THE BLACK BEETLE #1 Back To Print! [With A Brand New Cover]

~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Beetlemaniacs,

   Due to the high demand and to the fact #1 is sold out pretty much everywhere (from Diamond/distributor to the local shops) Dark Horse has decided to send #1 back to print so everybody can enjoy THE BLACK BEETLE experience/fun in its entirety :)
   For the occasion I was asked to provide a new cover pretty much overnight, new cover you can see above and which I hope you enjoy.

   Thanks again everyone for making this happen: it really is a dream come true for me to bring Black Beetle in the stores (and in your hands) so seeing becoming this popular is just the cherry on top of this wonderful journey.

   Stick with us for the long run and you will be entertained, I can promise you that :)


   In related news, I wanted also to congratulate my Black Beetle editor supreme and dear friend Jim Gibbons in his well deserved promotion to Associate Editor at Dark Horse. Way to go, Jim, let's keep rockin' this :)


Here's the Official Press Release from Dark Horse about Black Beetle #1 going back to print.

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Francesco Francavilla's Black Beetle #1 Being Reprinted!
02/08/2013 12:05pm
 
DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES A SECOND PRINTING WITH AN ALL-NEW COVER!

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again! Eisner Award–winning artist Francesco Francavilla’s new series at Dark Horse is already being called one of the year’s best! After receiving unanimous praise from retailers, fans, and every media outlet under the sun, The Black Beetle: No Way Out #1 has officially sold out of its first printing!

Now, we are proud to announce that despite our best efforts, demand was just too high to keep stock on shelves. In order to time as closely as possible with the release of the critically acclaimed series’ second issue, Francesco Francavilla and Dark Horse Comics have put together another printing with an all-new cover!

This new series introduces the Black Beetle, a mob-busting costumed supersleuth, as he investigates a bombing that has killed off some of Colt City’s notorious criminals! Steeped in pulp noir with modern sensibility, this is one new series you need to read!

“I am very humbled by the great response that The Black Beetle has received. This is such a work of love that’s been in the making for several years, and I am thrilled to see so many people are really digging the book,” said creator Francesco Francavilla. “It’s my goal to make this a book that can be enjoyed by those who love classic pulp stories, as well as new fans who want a fun, entertaining read. I can’t wait to show everyone what’s coming up next!”

Retailers, the second printing of The Black Beetle #1 is available through Diamond now, using the following order code: DEC128352. This issue will be on sale in the direct market on March 13, 2013.

Fans, look for The Black Beetle: No Way Out #2 at your local comic shop on February 20!

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THANK YOU for all the BB love, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

The BLACK BEETLE #1 SELLS OUT At Diamond!

Hello Beetlemaniacs,

   WE DID IT AGAIN! The Black beetle NO WAY OUT #1 has officially SOLD OUT at distributor level, just like it happened with NIGHT SHIFT #0! :D

   But there is still chance to put your hands on a copy of you haven't done it already: Dark Horse is sending a very limited amount (out of their own stock of comp copies) to Diamond so they can fulfill some of the pending orders. Check with your shop to see if they can still get you a copy.
Here's the official Dark Horse Press Release with the announcement and some preview pages from NO WAY OUT #2, out in stores in 2 weeks (and already in high demand) :)

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PULP SMASH! FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA’S BLACK BEETLE #1 HAS SOLD OUT AT DIAMOND!
DARK HORSE TRANSFERRING COPIES TO DISTRIBUTOR TO FILL DEMAND!
The response has been unanimous! Eisner Award–winning artist Francesco Francavilla’s new series at Dark Horse is already being called one of the year’s best! Francavilla’s pulp sensation, The Black Beetle: No Way Out, has received overwhelming praise from media, retailers, and fans around the country!

As of today, just two weeks before the release of the series’ second issue, Diamond Comic Distributors has completely sold out of issue #1, and Dark Horse will be transferring stock from other channels to ensure retailers can capitalize on the series’ success!

This new series introduces the mob-busting costumed supersleuth as he investigates a bombing that has killed off some of Colt City’s notorious criminals! Steeped in pulp noir with modern sensibility, this is one new series you need to read!

Praise for the first issue:

“Any pulp and classic noir fan will tell you, there are only a handful of books out on the market that really do the job. An original concept like The Black Beetle will surely give fans of the genre something to cheer for. It’s been a long time coming for this title and it was worth the wait. 10 out of 10.”—Newsarama
“This is a fun, adventure-filled, mystery-tinged story as welcoming to new readers as possible for a comic book. Quite simply, this is good stuff. I may not be the biggest fan of pulp adventures, but I am a self-proclaimed fan of all things good and this is very good indeed. Hopefully, as promised in the text piece at the back of this issue, this is just the beginning. I, for one, cannot wait to get more.”—Comic Book Resources
“The Black Beetle #1 is one of the most exhilarating, stunning superhero comics on the stands . . . This miniseries presents a high-stakes mystery realized through Francavilla’s intensely graphic style, full of innovative layouts and spectacular splash pages.”—The Onion A.V. Club
Retailers, The Black Beetle #1 is available for reorder in limited quantities now.
Fans, make sure to grab your copy while you can! Look for The Black Beetle: No Way Out #2 at your local comic shop on February 20, featuring the attached new art!

Preview pages from The Black Beetle NO WAY OUT #2 out in stores on Feb 20th.
Click on the images for larger view.

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THANK YOU again for making this happen, my firends, we at BB-Team really appreciate it :)

Cheers,
Francesco

And here some more press about NO WAY OUT #1

A.V. CLUB  Eisner Award winner Francesco Francavilla became one of the industry’s top talents with his work on Detective Comics, Black Panther, and a bunch of eye-catching covers, and it turns out that his writing is just as strong as his artwork. The Black Beetle #1 (Dark Horse) is one of the most exhilarating, stunning superhero comics on the stands, spotlighting the defender of Colt City as he investigates the bombing of a club that kills some of the city’s most notorious criminals. Picking up after the hero’s introduction in the pages of Dark Horse Presents (also available as Black Beetle: Night Shift #0), this miniseries presents a high-stakes mystery realized through Francavilla’s intensely graphic style, full of innovative layouts and spectacular splash pages. Splash-heavy books can feel slight on the story side, but Francavilla fills each page with information, creating a riveting, dense read.

The credits say the book is “written and directed” by Francavilla, who channels film-noir greats like John Huston, Alfred Hitchcock, and John Alton with his cinematic, chiaroscuro-heavy artwork. His design for the main character combines the best elements of Batman and the Blue Beetle, and although the hero is given no backstory, he makes up for it in personality. Little touches—like the slightest hint of a grin when Black Beetle knocks out a group of armed guards with poison darts—go a long way toward establishing his attitude, that of a hero who kicks ass while retaining a sense of humor. Francavilla’s high-contrast color palette of red and blue gives the book a distinct look, and lends added importance to flashes of different colors, like the book’s yellow villain. Dark Horse has been publicizing this book as “super noir,” and it’s a must-read for fans of either genre. It’s always welcome to see Francavilla bring his unique voice to the heroes of Marvel and DC, but he’s created something truly magical with the Black Beetle, and hopefully this hero has a long, full life ahead of him… [OS]

GEEKIFIED MIND
[Comic Review] The Black Beetle #1 10/10
read it…then read it again, taking in every panel as you go. For once, it may finally be a title you won’t regret investing your time and money in.

THE POST-JOURNAL
Nerding About Comic Books, Toys And New TV Shows
Francavilla's Black Beetle draws heavily from the pulp stories of the '30s and '40s and plays out more cinematic than most comic books. Though it's only planned as a four-issue series for now, I could be on board with a longer run of "The Black Beetle" from Dark Horse.

THE BLACK BEETLE #0 NIGHT SHIFT SELLS OUT!

Dear Beetlemaniacs,

#0 of your new favorite pulp comicbook has SOLD OUT! 

Thank you for all the support, my friends, and please keep it coming enjoying the new mini which starts next week. The better the book does, the more stories I get to draw, it's that simple :)

Here's the Press Release Dark Horse Comics sent out today to announce the great news!
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Dark Horse Press Release

January 7, MILWAUKIE, OR: In another amazing show of demand for Dark Horse comics, The Black Beetle: Night Shift has sold out of its entire printing!
Written and drawn by Eisner Award winner Francesco Francavilla, this now-rare “zero issue” collects three Dark Horse Presents stories, from issues #11–#13, and acts as an introduction to Francavilla’s costumed pulp detective.

“[Francavilla] proves that a good, old-fashioned adventure story can still raise the bar in comics, whatever genres one may care to throw into the mix,” Hannah Means-Shannon said in her review of The Black Beetle: Night Shift on The Beat. “The Black Beetle certainly has the potential to become an enduring ‘cult classic,’ inspiring readers to roll up for more ‘twisted thoughts’ from Francavilla in 2013.”

And readers are in luck, as the first full-length series for Francavilla’s The Black Beetle premieres this month with The Black Beetle: No Way Out #1, on sale January 16, 2013!

Coming soon in No Way Out #1, Black Beetle’s investigation of two local mob bosses is interrupted when a mysterious explosion murders them and a pub full of gangsters—taking out most of Colt City’s organized crime in one fell swoop. Who could pull off such a coup, and what danger might that murderous bomber do to Colt City and Black Beetle?

Be sure to head to your local comics retailer next week to check out The Black Beetle #1 before it’s gone for good!

Read a 10 Page Preview of The Black Beetle #1 now!

Praise for The Black Beetle:

“If there’s one comic book that we’re most excited for in 2013, it’s Francesco Francavilla’s The Black Beetle. So far, it looks to be a throwback to the serials and film noir of the late ’30s and early ’40s. And now Dark Horse Comics has provided a taste of what to expect with this prologue issue.”—Complex

“Murder! Intrigue! Nazi werewolves! Is there anything else you really need in a book? Considering that everyone from Jim Steranko to Matt Wagner to Warren Ellis is raving about the book, we suggest you hightail it down to your local comic book shop and snag a copy before the trail goes cold.”—Nerdist

“Francavilla is a master of his craft . . . If you enjoyed Francavilla’s work at DC then you owe it to yourself to get on this. The Black Beetle is a delightful slice of skewed madness from one of today’s finest artists.”—Comic Book Resources

“Uncommonly beautiful . . . The Black Beetle is the purest expression yet of Eisner-winning artist Francavilla’s love for pulp, mystery, noir and superhero aesthetics, qualities that art fans have seen on display in a major way with his more than 70 cover illustrations released in 2012 alone.”—ComicsAlliance