Stephen King At Marvel Comics
After months of speculation spurred on by a mysterious slide displayed at a Marvel comics panel, it is confirmed that Stephen King will be writing for Marvel Comics. His first project will be a series about a notorious gunslinger named Roland from King’s Dark Tower series and will be his first time producing original content in comic book form.
Says King:
“As a lifelong fan of Marvel comic books, and as an adult reader who’s seen comics ‘come of age’ and take their rightful place in the world of fantasy and science fiction, I’m excited to be a part of Roland’s new incarnation.”
Says Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada:
“Stephen King is a true literary master. We are thrilled beyond words to have him join Marvel on this exciting project. The millions of Dark Tower fans are in for a real treat, and I’m sure many more will soon be hooked on this epic series through this historic comic project.”
Says Marvel Publisher/CEO Dan Buckley:
“The level of excitement and talent that Stephen King brings to the world of comic books is electrifying. We’re proud and honored to be a part of what promises to be an industry-defining event.”
That last quote is the one to pay attention to. There’s been a long and ongoing debate over what it will take to bring comics to the masses in a way that puts to bed the idea that they’re outdated stories for kids and further propagates the idea that they can present mature, sophisticated works of entertainment and art. One theory goes that bringing respected creators from other mediums to work on comics will bring those creators’ fans with them. King is the latest of many — the most prominent being Kevin Smith and Joss Whedon — but he is quite arguably the highest profile. If this fails, many may consider the theory debunked. Either way, the results will be interesting, but it will be a shame if this ends badly.