Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded in 2004 by Nick Barrucci in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, known for publishing comic book adaptations of licensed feature film properties, such as Army of Darkness, Terminator, and RoboCop; licensed or public domain literary properties such as Zorro, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in Wonderland, Red Sonja, Tarzan, and John Carter of Mars; and superhero books including Project Superpowers, which revived classic public domain characters, and original creator-owned comics like The Boys.
Creators who have produced Dynamite's books include Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Matt Wagner, Garth Ennis, Howard Chaykin and Frank Miller. Dynamic Forces, a distribution of Dynamite's comics and books, announced a partnership with Diamond Distribution in 2008, when Diamond had the rights to publishing the international versions of books made by Dynamite Entertainment. Dynamite would later leave Diamond after the Diamond bankruptcy and go to Lunar Distribution. Dynamite would also sign a deal with Simon & Schuster which distribute their graphic novels and other items to wider market.
History Dynamite Entertainment was founded by Nick Barrucci in 2004, initially publishing one comic: Army of Darkness, a miniseries it published through Devil's Due Publishing until it began self-publishing its own titles later that year. After devoting itself to publishing only Army of Darkness, which included a second miniseries, Dynamite published Red Sonja, starting with a 25-cent issue #0. It sold 240,000 copies. Issue #1 of Red Sonja, the first to sell at the full cover price of $2.99, sold 100,000 in initial orders, securing a stable position in the American comic book industry. By 2009, Dynamite was publishing 14–20 comic books and 2–10 collections per month.
Dynamite focuses primarily on comic book adaptations of licensed properties, such as Sherlock Holmes, The Lone Ranger, and Red Sonja. The company also publishes original titles like Project Superpowers, and creator-owned comics like The Boys.
Among its adaptations are those based on classic literature such as Alice in Wonderland, Dracula, and Zorro; television series such as Xena: Warrior Princess Battlestar Galactica, and Buck Rogers, and films such as Darkman, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, RoboCop, Highlander, and the Terminator franchise.
Its film adaptations also include those of classic monsters such as Dracula, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein's Monster, and the Wolfman.
The company gradually built its graphic novel program with titles like Howard Chaykin's American Flagg!, reprints of Marvel Comics' Red Sonja series, and material by creators like Jim Starlin and Jae Lee.
In addition to publishing crossover storylines in which characters from these various properties meet, such as Terminator/RoboCop, and Vampirella/Dracula: Unholy!, Dynamite has also produced intercompany crossover books with other publishers. One, titled "Monster War", was released through Image Comics in 2005, and consisted of several titles that pitted the classic monsters against Top Cow published characters Witchblade, the Darkness, Magdalena, and Tomb Raider. The other was a 2006 crossover with DC Comics' Red Sonja/Claw The Unconquered: Devil's Hands.
In February 2007, Dynamite Entertainment acquired the publishing rights to Garth Ennis' creator-owned series The Boys after the book was cancelled six months into its run by DC Comics' WildStorm imprint.
In 2009 Dynamite announced it would publish new comics featuring Lee Falk's The Phantom.
In 2010, Dynamite began publishing comic books based on The Green Hornet, beginning with a miniseries written by Kevin Smith and followed by Green Hornet: Year One, which was written by Matt Wagner, and another written by Brett Matthews.Brady, Matt. "Dynamite Lands 'Green Hornet' Comic Book License". Newsarama. March 31, 2009
In May 2010, Dynamite Entertainment acquired Chaos! Comics' library, which included almost all of that publisher's associated assets, with the exception of Lady Death. Among these properties were the publishing labels Black Label Graphics, Infinity Comics, and the properties Evil Ernie, Smiley The Psychotic Button, Chastity, Purgatori, Jade, Omen, Bad Kitty, Cremator, Lady Demon."Dynamite Acquires Chaos Comics". Comic Book Resources. May 19, 2010
In October 2013, Dynamite announced it would launch a line of comics based on titles originally published by Gold Key Comics, the first of which would be Magnus: Robot Fighter, The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor, Solar: Man of the Atom, and Turok."NYCC EXCLUSIVE: Gold Key Revived at Dynamite by Pak, Van Lente & More!" Comic Book Resources. October 11, 2013
In July 2016, author Andy Mangels stated in a New York Times interview that he was writing a new intercompany crossover mini-series for the company, in conjunction with DC Comics, Wonder Woman '77 Meets the Bionic Woman, which brought together the Lynda Carter television version of the Amazon superhero with Jaime Sommers, the cyborg super-heroine played by Lindsay Wagner in the 1970s TV series, The Bionic Woman. The series was released that December.
In July 2019, Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios premiered an adapted television series of The Boys for Amazon Prime Video after a brand licensing agreement was granted by Dynamite.
In 2022, Dynamite announced a deal with Disney to create a new line of comics based on various properties, including Gargoyles (TV series) with spin-offs including a Halloween Special, Dark Ages mini series, and Quest mini series, and Darkwing Duck with spin-offs including Negaduck and Justice Ducks, as well as Disney Villains characters including Maleficent, Scar, Hades and Cruella De Vil. They also have the first comic book series on Lilo & Stitch and will be the first American publisher of The Nightmare Before Christmas comics
In October 2023, Dynamite announced a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to create a new line of comics based on various properties, including ThunderCats, Space Ghost, Jonny Quest, The Powerpuff Girls, The Wizard of Oz, The Flintstones, and We Bare Bears."Warner Bros and Dynamite Comics Making New Thundercats and Powerpuff Girls Comic Series" Comic Book Resources. October 14, 2013
Thundercats #1 sold over 170,000 copies."Thundercats #1 Passes 170k Sales, Approaching Biggest Launch in The Decade" Screen Rant. January 19, 2024
List of Dynamite Entertainment titles
007 #1–6 (August–November 2022) 007: For King and Country #1–6 (April–September 2023)
A Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters #1–4 (January–June 2008) After Earth: Innocence (October 2012) Agent 47: Birth of the Hitman #1–6 (2017–June 2018) Alice Cooper #1–6 (September 2014–February 2015) Alice Cooper vs. Chaos #1–6 (2015–2015) Aliens/Vampirella #1–6 (2015–2016; co-published with Dark Horse Comics) Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf #1–8 (June 2010–June 2012) Altered Carbon: Download Blues (June 2019) Altered Carbon: One Life One Death (May 2022) Altered States: Doc Savage (March 2015) Altered States: Red Sonja (March 2015) Altered States: The Shadow (March 2015) Altered States: Vampirella (March 2015) Animal Jam #1–3 (2017) Ani-Max (August 2010; co-published with Liquid Comics) Army of Darkness #5–13 (March 2006–December 2006, the first four issues previously published by Devil's Due Publishing) Army of Darkness vol. 2, #1–27 (August 2007–April 2010) Army of Darkness vol. 3, #1–13 (February 2012–May 2013), #1992.1 (November 2014) Army of Darkness vol. 4, #1–5 (December 2014–April 2015) Army of Darkness: Ash for President (September 2016) Army of Darkness: Ash Gets Hitched #1–4 (July–November 2014) Army of Darkness: Ash Saves Obama #1–4 (August–December 2009) Army of Darkness: Ash's Christmas Horror (December 2008) Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes #1–4 (July 2004 – January 2005; co-published with Devil's Due Publishing) Army of Darkness: Convention Invasion (October 2014) Army of Darkness: Furious Road #1–6 (March–August 2016) Army of Darkness: Shop Till You Drop Dead #1–5 (January – July 2005; co-published with Devil's Due Publishing) Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep #1–4 (February–June 2019) Army of Darkness/Xena: Why Not? #1–4 (March–July 2008) Army of Darkness/Xena: Forever... and a Day #1–6 (2016–2017) The Army of Darkness 1979 #1–5 (September 2021–January 2022) Army of Darkness Forever #1–13 (October 2023–October 2024) The Army of Darkness versus Reanimator: Necronomicon Rising #1–5 (July–November 2022) Army of Darkness vs. Hack/Slash #1–6 (July 2013–February 2014) Army of Darkness vs. Re-Animator #1–4 (October 2005–February 2006) Ash and the Army of Darkness #1–8 (2013–June 2014), Annual (2014) Ash vs. the Army of Darkness #0–5 (June–November 2017) Army of Darkness/Reanimator (October 2013) Athena #1–4 (September 2009–January 2010) The Avenger #1–6 (June–November 2015) The Avenger: Faces of Justice #1–4 (2017) The Avenger: The Television Killers (December 2014)
B Bad Ass #1–4 (January–April 2014) Bad Kitty (October 2014) Barbarella #1–12 (2017–November 2018) Barbarella vol. 2, #1–10 (July 2021–June 2022) Barbarella: The Center Cannot Hold #1–6 (February–August 2023) Barbarella/Dejah Thoris #1–4 (January–June 2019) Batman/The Shadow #1–7 (June–November 2017; co-published with DC Comics) Batman '66 Meets the Green Hornet #1–6 (August 2014–January 2015; co-published with DC Comics) Battlefields #1–9 (December 2009–August 2010) Battlefields vol. 2, #1–6 (October 2012–May 2013) Battlefields: Dear Billy #1–3 (January–March 2009) Battlefields: Night Witches #1–3 (October 2008–January 2009) Battlefields: The Tankies #1–3 (April–July 2009) Battlestar Galactica #0–12 (June 2006–July 2007) Battlestar Galactica vol. 2, #1–12 (May 2013–June 2014), Annual (April 2014) Battlestar Galactica vol. 3, #1–5 (August—December 2016) Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalypse #1–4 (March–June 2007) Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War #1–4 (January–April 2009) Battlestar Galactica: Death of Apollo #1–6 (December 2014–May 2015) Battlestar Galactica: Ghosts #1–4 (October 2008–January 2009) Battlestar Galactica: Gods and Monsters #1–5 (2016—2017) Battlestar Galactica: Origins #1–11 (December 2007–October 2008) Battlestar Galactica: Pegasus (November 2007) Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero #1–12 (August 2007–August 2008) Battlestar Galactica: Six #1–5 (April 2014–May 2015) Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck #1–4 (2013–2014) Battlestar Galactica: The Final Five #1–4 (April–July 2009) Battlestar Galactica: Zarek #1–4 (December 2006–April 2007) Battlestar Galactica Classic #1–5 (October 2006—March 2007) Battlestar Galactica Classic vol. 2, #0–5 (October 2018–May 2019) Battlestar Galactica vs. Battlestar Galactica #1–6 (January–June 2018) Ben 10 #1– (May 2026–present) Bettie Page #1–8 (2017–February 2018), Halloween Special (October 2018) Bettie Page vol. 2, #1–5 (November 2018–May 2019), Halloween Special (October 2019) Bettie Page vol. 3, #1–5 (July 2020–January 2021) Bettie Page vol. 4, #1–4 (July–September 2023) Bettie Page: The Alien Agenda #1–5 (March–July 2022) Bettie Page: The Curse of the Banshee #1–5 (June–October 2021) Bettie Page Unbound #1–10 (June 2019–January 2020) Betty Boop #1–4 (2016–2017) The Bionic Man #1–26 (August 2011–December 2013), Annual #1 (March 2013) The Bionic Man vs. the Bionic Woman #1–5 (January–May 2013 The Bionic Woman #1–4 (April 2012–July 2013) The Bionic Woman Season Four #1–4 (September–December 2014) The Black Bat #1–12 (May 2013–July 2014) The Black Terror #1–14 (November 2008–February 2011) The Black Terror vol. 2, #1–5 (October 2009–February 2020) Blackbeard: Legend of the Pyrate King #1–6 (October 2009–October 2010) Blackcross #1–6 (March–November 2015) Blood Brothers #1–4 (2017) The Blood Queen #1–6 (June 2016–November 2014), Annual (October 2014) Blood Queen vs. Dracula #1–4 (March–June 2015)