Broken Frontier

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT released images and information today regarding the release of Xena #5 and the beginning of a dramatic new story arc for the Warrior Princess as writer John Layman explores Xena's "Dark Side!". Xena #5 features the return of Dark Xena and is scheduled to ship in December with covers by Aaron Lopresti of Incredible Hulk fame, Dynamite fan favorites Stjepan Sejic and Fabiano Neves, and a photo cover!

About the release, DYNAMITE stated: “Xena’s first story arc brought fans back everything they loved about the Warrior Princess - the action and adventure, the twists and turns! It was all there in the tradition that fans have come to love, and they certainly did! John Layman designed a tale of the Warrior Princess worthy of all the gods on Olympus, and Fabiano Neves brought their Contest of Pantheons to life. Laymen’s next journey for Xena explores the other side of the Warrior Princess, her BAD side. Hot off the heels of his outstanding work on the first Xena Annual: Strange Visitor, artist Noah Salonga will be teaming up with John to bring fans Xena’s next big adventure: Dark Xena! Contest was fun and exciting, but now it’s time to turn back the clock and tie it all together in a dramatic tale of Xena’s dark side.”

XENA #5 (OCT06 3341) WRITTEN BY JOHN LAYMAN, ART BY NOAH SALONGA; COLORED BY CHRIS GARCIA; COVER ART BY: AARON (INCREDIBLE HULK) LOPRESTI (25%) FABIANO NEVES (25%), PHOTO (25%) AND STJEPHAN SEJIC (25%)!

Part one of a New Storyline launches here! Writer John Layman returns, and he's joined by artist Noah Salonga as they present the return of Dark Xena!

Taking place some time after the series finale of Xena: Warrior Princess and before the events of the "Contest of Pantheons" - featured in DYNAMITE'S XENA #'S 1-4 - "Dark Xena" finds Gabriele making a request of the gods and learning that you must be very, very careful, what you wish for, and how you wish for it! Xena is Dead, Long Live Xena.. er.. Dark Xena that is, and by Dark, we mean just plain Nasty...Mean... and Evil... yeah, Dark Xena!

Newsarama.com recently reviewed the debut issues of XENA, saying: "I like the fact that the scope of the book can go way beyond the confines of TV, and the creators seem to be embracing that."