Coinciding with the celebration of the character’s 55th anniversary, Dynamite Entertainment has announced that Barbarella will be getting her first-ever American comic series, which happens to be the first new comic series for her in more than 35 years. The book will feature the critically-acclaimed art stylings of Kenan Yarar (Hilal), who joins writer Mike Carey (X-Men, Lucifer) and longtime Barbarella brand custodian and consulting editor Jean-Marc Lofficier.
“When I was first told of Dynamite Editor Matt Idelson’s Barbarella project, I thought it was fascinating,” Yarar said. “Even though Barbarella is unruly, bold, attractive and sexually appealing, she wasn’t objectified and she has a strange universe that may lead to countless eccentric worlds. The thing that compelled me to absolutely take part in this project was reading Mike Carey’s script. The script was masterful and enjoyable in addition to having a solid philosophy and subtext to be the answer if someone bothered to ask me what kind of a comic book I’d like to work on as an artist. Also, the script demanded costumes, weapons, ships and worlds to be redesigned; the kind of work I delight in. I hope to present the script and Barbarella to Dynamite readers as fine and sophisticated as they truly are.”
Created by Jean Claude Forest in 1962, Barbarella was introduced at the heart of the Sexual Revolution, and is forever ingrained in pop culture after Jane Fonda’s unforgettable portrayal in the 1968 cult classic film. She was a key figure in the fertile battleground of French comic books and the struggle for sexual freedom in the medium, and has not appeared in a new series since her last appearance in the legendary science fiction publication, Heavy Metal.
“We are extremely proud to not only be the first publisher to bring the iconic character back to print in more than 35 years, but to be the premiere American publisher to have the honor in Barbarella’s history,” said Dynamite CEO/Publisher Nick Barrucci. “To be able to work together with the incredible talents of Mike Carey, now combined with the artistic brilliance of Kenan Yarar, we’re certain we’ve brought in the perfect team to do her legacy justice. I cannot thank Jean-Marc and the estate enough for bestowing this honor on us.”
Barbarella will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ October 2017 Previews catalog. Barbarella #1 will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, Madefire, and Dark Horse Digital.
