Broken Frontier

It's not your father's Grimm, that's for sure. With Nightmares and Fairy Tales #19, acclaimed writer Serena Valentino not only starts off a new arc in the series – a modern re-telling of the classic story of Sleeping Beauty – she also welcomes new artist Camilla d'Errico.

"Camilla's art is gorgeous, and honestly, perfect for the stories I have in mind," Valentino says. "With her strong ability to tell the story with her art, coupled by her beautiful illustrations and how well she seems to like the way I write the scripts, I feel Nightmares is going in some fantastic directions."

"I am very excited to be the new artist for Nightmares and Fairytales, I've followed the book since it first came out with FSC as the artist,"Camilla says. "I was huge fan to begin with and now after begin introduced to Serena and the staff of SLG I'm even more thrilled to be part of the team. I'll do my best to make people fall in love with Serena's beautiful stories." A fresh new talent in the comics field, Camilla brings a new and distinctive look to Nightmares, one that both current fans and new readers will welcome with open arms.

Not only does issue #19 start a new arc and a new twist on a classic tale – something Valentino has won well-deserved acclaim for – it also contains some interesting twists. "I must admit the story took unexpected  paths. The ending is also a little different from the one I had imagined," Valentino says. "Stories will do that, or more accurately, characters will take you in directions you hadn't imagined. It is often rather surprising and frankly one of the reasons I enjoy writing so much."

The new arc also offers a strong tie to the regular series for existing fans: the story is told through the lens of recurring characters Gwen and Aunt Bea, who encounter the spirit of the modern Sleeping Beauty in the Sutro Baths of San Francisco. The issue will serve as both a solid continuation of the story of Gwen and Aunt Bea, and an ideal jumping-on point for newer readers.

Nightmares and Fairy Tales #19 will be thrilling new and regular readers alike in April 2007, retailing for $2.95. It can be preordered now at comic book stores and at www.slgcomic.com.