The First Issue in a series of Legendary Planeswalkers Team-Ups
LOS ANGELES, CA (March 20, 2023) – The stellar creative team of writers Stephanie Williams (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons), Daniel Warren and Dave Rapoza (Steve Lichman), artists Alberto Locatelli (Where Starships Go To Die) and Lea Caballero (The Approach), and colorists Arianna Consonni (Magic) and Raúl Angulo (Go Go Power Rangers), take readers to unforgettable realms in the Magic Multiverse this summer in the 40-page one-shot MAGIC PLANESWALKERS: NOBLE from BOOM! Studios.
Planeswalkers Karn and Ral Zarek team up to navigate the lonely and often treacherous space between flesh and machine.
Meanwhile, a romantic outing between Vraska and fan-favorite Jace? The circumstances are a bit less than ideal for the burgeoning couple…
After graduating from the University of Illinois at Chicago and entering a career in scientific research, Stephanie pivoted to pursue her childhood dream of writing comic books when she became a mom. Some of her comic credits include Nubia and the Amazons, Nubia: Queen of the Amazon, Wakanda #1, and Marvel’s Voices: The Family Snikt. Stephanie is on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at (@steph_i_will).
“Who doesn’t love a good adventure with a bit of romance at the core of the story? I know I do, and it was an honor to write a story for two characters who’ve somehow managed to find each other in a world filled with magic, mayhem, and malevolent monsters,” said Williams.
Working as a freelance artist and designer, Daniel Warren spent his early career creating for clients like Pathfinder, Transformers, and Coca-Cola. After co-creating the viral webcomic Steve Lichman in 2014, Dan went on to co-write and produce two further volumes, leading to an expanding career writing for comics and television.
“As a kid growing up, I would collect Magic cards and pour over the artwork for hours, sketching and imagining the lands their creatures and characters came from. It’s been a surreal feeling to revisit that same experience with BOOM! and tell a new story in such a unique world,” said Warren.
A self-taught illustrator and designer, David Rapoza is best known for his artwork on Magic: The Gathering, Spider-Man, and the X-Men film franchise–designing posters for movies like Days of Future Past and Logan. Expanding into creating his own comics, Dave made his authorial debut in 2014 with the webcomic Steve Lichman, leading to a long career in publishing continuing to this day.
“As a Magic: The Gathering artist, I’ve always wanted the opportunity to further explore the worlds behind the paintings. Having the chance to contribute some of my own sensibilities to the world of Ravnica has been great,” said Rapoza.
MAGIC PLANESWALKERS: NOBLE features a main cover by Jahnoy Lindsay (Hawkeye: Kate Bishop), and variant covers by Frany (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Justine Florentino (Grim).
Based in Bergamo, Italy, Alberto Locatelli graduated in Scenography in 2011 and debuted as a comic artist in 2012 for Italian publisher ComiXrevolution. He worked in Italy with several independent publishers, joining the team working on popular character Don Camillo (ReNoir Comics) in 2014. Since 2018 he’s been collaborating with Midian Comics in horror-themed comic series, co-creating the character Chest the Scarecrow. In 2022, he debuted on the French market with Orson Welles – L’Inventeur de Rêves (Glénat). His first foray into the American market is Where Starships Go to Die (2022, AfterShock). Since then, he’s been contributing to the regular run of Magic before joining the team for this special.
“I used to play Magic as a kid. Okay, I was a pretty bad player, but I couldn’t back away from such a fascinating fantasy world. Being able to be a part of it today is a great thrill for me. In the stories I’ve drawn so far I’ve found myself working on different, but always extremely challenging, characters and settings. Every time I get a new script, I can’t wait to find out what new adventure I’ll get to live. The little boy in me would be proud to finally be able to play a role in the world of Magic!” said Locatelli.
Lea Caballero is a comic book artist and writer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. As an independent artist, he created Yo Nen and Go! Unbounder. He’s also provided art for Buffy The Last Vampire Slayer Special, Magic: Ajani Goldmane and The Approach, from BOOM! Studios. Alongside Mariano Sciammarella on script, Lea has won an Honourable Mention at the Silent Manga Audition Contest from Japanese company COAMIX. You can find Lea on Instagram at @the.leacaballero.
“I’m as thrilled to visit the places and characters from the Magic: The Gathering universe as I was at age 12 when my schoolmates brought some cards to class from the Invasion set to play for the first time. I especially remember the card “Pacifism”, from an older set, Tempest. That was my first encounter with the grandiose Karn. It’s nice to see you once again 20 years later, old friend,” said Caballero.
“The Magic multiverse is endless, but it’s hard to resist coming back to the Planeswalkers, who each have such rich stories and personalities. We’re excited to work with incredible creators for this special with some of our favorite characters from the main series, and some we wished we had more time to get to know,” said editor Kathleen Wisneski.
MAGIC PLANESWALKERS: NOBLE is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; Once & Future by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora; Eve by Victor LaValle and Jo Mi-Gyeong; The Many Deaths of Laila Starr by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Wynd by James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Briar by Christopher Cantwell and Germán García; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; The Approach by Jeremy Haun, Jason A. Hurley, and Jesus Hervas; Damn Them All by Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard; Behold, Behemoth by Tate Brombal and Nick Robles; Specs by David M. Booher and Chris Shehan; Once Upon a Time at the End of the World by Jason Aaron, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Leila del Duca, and Nick Dragotta; Know Your Station by Sarah Gailey and Liana Kangas; A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; Mosely by Rob Guillory and Sam Lotfi; Harrower by Justin Jordan and Brahm Revel; The Neighbors by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Letizia Cadonici; and the upcoming The Seasons Have Teeth by Dan Watters and Sebastián Cabrol. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Harkonnen from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Michael Shelfer; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Melissa Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice; Magic from Jed McKay, Rich Douek, and Ig Guara; and The Expanse: Dragon Tooth by Andy Diggle and Rubine.
MAGIC PLANESWALKERS: NOBLE will be available in comic shops June 14, 2023. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle.
For more on MAGIC and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.
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