Hip-hop artists Rae Sremmurd, best known for their multi-platinum hit single “Black Beatles” which was heavily used as part of 2016's Mannequin Challenge viral sensation, will co-star alongside Valiant Entertainment supernatural hero Shadowman in October's Shadowman/Rae Sremmurd #1.
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Written by Eliot Rahal (Bloodshot's Day Off) with full -painted art by Renato Guedes (Wolverine), Shadowman/Rae Sremmurd #1 sees the musical group head to New Orleans, where they encounter Shadowman "to forge a new legend of fame, fortune, and magic."
“Comic books are a form of entertainment. I get to make all the sounds and effects in my head. It’s just like you use your imagination -- you go through the pictures and the pictures are always awesome. It’s like an escape from reality,” Rae Sremmurd’s Slim Jxmmi said in Valiant's press release. “Valiant -- they have really good storylines. The art is always on point. I never know what to expect. X-O Manowar is one of my favorites. The Delinquents is cool. Bloodshot is fucking awesome. I love Valiant."
“Shadowman is crazy,” the singer added. “It has a lot of twists and turns. It keeps me involved and interested. I can’t even take my eyes off of Shadowman when I read it. I have to finish the book.”
“Valiant has a long history of massive, real-world guest stars. Shadowman’s classic appearance alongside Aerosmith, for instance, was a defining moment in the history of Valiant, and we’ve been waiting to find the right partnership to bring that legacy into the modern day,” Valiant CEO and Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani said. “Rae Sremmurd are huge comic books fans, and everyone here at Valiant is a huge fan of their music. The combination of their talents, along with those of Eliot Rahal and Renato Guedes -- two creators that we’re very excited about -- feels like a project that will take fans and readers by surprise."
Valiant's Shadowman is also heading to the big screen, courtesy of director and comic book writer Reginald Hudlin, and a new comic book series is set to debut in 2018.
A synopsis of the crossover is below, along with the cover by Renato Guedes:
Before they were dominating the music charts and selling out stages worldwide, Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee were just a pair of talented, but otherwise ordinary, brothers… until a twist of fate delivered them fame and wealth beyond their wildest imaginations. Now, years later as hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd, the brothers are bound for New Orleans…and an otherworldly encounter with the supernatural guardian called Shadowman, the lone line of defense between our world and the Deadside that lies beyond…
Shadowman/Rae Sremmurd #1 is scheduled for release on Oct. 4.