After a prolonged hiatus, a major player in the comic book field is getting back in the game. Karen Berger, the founder of Vertigo Comics, confirmed she’s returning to the medium courtesy of Image Comics – and the fandom is freaking out.
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Earlier this year, Karen announced her return to comics at Image Expo in Seattle. The famed editor said she would be working on Surgeon X with newcomer Sara Kennedy and artist John Watkiss. And, as of yesterday, the praised series released its first issue.
The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future where a deadly drug-resistant disease has decimated the population. Dr. Rosa Scott, who was once a promising surgeon, has taken up the name Surgeon X and become a vigilante. Operating under her own rules, Dr. Scott definitely ignores the phrase ‘do no harm.’ The vigilante developers her own god-complex as she roams the streets of London and decides whether her patients deserve to live or die.
At Image Expo, Berger described why the series caught her eye and prompted her return to comics. When I first heard this original and compelling concept, I thought it was time to get back into comics again,” she said.
“I love that it explores the consequences of a world where the bedrock of modern medicine has crumbled, where people must adapt to a dangerous new reality, and where the lead character’s subversive nature makes us question our own sense of ethics and morality. So excited to be working alongside the fabulously multi-talented creator/writer Sara Kenney and the brilliant, masterful artist John Watkiss. Sara’s vision is frighteningly real and beautifully executed.”
As for how the two teamed up, Berger said Kenney first contacted her through LinkedIn. “She was a Vertigo fan, a big comics fan, and she had this idea for this female surgeon in the near-future London who develops this god complex,” Berger explained.
If you’re not familiar with Berger, you’re probably aware of her work. The editor joined DC Comics in 1979 and worked her way up the ranks as she worked for Alan Moore in the mid-1980s. She went on to snag other writers like Grant Morrison, Garth Ennis, Peter Milligan, and Neil Gaiman who become some of the greatest comic book creators in history. By 1993, Berger’s reputation was a well-respected one, and it led DC to okay the launch of their Vertigo imprint. Berger used the brand to publish vulgar, lewdy, and wholly raunchy stories that strayed away from superheroes and embraced the weirdness of life.
However, Berger decided to leave Vertigo in 2012 after a falling out with DC Comics. The editor plainly stated she wasn’t interested in the company’s theatrical future and criticized both Marvel and DC for being “superhero companies owned by movie studios.”
But, now, it looks like Berger is ready to try her hand at Image Comics. The popular publisher is known for its creator-owned series and aversion to traditional comic book tropes, so it looks like the iconic editor may suit their style.
If you want to read the full synopsis of Surgeon X #1, then you can check it out below:
“What do you get if you cross a far-right British government with an antibiotic apocalypse and a gruesome murder? The birth of Surgeon X and her renegade practice. Extreme times call for extreme medicine. SARA KENNEY, acclaimed documentary, factual drama and animation filmmaker (Angels and Ghosts) and master artist JOHN WATKISS (Sandman, Conan, Deadman) join forces with KAREN BERGER, award-winning and Vertigo-founding editor to produce this unique, darkly comic medical thriller, which will horrify and delight in equal measure.”
[H/T] Vulture
