There’s a new series sci-fi/horror fans need to check out. Recently awarded a Spotlight On from Diamond Distributors, Steven O’Connell’s DARK 48 is a can’t miss series which debuts this January from Digital Webbing Press.

Howdy, everyone!! I had the pleasure of asking Steven O’Connell a few question about his upcoming project, DARK 48. Here’s what he had to say.

Pauld: Why don’t you tell us a little about DARK 48? Then tell us a little about the main characters.

SteveO: The United States is plunged into darkness when a Soviet-engineered virus is accidentally let loose on the populace, attacking the Y chromosome of males, inducing rage.

The terrorist cell didn’t know what they had intercepted. Their intel claimed it was a virus bound for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. They soon realized too late it was a highly volatile, man-made plague the soviets were going to use in Afghanistan back in the 1980s. It was a virus genetically engineered to attach itself to the Y chromosome of males, inducing rage. The Russians hoped the Afghan rebels would turn on each other saving them lives and ammunition. We follow an extraction team…Battle Corp Delta – an all-female strike team – whose mission is to traverse the contiguous lower 48 searching for survivors…and hopefully a cure. Dark 48 was first conceived as a screenplay. I wrote about a quarter of it and then shelved it. I then went on to acquire the rights to BloodRayne and write the first issue. After BloodRayne, I wanted to bring back my character Tiger Wraith. The new incarnation of the character materialized in BloodRayne: Dark Soul. It was fun. I was going to launch her into her own series but DARK 48 kept drawing me back to it. So here we are.

The first story arc is a two-issue introduction to the world and characters. The team leader is from the United States – Danielle Russell codenamed ANTHEM. The second in command from Canada is TWILIGHT – Abigail Harte. Next up is Mia Cavazos – SOLSTICE from Spain; Brigitte Jentsch – PANZER from Germany. She’s a Black Shark pilot (single seat attack helicopter) and back-up Medic; Natalia Zharkov – OKTOBER from Russia. She’s the other Black Shark pilot; Noriko Ishi – KATANA from Japan. She’s a Medic; Mackenzie Faulkner – WRAITH from the United Kingdom, also a Medic; and finally Caitlin “Cat” Simmons – RUFFIAN from the United States. The whole two-issue story is told as RUFFIAN writes to her mom in a journal.

Pauld: Where did the story to write DARK 48 come from. What influenced the story the most.

SteveO: I just always had the idea kicking around. I think it was just time to do it. I’ve been a horror fan for as long as I can remember. I also love tech stuff. So this series gives me a little of both. Plus, it has an all female cast. Hot chicks and guns…can’t get any better than that.

Pauld: Anything you’d like to plug other than DARK 48?

SteveO: Nope. Right now it’s just DARK 48 24/7.

Pauld: What surprised you most about working with your creative team of Daniel Indro, Joel Seguin?

SteveO: Daniel is a newcomer to comics. At least in the U.S. His original samples he sent me (through a talent search ad placed on Digital Webbing) were good but as he completes each page of DARK 48 you can see him growing by leaps and bounds. I know that sounds cliché but it’s the truth. His work gets better and better with each page. Joel Seguin is providing colors directly over Daniel’s pencils. He’s doing a fantastic job as well. Joel has worked on numerous books such as: BloodRayne, Fall of Cthulhu #6 for Boom Studios, Ward of the State for Image Comics, And Bloodrayne Tibetan Heights for Digital Webbing, as well as the upcoming Bloodrayne Prime Cuts.

Pauld: Thanks Steven, It was a real pleasure and I look forward to checking out Dark 48.

Steven was also kind enough to give us a five page sneak peek of Dark 48, enjoy!

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.