DC Comics’s super-powerful antihero Black Adam is heading toward the spotlight, with a movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson currently slated for release in October. Naturally that means its time for the character to get a new solo series, and today DC announced just that, with writer Christopher Priest and artist Rafa Sandoval bringing Black Adam’s adventures to live. No other members of the creative team were mentioned in the announcement. The series will feature main covers by Irvin Rodriguez.
Here’s how DC describes the new Black Adam series:
There is no forgiveness for Black Adam. This is the reality that Teth-Adam, immortal man of indomitable will, must face when he discovers he’s been infected with an incurable plague, destroying his immortality. Haunted by the specter of centuries of dark deeds, Black Adam transfers his powers to a worthy successor who will redeem Adam’s legacy and defend their ancestral homeland of Kahndaq, only to subsequently become mystically “handcuffed” to him when Adam’s plague is arrested, giving birth to perhaps the most volatile and dysfunctional super-team in DC history!
Priest is no stranger to writing non-traditional protagonists, having helmed DC’s Rebirth-era Deathstroke ongoing series for 50+ issues. Black Adam has been front and center in the DCU of late, having joined the Justice League during writer Brian Michael Bendis‘s run on the team’s title.
In a statement announcing the new series, both Priest and Sandoval expressed their enthusiasm for taking on Black Adam:
“Forgive the cliché, but I’ve rarely been this excited about a new project,” said Writer Christopher Priest. “DC has provided an amazing opportunity for me to explore and, to some degree, reimagine this character in a very new light while bringing new challenges and consequences to a man who has lived far too long and is desperate for redemption. Rafa Sandoval brings palpable voltage to every panel, bringing out my Kirby-Simonson Big Noise instinct as Rafa’s gifts take me to places I never knew I wanted to go. My only regret is we only have 22 pages a month for this.”
“I have been a lifelong fan of everything about ‘SHAZAM!,’ and one of the things I always wanted is to draw a charismatic villain, and Black Adam is perfect for this,” said Artist Rafa Sandoval. “This is the first time I’ve had an opportunity to work with Christopher Priest, and his attentiveness, attention to details and openness makes him a great creative partner.”
The first issue of the new series will feature variant covers by Sandoval, Mikel Janin, Lucio Parillo, Crystal Kung, Cully Hamner, and Travis Mercer & Danny Miki; you can check all of those out below. Black Adam #1 is set to arrive in stores and digitally on Tuesday, June 21st.
BLACK ADAM #1
Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
Art by RAFA SANDOVAL
Main Cover by IRVIN RODRIGUEZ
Variant covers by RAFA SANDOVAL, MIKEL JANIN, and LUCIO PARRILLO
1:25 variant cover by CRYSTAL KUNG
1:50 throwback variant cover by CULLY HAMNER
1:100 foil variant cover by LUCIO PARRILLO
Team variant cover by TRAVIS MERCER and DANNY MIKI
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 6/21/22
Oh snap, it’s the grim-‘n’-gritty Quantum and Woody reboot I never knew I wanted.
There are characters I have very little interest in, or even if I like them I can’t see myself buying their monthly comic, but then you throw Priest into the mix and I’m sold! I never thought I’d read 50 issues of Deathstroke, and would never pick up a Black Adam series, but here we are. I love how his writing always subverts and surprises.
Comments are closed.