Uncanny_1

Dynamite Comics is 10 years old in 2014, and to celebrate they have 1500 comics at half price on Comixology – the sale ends tonight so hurry over now.

But in the meantime here’s a FREE copy of Uncanny #1 by Andy Diggle and Aaron Campbell. We had a brief chat with Dynamite president Nick Barrucci about what he has planned for the anniversary year, and there’s a lot, including more of the Gold Key line that launched with a bang with Turok, Dinosaur Hunter. Up next, Magnus Robot Righter by Fred Van Lente, and Frank Barbiere’s Doctor Solar. And “theGold Key Phase Two will appear later in the year.”

Look for more Dynamite announcements at the ComicsPRO meeting in two weeks, Barrucci told us. And we’ll have more of our conversation next week as well.

In the meantime, here’s some background on UNCANNY #1, a stylish noir tale about a gambler lost in the casinos of Singapore, and the man who’s about to change his life.

The interview was provided by Dynamite:

Q: It’s Dynamite’s 10th Anniversary, and UNCANNY, your first series with them, has received overwhelmingly positive reviews. With the first arc wrapping up this month, what are your thoughts on the series?

DIGGLE: I’m really pleased with the way it’s worked out, thank in large part to Aaron Campbell’s beautifully noirish artwork. Comics is a visual medium and everything hangs on the artist, and Aaron has brought this dark, gritty world to life better than I could have hoped. While it’s easy to write crowded city streets and high-speed freeway battles into a script, drawing them is another matter entirely – but Aaron’s work always sings on the page. I couldn’t be happier. Now that we’ve set up the premise and established our anti-hero Weaver in the first arc, I’m looking forward to expanding the world and the cast of characters in the second, and digging down into what makes Weaver the man he is today.

Q: UNCANNY seems perfect for a TV series or movie.  There have been a few rumblings of interest.  What are your thoughts on this?

DIGGLE: You always hope for the best, but I’ve been around long enough not to hold my breath. I do think UNCANNY could transfer very well to the screen, but you can drive yourself crazy waiting for Hollywood to commit. The best thing is to just put it out of your mind, and if something does happen, it’s a nice surprise. People tell me there’s a “filmic” quality to my writing, which is probably true, but I don’t write comics with that in mind. It just seems to be my style. Hollywood tends to file off the rough edges, but I like those rough edges. That’s why I enjoy the freedom of comics. If they do adapt UNCANNY, I hope they keep those rough edges in there; the darkness and the moral ambiguity.

Q: This is one of the first series you did outside of Marvel and DC.  What brought you to Dynamite?

DIGGLE: I’ve also worked for 2000AD, IDW, Image and Dark Horse, so it’s not like I’m fresh off the turnip truck. But it’s true I was coming off several years working mostly for Marvel and DC, and I felt like I needed a change. It was a very tough decision to walk away from ACTION COMICS during Superman’s 75th anniversary year, and it made me question my place in the comics industry and what I wanted to get from my career. I decided to “play the field” and work with various different publishers; trying them on for size, if you like. Dynamite were one of the first to welcome me in. The fact that Dynamite were launching a “crime line” was very appealing to me. I want to work in many different genres, but crime is one of those closest to my heart. I’m very lucky to have arrived at a place in my career where I can afford to pick and choose projects.

Q: You’ve also announced a new series – CONTROL – with a co-writer Angela Cruickshank.  What brought this series on?

DIGGLE: It’s a story we wanted to tell; simple as that. We wanted to tell a straight genre thriller with all the depth and characterization of an HBO series. Something dark, adult, complex, character-driven and, again, morally ambiguous. One of the things I like best about working for Dynamite is that I get to respect the intelligence of the readers and treat them like adults. I get to write the kind of comics I want to read. That’s always been the bottom line for me.

Q: Overall, what do you think of fans response?

DIGGLE: The fan response has been great. You never really know what to expect when you launch a new series that’s not based on a pre-existing property, so it’s been really gratifying to see the way the readers have embraced it. I think maybe that’s easier to do outside of Marvel and DC, as those readers want to focus more on the characters they already know and love. But the fact the we’re seeing more and more original, high quality books coming out of indie publishers is making readers more open to trying something new. I think that’s very healthy.

Q: What are your thoughts on digital comics as a creator and as a fan?

DIGGLE: I’ve never had the “collector” mentality to so I’m very open to digital. I think comics look great on a retina screen – often better than print. Obviously we’re in the middle of a seismic transition period for the industry, and nobody knows for sure how it’ll shake out. Personally, I assume digital will eventually replace single issues, though I would hope trade paperback collections will always be available. That won’t happen for years yet, but I suspect it’s inevitable in the long run. Single issues will eventually go the way of VHS and vinyl.

Q: What roll do you see digital comics playing in the macro of the comics industry?

DIGGLE: I think digital is a great way to sample new books. Instead of checking a catalog and pre-ordering a book three months in advance – or risk missing it – you can just download it to your tablet in thirty seconds flat. And if you like it, you can pick up the trade. Some people feared that digital versus print was an either/or choice, but I’m glad to see digital seems to be leading new readers to their local comic store. It’s a rising tide that lifts all boats. And as tablets get cheaper and faster, hopefully we’ll see that growth continue.

And here’s your FREE copy of Uncanny #1. (Click on the arrow in the upper right hand corner to read full size.

Click to access Uncanny01Watermark.pdf

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