DF Interview: Justin Jordan continues the saga of ‘Summoners War’ with its newest chapter, ‘Awakening’

By Byron Brewer

Civil war rages across the land of Alea. These armies summon magical creatures to battle each other in a seemingly never-ending struggle – and newly-trained summoner Rai has been thrust onto the front lines.

Now, Rai and her companions are stranded deep within hostile territory, occupied by soldiers on the ground and sky pirates in the clouds above. But a cunning new bounty hunter stalks her every move, and Rai's skills will have to be stronger than ever to make it home alive.
Discover new friends, new foes and powerful creatures in the next chapter of the action-packed Summoners War saga, Awakening, from writer Justin Jordan, artist Luca Claretti and color artist Igor Monti based on the popular mobile game. I’ve been aboard since Legacy, so when I heard about Awakening I sat down with scribe Justin Jordan to see what is next.


Byron Brewer: Justin, right out of the gate (as we say here in Kentucky horse country), remind readers how you became involved as a chronicler of the Summoners War saga.



Justin Jordan: I got involved through Skybound. I’ve done several creator-owned series for them, and we’ve always a had a good working relationship, so a couple of years ago when they became involved with the Summoners War franchise, they asked me to come onboard as part of their writer’s room.



Byron: Are there any story threads that stem from your last comic in the series – Legacy – that we should know of as we prepare to pick up Summoners War: Awakening #1 in April? Any carry-overs of note?



Justin Jordan: I think the big one is that Rai and Tomas, our two very inexperienced leads, are stuck far away from home with an artifact that could upset the balance of the world and lots of people looking for them. You don’t really need to have read the first series to enjoy it (although I think the first one is a lot of fun, so….)



Byron: For those uninitiated (and you know who you are!), describe the world of Summoners War. What canvas will we be dropping ourselves into?



Justin Jordan: On the world of Alea, it’s possible to summon monsters to do your bidding, assuming you have the mana crystals to do it. Which, naturally, means that war breaks out fighting over this vital resource.

This series takes place a few decades before the main game Summoners War: Sky Arena, showing us what the world was like when everyone was at everyone else’s throats.


Byron: Introduce readers to Rai, your POV character here. Who is she, who was she, what challenges await in this limited series?



Justin Jordan: Rai is confident, capable, and in waaaaaaay over her head, although good luck getting her to admit that last part. She was a girl from a nowhere town with no real future who taught herself to summon as a way to get out.

She should have been careful what she wished for, since she ended up halfway across the world with a dead mentor, a surly bodyguard, and an adorable sidekick…and an entire army hunting for her.


Byron: Before we go on, maybe we should tell exactly why Rai and others are called “summoners” and how that plays out in the franchise.



Justin Jordan: Rai and other summoners can learn to summon monsters to fight for them. This is a rare and valuable skill, and it means you’re going to end up fighting in the war. Rai has two monsters she can summon, but more powerful summoners can have a lot more than that.



Byron: Can you spotlight just a few of the new characters we will be meeting in Awakening?



Justin Jordan: I think the two biggest are Captain Eve, the commander of a flying pirate ship who has surprising connections to the greater world of Summoners War, and Malakhan, the dark bounty hunter who is relentlessly pursuing our heroes. I was tapping into my inner Star Wars fan a bit for both of them, and I think people are going to dig them.



Byron: Talk about the pulse-pounding art of Luca Claretti and Igor Monti.



Justin Jordan: It’s amazing. They really make the world of Summoners War come alive. Working with Luca has been a pure pleasure the entire time, as he just gets what I am going for. I hope we get to do a bunch more stuff together.



Byron: Justin, my friend, it has been awhile since we’ve done this. Tell me, what projects do you have upcoming that you are free to tell readers about?



Justin Jordan: My horror comic Harrower is coming up right now from BOOM, which so far people seem to have really liked, and I’ve got Zero Ghost coming out later this year from 247 Comics. Urban Animal over at Webtoons is still rolling, and I’d bet people who like Summoners War will like it.



Dynamic Forces would like to thank Justin Jordan for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. Summoners War: Awakening #1 from Skybound, Com2uS and Image Comics is slated to be on sale April 19th!



For more news and up-to-date announcements, join us here at Dynamic Forces, www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/, “LIKE” us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/dynamicforcesinc, and follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/dynamicforces.

As the summer heats up in August, Dynamite Entertainment is bringing the heat too with a thrilling third entry in the newly established paperback line of the much-sought Vampirella Archives.

Vampirella Archives Volume Three collects issues #15-21 of the Vampirella, the Daughter of Drakulon's first ever ongoing magazine anthology series released at the time by Warren Publishing. This third volume covers the entire stretch of issues released in the year 1972.


The second volume featured beloved creator and editor Archie Goodwin taking the reins and rapidly revitalizing the lore of the titular vampiress, establishing a tradition for nearly every issue of the mag to feature a chapter in her ongoing adventures. Fans will get a taste of the era's most iconic Vampi illustrator Jose Gonzalez in that book, and now in this third book every single solo story of the Drakulonian dame features his stunning work.

In addition to Goodwin and Gonzalez, Volume Three also features the run on the character by T. Casey Brennan, across issues #17-21. His final chapter is co-written by the legendary Steve Englehart, whose brief run continues in the forthcoming fourth book, acclaimed for his tenures on titles like Avengers, Defenders, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Batman in Detective Comics, and many more.

Front and central for Vampi's tales in this entry are her encounters with the deadly Dracula. Featured in the future by top creators like Kurt Busiek, James Robinson, and Christopher Priest, this is where the two first crossed paths! For Vampirella fans, the editorial feature from #19 is indispensable for diving into the behind the scenes of how the character was created.

Another big draw for this edition is its inclusion of almost all the chapters of Spanish genius Esteban Maroto's Tomb of the Gods feature. His artwork is absolutely jaw-dropping, and he would continue to be a key contributor to the magazine, and eventually drawing some of Vampi's own stories, like the pivotal first appearance of the Blood Red Queen of Hearts in #49.

Other luminaries with writing and artwork featured within these issues include Doug Moench (Moon Knight, Batman), Jose Bea, Don McGregor (Black Panther), Richard Corben (Den), Pat Boyette (The Phantom, Peacemaker), Luis Garcia, Jan Strnad (Sword of the Atom), Steve Skeates (Aquaman, Hawk and Dove), Greg Potter (Wonder Woman), and more. All wrapped under included covers by Sanjulian, Enrich Torres, and Luis Dominguez.

These paperback printings of the comprehensive archival reprints of Vampirella's first decade-plus-spanning title are set to release every two months, working towards the 15 volume final set. They are printed at magazine dimensions to match the original format. Stories are primarily in black and white.






Visit www.dynamite.com for more news and information.

The ThunderCats comic book saga raises the stakes — and the swords — this May with the start of the fabulous fourth story arc of the flagship series, from Dynamite Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products.

Tireless talents Declan Shalvey (Mystique, The Terminator) and Drew Moss (Gargoyles: Dark Ages) pull out all the stops starting in ThunderCats #16 with a series of Third Earth-shattering revelations and a major level up for the titular feline warriors. In the preceding storyline, the 'Cats were met with both significant discovery and tragic loss.

“The first year of bringing ThunderCats back to comics, to old fans and new, has been a thrilling experience," said writer Declan Shalvey. "It’s been a privilege for myself and Drew Moss to establish a new mythos for these characters in comics, and seeing it build out into new and exciting connected series like SilverHawks and ThunderCats Lost. Now the playing field for our series is bigger and bolder, our characters face greater challenges requiring a new innovation: The Knights of Thundera.”

Their traditional leader of Lion-O is missing in action, motivating Cheetara to step up and take the mantle. The mysterious new character to this series (first appearing in #2) Calica has returned. Tygra has crafted a new metal alloy christened Thundore and outfitted the team with armored suits, which Panthro now requires in order to walk following his injuries at the hands of Mumm-Ra. And when another unexpected character crashes the party in Bengali, last seen in companion series ThunderCats Lost, tensions flare.





In spite of all these curveballs and uncertainties, the ThunderCats begin a new era on their newfound home of Third Earth, establishing the Knights of Thundera, to be a more proactive security force hunting down and crippling their enemies. Each new knight is equipped with a fearsome new sword, all matched to their characterization and existing fighting styles and designed by Drew Moss, alongside their new armors.

With their offensive and defensive capabilities upgraded, that won't stop forces from continuing to clash and lay siege to them. The question remains, will this new incarnation of the team be able to deal with what comes next?

This next story arc and perfect opportunity to jump right into the franchise is complemented by a set of stunning covers from Shalvey and Moss, as well as Lucio Parrillo, Jae Lee, and Manix Abrera.





Visit www.dynamite.com for more news and information.

Runway Studios, the production and entertainment arm of AI company Runway, has released a six-minute pilot for “Mars & Siv: No Vacancy,” an animated series produced by the studio and created by Jeremy Higgins and Britton Korbel. Co-directors Higgins and Korbel will now be shopping the series to animation studios and streamers.

The comedic crime series will follow a detective and his partner, who is alien. Higgins describes it as a “satirical take on classic noir film set in a more futuristic setting.” Episodes are expects to be in the 11-20 minute range.

Higgins and Korbel related that the pilot was created with Runway tools, by roughly a dozen artists. “We kind of made use of their tools in as many different ways as possible throughout the process,” Higgins said. “We ourselves are very traditional animators, so we did everything from a base level by hand, and then we kind of used Runway and their tools (including its latest Gen-4 AI model) to assist with all of the steps in the process.” (via Variety)

L-R: Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Annie Murphy Elizabeth Hurley And Josh Gad

Brendan Fraser (The Whale), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek), Elizabeth Hurley (The Royals) and Josh Gad (Frozen) will lead the voice cast for Tubi‘s new adult animated series Breaking Bear.

The series parodies the tropes of mobster dramas, comically combining elements of characters like Yogi Bear with series like The Sopranos. It hails from Julien Nitzberg (The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia), Evoke Entertainment (Creepshow, Twelve Forever, Day of the Dead) and Tom DeLonge’s To The Stars Media (Monsters of California, Unidentified).

Created by Nitzberg, Breaking Bear is billed as “a fur-flying, law-breaking, forest-saving rampage following a dysfunctional family of bears who go full criminal to stop frackers, mobsters, and a psychotic wolf pack from destroying their home. As they spiral deeper into the criminal abyss, they face off against biker gangs, an egomaniacal news anchor, and their own spectacular talent for self-sabotage.” (via Deadline)

In March, Marvel Comics announced that a new era of THUNDERBOLTS was coming this June by writer Sam Humphries (Uncanny X-Force) and artist Ton Lima (West Coast Avengers). Now, a startling truth is revealed—in classic Thunderbolts fashion, this latest iteration aren’t at all what they seem! They’re the NEW AVENGERS!

Since their debut as a team of disguised supervillains, the Thunderbolts have become synonymous with unpredictable twists and unconventional rosters. This legacy continues with a surprise—and first-of-its-kind—comic book title change that echoes the jaw-dropping twist in Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*, now in theaters, while introducing an entirely new—and shocking—team of heroes!

THE WINTER SOLDIER. BLACK WIDOW. EDDIE BROCK, CARNAGE. THE HULK. NAMOR. CLEA. WOLVERINE. It’s a group of the most dangerous loners and antiheroes in the Marvel Universe, and yet they’ll come together as the NEW AVENGERS! In classic Avengers fashion, they’ll assemble to take on a threat too big for any one hero to combat—corrupt clones of the Illuminati! And in the spirit of Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch decade-defining New Avengers run, this radical lineup will usher in a revolutionary new era of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!

Elated to finally talk about the secret change, Humphries said, "Plot twist--it's been NEW AVENGERS all along! I promised surprises, and this is the first of many. It's a thrill and an honor to continue the grand New Avengers tradition of team dynamics that are as explosive as the threats. And this era has two combustible teams: the New Avengers and the Killuminati!"

Check out the covers, including a homage to David Finch’s iconic New Avengers #1 cover by Whilce Portacio, newly revealed character variants by Derrick Chew, Ejikure and Woo-Chul Lee and the first of three Marvel Studios Variant Covers. Featured on the first three issues of the series, the Marvel Studios Variant Covers spotlight original character designs by Marvel Studios' Director of Visual Development Andy Park for the Thunderbolts* film. Preorder NEW AVENGERS #1 at your local comic shop today and stay tuned for news about the series later this week!

The first teaser trailer for Peacemaker Season 2 has arrived, confirming John Cena’s Christopher Smith and the 11th Street Kids are hurtling back into action.

This electrifying new look immediately showcases the return of the beloved main cast from the hit first season, including Danielle Brooks as Leota Adebayo and Freddie Stroma as the irrepressible Vigilante. More significantly, the footage establishes a dangerous new adversary in Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr., who is seen spearheading an operation to bring Peacemaker in.

Finally, the teaser signals that the upcoming season will see the team facing their continuing struggle for acceptance in a world still skeptical of their heroism, despite their previous world-saving efforts.

Season 2 of Peacemaker premieres Thursday, August 21st, on Max, soon after Superman flies into theaters on July 11th. (via ComicBook.com)

Teaser: https://twitter.com/i/status/1920014928427040927

Jar Jar Binks will make his Disney+ return later this year. The bumbling Gungan-turned-galactic senator has long drawn the ire of Star Wars fans; however, a reversal in sentiment surrounding the Phantom Menace character has started to slowly make waves among the Star Wars faithful.

Jar Jar Binks will return to the galaxy far, far away later this year, popping up in the upcoming LEGO Star Wars Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past. Played once again by Ahmed Best, the infamous prequels character is set to play a significant role in the four-part LEGO Star Wars streaming special, which will debut on Disney+ on September 19, 2025.

Binks' inclusion in Pieces of the Past was officially confirmed by showrunners Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit in a conversation with StarWars.com, saying that the special will explore "what's next" for several characters, including Jar Jar Binks.

Jar Jar was a key part of the first Pieces of the Past special, showing up on the scene as the long-memed Darth Jar Jar (a multiversal version of the character fans have speculated was secretly the mastermind behind the fall of the Republic). (via The Direct)

A long-standing scheme involving Marvel’s greatest supervillains is uncovered this June in BRING ON THE BAD GUYS, a new seven-part saga celebrating the nearly 50 year legacy of the groundbreaking BRING ON THE BAD GUYS trade paperback. The event begins this June in BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: DOOM #1 by Emmy Award-winning writer Marc Guggenheim and acclaimed artist Stefano Raffaele and continues in July with BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: GREEN GOBLIN #1, BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: ABOMINATION #1, and BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: LOKI #1, each delivered by all-star creative teams. Today, fans can learn about the event’s final three chapters, on sale in August: BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: RED SKULL #1, BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: DORMAMMU #1, and BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: MEPHISTO #1, which sees Guggenheim return to deliver the event’s fiery conclusion alongside artist Álvaro López. In addition to writing the first and last installments, Guggenheim will team up with artist Michael Sta. Maria for a backup story in each issue shedding light on Mephisto’s overarching scheme and the mysterious new villain SISTER SORROW!

Acclaimed writer and military-history buff Stephanie Phillips and moody, dynamic artist Tomasso Bianchi dive deep into their dark sides in BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: RED SKULL #1! Witness Red Skull at his most sinister in a story from his ruthless past during the dark days of World War II along with the horrible future that awaits Captain America as a result, thanks to a deal with the devil himself!

Then, join acclaimed creators, writer Alex Paknadel and artist Javier Pina, as they dare to test the dread Dormammu in BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: DORMAMMU #1! The saga takes a mind-bending turn as Dormammu is drawn into a battle across generations and the arcane horrors of the Dark Dimension come to vivid life as you’ve never seen them before! But what could possibly move Dormammu to help anyone seeking his aid?

Finally, all seven villains’ paths collide in the grand finale, BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: MEPHISTO #1 by event architect Marc Guggenheim and artist Álvaro López. Victory is in Mephisto’s grasp as he prepares to take control over all souls on Earth! But who is the mysterious figure who stands against him?

“Marvel broke the mold with supervillains, pushing them past the archetypical to the complex and some even morally gray but still to be feared,” Editor Mark Paniccia added. “Each of these one-shots are an opportunity for fans to see what makes these villains some of the most dangerous characters in the Marvel Universe.”

For the first time in almost 30 years, fans can board the Event Horizon for a twisted new tale…

EVENT HORIZON: DARK DESCENT is the first expansion of the cult horror favorite since it was released in theaters by Paramount Pictures in 1997. The terrifying cinematic universe was originally created by director Paul W.S. Anderson and writer Philip Eisner, and now an innovative crew of acclaimed comic book creators – multiple Eisner Award-winner Christian Ward (writer of Batman: City of Madness), powerhouse sci-fi artist Tristan Jones (Aliens: Defiance), and rising star colorist Pip Martin (That Texas Blood) – proudly present the official prequel to the unforgettable film that has haunted fans for decades.



Embracing the hard-R rating of the shocking movie, EVENT HORIZON: DARK DESCENT #1 (of 5 issues) will lightspeed jump into comic shops this August. Taking place before the events of the film and completely accessible to new readers, this is the unbelievable story of the final fate of the original Event Horizon crew. What really happened to Captain Kilpack and the first crew as their ship journeyed across a nightmarish realm of torments beyond imagining? Abandon all hope as demonic forces - led by Paimon, the eyeless King of Hell - unleash agony and pure evil upon the crew in a gripping story.

“It's a huge privilege to be handed the keys of such a beloved film, one I take very seriously and I have some extremely exciting things up my sleeve. Big gory swings will be happening. You'll never see the film in the same light again,” Ward said.



“I think what Christian's laying out and adding to the lore is going to surprise people. It's certainly given me a lot of gnarly, visceral stuff to chew on visually, which is always fun and knowing that this is being done directly in collaboration with the team behind the film certainly helps lock things in as something fans of the film will want to explore with us,” added Jones.

“There are few films better suited for an expansion than Event Horizon. It’s a strong character-driven horror movie that hints at a whole other dimension we get to build upon. And build we shall. This is a creative team possessed by some dark and seductive muse guiding their hands through a story in which evil never loses. Strap in now — DARK DESCENT is only the beginning of the pandemonium…” series editor Nicolas Niño said.





EVENT HORIZON: DARK DESCENT #1 (of 5 issues) is on sale August 20 with a pre-order deadline of July 14. The first issue will feature a primary cover by Jeffrey Alan Love, variant covers by Christian Ward, Martin Simmonds, and Joshua Hixson, a foil full art variant of Ward’s cover, and a sketch cover.

Film Bridge International has wrapped filming in New Jersey and New York on action-thriller The Florist, starring Dennis Quaid (The Substance), Jean Reno (Léon: The Professional), and Sky Katz (Raven’s Home).

Babak Najafi (London Has Fallen) directs from a script written by Eran Creevy (Welcome To The Punch) and Scott Windhauser (Mafia Wars). The film also features Anna Schafer (The Trials of Cate McCall) and Leonidas Gulaptis (A Nice Girl Like You).

The movie follows Carl Rikker (Dennis Quaid), an introverted, quiet horticulturist who loves his day job. However, he holds a dark secret – at night, he moonlights as a ruthless assassin. His identity is threatened when he forms an unlikely friendship with a teenage girl.

The sales and production outfit is currently in discussions with U.S. distributors for an early 2026 release and footage will be unveiled at next week’s Marché du Film in Cannes. (via Deadline)