Mike Richardson, the founder of Dark Horse Comics, offers up a gritty new take on costumed vigilantes in The Icon. Richardson will be joined by artist Jordi Armengol for the four-issue miniseries, the first issue of which will be on sale in print and digital on December 15.
Mike Richardson helped found Dark Horse Comics in 1986. The company offered an eclectic range of titles, ranging from licensed properties such as Alien and Predator (the two first met in the comics published by Dark Horse) to creator-owned properties such as Hellboy to material that truly defied categorization, such as Wacky Squirrel. 35 years later, Dark Horse Comics is still going strong as Richardson remains at the helm of the company. In addition to being Dark Horse’s publisher, Richardson is also a writer and editor, having written a number of the company’s early offerings. Most recently, he wrote an adaptation of 47 Ronin, which earned him an Eisner nomination. His editing work has earned him not only consecutive Eisners but Harvey Awards as well. Now Richardson, and artist Armengol, are bringing readers a new, gritty look at superheroes in The Icon.
A press release from Dark Horse offers fans a tantalizing glimpse at the premise, as well as a look at the first issue’s cover, shared below. Private investigator Jake Stevens is hired to find out what happened to the world’s only costumed vigilante, who up and disappeared one day after fighting the good fight, bringing down criminals and avenging the innocent. Jake’s odyssey to find the hero will take him through a seedy, noir-infused world, full of seedy characters in the search for the truth about The Icon. Creators Richardson, Armengol and editor Chris Warner were all enthused about the project, with Armengol praising Richardson’s script, calling it “agile” and “unpredictable,” filled with characters “lurking in the dark.” Warner had similar high praise, equating the story with the legendary work of Orson Welles.
Indeed, The Icon’s plot reads like a superhero version of Citizen Kane, Welles’ masterpiece; in that film, a journalist investigates the life of a prominent society figure and makes some truly shocking discoveries about his background. What similar discoveries will Jake Stevens make about the Icon? Much like Welles, Richardson and Armengol are taking readers on a trip through the life and times of someone thought to be a hero, but instead seemingly harbors a deep, dark secret.
Over the last 35 years, Dark Horse Comics has built a reputation publishing books that defy convention, and The Icon, written by publisher Mike Richardson, will continue that tradition.
Source: Dark Horse Comics