sales of CROSSED at your store, please feel free to contact Keith Davidsen, our Director of Sales and Marketing, by phone at 217-714-0746 or e-mail keith@avatarpress.net. He’s ready and willing to field your questions and help you make the most of your C-Day experience!

It’s a banner week for David Lapham. Two of the most horrific, spine-tingling comic series of all time are coming to an end, both with the twists and turns you’d come to expect from a writer of his caliber.  Thank goodness FERALS has just started, filling in the void we’d otherwise feel after his departure from CALIGULA #6 and CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #7!

In CALIGULA #6, the streets of Rome run red with blood as Lapham brings the story of the most feared emperor of all time to its startling conclusion to! Junius has endured the brutal slaughter of his parents, the savage needs of a demonic steed, and the maddened ravings of his beloved and despised enemy (a complex relationship, to be sure). Having been tasked to record the gospel of Caligula, to witness his perverse and murderous deeds and record them for posterity, can this fragile mortal man decipher the supernatural secrets of Rome’s most despised despot and put an end to the insanity? What would it take to kill a man who cannot die?

David Lapham drags fans into the darkest corners of Rome’s history and dares you to stare down the madness within. German Nobile illustrates this final gruesome chapter in the CALIGULA epic. Issue #6 is available with a Regular cover by Jacen Burrows and a Wraparound cover by series artist German Nobile. (Retailers are also eligible to receive a special Golden Age of Rome edition, although availability varies by location).

CALIGULA #6 Regular Edition
$3.99 Retail, Cover by Jacen Burrows (pictured)
Diamond Item Code: OCT110851

CALIGULA #6 Wraparound Edition
$3.99 Retail, Cover by German Nobile
Diamond Item Code: OCT110852

Also in stores today, you’ll be able to find CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #7. It’s all come down to this, folks! Harold Lorre was a despicable excuse for a man before the collapse of civilization, but his sick desires and deadly manipulations have reached levels that would inspire awe and envy even in the Crossed themselves! And now, in the final issue of PSYCHOPATH, his cat-and-mouse game with beautiful, strong-willed Amanda finally comes to an end. This is gruesome psychological terror at its most intense! To paraphrase the CROSSED catch phrase: Is there hope? Is there escape? If there is only to be one left remaining, who will it be, and what will be left of him or her?

The highly detailed and spine-chilling illustrations of Raulo Caceres (CAPTAIN SWING, CRECY) perfectly bring the terrors from inside David Lapham’s head right to the comic page!  CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #7 has three standard cover variants in stores today, with a Regular edition by Jacen Burrows and Torture and Wraparound editions by Raulo Caceres. (Retailers are also eligible to receive a special Red Crossed edition, although availability varies by location).

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #7 Regular Edition
$3.99 Retail, Cover by Jacen Burrows (pictured)
Diamond Item Code: NOV110765

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #7 Torture Edition
$3.99 Retail, Cover by Raulo Caceres
Diamond Item Code: NOV110766

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #7 Wraparound Edition
$3.99 Retail, Cover by Raulo Caceres
Diamond Item Code: NOV110767

And here’s a preview of the final PSYCHOPATH chapter for your reading enjoyment:

When Avatar Press recently announced the upcoming CROSSED: BADLANDS comic book series, an ongoing, bi-weekly title that reunites CROSSED creator Garth Ennis with his partner-in-crime, Jacen Burrows, the retailer and fan reaction did not disappoint! We’re pleased as punch to hear so much positive feedback and excitement about the upcoming project!

But with all the BADLANDS hooplah and hollerin’, we want to make sure that our other big news isn’t lost in the shuffle! Avatar Press proudly announces that Diamond Comics, North America’s premiere distributor of comic books, has bestowed the coveted “Featured Item” accolade upon our January Previews catalog listing of the CROSSED VOLUME 3: PSYCHOPATH graphic novel. What an honor!

In PSYCHOPATH, comic legend David Lapham (Stray Bullets, Ferals) and the wickedly talented Raulo Caceres (Captain Swing, Crecy) present a vicious tale from the collapse of civilization, in the aftermath of the worldwide outbreak of insanity. For one small band of survivors, the discovery of a starving, injured man in the desert seems like an unexpected blessing. He knows where they could be safe: the location of a last holdout for America’s scientific community, where military remnants offer protection and the cure to the Crossed plague. But Harold Lorre is not the savior they hope him to be. He’s a calculating, lethal man whose mind was dangerously unhinged even before the world went mad. Surrounded by marauding hordes, their nerves shattered by unending fear, the group falls victim to the manipulations and deadly perversions of a true psychopath.

The CROSSED VOLUME 3: PSYCHOPATH graphic novel is available in three editions:

CROSSED VOLUME 3: PSYCHOPATH Softcover Edition
$19.99 US, Diamond Item Code: JAN120869
ISBN: 978-1-59291-152-3

CROSSED VOLUME 3: PSYCHOPATH Hardcover Edition
$27.99 US, Diamond Item Code: JAN120870
ISBN: 978-1-59291-153-0

CROSSED VOLUME 3: PSYCHOPATH Signed Hardcover Edition
$19.99 US, Diamond Item Code: JAN120871
ISBN: 978-1-59291-154-7
Limited to 1,000 copies and signed by David Lapham!

If you’d like to check out an interior preview of CROSSED VOLUME 3, please click on the link below! There, you’ll find a page sampling from the first comic book issue, which is collected in this graphic novel alongside the entire miniseries!

Remember, folks — orders for books in the January Previews catalog are due by January 26th. Retailers, make sure to stock up on the PSYCHOPATH graphic novel, which will be released in time for C-Day (March 14th)! And fans, make sure to visit your local comic shop this month and ask them to reserve a copy for you! If you love creepy horror that pushes beyond all boundaries of sanity, this book was made just for you!

You are going to love this book.

FERALS #1 debuts today in comic shops everywhere! Written by David Lapham (Caligula, Crossed: Psychopath) with artwork by Gabriel Andrade (Lady Death), this first issue presents a new, terrifying vision of werewolves hidden in modern society, an ancient culture with secrets and a bloody resolve to protect them!

Blending elements of crime noir with classic monster horror, FERALS #1 begins with the personal tale of Officer Dale Chesnutt, a lawman in the sleepy town of Cypress.  Folks are turning up not just dead, but slaughtered in bestial fashion. His investigation leads him to a tantalizing woman… and a mystery that dates back centuries. “It starts with small town people, folks with their own little dynamic, and a small town cop who is a charmer, a womanizer, a screw-up,” says Lapham. “He suddenly is hit by the ‘stray bullets’ and finds himself in a whole new world that’s plenty dark and twisted.”

Want to check out a preview of the issue? Click the Issuu preview below!

As with all of our month-to-month comic book releases, we like to offer fans a variety of covers. This provides fans the opportunity to choose the cover images that fit them best! We happily release Regular, Gore, and Wraparound editions of FERALS #1 in stores today, each featuring the awesome cover artwork of Gabriel Andrade.

FERALS #1 Regular Cover Edition
$3.99 SRP (Pictured Left)
Diamond Item Code: NOV110754

FERALS #1 “Gore” Cover Edition
$3.99 SRP (Pictured Top)
Diamond Item Code: NOV110755

FERALS #1 Wraparound Cover Edition
$3.99 SRP (Pictured Below)
Diamond Item Code: NOV110756

Run, don’t walk, to the “New Releases” section of your favorite comic book shop and pick up FERALS #1! We can’t stress enough – you are going to love, love, love this book.

It’s the last “New Comic Wednesday” of 2011! Let’s give you the rundown of what you’ll see on stands today.

The first look at the new ongoing CROSSED series, BADLANDS, is here! Garth Ennis’ groundbreaking survival horror series has turned the comic community upside down with its unspeakable and unforgettable imagery. 2012 will be the year of CROSSED, and this is your chance to stake a claim on the first startling images from the violent onslaught to come!

The CROSSED: BADLANDS preview edition, entitled OPENING SALVO, provides a sample of finished pages from #1 along with an interview from the CROSSED team of Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows, and a rare peek inside the upcoming ongoing bi-weekly series featuring story arcs by Garth Ennis, Jamie Delano, Simon Spurrier, and David Lapham! OPENING SALVO includes interviews with Ennis and Burrows, plus the first peak at black-and-white pages from Jamie Delano’s storyline kicking off in issue #4. Limited to just 5000 copies!

CROSSED: BADLANDS OPENING SALVO
$1.99 Retail, Cover by Jacen Burrows
Diamond Item Code: NOV110770

Also this week, Avatar is releasing the AUXILIARY edition of CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #6, written by David Lapham with interior artwork by Raulo Caceres. This special edition first printing features a tasty treat of a cover from Matt Martin and is limited to 1500 copies.

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #6 Auxiliary Edition
$3.99 Retail, Cover by Matt Martin
Diamond Item Code: NOV110772

Finally, today’s release of STITCHED #1 AUXILIARY provides a creepy cover by series artist extraordinaire, Mike Wolfer! It’s a special edition first printing limited to 1500 copies.

STITCHED #1 Auxiliary Edition
$3.99 Retail, Cover by Mike Wolfer
Diamond Item Code: NOV110773

]]> http://www.avatarpress.com/2011/12/new-this-week-crossed-badlands-opening-salvo-plus-psychopath-and-stitched-variants/feed/ 7 http://www.avatarpress.com/2011/12/crossed-nominated-for-horror-comic-awards-and-fans-can-vote/ http://www.avatarpress.com/2011/12/crossed-nominated-for-horror-comic-awards-and-fans-can-vote/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:47:30 +0000 Keith Davidsen http://www.avatarpress.com/?p=2962

We’re proud to share the news that this year’s CROSSED comics have been nominated for three ComicMonsters.com Horror Comic Awards!  The three categories are:

Cover of the Year 2011:
CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #1 Wraparound
Artwork by Raulo Caceres

Best Kill of the Year 2011:
CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #5
“Perhaps a chainsaw in the butt?”
Written by David Lapham, Artwork by Raulo Caceres

Best OGN of 2011
CROSSED 3D
Written by David Lapham, Artwork by Gianluca Pagliarani

The ComicMonsters.com Horror Comic Awards are nominated by the website staff, but ultimately selected by comic book fans! You can register to vote at the Horror News Network (the sister company to ComicMonsters.com) by following this link: http://www.horrornewsnetwork.net/account-new_user.html. Once you’ve registered and logged in, go to the ComicMonsters.com voting site at http://www.comicmonsters.com/horror-comic-awards.html. Make sure to look for the three categories mentioned above.

Show your CROSSED support today! Voting ends in seven (7) days!

When you visit your local comic book shop this week, be sure to pick up the latest graphic novel release from Avatar Press: WOLFSKIN VOLUME 2: HUNDREDTH DREAM! This second WOLFSKIN graphic novel is written by Warren Ellis (Captain Swing, Supergod) and Mike Wolfer (Stitched, Night of the Living Dead), and illustrated by Gianluca Pagliarani (Crossed 3D, Ignition City).

The premise: Before history was recorded in stone and ink, some men wrote it in blood! Wolfskin, a nomadic warrior, hopes to find a new purpose in life after the accidental slaughter of his own tribe while in the throes of an uncontrollable berserker rage. Hired as a guide and swordsman for a rescue mission to the volcanic ice plains, he travels north with a band of misfits and magicians whose skills and ideology are perched between prehistory and the advent of technology. What dreadful enemy will they face on the outskirts of civilization, and will Wolfskin even have a place in the world should he slay it?

This new heroic legend from the darkest corridors of time, as chronicled by long-time collaborators Ellis and Wolfer, features 160 pages of highly-detailed, full-color artwork by Pagliarani and is intended for Mature Readers. The books are available in the following editions:

WOLFSKIN VOL. 2: HUNDREDTH DREAM Softcover Edition
$19.99, Cover by Gianluca Pagliarani
Diamond Item Code: SEP110814
ISBN: 9781592911387

WOLFSKIN VOL. 2 HUNDREDTH DREAM Hardcover Edition
$27.99, Painted Cover by Felipe Massafera
Diamond Item Code: SEP110815
ISBN: 9781592911394

These books are in stores today! If you’re not finished yet with your holiday shopping, you may want to pick one up as a great read for the holidays!

Responding to overwhelming fan and retailer support for their wildly successful comic book horror franchise, Avatar Press announces today the launch of a new, ongoing CROSSED comic book series on March 14, 2012, with a bi-weekly release schedule and its first story arc reuniting the creative team of superstar writer Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Punisher) and original series artist Jacen Burrows (NEONOMICON). Concurrent story arcs will be spearheaded by well-established comic book writers such as Jamie Delano (Hellblazer) and David Lapham (Stray Bullets). The worldwide release of CROSSED: BADLANDS will be marked by a special “C-Day” in-store event for comic shop retailers, designed to maximize comic fan awareness and drive sales for area retailers.

Since its debut miniseries in 2008, CROSSED has captured the attention of comic book fans across the world with the high tension and visceral horror of its premise: in moments, a viral contagion spread over the face of the Earth, turning much of the populace into sadistically evil psychopaths. The CROSSED: BADLANDS series will present tales from all over the globe, with each story arc provided by a different creative team. Beginning with issue #1, Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows relate a story of a young Englishman, scrambling to avoid roving bands of the “Crossed,” while simultaneously dealing with the traumatic death of his wife.

The return of Ennis and Burrows to the CROSSED universe has been one long demanded by readers. Regarding his return to script the new CROSSED: BADLANDS series, Ennis says, “It feels cold and bleak and bad and dark, which is exactly how I hoped it would. You don’t write CROSSED with the sun shining in your heart; you write it around midwinter, watching the long night devour the feeble day.”

Artist Jacen Burrows has dedicated several months to the artwork of the first BADLANDS story arc, working ahead to accommodate the bi-weekly publishing schedule. While his most recent sequential artwork was showcased in Alan Moore’s NEONOMICON, a critically-acclaimed Lovecraftian horror series, he has been consistently contributing to CROSSED as a cover artist for every single tie-in comic book (including the FAMILY VALUES and PSYCHOPATH miniseries, as well as the best-selling original graphic novel, CROSSED 3D). His recent body of work has solidified his reputation as a master storyteller of both subtle, atmospheric horror and visceral, bloody gore.

“The horror genre has been through a lot as it has gotten more popular in the mainstream. It’s been abused and defanged by charlatans out for a quick buck, those who make one-dimensional, generic, formulaic product,” says Burrows. “With CROSSED, we want to do real horror that pushes the envelope so we can explore the limits of the human condition. It isn’t about violence so much as showing the stakes the characters are facing, and it is our willingness to go to that edge that makes the world so affecting.”

To promote the launch of CROSSED: BADLANDS, Avatar Press is working with Diamond Comic Distributors and retailers in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom to celebrate “C-Day,” an in-store event meant to expand readership and drive sales for comic shops. C-Day Survival Kits will be available to retailers, containing promotional goods including posters, counter displays, temporary tattoos, buttons, posters, masks, and rare Bonus Edition comics. As a tool for retailers, Avatar Press will simultaneously release the CROSSED: GET INFECTED C-DAY EDITION comic book, a special reissue of the first-ever CROSSED story that serves as a perfect introduction to the entire series.

As with many of their comic books, Avatar Press will offer several different cover editions of each CROSSED: BADLANDS issue, providing fans with the freedom of choice for which graphic, visceral images they want to collect.

CROSSED: BADLANDS #1 Regular Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: JAN120877

CROSSED: BADLANDS #1 Torture Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: JAN120878

CROSSED: BADLANDS #1 Wraparound Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: JAN120879

CROSSED: BADLANDS #2 Regular Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: JAN120883

CROSSED: BADLANDS #2 Torture Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: JAN120884

CROSSED: BADLANDS #2 Wraparound Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: JAN120885

Headed to your local comic shop today? Be sure to check out STITCHED #2, by Garth Ennis and Mike Wolfer! It’s the second fear-fraught chapter in Ennis’ tale of American and British soldiers fighting undead war machines in the Afghanistan mountains!

STITCHED began as Garth Ennis’ exploration into telling horror tales in a brand new medium: film! The STITCHED short film, written and directed by Ennis himself, was the opening volley in what proves to be an epic war story, as masterful Mike Wolfer adapts the full feature-length script to comic format. Issue #2 expands the story; while issue #1 largely adapted the entirety of the STITCHED short film, the new issue heads into uncharted territory, truly taking the characters from the movie (and issue #1) debut and setting them in uncharted territory.

In STITCHED #2, the surviving crew members of a downed American Blackhawk helicopter learn more about their British S.A.S. rescuers… and their running battle against the fearsome, corpse-like “Stitches” that patrol the desert wastes. It’s clear that there’s an evil intelligence behind the Stitches, an organization intent on wiping out coalition and Taliban forces indiscriminately. But as these hardened men spin stories of fallen comrades and indestructible creatures, they unknowingly find themselves confronted once again!

Please enjoy our preview of STITCHED #2 below!

STITCHED #2 is available in multiple cover editions illustrated by series artist Mike Wolfer, including the following:

STITCHED #2 Regular Edition
$3.99 Retail
Diamond Item Code: OCT110837

STITCHED #2 Gore Edition
$3.99 Retail
Diamond Item Code: OCT110838

STITCHED #2 Wraparound Edition
$3.99 Retail
Diamond Item Code: OCT110839

We hope you enjoy this latest issue of Ennis’ and Wolfer’s STITCHED, and prepare yourself for a bloody, terrifying ongoing tale for years to come!

The penultimate chapter of David Lapham and Raulo Caceres’ grueling horror masterpiece is here! CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #6 hits stores across North America today, paving the bloody way to the final issue #7 — and the climactic confrontation between Amanda and the deranged Harold Lorre!  If you like madness, if you like mayhem, then issue #6 was made for you!

In issue #6, Harold’s vicious plans have finally come to fruition. He’s pitted two clans of Crossed against one another and wiped them all out. He’s shot, stabbed, and sliced his way through the other survivors in his party, leaving only Amanda and himself as the remaining uninfected. He’s found his long-lost love Lori among the wreckage… or what is left of her (perhaps one of the most creepy, spine-chilling sequences ever seen in print — if you don’t believe us, check out issue #5). With a keepsake of Lori’s in hand and a beautiful and unsuspecting victim at his fingertips, Lorre has everything he’d ever hoped for. But after taking such care to implement his murderous scheme, will he finaly slip up and lose everything when the Crossed come a’calling?

Check out this awesome preview of the action!

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #6 is written by horror master David Lapham (CROSSED 3D, CALIGULA, the upcoming FERALS), with artwork by rising star Raulo Caceres (CAPTAIN SWING, GRAVEL). This gruesome issue comes available in multiple cover editions, including:

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #6 Regular Edition
Retail Price: $3.99 US
Cover: Jacen Burrows (see top)
Diamond Item Code: OCT110841

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #6 Torture Edition
Retail Price: $3.99 US
Cover: Raulo Caceres (see left)
Diamond Item Code: OCT110842

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #6 Wraparound Edition
Retail Price: $3.99 US
Cover: Raulo Caceres (see below)
Diamond Item Code: OCT110843

If you’ve been reading CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH all along, you know that it’s the most visceral, increasingly disturbing horror comic published in recent years — every page delves deeper into the mind of a serial killer, with twists and turns you never expect. Don’t miss this latest issue!

To quote Garth Ennis himself: Dougie and Ivor, the heroes of DICKS, “remain my all-time favorites of the characters I’ve written or created. My pride and joy, the ongoing saga of two idiots from Belfast, (as created) by two idiots from Belfast.” If a comic book legend like Garth Ennis can think so highly of his creations, it’s no wonder that these notorious scoundrels are back!

Selected by Diamond Comic Distributors for the coveted “Featured Item” accolade in their December Previews catalog, DICKS #1 is back — in FULL COLOR for the first time ever! Garth Ennis and John McCrea (the creative team behind Hitman) have returned to add insult to injury with a completely colorized and re-mastered series that is guaranteed to offend and amaze. This monthly series colorizes all the previous Dicks adventures and leads right into a whole new adventure, starting with Bigger Dicks #1 right here! Dougie and Ivor, the shameless bollocks that claim to be private investigators, are back in action with more outrageous antics that will leave no shame uncovered. This series is made for the smart ass comics reader that can’t get enough low-brow humor as only Garth Ennis can deliver! Available with a regular cover, a very Offensive cover, and a special Classic B&W cover showing one of the lost DICKS covers of yesteryear – all by series artist John McCrea!

DICKS #1 Regular Edition
$4.99 Retail, Cover by John McCrea (see above)
Diamond Item Code: DEC110861

DICKS #1 Offensive Edition
$4.99 Retail, Cover by John McCrea (see left)
Diamond Item Code: DEC110862

DICKS #1 Classic Black-and-White Edition
Ask Your Retailer for Pricing! Cover by John McCrea
Diamond Item Code: DEC110863

David Lapham is the talk of the town!  Horror and comic book media websites have been having a field day with the announcement of the upcoming werewolf crime noir series, FERALS #1.  And rightly so!  The book is absolutely gorgeous, and destined to be The Next Big Thing.  Lapham’s made a home for himself at Avatar Press, turning out twisted tales from the darkest recesses of his mind with such horror titles as CROSSED: FAMILY VALUES, CROSSED 3D, and CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH… not to mention his supernatural take on Rome’s most infamous emperor, CALIGULA!

This week, comic shops everywhere will line their store shelves with the latest issue of CALIGULA, written by Lapham with exquisite painted artwork by German Nobile. Make sure to stop by your local shop and pick up CALIGULA #5, the penultimate chapter of the epic saga! And while you’re visiting with your favorite retailer, be sure to tell him or her to pre-order a copy of FERALS #1 for you! You will not want to miss it!

Here’s a description of CALIGULA #5, taken from the Previews catalog solicitation:

David Lapham delivers another blood drenched chapter in the saga of the most feared Roman Emperor of all time, Caligula! A young boy, once naive to the hedonistic ways of the Roman upper class, finds that the only way to kill a god is to learn all of its secrets. But there is only so much slaughter and suffering that a soul can endure… even one bent on avenging the murder of his parents. A modern master of horror, Lapham will take you into the darkest corners of the soul and reveal the madness within. Hot new talent, German Nobile, illustrates this no-holds-barred ride down the road to Hell.

For a five-page sneak peak of this disturbing look into Roman debauchery, brutality, and treachery, check out this Issuu preview!

CALIGULA #5 Regular Edition
Retail Price: $3.99 US
Cover: Jacen Burrows
Diamond Item Code: AUG110853

CALIGULA #5 Wraparound Edition
Retail Price: $3.99 US
Cover: German Nobile
Diamond Item Code: AUG110854

We proudly present the first nine pages of FERALS #1, written by David Lapham (Crossed: Psychopath, Caligula) and illustrated by Gabriel Andrade (Lady Death). In addition to the preview, we’ve showcased lots of cover artwork for your viewing enjoyment.  Click on the above Issuu preview for a full screen visual feast, and use the arrows on the right side to cycle through the pages.

To quote Keith Davidsen, the publisher’s Director of Sales and Marketing, “I’ve seen the entire first issue, and personally, I feel it’s one of the best single issues that Avatar Press has ever done. That’s a huge statement, considering all the great projects we’ve published! Readers who pick up FERALS #1 will absolutely stay on for the rest of the series — its shocking hook is that good.”

As a special request to Avatar fans: When you visit your local comic book store this week, please be sure to tell them that you’d like a copy of FERALS reserved for you! FERALS #1 is available for retailers to pre-order for only one more week, so it’s important to get your orders in now!

FERALS #1 Regular Cover Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: NOV110754

FERALS #1 “Gore” Cover Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: NOV110755

FERALS #1 Wraparound Cover Edition
$3.99 SRP, Diamond Item Code: NOV110756

In stores today, Avatar Press proudly releases the graphic novel presentation of Warren Ellis’ epic steampunk tale, CAPTAIN SWING AND THE ELECTRICAL PIRATES OF CINDERY ISLAND! Featuring the artwork of Raulo Caceres (CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH, CRECY), this crackling new collection features full color, a stunning woodcut style, and 128 pages that capture the classic literary feel from days of yore.

It’s 1830, and London’s newly-minted copper Charlie Gravel keeps seeing things he’s not supposed to: a crooked Bow Street Runner with a flintlock revolver, high-flying vessels that are not supposed to fly, and the violent Scientific Phantasmagoria popularly known as Spring-Heeled Jack. With the coming of Captain Swing and his Electrical Pirates, history shall never be the same!

CAPTAIN SWING Softcover Edition
• Retail Price: $17.99 US
• ISBN-10: 1592911366
• ISBN-13: 9781592911363
• Diamond Item Code: AUG110836

CAPTAIN SWING Hardcover Edition
• Retail Price: $27.99 US
• ISBN-10: 1592911374
• ISBN-13: 9781592911370
• Diamond Item Code: AUG110837

To preview the first few pages of CAPTAIN SWING, please feel free to click on the link below!

Heading to your local comic shop today? Get ready for the collected edition of CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD: THE LAST BATTLE, available in both softcover and hardcover formats, and featuring the tale by master scribe Garth Ennis and masterful artist Oscar Jimenez.

Danny Wormwood, a shifty yet sympathetic television executive, also happens to be the Antichrist. Having averted his demonic father’s plans for an all-out apocalypse by eliminating God and the Devil, Danny has started to get his life back together. He’s reunited with his girlfriend Maggie and drinking beers with humbled messiah Jay and Jimmy the Talking Rabbit. But having rid Hell of its rightful lord, he now must face an even worse successor – the fallen, corrupt Pope Jacko! Ennis, the critically acclaimed creator of PREACHER and CROSSED, drags the whole world into the gutter with his trademark razor-sharp dialogue and biting wit.

If you’ve never tried CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD, be sure to look up the original story, CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD VOLUME 1, written by Ennis and illustrated by Jacen Burrows (NEONOMICON, the upcoming CROSSED: BADLANDS). There’s also the one-shot graphic novel, CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD: THE LAST ENEMY, which connects the events of the first volume to this week’s new release. These fine products can be found on shelves at your local comic shop, or your retailer can order a copy on your behalf. We’ve got them in stock and are ready to fill orders!

For a preview of THE LAST BATTLE, check this out:

CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD VOL. 2: THE LAST BATTLE Softcover Edition
Retail Price: $19.99 US
Diamond Item Code: AUG110841
ISBN: 159291103X

CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD VOL. 2: THE LAST BATTLE Hardcover Edition
Retail Price: $27.99 US
Diamond Item Code: AUG110842
ISBN: 1592911048

Avatar Press has created the ultimate collectible: the NEONOMICON DUAL-SIGNED HARDCOVER EDITION. Limited to only 200 copies and autographed by both comics legend Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta) and superstar artist Jacen Burrows (Crossed: Badlands, Chronicles of Wormwood), this ultra-rare item comes with hardcover artwork not found anywhere else, and is exclusively available to NEONOMICON fans through the online retailer, Comic Cavalcade, through their direct-to-consumer website ComCav.com.

Remember, to acquire the much-sought-after signature of Alan Moore, you’d normally have to descend into the submerged stone city of R’lyeh and brave a mind-shattering face-to-face with a tentacle-faced Deep One… Why risk madness and death when you can simply place an order online?

The signed hardcover edition, pictured at right, retails for $75.00.  Autographs from Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows can be found on a special signature page at the front of the book.  As with all NEONOMICON graphic novels (including the softcover and unsigned hardcover editions), the full color 176-page graphic novel includes both the original Lovecraftian tale, THE COURTYARD, as well as all four issues of its sequel, NEONOMICON.

Available while supplies last!  Get your copy of the NEONOMICON DUAL-SIGNED HARDCOVER EDITION by visiting ComCav.com now!

In stores today! Avatar Press proudly releases the latest fear-fraught installment of CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH, as well as the gut-churning conclusion to DEATH VALLEY!

In CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #5, David Lapham and artist Raulo Caceres (Captain Swing) continue their story about the worst aspects of human behavior, a tale of unspeakable evils, violent assaults on both mind and body, and of longing for death and the sweet release it will bring. Here’s the summary:

“It’s Crossed vs. Crossed as huge clans battle to the death! The band of survivors Harold Lorre has connected with have cleverly tricked two giant tribes of Crossed into fighting each other. The hope is they weed each other out and give the scared humans a chance to get far away. But no one suspects that Lorre himself might be a greater danger than the posse of Crossed they are hiding from. Lorre has certain needs that he must satiate.”

We have six (count ‘em, six!) variant covers hitting store shelves today:

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #5 Regular Edition
$3.99 US, Diamond Item Code: SEP110805
Cover by Jacen Burrows (Pictured Above Right)

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #5 Torture Edition
$3.99 US, Diamond Item Code: SEP110806
Cover by Raulo Caceres (Pictured Left)

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #5 Wraparound Edition
$3.99 US, Diamond Item Code: SEP110807
Cover by Raulo Caceres

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #5 Red Crossed Edition
Ask your retailer for pricing! Diamond Item Code: SEP110808
Cover by Jacen Burrows

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #5 B&W Retailer Bonus Edition
Ask your retailer for pricing! Diamond Item Code: SEP110809
Cover by Jacen Burrows

CROSSED: PSYCHOPATH #5 Auxiliary Edition
$3.99 US, Diamond Item Code: JUL110901
Cover by Raulo Caceres

For your viewing enjoyment, check out a preview below!

Our second release today is the long-awaited climax to Mike Wolfer and Dheeraj Verma’s zombie epic, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: DEATH VALLEY #5.

“After a gut-wrenching assault by both a legion of the undead and the blood-thirsty members of a nefarious California cult, only two men remain alive under the full moon over Death Valley. But their night of terror has only begun, as they learn that two of their friends have been kidnapped and imprisoned at the cult’s mountain-top ranch, where an army of decomposing cannibals awaits. But beyond the horror of flesh-eating zombies, beyond the disgusting violation the kidnapped women face as they are indoctrinated into the cult, beyond their friends and loved-ones murdered and eaten before their eyes… an even more insidious truth is about to be exposed, the most unexpected twist in the most shocking NOTLD saga ever!”

Today will see four variant cover editions hitting store shelves, including:

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: DEATH VALLEY #5 Regular Edition
$3.99 US, Diamond Item Code: JUL110895
Cover by Michael DiPascale (Pictured Right)

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: DEATH VALLEY #5 Gore Edition
$3.99 US, Diamond Item Code: JUL110896
Cover by Matt Martin

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: DEATH VALLEY #5 Wraparound Edition
$3.99 US, Diamond Item Code: JUL110897
Cover by Mike Wolfer

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: DEATH VALLEY #5 Classic B&W Edition
Ask your retailer for pricing! Diamond Item Code: JUL110898
Cover by Michael DiPascale

Head to your neighborhood comic book retailer and get some!

It’s finally here — the debut of Garth Ennis’ ongoing horror comic book, STITCHED, in comic book and specialty stores across North America!  Adapted from Ennis’ original full-feature length movie script, the first issue of STITCHED introduces the brave crew of Idaho Six and the ragtag remnants of a British SAS team, doomed souls stalked by the undead malevolence of the Stitched!

Also new this week from Avatar Press: the conclusion to CAPTAIN SWING, by Warren Ellis and Raulo Caceres!  CAPTAIN SWING #4 wraps up the much-beloved Steampunk tale by one of comicdom’s most acclaimed science fiction authors.  To quote the solicitation text:

“From the sparking-mad mind of Warren Ellis, comes an electrical romance of a pirate utopia thwarted: CAPTAIN SWING & THE ELECTRICAL PIRATES OF CINDERY ISLAND. What do you do when you find out that everything you thought you knew about the history of your country and, in fact, the whole world is not necessarily the whole truth? That the Laws of Man and Science have been bent into all sorts of unsavory positions? There’s no going back now for Charlie Gravel… he’ll just have to hold on for dear life as this electrical romance careens to it’s thrilling conclusion. It is the time of Captain Swing and his Electrical Pirates, and history will never be the same. This historical science-fiction piratical romance by Warren Ellis is illustrated in Raulo Caceres’ stunning woodcut style, and presented in full color. CAPTAIN SWING #4 is available with a Regular, Wraparound, and Auxiliary covers by series artist Raulo Caceres, and a special retailer incentive Penny Dreadful cover designed to look like a classic novel of yore.”

CAPTAIN SWING #4 Regular Edition
$3.99, Diamond Item Code: MAY110873

CAPTAIN SWING #4 Wraparound
$3.99, Diamond Item Code: MAY110874

CAPTAIN SWING #4 Penny Dreadful Edition
Ask your retailer for pricing! Diamond Item Code: MAY110875

CAPTAIN SWING #4 Auxiliary Edition
$3.99, Diamond Item Code: MAY1108766

Head down to your local comic shop and ask for them by name.  Tell ‘em Avatar sent ya!