Originally published in 2009 by DC and part of a wave of 21st century superhero deconstruction, 2022 is time for The Mighty. Thanks to Image Comics, the property is back in the hands of its creators and will soon be back in comics shops.
Peter J. Tomasi, Keith Champagne, Chris Samnee, and Peter Snejberg collaborated on this 12-issue series centered on the hero Alpha-One. The world loves him, but as Gabriel Cole discovers, it helps not to know him.
And it might not be a good thing if he knows you.
When the series first came out, it attracted the attention of Paramount. The studio had planned for a 2015 release, but as often happens in Hollywood, things fell apart. Yet it’s a terrific story ripe for adaptation — complete in one graphic novel, though in the press release below there are hints that another story could be told. A franchise could happen, but if done right, it’s okay if it’s just one powerful film.
But first, you’ve got to read the graphic novel.
From Image Comics:
Beloved superhero story The Mighty by Peter J. Tomasi (Superman, Batman and Robin, Blood Tree, Light Brigade, The Bridge), Keith Champagne (The Switch, Daybreak!, Frank N. Stein), Chris Samnee (Fire Power By Kirkman & Samnee, Daredevil), and Peter Snejbjerg (B.P.R.D.) finds a new publishing home at Image Comics with a new edition landing on shelves this September.
This new edition of The Mighty will feature new cover art by Dave Johnson, collect all twelve issues of the acclaimed series, include three rare eight-page stories, and showcase a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes sketches and scripts.”Some books simply never get a chance to find an audience in such a crowded marketplace, and The Mighty, in my opinion, was one of those books, so we’re really excited that Image has stepped up to produce this new edition,” said Tomasi. “A lot of heart and care went into its production, and readers will be able to eyeball the wonderful artwork and color by Chris Samnee, Peter Snejbjerg, John Kalisz, and, of course, the amazing new cover by Dave Johnson.”
cover art by Dave Johnson, courtesy of Image Comics
As the world’s only superhero, Alpha One is a symbol of hope for all mankind…but at what price? While the population is inspired from a distance by their savior, police captain Gabriel Cole gets close enough to discover the mystery behind Alpha One’s public origin—and that his twisted plans to create a utopia are more dangerous than anyone could’ve dreamed!
Champagne added: “I’ve always felt The Mighty was a bit ahead of its time and it remains firmly in place on the Mount Rushmore of projects I’m most proud of. Working with my great friend, Peter Tomasi, to build this world and tell a story about these characters; to see Peter Snejberg bring that world to life visually, then have my mind blown even further by Chris Samnee when he picked up the artistic reins, with the chef’s kiss of Rob Leigh, John Kalisz and Dave Johnson… as a writer, it doesn’t get much more satisfying. I’m grateful to Image for collecting this book in its MIGHTIEST edition and for introducing this thriller to a whole new audience. Maybe Peter and I will finally tell the next story set in this world; all the clues are there as to what the future holds for Gabriel Cole and Alpha-One, but no one will ever see it coming.”
The Mighty trade paperback (ISBN: 978-1534324282, Diamond Code JUL220125) will be available on Wednesday, September 28 and in bookstores on Tuesday, October 4. It can be pre-ordered at your local comic book shop or independent bookstore or via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Indigo.
In addition to running Fanboy Planet, Derek has contributed stories to Arcana Comics (The Greatest American Hero) and Monsterverse Comics (Bela Lugosi's Tales from the Grave). He has performed with ComedySportz, City Lights Theater Company and Silicon Valley Shakespeare, though relocated to Hollywood to... work in an office? If you ever played Eric's Ultimate Solitaire on the Macintosh, it was Derek's voice as The Weasel that urged you to play longer. You can buy his book "I Was Flesh Gordon" on the Amazon link at the right. Email him at [email protected].
Websites store cookies to enhance functionality and personalise your experience. You can manage your preferences, but blocking some cookies may impact site performance and services.
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Name
Description
Duration
Cookie Preferences
This cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences.
30 days
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Name
Description
Duration
comment_author
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author_email
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author_url
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager