The Midnight: Shadows – A Synthwave Sci-Fi Comic Adventure
Dark Horse Comics has announced the upcoming release of The Midnight: Shadows, an electrifying original sci-fi comic adventure inspired by the poetic storytelling of the band THE MIDNIGHT. This immersive universe combines retro sounds with cyberpunk-style aesthetics, promising to captivate both long-time fans and newcomers to the 1980s nostalgia-filled genre.
Written by comics creator Zack Kaplan (Kill All Immortals, Break Out) with art by Stephen Thompson (Star Trek, Batman Beyond) and artist Jahnoy Lindsay (Superboy), synth wave colors by Thiago Rocha (Hacktivists), and lettering by DC Hopkins (Nocterra, Star Wars), The Midnight: Shadows is set to be a visually stunning original graphic novel.
The story follows twenty-something young man, Jason, who finds himself on the verge of parenthood with his childhood sweetheart. Struggling with the loss of his adolescence, Jason is unexpectedly pulled back into THE MIDNIGHT, a cyberpunk game from his past.
As the helmeted hero who once vanquished the shadow monsters in the post-apocalyptic Neverland of 2085, Jason must confront two different realities, ultimately reconciling which world he truly belongs to while navigating the challenges of adulthood without losing himself.
Reflecting on the project, Tyler Lyle of The Midnight shared:
“The creative MO of The Midnight has always been to ‘combine not confine’. We noticed early on that creative people in other fields were taking our music and adding video, VR worlds, digital art, photography, and the world of The Midnight kept expanding.”
Tim McEwan added:
“Visuals have always been a huge aspect of the world of The Midnight. It was natural to take it one step further and create a graphic novel. We’ve been lucky enough to have an incredible team of artists and creatives, headed by the talented Zack Kaplan, who skillfully helmed this ship from the very start.”
Fans can also anticipate a limited deluxe edition, available exclusively through the band, featuring an alternate cover, gilded magenta edges, bonus art, interviews, and behind-the-scenes content offering a deeper understanding of the book’s creation. The deluxe edition will be released in two bundles, each including signed art prints and other special items.
In anticipation of the release, Zack Kaplan expressed his excitement, stating:
“Before I got the privilege to write this graphic novel, I was a fan. Their presence is so narrative, that it was dying to be shared in this form. And it’s been a joy to bring it all to comic life, to partner with Dark Horse for such a vivid and mind-bending series, and to create this electrifying world with a powerhouse creative team, Stephen, Jahnoy, Thiago, and DC, that will blow your mind with one visually stunning page after the next.”
Artist Stephen Thompson also shared his thoughts, commenting:
“The Midnight has probably been the most challenging and interesting book of my career so far. But the 1980s kid I am at heart felt right at home in this retro futuristic world and with the characters and vehicles which inhabit it.”
The Midnight: Shadows is set to arrive in trade paperback on bookstore shelves on October 1st, 2024, and at your favorite local comic shops on October 2, 2024.
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