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DSTLRY Launches Sci-Fi Noir Space Opera LIFE from Brian Azzarello, Stephanie Phillips & Danijel Žeželj

By John Freeman on June 4, 2024

Comic creators Brian Azzarello and Stephanie Phillips are teaming up to write a comic about a violent clash between near immortal prisoners and intergalactic thieves.

Described by US publisher DSTLRY as a “sci-fi noir space opera,” Life is a six-issue, interlocking flip book featuring two stories that collide on a prison planet. Danijel Žeželj (Nostalgia) is providing the art, Lee Loughridge (Deadly Class) is the colourist, and Will Dennis (Y: The Last Man) is editing the project.

“Life is about justice – and that being given more life isn’t necessarily a gift. It explores incarceration and culture through the extreme filter of crime fiction. It’s confrontational, though Danijel makes it incredibly seductive to look at,” Phillips and Azzarello said in a joint statement.

“The flipbook design allows us to develop two narrative perspectives that will clash and segue through a prison break and a heist. Pick your poison.”

“World building on Life has been immensely rewarding, allowing me to approach this brutal ecosystem from two very different angles. DSTLRY’s oversized format allows so much more freedom to accomplish that feat,” Žeželj said.

Life is set in a hopeless future in which the worst prisoners are given artificial immortality to serve the full extent of their sentences. Centuries go by and the prisoners have been forgotten – that is until a ship filled with thieves choose the planet to plumb its abandoned mines for lost treasures. What the intergalactic pirates don’t realize is that the seemingly deserted planet is home to prisoners who have evolved into horrible monsters.

The stories of the prisoners and the thieves will be told independently from each end of Life’s flipbook design. The perfect-bound prestige format will feature full cover art on the front and back of the book. The first issue will be 56 pages, and subsequent issues will be 48 pages long.

“Stephanie, Brian, and Danijel are responsible for some of the most transgressive and challenging comics the medium can call its own, and Life amplifies that experimentation,” DSTLRY co-founders Chip Mosher and David Steinberger said in a joint statement. “This series pushes boundaries in both form and function. It’s simply arresting.”

Once a fear of heights grounded his boyhood dream of becoming an astronaut, Brian Azzarello turned to writing comics. He’s the author of the Eisner- and Harvey-Award-winning crime saga 100 Bullets and the erotic thriller Faithless, as well as Joker, Batman: Damned, Before Watchmen, Wonder Woman, and many more. He lives and drinks in Chicago, which he regrets every winter.

Stephanie Phillips is an American writer known for comics and graphic novels such as Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, Grim, and We Only Kill Each Other. She has written critically acclaimed work with some of the industry’s major publishers, such as DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image Comics, Boom!, and more. Stephanie also holds a PhD in English.

Danijel Žeželj is a graphic novelist, animator, illustrator and painter. He is author of twenty five graphic novels and eight short animation movies.His work has been published by DC Comics, Marvel, Dark Horse, Heavy Metal, Image, Glénat, Dargaud, Eris Edizioni, The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, etc.

Since 1997, he has created a series of multimedia performances merging live painting with live music. They premiered in Europe and the USA. In 2001 in Zagreb, Croatia, he co-founded a publishing house and graphic workshop, Petikat. He lives and works in Brooklyn and Zagreb.

DSTLRY is the next-generation publisher redefining creator-owned comic books and collectibles, providing a platform where the world’s most talented creators can explore and expand the boundaries of storytelling. Co-founded by industry visionaries, DSTLRYdelivers compelling narratives in innovative formats to a global audience. Follow DSTLRY on Instagram (@DSTLRY_Media) and Twitter (@DSTLRY_Media) for the latest updates on groundbreaking comics and collaborations.

• For more information on LIFE and to keep up with DSTLRY’s upcoming releases, visit www.dstlry.co and follow DSTLRY on social media at @DSTLRY_Media

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.