November 08, 2004

The Return of "Sachs and Violens"...in "Fallen Angel"

There's an article up at Newsarama.com regarding the return of "Sachs and Violens," the two characters produced by George Perez and myself back in the 90s (and who fans continue to ask me about) and how they'll be guest starring in the upcoming two part story in "Fallen Angel #19 and #20), complete with covers by Perez. Be sure to check it out.

PAD

Posted by Peter David at November 8, 2004 01:33 PM | TrackBack | Other blogs commenting
Comments
Posted by: Chris at November 8, 2004 01:54 PM

Wow, talk about unexpected. Should be interesting.

Any word on a second trade yet?

Posted by: averagejoe at November 8, 2004 02:24 PM

YES!!

Very cool news.

averagejoe

Posted by: Doug Hancock at November 8, 2004 02:38 PM

This is all well and good but where are your reviews of Lost, Veronica Mars, Smallville? :)

Seriously though, this is great news.

Posted by: dave golbitz at November 8, 2004 03:06 PM

This is extremely cool news indeed. I think "Sachs & Violens" was one of, if not the, first "mature" titles I ever picked up.

It's been forever since I've read it, though. And most of my comics are still back home in Omaha, because there was no way to bring them all out here to L.A. when I moved a few months back. I need to find copies out here so I can refresh my memory.

That Perez cover looks gorgeous. I really can't wait for these two issues.

Posted by: Saul at November 8, 2004 03:24 PM

Well, there you have it. The old crossover ploy worked. I'll be picking up these two issues even though I only have the free issue #1. Then I'll sit on them, waiting to read, until (hopefully) TPs of the issues between 7 and 18 are collected. And if more are published past #20, then more I shall buy. My budget will soak up the cost elsewhere, I guess.

Posted by: Erik Araña at November 8, 2004 03:41 PM

I read about this just this morning. I'm really excited about it. I loved that mini-series. I think I'll go dig it out and read it again. Besides my fiancee has never read it and is getting sick of me talking about it all the time. I still have the JJ Sachs statue proudly displayed on my dresser. Very cool news indeed. Thanx PAD.

Posted by: dranj70 at November 8, 2004 04:27 PM

The cover looks great and the Newsarama interview helped fill me in on the characters. I am afraid that the only Heavy Hitters comic I bought was the underappreciated Midnight Men by Howard Chaykin.

By the way, will DC give FA #19 a prominent spot on their web page, let's say in the spot that either The Outsiders or Batman:Hush (old news) currently occupy? That exposure might bring in new readers.

At the very least, I hope they will mark the issue description as a 'great jumping on point for new readers'? That usually piques some interest.

Posted by: jess Willey at November 8, 2004 04:33 PM

That was a series I've been meaning to find.

Posted by: Fred Chamberlain at November 8, 2004 04:43 PM

damn..... I dropped Fallen Angel with issue #6. Everytime that I think I'm out, you pull me back in again.

Fred

Posted by: Bobby Nash at November 8, 2004 04:53 PM

Cool.

Posted by: Julio Diaz at November 8, 2004 05:04 PM

VERY excited about this news! I was a big fan of S&V, and if I was not already picking up FA (which I am), this would get me to do so.

Posted by: Matt Adler at November 8, 2004 05:28 PM

PAD, have you talked to DC about doing a Sachs & Violens TPB?

Posted by: dark schneider at November 8, 2004 05:31 PM

Does that mean that Marvel(or another company)will reprint the Sach and Violens limited series?

Posted by: Peter David at November 8, 2004 05:47 PM

There've been discussions on and off for some time with a variety of publishers about collecting the original four issues in a trade, but nothing definite.

PAD

Posted by: roger at November 8, 2004 06:22 PM

wow
awesome!!!!!!

Posted by: Roger Tang at November 8, 2004 06:23 PM

There've been discussions on and off for some time with a variety of publishers about collecting the original four issues in a trade, but nothing definite.

So buy lots of FA #19 & 20, and kill two birds with one stone!

[Hmm....never did see the problem with a Perez designed hottie with a taste for leather and lace.....]

Posted by: s yarish at November 8, 2004 06:36 PM

I got the original S&V when it first came out due to PAD and Perez being on the book and was pretty impressed with the story. Still can't believe that Marvel published it at that time. Heck, I doubt if they would publish it now. Very curious to see how the two characters are used in the book.

I take it that the two characters are owned by PAD and Perez in order for PAD to use them in this book.

Posted by: Sean Whitmore at November 8, 2004 07:28 PM

Is there any way to preorder Fallen Angel direct from DC or something? I'd like to do my part to help FA survive, but I don't wanna set up a whole Previews account just for one book (and none of my other titles are in danger of being cancelled).

SEAN

Posted by: Matt Adler at November 8, 2004 07:42 PM

Sean, you get a 35% discount if you preorder through G-Mart:

http://www.g-mart.com/

Posted by: Russ at November 8, 2004 11:42 PM

Pre-ordering? Hmmmmm. I haven't belonged to a comic club in years. I only collect 2 or 3 books a month these days and just pick them up off the shelf, but if it will help keep "Fallen Angel" going, I'll sign up next time I'm in the store.

Posted by: Sean Whitmore at November 8, 2004 11:58 PM

Thanks for the tip, Matt, I just might do that little thing.


SEAN

Posted by: Kelson at November 9, 2004 01:46 AM

Excellent news! Congratulations!

I've managed to get one of my friends reading Fallen Angel (though now I'm trying to convince him to start buying his own copies), and I keep plugging it on my blog (for all five of my readers). I only vaguely recall hearing about Sachs and Violens, but now I'm curious, and I just might start looking for backissues.

Posted by: WarrenSJonesIII at November 9, 2004 09:16 PM

This is fantastic news. I was just re-reading my Sachs and Violens issues and then as I log onto the message board I see the Perez cover.

Life is good.

Now if you could get Jorge Perez to actually draw the issues then I would be in hog heaven.

I know, I know but I can dream can't I.

Thanks Peter for posting the covers and the upcoming issue teaser.

Regards:
Warren S. Jones III

Posted by: Alan Wilkinson at November 10, 2004 06:24 AM

Wait...So Bete Noir isn't anywhere near any part of the DCU? Huh, that doesn't bode well for my "Bete Noir is a sub-state of the Dreaming" theory...

Posted by: Lester at November 10, 2004 05:11 PM

While I never have been a fan of crossovers I do hope Perez’s name on the cover attracts new readers to amazing series. In regards to cancellations of comics books 2004 has been a real bad year for me. Everything from Pad’s Captain Marvel to CrossGen’s entire line of books has gotten the axe. This is one of the few books that keep me coming into my comic book store retailer on a weekly basis.

Posted by: Gary M. Miller at November 10, 2004 06:27 PM

Just picked up S&V #1-4 today at my LCS and will settle in for a nice read-through in a bit. The art looks gorgeous.

Hopefully the Perez covers will make people give this book a second look.

Way to go, PAD.

~G.

Posted by: David at November 10, 2004 08:25 PM

Wait...So Bete Noir isn't anywhere near any part of the DCU? Huh, that doesn't bode well for my "Bete Noir is a sub-state of the Dreaming" theory...

So is my "chessboard for the Lords of Order and Chaos". So then Lee may not be a former DCU character. BTW, did Linda ever have a child?

Posted by: Neil C at November 10, 2004 09:39 PM

BTW, did Linda ever have a child?

Yes, at the end of the Supergirl run, she had a daughter (Ariella) whom she had to part with. If you're interested in the full story, it can be found in the Many Happy Returns TPB.

I'm getting interested (not that I wasn't already) by the Cthulhu references... anybody else spot the tattoo on the arm of the guy with the bazooka (in FA #17)?

Posted by: David at November 11, 2004 08:01 PM

BTW, did Linda ever have a child?

Yes, at the end of the Supergirl run, she had a daughter (Ariella) whom she had to part with. If you're interested in the full story, it can be found in the Many Happy Returns TPB.

Did any of the dialogue match from Supergirl when Lee held the shard of the Cross?

Posted by: Neil C at November 11, 2004 11:49 PM

Did any of the dialogue match from Supergirl when Lee held the shard of the Cross?

The dialog in that issue of FA is consistent with (or at least doesn't contradict anything from) Supergirl. At the same time, there's also nothing that can really be definitively associated with Linda. So it's again, it comes down to a case of "U-decide", which is I think what the intent was. :)

Posted by: bryn at November 12, 2004 09:23 AM

HI Peter,

Just wanted to say your work on FA is outstanding. Each issue has just got better & better. It really is my favourite book out there at the moment (although I am loving your work on Madrox too). However, I just wanted to let you know that I am glad, that's right GLAD, that you HAVEN'T been bringing in a whole host of DC characters to visit Bete Noire. I am not a big fan of the DC universe (although i enjoyed Supergirl, and still enjoy JLA Elite - i like Joe kelly's writing). What attracted me to these books were the writers. If Bete Noire became saturated with guest spots, I would really lose interest - i really like the fact it is a self-enclosed universe, without all the backlog of the DC universe.

Anyway, I just wanted you to hear my thoughts about the issue. Sachs & Violens, being creator owned, I guess could be an exception, and as you say, the reader needs no previous knowledge about these characters.

The point is, I enjoy the fact that Bete Noire is a self-enclosed universe (of a sort) and it is not necessary to be hip with characters or developments outside of the book.

Thanks for listening,

Regards from Switzerland,

Bryn

P.S. I made sure that my local shop in Zürich ordered FA (as they were not ordering any copies) - and since ordering a reservation copy for myself they have now started to add a few issues to the stands :) that's progress!

"And while the writer is proud of the work he's been doing on "Fallen Angel," there is an additional aspect he'd like to have added into the series' origins. "Yeah, I would have found a way to get DC to allow me to set it in the DCU so I could guest star DC characters. 'Sandman' had, like, a dozen guest stars in its first year." "

taken from http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=4340


Posted by: J-bo at November 12, 2004 10:22 AM

Hey Peter, In the original S&V series, issue three, there is a car with a license plate that reads PAD-BID. What does the BID mean?

Posted by: bryn at November 12, 2004 01:25 PM

I'd like to make a guess about Bete Noire - not sure if anyone has already said this, but i think Bete Noire used to be called Eden.

I know Eden is supposed to be a garden, but hello this is the 21st Century, pretty much every 'garden' the world over has been torn up and made a city.

I think the fact that Bete Noire is shaped in a pentagram, will throw people off, seeing as the pentagram has often been used as a satanic image in horror movies - people will automatically think Bete Noire is an evil place. But I think the pentagram is really supposed to represent the star of David.

What other place is known to have an impact on the world, and have its effects stretch across the world?

Eden is a timeless place, only outsides its gates does time act accordingly, that's why the people do not age.

The Hierarchy - well that's an easy one - the Hierarchy of Angels ... which kind of makes sense seeing their names so far are Kind and Goode.

In addition, there's alot of religious undertones in the book, the title itself is 'fallen angel', the shard of the cross etc.
mister Kind says "death will be a Blessing" boxer's mom, when she sees her husband alive and not trapped in the mine says "Oh God! oh, blessed Mary! ... it's a miracle! it's God own hand!"

I might be way off base, and i actually hope I am, I love to be surprised :) and can't wait to find out more about Bete Noire, but right now, that's where my money is :)

Posted by: Peter David at November 12, 2004 02:10 PM

A number of people have guessed that Bete Noire is actually Eden. All I'll say is, next issue, you'll know.

BID stands for "But I Digress," the column I write for Comic Buyers Guide.

PAD

Posted by: dranj70 at November 12, 2004 02:38 PM

"After seeing the street plans, I am starting to think that the Bete Noire, while on Earth, is a small battleground for the Heaven/Hell war. Like trench warfare, ground is probably lost/gained in small amounts. That 'ground' is amplified over the planet as a whole. If Hell is winning in the city more nastiness is seen on Earth; if heaven is winning, more good is seen."

That's been my guess since issue 15 and I'm sticking to it.