BRIEFLY

BLACK KNIGHT: Marvel Comics has announced a March launch for Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade, from writer Simon Spurrier and artist Sergio Davila.

Here's how Marvel describes the book:

"Holding up the legacy of the Black Knight is Dane Whitman who knows all too well that welding the magical Ebony Blade comes at a terrible price: an insatiable lust for blood and mayhem that constantly threatens to swallow its owner in darkness. Will that be Dane's fate? Following his epic battle against the King in Black, a reinvigorated Dane has a greater sense of purpose than ever before. But his sword is the key to a new enemy¡¯s evil plan and only the Black Knight can prevent the coming death and destruction. This conflict spanning mythical Camelot to modern-day NYC will test Dane like never before and challenge everything he believes about himself, the Ebony Blade, and the entire history of the Black Knight."

¡°Having enjoyed myself a positively indecent amount while writing King in Black: The Black Knight, I found that I was even more fascinated by the central character - Dane Whitman - than I'd realised," Spurrier said. "The surprising new take on him which we present in the one-shot opened so many new doors. Dane and his tangled lore are a treasure trove for anyone fascinated by story, mythology, folklore and psychology -- all of which are very much My Bag -- not to mention the simple thrill of seeing a not-totally-well-adjusted man flying around on a winged warhorse with one of the world's most devastating magical weapons in his hand.

¡°I started to see endless opportunities for exploration -- I started to sense that this character deserves to be a far bigger deal than he is -- and my editor Tom Groneman agreed. What's emerged is a fascinating, uberdark story which drips with horror and humor in equal measure. rummaging deep into the (often maddeningly confused) threads of canon surrounding the Black Knight, to disentangle, clarify and twiiiiiiiissssttt everything you thought you knew about this hero. Along the way we're having an old riotous time with Arthurian Legend -- presenting a vision of Camelot unlike any you've seen before -- and throwing a whole helmetful of big marvel ideas and characters at poor old Dane, to see how far he'll go before he breaks".

LAST RONIN: IDW Publishing has announced a March release for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #1 Director's Cut.

Featuring never-before seen layouts from Kevin Eastman, story notes that date back decades, character designs, script pages, and much more, the Director's Cut delves deep into the lore of The Last Ronin¡¯s future New York City, where a lone surviving Turtle goes on a seemingly hopeless mission to obtain justice for his fallen family and friends. This 64-page issue is a must-have for any TMNT aficionado who wants to discover the story behind the story.

"The creation of The Last Ronin has been -- and continues to be -- an excitingly collaborative experience, with tons of creative designs and decisions happening behind-the-scenes and during production. The Director¡¯s Cut gives us a cool opportunity to intimately share with our many wonderful readers the creative process that¡¯s been driving this newest TMNT tale, all the cool extras that happen before we even get to the printer and into stores,¡± said Tom Waltz, longtime writer of IDW's ongoing TMNT series and scripter for The Last Ronin.

IDW has also announced the revised on-sale date for #2, which will be available on February 17, with a story that reveals more dark secrets of The Ronin's past and sets him on a path alongside an unexpected new ally.

SPAWN VARIANTS: Image Comics has unveiled three Spawn #314 covers, drawn by Greg Capullo and inked by Todd McFarlane, which will showcase the creative process from the raw pencils, to the ink, and finally the colored version. All three of the covers will will be available on Jan. 27.

"I think it will be interesting and educational for readers to be able to see all three of the big creative steps that goes into making any cover. In this particular case they'll be treated to the astonishing penciled artwork by iconic artist Greg Capullo. This is the raw cover," McFarlane said. "Then there will be a black and white, inked version in which I get to ink over Greg's wonderful work. Then lastly, there will be the usual full colored version of this piece displaying the skillful hand of FCO.

"If you're lucky enough to find all three and can put them on your wall it will be a spectacular looking tribute to an important part of making any comic."