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Shannon Maer is a comic industry-leading cover artist, on titles such as Vampirella, Amazing Spider-Man, Cult Of Dracula, Buffy and Firefly. who is about to launch a creator-owned fully painted comic book series, the first time he has taken that approach to sequential art, called Siren’s Gate from Dynamite Entertainment. And intended to be comparable to Alex Ross‘ Marvels, Kingdom Come, Justice, or Uncle Sam, with a modern appeal such as Peach Momoko‘s Demon Days comic books.
Following in the footsteps of absolute legends like Alex Ross, Shannon Maer is unquestionably one of the comics form’s biggest stars when it comes to cover artists. His lush painted pieces have been showcased on countless best-selling top titles across the industry, including countless classics on Dynamite’s own Vampirella and others. His unique style captures a level of realism and sensuality that few can match. Fans have been asking for years if and when Shannon might take on the full interior artwork and writing for a comic.
Well, they need not wait any longer, as Shannon and Dynamite unveil Sirens Gate. First there were Marvels, Kingdom Come, and Masks by Alex Ross, and other like Vampirella: Blood Lust by Joe Jusko, among others, all chronicled in Dynamite’s own The Art of Painted Comics. Sirens Gates continues that legacy in offering readers a premium level of artwork through the entire book, a treat that is rarely seen.
“As the pages began coming together, it felt like another level of dimension added to my work,” said creator Shannon Maer. “I loved exploring a scene from multiple angles, and still feeling like the entirety of the book was a singular painting.”
The urban fantasy tale introduces and focuses on Tara, an aspiring writer. She’s never thought of herself as anyone special, but all that is about to change. When a mysterious young man extends an unexpected invitation, Tara is awed at the opportunity to meet with her literary idol, Lady Rose. This unique encounter sparks a series of events, forever thrusting her into a world where vampires, werewolves and all manner of supernatural beings become her new normal. What Tara once assumed to be nothing more than the imagined pages of dark fiction, slowly begins to unravel itself as the true reality.
Readers shouldn’t miss this big splash of one of the industry’s brightest stars, as Shannon writes, paints, and letters the entire series. He’s aided and abetted by editor and business partner Becky Fuller for this fiendish tale that explores the very nature of what we call reality.
“Shannon has poured his heart and soul into this project and I believe that is reflected here,” said editor Becky Fuller. “This has become much more than a passion project for us, as it is a story that has been years in the making. We hope you enjoy reading about Tara as much as we’ve enjoyed telling her story!”
“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with Shannon for a few years. His covers are magic, and help draw in an audience to some of our best books,” said Nick Barrucci, Dynamite CEO and Publisher. “Shannon helped bring more readers to our critically acclaimed Vampirella series by Christopher Priest. When he approached us about Sirens Gate, and I spoke with the team, everyone was excited. I’m honored that Shannon approached us, and we are working with him on his first creator-owned book where he is fulling painting the interiors to the series, and fans’ jaws will drop when they see the book.”
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