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| Cover by Colin Lorimer. |
Perhaps, at just 17 episodes, The Prisoner just didn't last long enough for it to be considered worthy of appearing in a kids' comic. Perhaps it was considered too strange to adapt? We'll never know for sure. In 1988, DC Comics did publish a Prisoner mini-series, but it was met by mixed reaction (although, fair enough, so was the TV series). Before that, there were moves by Marvel Comics in America to produce a Prisoner comic in the 1970s, but it was never published. However, those unpublished pages will soon appear from Titan Books in an Original Art Edition, as I reported last year.)
Titan are also soon to publish a brand new comic on the theme, and The Prisoner No.1 debuts on 25th April. The first British comic devoted to the show, with 32 pages in full colour it is written by Peter Milligan, illustrated by Colin Lorimer, and edited by David Leach.
To quote the TV show, "We want information", but info is in short supply at present. All that has been revealed is: "Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first US transmission, this new series transports readers back to the mysterious village where everyone is a number!"
Fans of the intriguing series will no doubt be eager to see The Prisoner No.1, so place an order with your nearest comic speciality shop to ensure your copy!
UPDATE: Issue No.1 comes with a choice of five covers. Here are the rest...
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| Cover art by Mike Allred. |
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| Cover art by Jack Kirby. |
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| Cover art by John McCrea. |
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| Patrick McGoohan photo cover. |
Can't see the point of this - apart from making money of course. Peter Milligan is not Patrick McGoohan so who cares what his take on the Prisoner is.
ReplyDeleteQuite a few people care I think. I've never liked Prisoner 'fan fiction' myself but this does seem intriguing.
ReplyDeleteThe first issue should be #6, introducing the #6 character. The next four issues should each be #2, with different #2 characters. The final issue should be #1, revealing the #1 character. Just like the TV programme.
ReplyDeleteWe're not pretending that the TV series wasn't a pointless confusing mess, I hope. Entertaining, but poorly aimed. The Village and everything in it was only there to be boldly resisted by the hero. Then they ran out of ideas for stories in the Village and just made more episodes of "The Avengers" (the British civil servant heroes, like "Kingsmen"). So, no, "The Prisoner" is not sacred canon.
ReplyDeleteAnd this may be fun. Perhaps it'll say something important about the America of President Donald Trump. I'd prefer fun, though.
Sounds like you watched a different series to me, Robert! The Prisoner "a pointless confusing mess"? Definitely not. It was one of the most intelligent TV shows of the 1960s. The final episode still resonates 50 years later.
ReplyDeleteThe only episode remotely Avengers-like is "The Girl Who Was Death", or rather like Danger Man, as it was adapted from unused Danger Man scripts.
There was the episode where Number Six was made to dream about what he was doing when he decided to resign; the one where he is body-swapped and goes on a mission to London; the one where the Village is abandoned and again he goes back to London; and the Western episode - the interesting action in these happens away from the Village; at least I think so.
ReplyDelete"A, B and C", "Do Not Forsake Me", "Many Happy Returns", and "Living In Harmony". None of them anything like Avengers episodes, and all of them using techniques to try and make Number Six crack. The Village environment was not essential to every episode.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for this, will be interesting to see what they do with the character and story. Hard to imagine it being that popular but I'll hopefully enjoy it while it lasts.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that some shops order low on the Titan Comics. I don't know if it's down to spite (because of the link between Titan Comics and Forbidden Planet) or simply cash flow being directed at the numerous titles Marvel and DC churn out. Either way, it's best to pre-order any Titan title I think.
ReplyDeleteA more daring move would be the comic book version of Prisoner Cell Block H! Loved The Prisoner, visited the village when we were in holiday in the area and even watched the rebooted series of 10 years ago but I can't help feeling that it should be left alone. Did Danger Man ever appear in a comic Lew? Must have been more accessible and better known at the time.
ReplyDeleteYep, there are examples of Danger Man on the blog from earlier posts. Text stories in TV Express and a comic strip in Lion.
ReplyDeleteI used to go on holiday to Portmeirion twice a year for 20 years. Haven't been for several years now though.