Fans of The Twilight Zone have been eating well lately after news broke that Ben Stiller is being eyed to reboot the beloved horror series as a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way Productions. If you were to poll horror fans on what TV show best represents the genre, many would point to The Twilight Zone, which captivated audiences for over 60 years. Each black-and-white episode of The Twilight Zone was a standalone tale, meaning viewers could just watch one episode without having to worry about the story continuing in the next. Some of those same characteristics are coming to the next evolution of The Twilight Zone.
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The IDW Publishing horror imprint IDW Dark is releasing The Twilight Zone as a new anthology series. Following in the footsteps of the iconic show, the comics will be episodic and can be read on their own for a complete story. Plus, every issue will be presented in terrifying black and white, just like the original television series. The comic will feature stories from some of the biggest names in comics.
The first issue of The Twilight Zone will come from Dan Watters (Batman: Dark Patterns) and Morgan Beem (Swamp Thing: Twin Branches). “The Twilight Zone is a genre unto itself,” stated Watters. “It’s a cultural titan and a North Star in the strangest skies revealing what science fiction, fantasy and horror can do for us: revealing uncomfortable truths about what lies in our own hearts. This is precisely the vein we hope to tap with our story; the unsettled space between angry and unnerving that is forever the purview of The Twilight Zone.”
“I have long been a fan of all horror, but creepy stories that slowly build to unnerve you have always been first in my heart. Few series have captured that feeling like The Twilight Zone,” remarked Beem. “Like being trapped in a fever dream or moving through a liminal space, the stories play with the feeling of wrongness, of things out of place. This is the feeling Dan has masterfully captured in our story, and which I hope, through my deep love of all things creepy, will flow through the art. It might not shock you, but you may not be able to stop thinking about it in the middle of the night.”
The following issues will feature creators Tom Scioli, James Stokoe, Nate Powell, and Francesco Francavilla. “Ever since I was a kid I wanted to write a Twilight Zone story and wondered if it was something I was even capable of doing,” commented Scioli. “How does one go about creating a classic? The Twilight Zone brought to television one of the established formats of comic books, the sci-fi/horror anthology with literary ambitions, twist endings, and a social conscience. It pushed the limits of what you could do in the medium of commercial television and now we’re going to push the comic book medium to the breaking point of its stapled paper and see what lies beyond. With those impossibly lofty standards in mind, I’ve created something that I humbly submit for your approval.”
“These comics are for anyone who ever wished for more episodes of the original series like me,” added series co-editor Ellen Boener. “We’re capturing the silver screen nostalgia alongside the heart-rending humanity. Every detail is a love letter to the TV show: from the full black and white design to the connected cover set to the narrative style. Each issue serves as a unique door into the dimension beyond with the most fascinating minds in comics as your guides. I can’t wait to share what these creators have discovered.”
The Twilight Zone #1 goes on sale Wednesday, September 24th, with a pre-order deadline of August 18th. Let us know your thoughts on the new comic in the comments below!
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Image Courtesy of Ufotable
