The Kickstarter campaign wrapped yesterday. However, you still have a week from this point to become a late backer of the first-ever, officially sanctioned Black Mirror comic books, based on the dystopian TV series created by Charlie Brooker, and now homed on Netflix.
British indie publisher Twisted Comics, the company responsible for thriller anthology Twisted Dark, and other mature-minded reads like The Theory and Theatrics, is the creative force behind the series of upcoming graphic novels – which kicks off with USS Callister, and will be followed by San Junipero (already teased with a Free Comic Day issue) next year. These books are based on much-talked-about Season 4 and 3 episodes of Black Mirror respectively.
While it would have been “fun” to see more new tales in the Black Mirror mould, a Netflix head apparently insisted on screen-to-page adaptations of fav-favourite episodes only. That said, you never know what success can lead to in future. The new Black Mirror comic Kickstarter was fully backed in just four hours, meaning fan appetite is definitely there – and appetite means money for franchise bosses, if you want to enter the typically cynical mindset of the series.
With the Kickstarter, £25 (approximately USD34), excluding shipping, will net you the 100+ page USS Callister graphic novel in hardcover physical edition. Out of interest, the Reward tiers go up to £2,000, where backing could earn you an appearance in the comic as the face of the pizza delivery person.
On that note, if you need a reminder about what happens in USS Callister, that’s the Black Mirror episode that combines Star Trek parody with dark wish fulfilment and male power abuse. Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons), the brilliant but belittled co-founder of a video game company, turns to his space-themed VR creation to vent his frustrations and punish his colleagues. If you want to double your plot refresher with a taste of what to expect of USS Callister in panel form, you can always read the first 20 comic pages online here.
For the record, it’s Twisted Comics head Neil Gibson on writing duties for USS Callister, while Italian artist Silvano Beltramo is responsible for interior illustrations, which fluidly shift between a more modern comic style, and flatly inked and coloured (by Agnese Pozza) visuals that accurately reflect the medium of yesteryear. This helps to convey the story’s shift between our reality and Daly’s fantasy universe, inspired by vintage TV series Space Fleet. As a nice little bonus, this graphic novel, and the upcoming San Junipero, will feature covers by illustrator Butcher Billy, whose retro-styled fan creations caught the attention of Charlier Brooker, and have actually featured in promotions for the TV series.
What is more surprising than Black Mirror making the transition to comic form – and perhaps more fitting for a tech-centric franchise – the graphic novels are eventually being released in ebook format in partnership with InkyPen.
What’s InkyPen, you ask? Around for several years now (although this was my first time hearing about it), the Norwegian company is a comic subscription service that you access through your favourite gaming platforms. Right now, that’s Nintendo Switch only, but the app is “coming soon” to Steam.
In addition to over a hundred free titles, a USD 7.99/€7.99 monthly membership to InkyPen grants access to thousands of comics from publishers around the world, including the likes of IDW, Valiant and Dark Horse, in addition to indie reads, like Sarah’s Scribbles. World comics are also covered in the form of extensive bandes dessinée and manga catalogues. And yes, that includes Kodansha USA, with properties like Attack on Titan, Parasyte, Battle Angel Alita, and FAIRY TAIL.
Whatever shade it’s going to take – even black – the future is here.