The 1968 psychedelic space opera, "Barbarella," was best known for a scantily-clad Jane Fonda in the starring role. It’s the perfect example of excessive, Euro-style sci-fi flicks of the decade, produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentiis and directed by Fonda's husband, Roger Vadim.
"Barbarella" was adapted from a popular French comic book created by Jean-Claude Forest, with this sexy cult movie chronicling the exploits of a sultry 41st-century space agent and her mission to rescue a villainous scientist named Dr. Durand Durand.
Now the sensual siren of space is returning to comic book form this summer with Dynamite Entertainment's "Barbarella" reboot as she embarks on all new cosmic adventures.
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Written by award-winning sci-fi and fantasy novelist Sarah Hoyt ("Darkship Thieves") in her first venture into comics, the title's creative team includes rising star artist Madibek Musabekov ("Vampirella vs Purgatori"), colorist Ivan Nunes, and letterer Carlos Mangual.
"Barbarella #1" arrives in July and embarks on a mission fraught with danger, duplicity, and a solid dose of romance as she blasts through a constellation of exotic locales.
The storyline tale begins in Camelot, home to the elite class seeking refuge from a crowded and decaying galactic empire. Intercepting a series of dire transmissions from the poor underclass, Barbarella zooms off in her shiny new AI-equipped spaceship to investigate and starts to unravel a string of dark secrets. Along the way she'll make stops at the underwater world of Encantado and the carnival-like playground of Rio.
"Writing the Barbarella stories was more fun than is probably legal in most states," writer Sarah Hoyt said in a statement. "The work of learning a new format was overshadowed by the fun of being able to think big and play with someone else’s no-holds-barred character. I’ve also loved the art I’ve seen so far from Madibek!"
Legendary artist Brian Bolland ("Batman: The Killing Joke") joins Musabekov, Lucio Parrillo, Derrick Chew, Dani, and cosplayer Rachel Hollon in offering an evocative set of variant covers.
Dynamite Entertainment's "Barbarella #1" lands in comic shops on July 21.
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