PRESS RELEASE –
A year after Dynamite’s James Bond series launched in record numbers, the publisher announces that Benjamin Percy – author of DC’s Rebirth: Green Arrow and Teen Titans, as well as the acclaimed novels Red Moon, The Wilding, and more – will be taking the reins of an all-new 007 ongoing series in 2017!
In 2014, Dynamite Entertainment made headlines across the comics industry and beyond with the news that the New Jersey publisher had secured the license from Ian Fleming Publications Ltd to produce the first James Bond comics in 20 years. The first series, written by Transmetropolitan writer Warren Ellis, launched the following year to widespread critical acclaim, and was a breakout success in the comics specialty market.
Benjamin Percy says, “When I was a kid, my father and I would watch — over and over again — the Bond marathons on TBS. When I was in high school, I took a career test and wrote ‘spy’ as my dream job. When I was in college, I signed up for an espionage novel course and fell in love with Fleming’s books. The first drink I ordered was a vodka martini — shaken, not stirred — though I now stay true to the novels and favor bourbon. And over the past few months, I’ve followed the Warren Ellis run at Dynamite with admiration and jealousy. Bond is ingrained in me, a character who has centrally influenced my life and sense of story. I love the legendary, exquisitely cool 007 franchise and I couldn’t be more excited to thrill readers with exotic locales, nifty gadgets, colorful villains, dangerous seductions, and wildly orchestrated action set-pieces. Cue the theme music.”
“Ben Percy is an immense talent, one of the great thriller writers of this decade, and I can’t wait to see him write the future assignments of 007,” says current James Bond writer and comics legend, Warren Ellis.
“As we continue to expand our James Bond publishing program with miniseries and graphic novels, the stakes were high for choosing the next architect for our ongoing series,” says Dynamite CEO and publisher Nick Barrucci. “Benjamin Percy’s name was at the top of our list, and to be able to follow up Warren’s incredible inaugural run with a writer of his caliber, who can make the series his own, is the best of all worlds!”
“Ben’s got what it takes to follow in Warren’s massive footsteps, and we think fans are going to love what he has planned,” says Dynamite Editorial Director, Joseph Rybandt. “By creating a new series for Ben, we’re also opening up the door for anyone that hasn’t yet checked out our Bond comics.”
Benjamin Percy is a novelist, screenwriter and comics writer. He is the author of four novels — The Dark Net, The Dead Lands, Red Moon, and The Wilding — as well as two books of short stories, Refresh, Refresh and The Language of Elk. He writes the Green Arrow and Teen Titans series for DC Comics, and his fiction and nonfiction have been published in Esquire (where he was a contributing editor for ten years), GQ, Time, Men’s Journal, Outside, The Wall Street Journal, Tin House, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, McSweeney’s, and The Paris Review. His honors include an NEA fellowship, the Whiting Writer’s Award, the Plimpton Prize, two Pushcart Prizes and inclusion in Best American Short Stories and Best American Comics. His novel Red Moon is currently in development as a TV series at FOX.
Look for news on Benjamin Percy’s 007 debut in the coming months. In the meantime, fans can enjoy the new James Bond: Hammerhead miniseries from Andy Diggle, beginning in November.
About Dynamite Entertainment:
Dynamite was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, The Shadow, Red Sonja, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, A Game of Thrones, and more. Dynamite owns and controls an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such as Vampirella, Pantha, Evil Ernie, Smiley the Psychotic Button, Chastity, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and bestselling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Kevin Smith, Alex Ross, Neil Gaiman, Andy Diggle, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Jae Lee, Marc Guggenheim, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner, Gail Simone, Steve Niles, James Robinson, and a host of up-and-coming new talent. Dynamite is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles – including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger’s Project Superpowers – have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005, Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%) and again in 2011. The company has also been nominated for and won several industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards.
Dynamite Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dynamitecomics
Dynamite Twitter: http://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
Dynamite Official Website: http://www.dynamite.com/
Comic Shop Locator Service: 1-888-comicbook, or visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com/
About Ian Fleming Publications Ltd:
Ian Fleming Publications Ltd is run by the Fleming family and holds the copyright in Ian Fleming’s fiction and non-fiction writing.
IFPL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ianflemingbooks
IFPL Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheIanFleming
IFPL official website: http://www.ianfleming.com
IFPL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianflemings007
