A deadly woman returns to the field in VELVET Vol. 1

A DEADLY WOMAN RETURNS TO THE FIELD IN VELVET
Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting put a dark new twist on the spy genre

VELVET is the graphic novel that results when Ed Brubaker (FATALE) and Steve Epting, the creative team behind the movie-inspiring smash-hit Captain America: The Winter Soldier, create a comic for themselves — with an original character like few others found on the comics stands. The first volume, VELVET: BEFORE THE LIVING END will be in stores this summer.

In 1973, Velvet Templeton is the executive assistant to the head of a spy agency. She is meticulous, professional, and ultra-competent. But few people know that she’s also the deadliest woman on Earth. Velvet gave up fieldwork years ago, but now she’s drawn back into the action when one of the agency’s top operatives is killed and the evidence points to her as the killer.

“There’s this archetypal secretary who’s in a lot of spy movies and novels — the Moneypenny type. It goes through pulp fiction, this Girl Friday idea, and I thought, ‘What if that character was also a Modesty Blaise or Black Widow type? What if that was her secret past?’” said writer Brubaker, who has signed an exclusive deal with Image Comics with artist Sean Phillips, in an interview with USA Today. “It’s touching on a lot of the stuff I love about the spy genre that’s been in comics, but it’s never been in comics that much in America.”

A sexy, subversive action thriller with dark, painterly art by Epting and colors by Elizabeth Breitweiser that is inspired by vintage spy novel cover art, VELVET VOLUME 1: BEFORE THE LIVING END will be in comic book stores on June 18 and bookstores on July 1, and is specially priced at $9.99.

VELVET VOLUME 1 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting

• ISBN 978-1-60706-964-5
• 128 pages, full color, paperback
• $9.99
• In comic book stores June 18, in bookstores July 1

Praise for VELVET:

“★★★★★ – Velvet truly does feel like both of these guys at the top of their game doing a series perfectly crafted to each of their artistic strengths.” – VELVET #1

“★★★★★ – This is a series that you can introduce to people who “don’t like comics” and completely change their minds and views on the medium in general. Velvet is an example of simplicity done well by two professionals in their fields and making this story universally accessible to anyone who enjoys an action thriller no matter the medium.” – VELVET #2

“★★★★★!” – VELVET #3

“Velvet is one of those series that just nails it every issue. Every month you look forward to reading Ms. Velvet Templeton’s adventures and this team of creators never disappoints. This is becoming a series like Saga, where you will go into every issue expecting quality storytelling and you can bet you’ll get it. Velvet is one of the series you really need to be reading, it’s a prime example of why people love comics.” – Ian Stephen, VELVET #4