Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer has reached nearly 50,000 copies in sales at Opus Comics. In celebration, the publisher released 16 exclusive retail covers produced for the debut issue of the series.
CBR can exclusively reveal the 16 retailer exclusive covers for Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer #1. The cover series features artists such as Frazetta, Gerald Parel, Clayton Crain, Krystiano Dacosta, Michal Ivan, David Mack, Casey Parsons, Vincenzo Riccardi, Alex Maleev, Zu Orzu, Marat Mychaels, David Romero, Mark May and Shannon Maer. The list of retailers involved includes Incendium Online, Frazetta Girls, Black Flag Comics, State of Comics/Warp Zone Comics, Things From Another World, Chasing Spire, Spectral Comics/That Dude Books, Whatnot, Mill Geek Comics/ComicTom101, Frankie's Comics/Golden Apple Comics, Sanctum Sanctorum Comics and The Comic Mint. "We are delighted by the massive interest in Frank Frazetta's return to comics," Opus Comics executive editor Denton J. Tipton said. "It is truly a testament to the legendary artist's influence across decades of pop culture, and to the vitality of his work that continues to attract new generations of fans."
Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer #1 comes from writer Mitch Iverson (DOTA: Dragon's Blood, Voltron: Legendary Defender), artist Stefano Martino (Stranger Things, Doctor Who), colorist Luis Antonio Delgado (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin) and letterer Jacob Bascale (Disturbed: Dark Messiah). The series brings to life the haunting and shadowy figure that Frazetta portrayed in a 1973 painting and has since become an iconic image in the sword and sandals genre. Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer is the first of several comic book launches building toward an entire multiverse based around Frazetta's work.
Working alongside Opus Comics/Incendium is Frazetta Girls, the company founded by Frazetta's daughter and granddaughter to license the famed artist's work. "I'm so proud of our team, and I’m very grateful to the fans for their overwhelming support of our first issue,” said Frazetta Girls co-founder Sara Frazetta. “This journey is only just beginning, and I hope they love the story as much as we do."
Frazetta's Death Dealer has starred in comics before. In 1995, Verotik published a four-issue Death Dealer series by Glenn Danzig, Simon Bisley, Liam Sharp and Arthur Suydam. In 2007, Image Comics also published a six-issue Death Dealer: Shadows of Mirahan miniseries by Joshua Ortega, Jay Fotos and Nat Jones. Image's Death Dealer went on to inspire a series of Dungeons & Dragons adventures published by Goodman Games.
Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer #1 saw a 50 percent increase in sales through Diamon's Final Order Cut-Off (FOC) program. The next Opus Comics title to FOC is Disturbed: Dark Messiah #1 by writer Tim Seeley and artist Angel Hernandez, which has an on-sale date of May 18 and FOC date of April 25.
Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer #1 releases on May 11 from Opus Comics.
Source: Opus Comics