DSTLRY, the next-generation publisher redefining creator-owned comic books and collectibles, today announced a new partnership with Kodansha that will see acclaimed horror-manga icon Shūzō Oshimi (Blood on the Tracks, The Flowers of Evil) contribute an open order variant cover for Somna #3, the final issue of Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay’s erotic folk-horror series, arriving March 27.
This new partnership, headlined by Oshimi’s evocative Somna cover, will see the two trailblazing publishers regularly exchange cover artists for upcoming releases, as superstars from both western comics and manga bring their extraordinary talents to new worlds, styles, and audiences.
“I was drawn to the story of Somna where dreams and reality intermingle, and the way it’s expressed through different artistic styles,” shared Shūzō Oshimi. “Drawing the variant cover was fun!”
As many of DSTLRY’s Founding Creators are avid manga readers and cite creators like Oshimi among their key influences and inspirations, this partnership is a major opportunity to bring the two parts of the industry closer together through a shared appreciation of mind-bendingly beautiful art.
“Oshimi-san is one of my favorite mangaka of all time. He strings tension with the grace of a poet, subtly building anxiety with every stroke of his pen,” shared Somna co-creator Becky Cloonan. “I can’t thank him enough for drawing a cover for Somna!”
“It’s an incredible honor to have a creator as skilled and iconic as Shūzō Oshimi illustrate our characters,” added Somna co-creator Tula Lotay. “Oshimi-san has a deft talent for creating atmospheres of dread and fleeting hope—a perfect complement to the world Becky and I have been building in Somna.”
Set amidst the terrifying backdrop of the witch hunts in a quiet 1600s English village, Somna follows one woman’s escape from the confines of her puritanical world. Ingrid is unhappily married to Roland, the town’s bailiff and chief witch hunter, who has embarked on a single-minded quest to purge the ‘heretics’ in their midst. After a prominent town leader is found murdered, accusations fly and no one is above reproach from Roland’s deadly crusade. Ingrid has her suspicions about who the real murderer is, but even as she searches for the truth, she’s pursued by a shadowy figure. Ingrid gravitates to the foreboding phantom in ways she can’t resist; does this otherworldly seduction hold the key to the mystery? Or will he damn Ingrid’s soul to the blackest circle of Hell?
Somna #2 will be on sale at local comic shops and digitally via www.dstlry.co on January 31. Somna #3, with covers by Oshimi, Cloonan, Lotay, & more, is available now for pre-order and will be on sale on March 27. Retailers can place print orders now through Lunar Distribution (FOC: February 10) and Diamond Comic Distributors (FOC: February 11).
Source: Press Release
