BLACKBOX COMICS UNVEIL THEIR SHARED UNIVERSE WITH DEVIL’S DOMINION, EMPATH AND MORE
(Press Release) Eagle-eyed readers may have already noticed subtle clues and breadcrumbs being laid out, but with the July PREVIEWS catalogue for September release, BLACKBOX COMICS have confirmed the existence of a shared universe which operates between their various titles. Dubbed the BLACKBOX UNIVERSE, it was first alluded to in their sleeper hit, Devil’s Dominion, then followed up more directly in their recent series, Empath.
To commemorate this special moment, BLACKBOX is making the first arc of Devil’s Dominion available again in a special readers’ pack – containing issues #1-5 – before the launch of the second arc with issue #6 the following month. Years ago, Devlynn St. Paul sold her soul to the Devil, to stop the horror being done to her by her brother. But Devlynn reneged on the deal, and now uses her demonic powers to hunt others who are possessed by demons and have lost control of their lives.
“We’ve been teasing things out since the very beginning,” confirms BLACKBOX COMICS publisher and creator, Dimitrios Zaharakis, “but now feels like the right time to officially unveil the existence of our shared universe between titles. While everything can still be read independently on its own, you’ll start to see more connections and ties between the series – even the occasional guest appearance, such as the one we placed at the end of Empath #5. You could consider it the equivalent of a post-credits sequence, which sets up things to come.”
In addition to the Devil’s Dominion readers’ pack, BLACKBOX is offering the aforementioned Empath #1-5 as single issues for readers to catch up on, with issue #5 being a key moment in the BLACKBOX UNIVERSE saga. An estranged son from a wealthy family finds himself in a chaotic city filled with vagabonds and wayward individuals. As much as his family is in his past, his reasons for leaving them behind drive his everyday choices and fuel not only his desire to help others, but also his uncanny and empowered empathic abilities to change things for the better. Will the city’s ills prove too great for him as both an emotional and physical battle awaits?
As well as confirming and laying the foundations for the wider BLACKBOX UNIVERSE, the publisher’s solicitations include issue #2 of their latest series – the supernatural western, Deadly Trails. As Clay’s journey unfolds, his memories begin to haunt him. Ending up in a magical place he knows all too well, the fight he was looking for quickly arrives at his doorstep.
“We’ve been producing great work across a broad range of genres for over seven years now, and it’s exciting to reveal what we’ve been up to,” adds Zaharakis. “We don’t want readers to feel lost or overwhelmed, but for those who enjoy a deeper experience where things overlap and add layers to certain storylines, there will be a lot more to discover and theorize about. I hope people will join us on this journey to find out what links the BLACKBOX UNIVERSE at its core.”
