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Dan Abnett Continues Captain Kronos

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With the success of The Mummy: Palimpsest, Titan Comics and Hammer Films are resurrecting another classic from the archives. Get ready for the one and only Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter #1 (JUL172124)! Originally created by Brian Clemens (The Avengers, The Professionals), this new series of adventures from writer Dan Abnett (Aquaman, Guardians of the Galaxy) and artist Tom Mandrake (Sidekick, The Spectre) brings the hero back to face a fresh onslaught of fanged foes. Titan Comics sat down with Dan Abnett to talk about the original film, how this new take will be different, and what people can expect in the new comic.

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Titan Comics: Were you familiar with the original Captain Kronos, and other Hammer Films, before you took on the project?

Dan Abnett: I was, and it's an old favorite of mine - one of my fave Hammer movies. So I jumped at the chance.

Titan Comics: Did you look at Brian Clemens' original plans for the character or just start fresh? It was always meant to be part of a larger narrative.

Dan Abnett: I'm a huge fan of Clemens' work, always have been. I think watching the movie, it's fascinating to think how it's supposed to be the start of a sequence — though self­contained, it really does feel like a 'pilot' adventure too. We've taken the story and characters in our own direction, but I'd like to think we're at least respecting the original idea that the movie was the start of a saga.

Titan Comics: With The Mummy, Peter Milligan and Hammer Films brought the saga into the present day. Is that your plan with Kronos or will it remain a period piece?

Dan Abnett: We're keeping the series very much in the time the movie was set...but that begs the question, what period? It's 'old fashioned', but also interestingly vague about exactly when and where. There are anachronisms and a lack of specificity. So I've set it in a time and place that is strongly informed by close parallels in world history, but it's also sort of its own thing — a world, a time, a place...that is specific to Kronos. A fantasy world, if you like, but one that's strongly underscored by historical settings.

Titan Comics: How do you feel about working with the legendary Tom Mandrake on the project? What does he bring to your collaboration?

Dan Abnett: Delighted. I've been a fan of Tom's work for the longest time. He brings atmosphere, mood and a really strong graphic power to the art.

Titan Comics: Vampire hunters have been invented and reinvented over the years. What makes Captain Kronos so special?

Dan Abnett: I can't pretend he's the 'original' vampire hunter, but he's one of the benchmarks. He's an appealing character ... and his supporting characters are appealing too. Grost is a brilliant foil, and Carla has a potential we're pursuing in the comic. There are lots of curious questions about Kronos that the movie sets up and doesn't answer. I think Kronos endures because he has that off-beat, slightly eclectic appeal. He's more than a stereotype. And that's all thanks to the enthralling and unusual strengths of the cult movie.

Titan Comics: Regardless of the setting, how do you approach Kronos in modern terms? How different is your approach to something like this today?

Dan Abnett: We're trying to raise the 'realism' of the setting and action - though it's a fantasy world, we want to make it more 'authentic' as a historical period. And we're also making the story very character-driven with strong interaction between the main trio. I want to keep the delightful spirit of the movie, but build on that — hopefully creating the sort of Kronos story that Clemens and his team would have made if they'd been working on it now.

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