As part of SDCC, David F. Walker and Tim Fielder have announced a new comics series for 2017 called Prison City. Telling the story of an America which turns an entire city into a municipal prison facility – no freedom, no human rights, and full control given over to a militarised police force.
It’s a heady concept for a comic, and one we’ve seen approached before in media. But this seems to be an outright political statement from the creative team, with Walker saying in an interview at The Outhousers:
At its heart it is about the privatization of America, the oppression of the poor, and love as an act of revolution. It is a nightmarish vision of America that isn’t too far removed from reality. There are some dystopian tales that seem far removed from where we are as a society, but this is right around the corner, waiting to hit you in the face with a brick.
The series itself will be centred on two characters – a prison guard and an inmate – who fall in love. With everything opposing them, they’ll try their hardest to keep together through a hugely traumatic and stressful environment. But that’s just the starting point for the book. What seems most important here is that it gives the creative team a direct opportunity to speak on American politics and society; privatization; the treatment of people of color and minorities in the country; and more.
The interview linked above is a strong one, which makes this book sound like a powerful, important read. Here’s the cover for issue #1:
Prison City appears to be heading for a 2017 release. More info when we get it.
