While the 1980s were a truly epic time for action movies, there is one specific film that is, for many, one of the best. That movie is Escape From New York. Released in 1981, the sci-fi action film was co-written and directed by the legendary John Carpenter and starred Kurt Russell in what is now one of his most iconic roles as Snake Plissken. The film was set in a then-future 1997, in a dystopian U.S. where Manhattan has become a maximum security prison, anti-government insurgents have taken the president prisoner, and Snake has just 24 hours to rescue him. The film was followed by a lackluster sequel, Escape From L.A., but the original film remains a classic and now, fans can head back in to Snake Plissken’s dystopian world in a brand-new comic.
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Going on sale September 23rd from Mad Cave Studios is Escape From New York: Escape From Chicago. The new series is a continuation of the story, described as expanding the world of the beloved 1981 film. The series is being written by Radiant Black and No One’s Kyle Higgins with art by The Pale Knight’s Val Rodrigues and will offer Snake one more chance at redemption.
Here’s how Mad Cave describes the book: Once you go in, you don’t come out—unless your name is Snake Plissken! Plissken now survives as a coyote, smuggling people and contraband across the dangerous dead zones between prison territories like Chicago. It’s a hard and bitter job. But when he’s hired to extract a woman wanted by the city’s warlord, Snake sees one more chance at redemption—or one more chance for the universe to kick his ass.
The New Escape From New York Comic Comes at a Very Interesting Time For the Franchise
What is especially interesting about the announcement of Escape From New. York: Escape From Chicago is its timing. Back in April, it was revealed by StudioCanal during their CinemaCon presentation that an Escape From New York reboot was in the works. With the project being in early development, there wasn’t much in the way of detail shared, but it’s believed that this remake will be exactly that: a fresh reboot starting with the iconic story. That means it is extremely unlikely that Russell would return as Snake Plissken. A star not returning could be a challenge for any reboot, but in the case of Escape From New York, Russell is synonymous with the starring role — so much so that the art for Mad Cave’s upcoming series bears a strong resemblance to him.
But the key word there is resemblance. The cover art for Escape From New York: Escape From Chicago is just different enough that it might not be too hard to see someone else as Snake Plissken. It’s a small thing, but it could help audiences expand their idea of Snake as a character rather than the actor who originated him. It would bode well for the remake while also giving fans this new, exciting story to get amped up about while details on a new movie emerge.
Escape From New. York: Escape From Chicago #1 goes on sale September 23rd from Mad Cave. Final order cutoff is August 24th.
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