Hope this finds you well. I’ve been pretty hard at work these past couple of weeks juggling multiple projects but felt like it’d been long enough to warrant another newsletter. Below is a grab bag of news, previews and even a special limited time offer from Barnes and Noble regarding Birdking Vol 3.
NEWS
French Releases
Big news for France in 2024 with both Kali and Birdking hitting shelves in May.
Kali will be released on May 22nd from HiComic’s new imprint HiGraphics. They are a new imprint and are releasing three books this year starting with Zoe Thorogood’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, then Kali, then Even Cagle’s immaculate Dawn Runner with writer Ram V.
Birdking will be release May 15th and is getting the deluxe treatment with a special edition oversized hardcover with gold foil embellishments from Humanoïdes. We even extended and expanded the artwork to fit French album dimensions and updated all the sound effects to French. Humanoïdes has been extremely supportive and excited about BK since they first saw it and if all goes as planned, BK might be a much bigger success in France than the US. Volume 2 will be out in October with Vol 3 coming next year.
Getting Birdking published by Humanoïdes has been such a treat and just like how Dark Horse was a milestone bucket list publisher for me in the US, as they have published most of my favorite work in the US, Humanoïdes is the same for France. Feels like a real badge of honor to share the shelves with Mignola, Darrow, Miller, Möebius and Jodorowsky as well as other countless legends.
COLOR
Since wrapping work on Volume 3, I’ve been splitting my time writing the final Volume 4 of BK and coloring the last couple short stories that will be going into my new collection.
I’d already shared the seemingly endless ordeal of flatting Filya Bratukhin’s pages, well now I’ve started coloring them. Below are some WIP pages. They may change dramatically before being finished but here’s where they stand as I write this:
PREORDERS are live and even ON SALE!
Even though the book has not even been formally announced yet, preorders are live on Amazon and B&N. Better yet, B&N is having a special sale April 17-19 where you can order BK Vol 3 at 25% off. More info below.
Official release date for Vol 3 is November 26, 2024
Preorders really do make a difference for us and are really the only way to signal the demand to the publisher. They effect our print runs and trigger the algorithm, so if you are planing on picking up Vol 3 in November, please consider pre ordering your copy now from Amazon or B&N or better yet, your local comic book shop.
B&N 25% off sale
Starting April 17th, Barnes & Noble will be running a 25% off sale on all preorders (which includes Birdking Volume 3).
Sale dates: April 17-19
Sale code to use: PREORDER25
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/birdking-volume-3-daniel-freedman/1145379958?ean=9781506726090
If you prefer to get your books from overlord Amazon, BK Vol 3 is also now available for pre order, though it lacks the 25% off.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1506726097/
VAMPIRIC TEASE
I couldn’t resist the opportunity to work with artist Amilcar Pinna so I wrote a new vampire story for him that I’ll be squeezing into the short story collection. Might just be because its the most recent story I finished but it’s risen to the top of my personal favorites from the collection. It’s about a midnight coffee shop for vamps.
CIVIL WAR
I saw the new A24 Alex Garland film CIVIL WAR over the weekend but I’m not quite ready to review it as my feelings about it have already change over night since I left the theater. Maybe after it percolates a little more I’ll share my thoughts, but overall it was… okay. Nothing bad per se, I had no issues with the apolitical nature of the film, actually thinking that aspect worked fine, but I can’t shake the thin narrative. If only there’d been a better story, I may have been more won over by the film, but instead I left never having cared or become that invested in the journey despite enjoying the overall production.
(spoiler alert)
I don’t normally like to rewrite a film but I think the climax would have been better if Jesse had died and not Lee. I understand Lee’s sacrifice was supposed to complete her arc of not getting involved, normally just taking the pictures, “letting the viewer ask the questions”, and then this one time, leaping into harms way and getting killed for it. But this wasn’t sufficiently set up prior. Also Lee crumbling into tears in the climax was also not properly set up. If anything, after the tragic loss of Sammy, she had become even more detached and numb. Joel seemed to be the one truly effected by the death — What I would have done, is make Jesse and Lee more equal in the third act. To have Jesse effectively become equal to Lee in the climax. To have them stepping over each other trying to get the same shots, as if Jesse has become the new Lee. And for Lee to support her, to even be impressed. Sharing photos on the fly, pushing each other, even enjoying the moment. But Jesse, being young and dumb, would have taken the same step out into the open, trying to be Lee, and getting shot for it. Then Lee would have to grapple with what she had feared would happen since agreeing to let Jesse tag along. This seemed inevitable to me and dramatically more impactful. But instead we got a hollow hero moment which did nothing but pull the air out of the climax and make me eye roll and groan with dissatisfaction. I wanted Lee to walk up and take that last photo after having lost Jesse. To feel the loss. Then maybe I would have been more moved. Maybe then the message that none of this is/was worth it would have hit home. That war steals everything from everyone — It’s all a bit more complex but would have felt more narratively satisfying, at least to me.
Have you seen CIVIL WAR? What did you think?