Image Comics has announced a new, ongoing series of The Darkness, starting December 10. Written by co-creator Marc Silvestri, the series will reboot the story of Jackie Estacado, a mobster who inherits the titular power on his 21st birthday. Ed Benes and inkers Matt “Batt!” Banning, Sal Regla & John Livesay will provide art for the first issue, with Raymond Gay (Gunslinger Spawn) taking over with issue #2.
The story once again follows Jackie Estacado, a mafia hitman who inherits a terrifying gift on his 21st birthday: an elemental force known as The Darkness, which grants him dominion over creatures from another realm. As supernatural forces wage war over reality itself, Jackie must navigate a brutal conflict where good and evil are anything but clear.
“The Darkness has always been one of my favorite characters,” says Silvestri, “and I’ve wanted to come back to it for a long time. Fans have been asking for years when Jackie would return, and now we get to deliver something truly special. This is going to feel familiar, but it’s going to take you places you’ve never been before.” He adds, “This isn’t just a nostalgia trip — it’s a reinvention. We’re going back to what made The Darkness such a hit: its grit, its danger, its sense that power always comes with a price. But this time, we’re turning everything up to eleven. Jackie’s world is going to expand in ways readers never expected.”
Originally introduced by Silvestri, Garth Ennis, and David Wohl in 1996’s Witchblade #10, The Darkness previously starred in ongoing series from 1996 to 2001, 2002 to 2005, and 2007 to 2013, as well as numerous other comics, and two video games respectively released in 2007 and 2012. His most recent appearance came in the 2018 crossover one-shot Ares IX: The Darkness. Meanwhile, Witchblade continues to go strong, with issue #16 of the latest series set to be released on November 12.
The new Darkness #1 will be released with a host of covers, featuring art by Silvestri, Benes, and David Mack. You can check out the full list and artwork in Image’s press release, alongside a lettered but only penciled interior preview.
