Dragonring is returning to the pages of comic books, brought back by Outland Entertainment and the creative forces of writer Cullen Bunn and artist Shannon Potratz. This comic will not only feature the return of characters created by Barry Blair and Guang Yap, but use them as a stepping stone in the creation of a new comics multiverse. But for some all of this leaves the unanswered question of “What is the Dragonring comic?”
Dragonring debuted in 1986 from Aircel comics, a Canadian comics publisher who put out a number of titles created by Blair through the black and white comics boom of the 80s. You can find digital editions of these comics from Outland Entertainment at the Comixology and DriveThruComics websites.
The original Dragonring series started as a story heavily influenced by movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Big Trouble in Little China, an adventure story in exotic (to North American comic readers of the time) locations throughout Asia. The main character was Kohl Drake, a martial artist and sailor who takes a job transporting a man to a mysterious island to claim an inheritance. The adventure story quickly turns into a horror story, as an ancient cult and horrifying monsters menace Drake, his client and his friends. The story takes a turn for the Lovecraftian, and stays that way throughout the course of its run.
Drake is given a magical artifact, called the Dragonring, by a dying old man who is a native of the island, and the story takes another turn. As Drake learns more about the Dragonring and its powers, his adventures escalate in scope and power levels until it becomes more super-heroic in tone. The horror and the danger are still there, and eventually Drake finds others like him who come together in a group of super-powered beings known as Dragonfire.
All of this was over thirty years ago, and now Dragonring returns, but it features a new hero wielding the Dragonring. Our new hero, introduced in the Dragonring Preview, is called Kara Drake. Her antagonist (who appears in the final pages of the preview) is Liam Carstairs. Both of these characters have links to the original Dragonring series through their names. The character of Kara Drake appears to have an obvious link to the original story, and she mentions that she was given her ring by her father. But is her father Kohl Drake from the old stories? That is left to be explored when the new Dragonring launches on Kickstarter.
This Dragonring comic is the introduction to new Outland Worlds, inspired by the classic comics of Barry Blair and others, and brought to new life by new creators who take the classic ideas into new directions. Creator Cullen Bunn has mapped out a new multiverse of adventure that will take the stories of Dragonring and bring them together with other comics originally created by Barry Blair and others and bring them together. Relaunches of Blair’s Elflord and Samurai will follow and expand the Outland Worlds multiverse. In addition to comics, we will see these character debut in other media over time, and feature into role-playing games that will let people tell their own stories in these Outland Worlds and interact with their favorite Outland Entertainment characters.
Dragonring will appeal to fans of high energy action movies and comic books. Expect the high-octane action of the preview to carry through into the comic being launched on Kickstarter. Cullen Bunn and Shannon Potratz breathe fresh life into the classic world of the Dragonring comics with their new book. And once the new Dragonring is launched look forward to a variety of ways to experience and interact with the Outland Worlds in new and exciting ways.
