In a major indie comics deal, Comixology Originals will partner with Best Jackett Press, the publishing company of comics writer Scott Snyder, in an exclusive multi-title publishing deal that will see Snyder write eight original titles to be released beginning in the fall of 2021. The new titles will be published first as digital series releases and then released in print format by Dark Horse Books.
The seven original comics titles (The Book of Evil is an illustrated prose novel) will feature some of the most popular artists working in comics, among them Rafael Albuquerque, Greg Capullo, Francesco Francavilla, Jamal Igle, and Jock. The initial digital releases will begin in October 2021. Details of Dark Horse’s print publication will be announced at a later date. In addition, Will Dennis, a veteran comics editor and a former group editor at DC, will oversee the production and publication of the new line of titles.
Snyder said the deal with Comixology Originals allowed him to “assemble a murderers' row of artists and together we’re challenging ourselves creatively to work outside of our comfort zones.” He added that "this deal allows me the freedom to explore the kind of storytelling I've wanted to try for a long time, while supporting my need to try something that’s not totally comfortable for me.”
Best known for writing superhero tales for DC, Snyder is now focusing on writing a range of genres as an independent publisher and comics writer. Among the eight new series slated to be released by Comixology Originals are, Barnstormers with art by Tula Lotay, a romance adventure tale set after the WWI; Duck and Cover with art by Rafael Albuquerque, a manga influenced post-apocalyptic teen adventure; Dudly Datson and the Forever Machine with art by Jamal Igle and Juan Castro, a time travel adventure starring a boy and his dog; and Night of the Ghoul with art by Francesco Francavilla, a horror story.
Snyder is a multiple Eisner Award winner and one of the most popular, critically acclaimed, and bestselling, superhero comics writers of the last decade. He began his career writing for Marvel, before going on to write for DC’s most popular superhero characters, including Batman, Superman and the Justice League. In recent years, he has been also been writing and publishing independently via his Best Jackett Press in partnership with indie comics house Image Comics. In 2020 Snyder and Best Jackett Press raised more than $218,000 on Kickstarter to fund the publication of Nocterra, a post-apocalyptic tale, via Best Jackett/Image Comics.
Comixology Originals is the digital comics publishing imprint of Comixology, Amazon’s digital comics marketplace. All of the Snyder titles will available in digital format first via Comixology and the Amazon Kindle Store as well as through Amazon Prime and via Amazon’s subscription services Kindle Unlimited and Comixology Unlimited.
Comixology head of content Chip Mosher described the deal as “massive in scope and creative range,” adding that these comics "embrace all the things you love about Scott Snyder as a writer, while offering stories that are unexpected and new. Teamed with the best artists in the business, these creator-owned comics range from horror and sci-fi to historical fiction, there’s truly something for everyone.”
