Judas Priest is joining a growing list of rock and metal acts to launch new graphic novels. The band announced Tuesday through a news release, it plans to release the Screaming For Vengeance graphic novel next July through Z2 Comics. The graphic novel’s debut is part of the 40th anniversary of the release of the band’s original album, Screaming For Vengeance. The record was released in July 1982 and has since gone on to double platinum status.
The information provided in the news release announcing the graphic novel’s coming release, the novel’s story — co-written by Rantz Hoseley (Comic Book Tattoo and The Heroin Diaries) and Neil Kleid (Savor) and designed by artist Christopher Mitten (Hellboy and the B.R.P.D.) is set 500 years in the future. A ring of cities floats above a destroyed world. The cities are ruled by an evil elite class. At some point, a young engineer develops a Bloodstone, a device that threatens the status quo. The discovery changes his whole life and could change life for everybody in the floating cities, leading the young engineer to have to make some very difficult decisions along the way.
Hoseley was humble as he talked about his role in the graphic novel’s creation.
“I cannot overstate what an inspiration Judas Priest has been to me, personally.” said Hoseley. “I was already a fan of the band when Screaming for Vengeance was released, but no one was ready for the impact it had. That incredible cover art? Those songs? That album became my daily soundtrack and creative fuel, to the point where I wore the cassette out in my car. To be able to contribute to a project inspired by these songs that mean so much to me? Well, that is an honor and a responsibility I take very seriously.”
The band’s new graphic novel is expected for release in separate soft cover and hard cover formats. This is according to information in a news release distributed to the media Tuesday. Special limited deluxe and super deluxe packages featuring an anniversary vinyl pressing of the album are part of the novel’s release.
As an added bonus, the initial printings of the Screaming for Vengeance graphic novel will feature an interview with its original cover artist, Doug Johnson. According to the information in the provided release, Johnson discusses topics, such as creating the novel’s cover and the creation of “The Hellion,” the bird that graces the album and novel’s cover.
In related news, Z2 Vice President of Collectibles and Aggronautix founder Clint Weiler has developed a Hellion statue with working eyes that fans can also order.
Judas Priest is just the latest hard rock/metal act to jump in to the realm of graphic novels and comics. Exodus and Joe Satriani have each made the jump in the past year or so, as has Nickelback. A graphic novel based on Dio’s timeless album, Holy Diver has also seen the light of day.
In other news, Judas Priest released a new limited edition box set last month in the form of 50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music. The collection, which was released Oct. 15 through Sony Music, was part of the band’s celebration of its 50th anniversary. An extensive tour that the band recently wrapped was also part of the celebration. The box set collects the band’s entire studio and live catalogs along with 13 previously unreleased tracks.
The listing for the full 29-disc set is noted below.
50 HEAVY METAL YEARS OF MUSIC
TRACKLISTING
- CDs housed in mini LP Japanese-style wallets
- Box set designed by long-time Judas Priest collaborator Mark Wilkinson
- Includes Ross Halfin photos signed by each band member:
Rob Halford
Glenn Tipton
Ian Hill
Richie Faulkner
Scott Travis
- Numbered British Steel metal razor blade (blunt)
- Memorabilia book featuring rare photos, posters, adverts and passes
- Replica British Steel tour programme
- Two Replica Tour posters from:
British Steel 1980 German Tour
Defenders Of The Faith 1984 European Tour
CD1 – Rocka Rolla
CD2 – Sad Wings of Destiny
CD3 – Sin After Sin (1977)
CD4 – Stained Glass (1978)
CD5 – Killing Machine – (1978)
CD6 – Unleashed In the East (Live in Japan 1979)
CD7 – British Steel
CD8 – Point Of Entry
CD9 – Screaming for Vengeance
CD10 – Defenders of the Faith
CD11 – Turbo
CD12 & CD13 – Priest… Live!
CD14 – Ram It Down
CD15 – Painkiller
CD16 – Jugulator
CD17 & CD18 – ’98 Live Meltdown
CD19 – Demolition
CD20 & CD21 – Live in London
CD22 – Angel of Retribution
CD23 – Nostradamus (Act 1) & CD24 – Nostradamus (Act 2)
CD25 – A Touch Of Evil Live
CD26 & CD27 – Redeemer of Souls
CD29 – Firepower
5 previously unreleased live stereo recordings from the archives
Restored and edited by Tom Allom at La Cucina W8
Mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios, London
CD30 & CD31 – Live In Atlanta ’82 (Previously Unreleased)
CD30
The Hellion / Electric Eye
Riding on the Wind
Heading Out to the Highway
Metal Gods
Bloodstone
Breaking the Law
Sinner
Desert Plains
The Ripper
Diamonds and Rust
CD31
Devils Child
Screaming for Vengeance
You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
Victim of Changes
Living After Midnight
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)
Hell Bent For Leather
CD32 – Live At The Mudd Club ’79
Hell Bent For Leather
Delivering The Goods
Running Wild
Beyond The Realms Of Death
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)
Victim Of Changes
Rock Forever
Starbreaker
CD33 & CD34 – Live In Houston ’86
CD33
Out In The Cold
Locked In
Heading Out To The Highway
Metal Gods
Breaking The Law
Love Bites
Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
The Sentinel
Private Property
Desert Plains
Rock You All Around The World
CD34
The Hellion/ Electric Eye
Turbo Lover
Freewheel Burning
Victim Of Changes
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)
Living After Midnight
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Hell Bent For Leather
CD35 & CD36 – Live In New Haven ’88
CD35
The Hellion/ Electric Eye
Metal Gods
Sinner
Breaking The Law
Come And Get It
I’m a Rocker
The Sentinel
The Ripper
Beyond The Realms Of Death
Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
CD36
Turbo Lover
Ram It Down
Heavy Metal
Victim Of Changes
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)
Living After Midnight
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Hell Bent For Leather
CD37 – Los Angeles ’90 (Previously Unreleased)
Riding on the Wind
Grinder
Heading Out to the Highway
Between the Hammer & the Anvil
Bloodstone
Better by You, Better Than Me
Leather Rebel
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)
Hell Bent for Leather
You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
CD38 – London ’81(Previously Unreleased)
Solar Angels Intro / Heading Out to the Highway
Metal Gods
Hell Bent for Leather
Breaking the Law
Sinner
Beyond the Realms of Death
Grinder
Desert Plains
You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise
Victim of Changes
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)
CD39 – Denver ’80 (Previously Unreleased)
Hell Bent for Leather
The Ripper
Running Wild
Living After Midnight
Sinner
Beyond the Realms of Death
You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise
Grinder
Victim of Changes
Steeler
Genocide
Tyrant
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)
CD40 – Irvine ’91 (Previously Unreleased)
Hell Bent for Leather
Heading Out to the Highway
The Hellion / Electric Eye
Diamonds and Rust
All Guns Blazing
Metal Gods
Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
The Ripper
Night Crawler
Turbo Lover
A Touch of Evil
Painkiller
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)
Breaking the Law
Living After Midnight
You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
CD41 & CD42 – Beyond Live & Rare
Previously unreleased stereo recordings from the archives
CD41
Epitaph (Studio Demo) Demo from 1976’s Sad Wings Of Destiny
Solar Angels (Live) July 22, 1981 – New York, NY – The Palladium
Sinner (Live) July 22, 1981 – New York, NY – The Palladium
Desert Plains (Live) July 22, 1981 – New York, NY – The Palladium
You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise (Live) July 22, 1981 – New York, NY – The Palladium
Genocide (Live) May 09, 1978 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
Victim Of Changes (Live) May 09, 1978 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
Ripper (Live) May 09, 1978 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
Screaming For Vengeance (Live) November 24, 1982 – Tucson, AZ – Tucson Convention Center
The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown) (Live) June 07, 1981 – Odessa, TX – Ector County Coliseum
Victim of Changes (Live) June 07, 1981 – Odessa, TX – Ector County Coliseum
CD42
Tyrant (Live) June 07, 1981 – Odessa, TX – Ector County Coliseum
Diamonds and Rust (Live) February 14, 1981 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Jaap Edenhal
White Heat Red Hot (Live) July 29, 1978 – Tokyo, Japan – Yuubin Chokin Hall
Better By You Better Than Me (Live) July 29, 1978 – Tokyo, Japan – Yuubin Chokin Hall
Starbreaker (Live) July 29, 1978 – Tokyo, Japan – Yuubin Chokin Hall
Rock Forever (Live) Killing Machine Tour – February 09, 1979 – Tokyo, Japan – Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan
Evil Fantasies (Live) Killing Machine Tour – February 09, 1979 – Tokyo, Japan – Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan
Troubleshooter (Live) World Wide Blitz Tour – February 29, 1981 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Rhein-Main-Halle
Grinder (Live) World Wide Blitz Tour – February 29, 1981 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Rhein-Main-Halle
The Sentinel (Live) May 02, 1984 – Albuquerque, NM – Tingley Coliseum
Freewheel Burning (Live) May 02, 1984 – Albuquerque, NM – Tingley Coliseum
All Guns Blazing (Live) August 17, 1991 – Montreal, QC, Canada – Forum de Montreal
Painkiller (Live) March 26, 1991 – Sheffield, England – Sheffield City Hall
Mother Sun (Live) October 11, 1975 – Slough, England – Slough College
The track listing for the Reflections Edition is noted below.
REFLECTIONS – 50 HEAVY METAL YEARS OF MUSIC
1CD
Let Us Prey / Call for the Priest
You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise
Fever
Eat Me Alive
All Guns Blazing
Never The Heroes
Dissident Aggressor (Live)
Out in the Cold (Live)
Judas Priest – Running Wild (Live)
*Victim Of Changes (Live) (May 09, 1978 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre)
*The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown) (Live) (Point of Entry ‘Worldwide Blitz’ Tour – Live in Hammersmith, London – November 21, 1981 – Foundations Forum – Hammersmith Odeon)
*Bloodstone (Live) (Screaming For Vengeance World Vengeance Tour – Live in Atlanta, GA – December 11, 1982 – The Omni)
*Judas Priest – The Ripper (Live) (Irvine, CA – July 12, 1991 – Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre)
*Beyond the Realms of Death (Live) (Killing Machine/Hell Bent For Leather Tour – Live In New York, NY – March 11, 1979 – The Mudd Club)
*The Hellion / Electric Eye (Live) (Turbo ‘Fuel For Life’ Tour – Live In Houston, TX – June 21, 1986 – The Summit)
*Sinner (Live) (Ram It Down ‘Mercenaries Of Metal’ Tour – Live In New Haven, CT – August 7, 1988 – New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum)
*previously unreleased
REFLECTIONS – 50 HEAVY METAL YEARS OF MUSIC
2LP DOUBLE GATEFOLD RED VINYL, 180GSM
SIDE A
Let Us Prey / Call for the Priest
You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise
Fever
Eat Me Alive
SIDE B
All Guns Blazing
Never The Heroes
Dissident Aggressor (Live)
Out in the Cold (Live)
Judas Priest – Running Wild (Live)
SIDE C *previously unreleased*
Victim Of Changes (Live) (May 09, 1978 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre)
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown) (Live) (Point of Entry ‘Worldwide Blitz’ Tour – Live in Hammersmith, London – November 21, 1981 – Foundations Forum – Hammersmith Odeon)
Bloodstone (Live) (Screaming For Vengeance World Vengeance Tour – Live in Atlanta, GA – December 11, 1982 – The Omni)
Judas Priest – The Ripper (Live) (Irvine, CA – July 12, 1991 – Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre)
SIDE D *previously unreleased*
Beyond the Realms of Death (Live) (Killing Machine/Hell Bent For Leather Tour – Live In New York, NY – March 11, 1979 – The Mudd Club)
The Hellion / Electric Eye (Live) (Turbo ‘Fuel For Life’ Tour – Live In Houston, TX – June 21, 1986 – The Summit)
Sinner (Live) (Ram It Down ‘Mercenaries Of Metal’ Tour – Live In New Haven, CT – August 7, 1988 – New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum)
More information on Judas Priest’s new graphic novel and catalog collection set is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:
Website: https://www.JudasPriest.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJudasPriest
Twitter: https://twitter.com/judaspriest
More information on Z2 Comics is available along with all of the company’s latest news at:
Website: https://z2comics.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/z2comics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/z2comics
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