Chuck Austen Announces His Final Comic, DEFIANT
The Sweeping Space Epic with Co-Creator Patrick Olliffe Launches This March from DSTLRY
The Emmy-Nominated and GLAAD-Winning Writer/Producer Behind The X-Men, Steven Universe, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Punctuates a 40-Plus-Year Career with a Galactic Vendetta
Defiant is like if a contemplative, revisionist western from the 1970s got mashed up with genuinely alien modern sci-fi. Patrick Oliffe's art has the grit of being lived-in while still feeling full of fresh possibility, while the writing is much like Chuck Austen himself: fun, inventive, weird as all, and surprisingly sincere and heartfelt.
—Brendean Hay, Writer & Executive Producer of GREMLINS: SECRETS OF THE MOGWAI and GREMLINS: THE WILD BATCH
LOS ANGELES, CA / NEW YORK, NY — December 17, 2024 — DSTLRY, the next-generation publisher redefining creator-owned comics, is thrilled to announce DEFIANT, a gripping new science-fiction series from Emmy-nominated and GLAAD Award-winning writer Chuck Austen (The X-Men, Producer on Steven Universe) and prolific Marvel and DC artist Patrick Olliffe. This project marks the final comic for Austen in a 40-plus-year career that includes defining runs on Avengers, The X-Men, Action Comics, Miracleman, and countless other volumes.
Defiant #1 Cover B by Ariel Olivetti
Launching this March, DEFIANT follows Sandusky, a retired veteran from a cosmic war that spans a galaxy across countless species and planets. On a final mission to bury his son, Sandusky unravels a conspiracy behind the battles that consumed years of his life and implicated his son as a traitor, leading him on a final quest of vengeance spanning light years. DEFIANT is perfect for fans of Dune, Firefly, and Andor.
“This series is a deeply personal journey that merges spacefaring adventure with the obstacles of parenthood,” co-creator and writer Chuck Austen explains. “I’m honored to mark it as my final comic, and having Patrick onboard to join me in this final adventure.”
Defiant #1 1/10 Incentive Cover C by Patrick Olliffe
“The sheer scope of DEFIANT has to be seen to be believed,” co-creator and artist Patrick Olliffe continues. “This is one of the most ambitious, sprawling projects I’ve had the honor to co-create, and Chuck has conceived a universe of planets, species, and timelines that would take decades to unpack in their detail.”
“Chuck Austen and Patrick Olliffe are a comic's dream team,” said DSTLRY co-founder and CCO Chip Mosher. “DEFIANT is Chuck’s biggest story ever, brought to awe-inspiring life by Patrick. I'm overjoyed we get to publish Chuck’s swan song in the comics medium.”
The Defiant #1 1/25 Incentive Cover C By Fernando Blanco
“Advancing an entire genre is no easy feat, but Chuck and Patrick are well set to aim and surpass the stars on DEFIANT,” says DSTLRY co-founder and CEO David Steinberger.
Each issue of DEFIANT is presented in DSTLRY’s perfect-bound Prestige format, featuring wraparound covers with spot gloss on robust cover stock, complemented by 48 pages of exquisite interior stock. “It’s the DSTLRY difference,” says DSTLRY CCO & Co-Founder Chip Mosher.
For more information on DEFIANT and to keep up with DSTLRY's upcoming releases, visit www.dstlry.co and follow DSTLRY on social media at @DSTLRY_Media.
