2017 is shaping out to be a great year for fans of the John Wick franchise. Not only did the sequel film smash any fears of a sophomore slump and arguably surpassed its predecessor in violent excellence, but it was announced soon after that a spin-off television series and a third film are being developed as well.
Fans thankfully won’t have to wait too long to get their fix, as another addition to the franchise has been announced to drop later this year: a prequel comic book series, which will be officially written by Greg Pak and illustrated by Giovanni Valletta.
The series was first announced by Dynamite Entertainment in December 2016, with little update since that first exciting news. However, along with revealing the new creative team for the comic, the publisher has also revealed the series synopsis in its official press release:
When a young John Wick emerges from prison and embarks upon his first epic vendetta, he comes up against a strange, powerful community of assassins and must learn how to master the Book of Rules that guides their lethal business. What are the Three Bills? Who is Calamity? And who was John Wick before he became the Baba Yaga?
So far, the response to the publisher’s announcement has been overwhelmingly positive from fans and franchise producers alike – and with good reason. Pak is beloved for his work with Marvel Comics, particularly for his Planet Hulk storyline in 2006 and his recent tenure on The Totally Awesome Hulk. Meanwhile, Valletta has shined for his celebrated artwork in Dark Horse Presents.
As the comic book series will follow John Wick in his young adult years leading up to the events of the first film, people are also excited to further delve into the franchise’s interesting world of assassins and learn how Wick grew into his role as the “Baba Yaga” – or rather, “the one you sent to kill the fucking Boogeyman.”
John Wick first premiered in 2014, taking the world by storm with its simple premise of vengeance: a retired hitman seeks retribution for the theft of his car and the killing of his puppy, which was a gift from his recently deceased wife. The plot of this year’s sequel takes place four days after the events of the first film when, after officially returning to the criminal underworld, Wick finds a bounty has been placed on his head by his former friends and colleagues.
According to Dynamite Entertainment, the first issue of the John Wick comic book series is slated to launch on September 6, 2017. This writer is definitely going to check out the series when it comes out – will you? Let us know in the comments!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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