SDCC 2022: Dynamite And Immortal Studios Announce Publishing Partnership
by Erik Amaya
Dynamite Entertainment is looking to bring Wuxia to a whole new audience.
On Monday, ahead of Comic-Con International: San Diego 2022, the company announced a partnership with Immortal Studios. The plan is to distribute Immortal’s shared universe of Wuxia martial arts/fantasy comic books to direct market comic stores, digital vendors, and bookstores. The first titles in the line were successfully funded on Kickstarter, but the partnership with Dynamite will lead to more comics set within Immortal’s universe.
“Immortal carries on the legacy of the wuxia genre and my father’s [Shiao Yi] work, re-introducing and calibrating these timeless concepts for a modern, global audience who are hungry to connect with stories that are empowering. It is always during times of uncertainty that Wuxia rises, and we are very honored to be carrying its flag,” Immortal founder and CEO Peter Shiao said in a statement. “This is a very important step in our goal to build a multi-pronged distribution footprint to reach different market segments that are important for us … We look forward to sharing these Immortal stories which have already gained initial traction through our growing community to new audiences now available to us through Dynamite’s various distribution channels.”
Dynamite CEO and publisher Nick Barrucci added, “This partnership is a natural fit with the ethos of our companies and I can’t wait for readers to dig into these stories. Whether there are kids and adults craving this kind of representation and storytelling, or someone unfamiliar about to be swept up in something magical, we’re looking forward to responses!”
The titles already in production include the following:
- The Adept by writers Tasha Huo, Charlie Stickney, Alison Norrington, and Peter Shiao, artist Yishan Li, and letterer Deron Bennett. It tells the deep and personal story of a young woman on a journey to master an ancient martial art that was thought to be long lost. Filled with action, transformation, and mystery, the key theme is about homecoming and redemption. Two action-packed chapters have been produced to date, featuring kidnapped pop stars, arcade brawls, and more.
- Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsman, written by Shiao, and featuring art from Pop Mhan and Jheremy Raapack, colors by Rex Lokus, and letters by Deron Bennett. It centers on Phil Du, who escapes his struggles through parkour and online gaming. But when he’s suddenly pulled into an ancient order of supernatural warriors amidst a civil war and cataclysm, he will have to step up to his destiny.
- Fa Sheng: Origins, created by Shiao, written by Rylend Grant, illustrated by Dexter Wee, colored by Omi Remalante Jr., and lettered by Bennett. The tale chronicles the humble beginnings of a great Shaolin Master. It is recommended for fans of films based on the story of Ip Man, including the eponymous series and The Grandmaster.
- Assassin G by writer Jen Troy and artist He Tao, featuring coloring by Hi-Fi Design and lettering by AndWorld Design. Soon to go live on as a project on Kickstarter, this series centers on the deadly saga of vengeance between warring factions in the martial underworld of the early 1980s. The novel that inspired Assassin G by Wuxia master Shiao Yi, 甘 19 妹 (Gan the 19th Sister), is known as one of the preeminent IPs in the Chinese-speaking world and been adapted for television four times. This series will mark the story’s first comic book and English language adaptation.
Like Assassin G, new concepts will continue to be crowfunded with Dynamite subsequently bringing titles to the direct market and other distribution systems and platforms. The first comics will be schedule for release at a later date.