Comic book publishers Dynamite Entertainment teaming with industry titans DC to publish the work of a writer new to the world of comics might not qualify as particularly huge news under regular circumstances, but most newcomers aren’t Quentin Tarantino and their debut series usually isn’t a sequel to their most recent, massively successful, Oscar-winning film, so in this case, it is in fact particularly huge news. Tarantino is co-plotting a series due to debut later this year that is not only a direct sequel to his 2012 slavery revenge western Django Unchained but also a crossover with another pulpy hero usually found in the more southerly regions of the United States: Zorro.

Django/Zorro will be written by Matt Wagner, famed creator of the series Mage and Grendel, with a plot devised by Wagner and Tarantino, and editorial input from Reginald Hudlin, a producer on Django Unchained whose comic book adaptation of that film earned an Eisner nomination. It is the first time Tarantino has authorised a direct sequel, in any medium, to any of his films (bearing in mind Kill Bill was originally intended as one long film). The Hollywood Reporter has described the series as ‘the least likely way imaginable’ for Tarantino to return to the world of the film, which suggests that The Hollywood Reporter has a severely limited imagination (just sitting here waiting for the licensing deal to come through on my commemorative postage stamp continuation of Jackie Brown).

Tarantino, with characteristic humility, says of the series: ‘I’m very very excited about both this story and the opportunity to work with Matt.  It was reading his Zorro stories that convinced me what a good idea it was to join these two icons together.  And the story idea we came up with is thrilling, and I think will be an exciting new chapter for both characters.‘