This May, Kyle Higgins (Batman, Nightwing), Alec Siegel (Captain America, Avengers), and Rod Reis (Justice League)
take readers back to 1960s Chicago, in a time when the once-celebrated
superhero labor union C.O.W.L. struggles to maintain their public image
and regain the confidence of the people.
A
rise in “super powered” individuals dates back to the closing days of
World War II after the deployment of the atomic bomb. In response,
Geoffrey Warner (then known as The Grey Raven) spearheaded the campaign
to bring heroes together in Chicago...and struck a contract with the
city for the heroes’ services. But while C.O.W.L. once stood as a beacon
of hope against an epidemic of organized crime and a loose
“brotherhood” of villains, the organization is now in a position where
it must prove its worth to an ever more disillusioned public...while
overcoming great threats from both inside and outside its offices.
Although
Geoffrey, aka The Grey Raven is the character responsible for first
organizing the heroes under one banner, C.O.W.L., he’s not the only
character readers will get to know. “While Geoffrey is definitely a
major player, both within C.O.W.L and within the story, the book is very
much an ensemble piece, allowing us to explore C.O.W.L. from a number
of different viewpoints,” said Siegel. “These characters range from some
of the "top tier" heroes, to members of the Investigations and Patrol
Divisions. We’ve also got spouses, reporters, Chicago Police Detectives,
jailers, and City Hall.”
The
concept for C.O.W.L. has been marinating with Higgins for quite some
time. Its first appearance was in his college film, THE LEAGUE. “As
someone who loves history, comics, and crime fiction, 1960s Chicago was
always the perfect era for C.O.W.L. In fact, it’s what got me to take
the idea of organized superheroes seriously,” said Higgins. “Between the
politics and labor unions in Chicago, and the rise of Marvel Comics,
the early '60s are one of my favorite periods in American History.”
"With
this I project tried to play around a little with references for comics
and illustration,” explained Reis. “Stuff like '80s graphic novels,
noir and '60s illustration, to create a fun and exciting way to tell the
story."
Kyle Higgins, Alec Siegel, and Rod Reis’s C.O.W.L. is projected to debut in May 2014 from Image Comics.
No comments:
Post a Comment