In 2014, acclaimed creator Bill Willingham introduced readers to steampunk versions of some of Dynamite’s best-known characters in the alternate-reality fantasy limited series Legenderry: A Steampunk Adventure. While the limited series is complete, readers haven’t seen the last of Legenderry’s fascinating world.
In February, Dynamite revisits the world of Legenderry in a trio of limited series: Legenderry: Vampirella, Legenderry: Red Sonja, and Legenderry: Green Hornet, all followups to the original series.
“The events of the original Legenderry series take place during a set period of time,” Dynamite’s Joseph Rybandt said. “Our miniseries events here take place after Bill's series, and show us other parts of the world, other adventures, characters and the like. The world is the link. In the original series, all of these characters met and interacted, but now, they’re back to their ‘regular’ lives—as regular as they can be in the fantastic steam-pulp world of Legenderry.” (Steampulp being the amalgam of steampunk and pulp adventure storytelling that defines Legenderry.)
While Willingham isn’t writing or illustrating any of the new miniseries, he was involved in selecting the creators who would continue his milieu. “Bill had a list of people who either he’s worked with, or whose work he is fond of, and we reached out to those writers on this project. Bill also spoke with the writers to ensure that these stories fit in well with the first series and lead in to upcoming series,” Rybandt said. “And we’ll be working with Bill again further down the line—he’s doing a sequel that will be happening later in 2015.”
In Legenderry: Vampirella #1, Vampirella comes home from the epic battle in The Principality to find that her Scarlet Club has been closed, and powerful forces within The Big City are conspiring to destroy her... but they quickly learn they’ve crossed the wrong immortal vampire! The series is written by David Avallone, who said that “Legenderry introduced Bill Willingham's new framing of Vampirella, and I'm expanding on that. While set on another world (as far as we know...), Legenderry's ‘Steampulp’ atmosphere recalls the Victorian Age, which was a challenging time to be a strong-willed independent woman—even if you're an immortal vampire goddess! Our story deals with Vampirella's struggle to survive and thrive in a world where she is completely singular, and mostly alone.”
How much of the Vampirella mythos also exists in the Legenderry version? “Given the steampulp Legenderry setting, Vampirella's background isn't exactly what the fans might be used to. That said, I did choose which of her origin stories applies to her in this world, and I'm sticking with it. I'll let the readers figure out which one as the series unfolds. Origin aside, Vampirella still has the same powers and abilities, and character, that she's always had.”
Readers can look forward to other Legenderry characters making an appearance as well. “We'll be seeing Blackmass, Lidia Valcallan (aka Little Miss Murder), Inspector Toomey, and Dr. Moreau. There are a whole bunch of new characters as well—characters that some readers might recognize from their earlier incarnations.”
Dynamite has enlisted Marc Andreyko to tell the story of Red Sonja’s Legenderry experiences. As the series begins, “Red returns from some high seas adventures and finds herself hip-deep in a plot that will have horrible ramifications if it is allowed to come to fruition. Her quest to stop it will take her from the big city to the oceans to...well, just read it!”
What aspects of the Red Sonja mythos are reflected in Legenderry: Red Sonja, and what aspects have changed? “Well, the biggest thing is that Red is one of the few female characters out there not defined by a man,” Andreyko said. “She is her own woman and plays by her own rules, societal expectations be damned. Also, she can kick almost anyone's ass and not break a sweat...
“The facet from Bill Willingham’s run on the original miniseries that I’m hoping to play with is the whole ‘sister’/ implanted memory device. it gives Red a conscience and an internal struggle that feels fresh and exciting.”
Is writing Red Sonja in this milieu different than telling her story in her more traditional fantasy setting? “Not really,” Andreyko replied. “Steampunk to me feels almost more fantasy than science fiction in a lot of ways. And Red Sonja’s fantasy stories were never really big monster or magic-heavy, with the exception of Kulan Gath. Her tales have always felt more ‘high adventure’ than anything, so this will hopefully continue that tradition.” Daryl Gregory, the writer tapped to do the honors on Legenderry: Green Hornet, explained the premise of the series. “My pitch was that we'd be doing a cross between The Warriors (one of my all-time favorite movies) and Gangs of New York. After the original Legenderry story, the Veiled Lady, queen of the Big City's underworld, has become a bit distracted by her new duties as bride of the demon BlackMass. (When your hubby has an unquenchable thirst for human souls, grocery shopping becomes a major concern.) In the ensuing power vacuum, all the gangs of the city start playing King of the Hill—and the Green Hornet is caught in the middle.
“It's basically a romp with as many weird, steampunk-themed gangs as I could think up. In the first issue, for example, the Green Hornet goes up against the VelociKings—a biker gang whose bikes are electric velocipedes—and the top-hatted, be-monocled Toffs, in a fight orchestrated by a twelve-year-old sociopath in golden curls everyone calls Little Lord Homicide. By the end of this short series, we'll have more than a dozen new gangs on the page.”
Of the three series, Legenderry: Green Hornet seems to be the series that comes closest to reflecting the sensibilities and attitudes of the original Hornet concept. What's different about the Legenderry Hornet and the one that readers are familiar with? “I think the primary difference is the tone that Bill set in the first Legenderry story,” Gregory said. “Bill and I talked before I wrote the pitch, and he made it clear that this Britt Reid is not a tortured avenger. He's a millionaire having more fun than anyone else, and Kato's the voice of reason. So, this is not a grim crime story that you might get in the other Hornet books. This is fast-paced adventure with as much derring-do and witty banter that I could cram in.
“Bill's created a playground of a world. You've got The Jungle, The Principality, Flash Gordon's wonder city, The Landing... and Green Hornet's home base, The Big City. The place names alone tell you that you're dealing with archetypes, which informs the kind of stories you want to tell there. “Steampunk provides this series with two things. One is a kind of rubbery science that allows clockwork gadgets to do a lot more than tell time, and the other is that steampunk style: guns, goggles, and geegaws. “Add those together and you have a kit for creating steampunk-themed heroes and villains. I may have gone a bit wild with these. You want gear-driven cyborgs? We got 'em. Handheld gatling guns and semi-automatic blunderbusses? Check. Airships and steam-powered everything? Why are you even asking? Plus, the setting gave me my first opportunity to design an old-fashioned death trap—clockwork-themed, of course! I've never had more fun writing a comic.”
Legenderry: Vampirella #1, by David Avallone & David Cabrera, is scheduled for February 4th release. Legenderry: Red Sonja #1, by Marc Andreyko & Aneke, follows on February 11th. Legenderry: Green Hornet #1, by Daryl Gregory & Brent Peeples, is slated for February 18th release. Each will be offered with a main cover by Joe Benitez, a “bombshell” incentive variant by Cedric Poulat, a 1-for-10 incentive variant by Sergio Davila, a 1-for-25 black and white incentive variant by Davila, and a 1-for-50 black and white incentive variant by Benitez.
Source: Cliff Biggers/CSN
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