Well, after years of DC having Vertigo and “Fables,” it looks like Marvel is finally getting their shot of having a storybook-based property.
In a partnership with ABC one can assume is probably similar to the deal they have with Castle, Marvel will soon publish a graphic novel based on ABC’s Sunday night drama Once Upon A Time, which follows a group of exiled fairy tale characters as they deal with new lives in Storybrooke, ME, after being expelled from their homeland due to a wicked witch’s curse. Entitled “Shadow of the Queen,” the book will deal with the relationship between Regina (the Evil Queen) and Sheriff Graham (the Huntsman) as Regina cooks up a new plan to take down Snow. The book will be written by Marvel favorite Corinna Bechko and feature the art of folks like Nimit Malavia, Wasilis Lolos, Mike Del Mundo, Stephanie Hans and Mike Henderson.
The show, now in its second season, is quite entertaining. We don’t review it regularly (because half the review would be “boy, I wish they’d get a proper FX budget”), but it’s still rather entertaining, light-hearted and a good primer show for the much-darker shows that usually dominate Sunday nights like Walking Dead, Game of Thrones (this weekend!) and soon the return of Mad Men and Breaking Bad. After the success of Kelly Sue and Brian Bendis’ “Castle” graphic novels, we can only assume the best for this.
For the full Marvel press release, please see below.
Marvel Press Release
Dive into the immersive world of ABC’s Once Upon a Time like never before as Marvel Entertainment and Disney-ABC Television Group are proud to announce Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen, an all-new original graphic novel hardcover inspired by the popular series. Plotted by series writer & co-producer Dan Thomsen, and co-written by Corinna Bechko (Planet of The Apes), this landmark release fits into the official continuity of Once Upon a Time and features the lush art of Nimit Malavia, Vasilis Lolos, Mike Del Mundo, Stephanie Hans and Mike Henderson.
Welcome to Storybrooke, a small New England town where seemingly regular people go about their everyday lives with no idea who they really are – the fabled storybook characters we all grew up with! It’s real, all of it! But Fairy Tale Land is not the “happily ever after” you may have heard about – their stories continued, and the Evil Queen cast a Dark Curse over their homeland.
In Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen, the Evil Queen has, quite literally, captured the Huntsman’s heart. With the Huntsman a slave, experience the never-before-told tale behind their twisted relationship—and what happens when a good man is forced to do bad. And when Regina cooks up yet another devious plan to capture Snow White the Huntsman comes face-to-face with his past — including an independent spirit in Red Riding Hood that just may match his own. Can these two break free of the forces that bind them and save Snow White?
The release of Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen marks the first official graphic fiction tie-in to the hit ABC Studios series.
“Once Upon a Time fans are in for a treat with this incredible story that reveals some shocking secrets about Regina and the Huntsman”, said David Gabriel, SVP Sales, Print and Digital Media. “It’s been a pleasure to work with ABC to create a line of high quality original graphic novels that bring new fans into comic stores and also allow us to introduce great franchises like Once Upon a Time to our die-hard fans.”
“Shadow of the Queen will bring fans a whole new thread of the intriguing backstory between Regina and the Huntsman – in a uniquely Marvel way”, said Adam Sanderson, SVP Franchise Management for the Disney-ABC Television Group. “We hope this brand extension will further deepen the engagement our viewers have with one of ABC’s signature series.”
When put to the test, where will the Huntsman’s loyalties lie? Has the Evil Queen stolen his heart in more ways than one? Find out in Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen available on September 4th in book stores, comic shops, the Marvel Comics app (for iPhone®, iPad®, iPod Touch® & Android devices) and online in the Marvel Digital Comics Shop.
About Marvel:
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com.
