WW: CHICAGO - DANGER GIRL IS BACK...IN BLACK!

[MattBrady]

Just because creator J. Scott Campbell’s years-in-the-making new project Wildsiderz kicks off this week with the premiere of its #1 issue, that doesn’t mean his first creator-owned property isn’t getting any Wildstorm love.

DC took the opportunity of Friday afternoon’s Wildstorm panel to officially announce Danger Girl: Back in Black, a new four-issue limited series debuting in November by Danger Girl co-creator Andy Hartnell, with art by up-n-comer Nick Bradshaw and covers (of course) by Campbell.

According to Hartnell, the once-chart topping property is never forgotten in the eyes of its creators, its just something that needs the right creative mix to resurface…

"Danger Girl is something Jeff and I would like to see go on for a long time,” Hartnell told Newsarama. “It’s not like we forget about it and come back to it. It’s just about scheduling. Jeff’s been hard at work on Wildsiderz for some time now, so when the right artist comes along to fill in for him on Danger Girl, we do another special issue or series.”

That artist is Nick Bradshaw, who’s been cutting his artistic teeth on some Dynamite Entertainment properties over the last year. Combining influences with nods to Disney style animation and Campbell himself, his work seems right at home in the Danger Girl milieu.

[editor's note: sampes of Bradshaw's art from his website http://www.nickbradshaw.com follow. They are not from Danger Girl: Back in Black]

“One of my favorite things about Nick and Jeff are their characters – just giving them loads of personality,” explained Hartnell. “And, like Jeff, Nick can make a still image appear in motion. He’s also got the fastest pencil on the planet. It’s amazing the amount of detail he can pack on a page in such a short time. Between the three of us, I’m confident that this series will be a pretty exciting read.”

Hartnell is technically handling the writing chores solo, but says Campbell is never too far removed from the anything DG related.

“While the last few Danger Girl projects have been written by me alone, Jeff and I discuss the story and direction, and he lets me run with it. But Jeff is always connected to everything Danger Girl. He sees and contributes to everything from the initial story idea to the final promotional image.”

Taking place after the latest Danger Girl adventure - the Batman/Danger Girl crossover - and not requiring any previous knowledge of the characters to follow it (though obviously Hartnell recommends it), according to information provided by DC, this time around, Danger Girls Abbey Chase and Sydney Savage go undercover to infiltrate an all-girl biker gang investigating the theft of a powerful Native American artifact.

How does the writer describe the story??

“The Danger Girls save the world, of course. And they look damn sexy doing it!” he said.

”As DC describes, the girls go undercover, joining a notorious motorcycle gang in order to retrieve a Native American artifact that’s been stolen. But it’s not the artifact that’s feared, it’s something much more – ahem – “dangerous”. It’s something that the girls won’t discover until they’re much too deep into the mission, until they’re past the point of no return.

”And it’s also about looking cool in leather and carrying a big gun.”

Look out for a new addition to the DG cast this time around.

”Abbey and Sydney are joined by a new girl this time around – a redhead that goes by the name of Ruby,” promised Hartnell. “She’s a tough, sexy biker chick. Not an official Danger Girl, but doing her best to keep in step with the pros.

”And we’ve also brought back some characters who’ve been MIA the last few issues. They’re featured in a secondary story that will eventually crash into Abbey and Sydney’s adventure.”

Keeping with the successful Danger Girl formula, Hartnell promises a lot of double crossing and ulterior motives, designed to keep readers guessing “who’s good, who’s bad and who’s going to get it in the end.”

Hartnell says a good DG story also has to be “action-packed, sexy and fun.”

“Sounds simple, but there’s a right and wrong way of doing that. Can’t have too much of one or too little of the other. It’s always nice too have a few unexpected twists in there too.”

While maybe not qualifying as an unexpected plot twist, and according to the writer certainly not “Shakespearean” in nature, Hartnell does have one favorite moment he’s most looking forward to…

”A sequence where Sydney is motoring down the highway and her top flies off,” he offered. “I just can’t wait for that page to come in.

”And what I’m also really enjoying is strengthening or breaking friendships and alliances that were made in the original series. I used to be more into writing about stuff exploding and bones breaking, but now I really try my best to elevate the drama and further relationships. Then of course following that up with bigger stuff exploding and more bones breaking.”

Hartnell says the story more closely resembles the original series than some of the subsequent efforts. He feels the “Vacation” stories were a bit “silly” looking back on them...

”We wanted to try something different, and they were fun, but the Back in Black series is a lot more like the original series by Jeff, Alex Garner and myself. Fast paced, action packed, and more like a summer movie than a TV episode.”

Hartnell also said he and Campbell have more ideas for Danger Girl than they’ll ever be able to tell, but hints they will tell some of them in the future.

”There’s been so many times where we’ve discussed different adventures for the girls – just to entertain ourselves more than anything,” he recalled. “But I think the Back in Black series is a kick-start to bringing the girls back on a more frequent basis.

”DC/Wildstorm has been a great home for Danger Girl. They’re always open to doing more books and we’re really grateful for that. But it’s hard to find an artist who fits with what Jeff and I think a Danger Girl series should be. It’s not like you can just call Jim Lee, Adam Hughes or Arthur Adams and have them do a Danger Girl series. And it’s not to say the artist needs to be superstar like those guys, they just need to have a certain style and personality that’s right for DG, and we’ve found Nick time time around.

”So, like I said, we just have to wait for the right artists to become available. Someday that artist will be J. Scott Campbell again.”

[Check out Newsarama’s continually updated 2005 WW: CHICAGO News Index for all the con coverage from Newsarama and CBR].

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[Spaz_Monkey]

YES!!! DANGER GIRL!!!!!!!

I am such a huge fan of that book, Campbell & Hartnell created such a great series. I'm just waiting for the movie; The book is the perfect screenplay.

It would make the perfect popcorn-action movie!

[MarkG72]

I'm so there. Nice, fun series.

[algertman]

this is news worthy?

[Comics&Beer]

I will NEVER buy anything with J. Scott Campbell or Joe MAD name on it, ever again !!!!!! I did not forget how they treated fans in the 90's.

[Johnny Smith]

Originally posted by algertman
this is news worthy?

yes. sarcastic much?

[Skyldt]

i'm in.

[Volunteer]

I'm a little troubled by the character sketches they have up. A character named Dazzler who apparently has some sort of light/energy power and X's on her pants? I'd expect a call from Marvel. The other character looks reasonably similar to Jasmine from Aladdin.

Even if they're not copyright infringements they don't seem very original.

Volunteer

[Thutmose V]

That picture looks like someone cross dressed 2 guys from YMCA.

Embarassing.

[GnR4lyfe]

I believe those sketches are just to show the artistic style of Nick Bradshaw, not actual characters from the book.

[pfunk70]

The guys at your YMCA must look way feminine or in serious need of steroids.

[samnoir]

Originally posted by Volunteer
I'm a little troubled by the character sketches they have up. A character named Dazzler who apparently has some sort of light/energy power and X's on her pants? I'd expect a call from Marvel. The other character looks reasonably similar to Jasmine from Aladdin.

Even if they're not copyright infringements they don't seem very original.

Volunteer

You obviously missed this...

[editor's note: sampes of Bradshaw's art from his website http://www.nickbradshaw.com follow. They are not from Danger Girl: Back in Black]

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[daredevil_666]

Awesome! Nick Bradshaw is an awesome choice for a Danger Girl mini. His cartoony style should fit right in.

[yobofofas]

Yet another Danger Girl book that Campbell isn't penceling. Who Cares? I'm sure this will reflect the sales. How does anyone still call themself a Danger Girl?

[patchworkz7]

That Dazzler pic from his sketchbook is actually a half decent design. I wouldn't mind seeing that on a revamp of the character. God knows she needs it.

[Scavenger]

Isn't the appeal of Danger Girl Campbell's artwork? I mean, is the storytelling so compelling that a not Campbell artist is acceptable to DG fans? (from what I remember of reading the early ones, I'd say no) Fans?

[k_spidr]

""A sequence where Sydney is motoring down the highway and her top flies off,” he offered. “I just can’t wait for that page to come in. ""

haha...cool

[GOSD]

Zzzzzzzzzz

[J O R Z A C]

Originally posted by Comics&Beer
I will NEVER buy anything with J. Scott Campbell or Joe MAD name on it, ever again !!!!!! I did not forget how they treated fans in the 90's.

OMG, get over it already fanboy, like you said, that was the 90s'!!
Not to mention that at least J. finished his mini.!!

[Volunteer]

Originally posted by samnoir
You obviously missed this...



________________________________________ _______________

JAPANESE ANIME, MANGA and MEMORABILIA FOR SALE ON EBAY! CAPTAIN HARLOCK, GO NAGAI DEVILMAN, ASTROBOY, THE BIG O, SPEED RACER, STARBLAZERS, GIGANTOR.

THE AVENGERS Graphic Novel by GRANT MORRISON for SALE ON EBAY! STEED AND MRS PEEL!

Whoops, you're right. My bad.

[StefanDam]

Ewwwww -- they're covered in moles. And I think the one in the back is wearing a strap-on.

[Derek Ruiz]

Originally posted by Scavenger
Isn't the appeal of Danger Girl Campbell's artwork? I mean, is the storytelling so compelling that a not Campbell artist is acceptable to DG fans? (from what I remember of reading the early ones, I'd say no) Fans?

Phil Noto did them well.

[Son of Satan]

For me, the appeal of Danger Girl is Campbell's art, although Phil Noto did a good job in recent specials. Please, someone tell him to get back to the drawing board soon!

~G.

[CaptainTemerity]

Not a Danger Girl fan (never really picked up on it... nothing against the book), but I really, REALLY like Bradshaw's art style. The Dazzler pick, plus some others on his site (Spiral, for instance) make me desperate to see him on a X-book of some type in the future.

I'm thinking a mini set in the time of those characters, the Siege Perilous era. Or, hell, just find a way to get them all together again. I don't care, but this guy has gotta' draw it.

[rogue_tomato]

Hi guys,

Bring a casual DG fanboy up to speed here:
Danger Girls Abbey Chase and Sydney Savage....? Wasn't there a 3rd "Oracle-ish" techie DG?

Too bad Campbell isn't drawing it too Nice sketches, though... Nick Bradshaw will do... his Army of Darkness stuff is nice enough.