COMIC-CON: DEVIL'S DUE PUBLISHING

By Ernie Estrella

SAN DIEGO -- Devil's Due Publishing reviewed 2008 and previewed new releases at its panel on Thursday at Comic-Con International. In attendance were founder Josh Blaylock, Tim Seely, Steven E. de Souza and rapper Murs.

Following are highlights:

* Barack the Barbarian has received notoriety on Saturday Night Live Weekend Update, New York Post, and the Chicago Tribune. The new special, Quest for the Treasure of Stimuli, is next up and in the works is a new one-shot called, The Fall of Red Sarah.

* De Souza stepped out of the middle of the panel hoping to receive some positive developments of a Sheena: Queen of the Jungle movie. News on that should be soon, and the panelists joked that the phone call they're waiting for will come Monday.

* Sheena: Return of the Jaguar Men is a new mini-series coming out later in the year that's an homage to the Golden age of Sheena.

* Merchgirl: The Curse of Yuiko Morales is a new series being written by Murs, combining hip hop culture, rock and roll with modernizing fairy market tales. Murs also plans to write songs for each issue.

* Spartacus: Blood and Sand premieres in San Diego based on the upcoming Starz TV series. Blaylock said, "If you don't like extreme violence and sexy shows, this is not the series for you."

* Jericho - Season 3: Civil War picks up where the second season ended.

* The fourth issue of Mercy Sparx by Blaylock and Matt Merhoff is almost finished and ready to print.

* Hack/Slash vol. 6 TPB is going to press, and Vol. 3 is going back to print for another time. A new book in works is the Art of Hack/Slash, a collection of covers and conceptual art.

* Hack/Slash will have variant covers for Issue #25 that riff off the anniversary covers of Marvel Comics in the 70's and 80's and will have a giant border of Hack/Slash characters.