Virgin Adapting Dan Dare - Garth Ennis writing !?

[Marbles]

Virgin Comics is bringing British adventurer Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future out of retirement, with plans to publish a new line of comic books and develop a feature around the intergalactic flyer.

Dare -- described as Britain's version of Buck Rogers -- launched as a comic strip character in the Eagle magazine in the 1950s. He's long been a favorite of Virgin's Richard Branson, who led the effort to acquire the publishing, TV, movie and video game rights to Dare.

The new comic book series will debut in November, written by comic book veteran Garth Ennis, whose credits include "Preacher," "Hitman" and John Woo's "Seven Brothers."

"Dan Dare is the quintessential British hero," Ennis said. "He's our Captain America, our Superman, our Batman; he's all of them rolled into one."

The new books will have Dare emerge from a self-imposed exile, the result of his disgust with politics and the post-nuclear warfare that has destroyed North America and much of Asia -- leaving the U.K. as the world's last remaining superpower.

[Richmond Clements]

Pffft.
No mention of the Cosmic Claw...

[JayzusB.Christ]

having already been bummed in the Grant Morrison story in Revolver, now he's handed over to Garth Ennis. Give the poor bloke's sphincter a break

[Lobo Baggins]

I can remember a surreal moment on the radio about a decade ago with Dan Dare and Digby interviewing Garth Eniss about Judge Dredd...

'Dredd's just a bastard' was the gist of it, if I recall.

[Ignatzmonster]

So who's the artist? Weston quit waving your arms about like that.

[Marbles]

[ukdane]

Will probably have to pick this up.
Has anyone read any of the other Virgin Comics, what are they like?

[Adrian Bamforth]

I'm surprised to see Virgin giving British comics a go, and especially a niche character like this, they've very wisely concentrated so far on the developing world where comics aren't already seen as a fringe interest and where stories and mythology still have a currency. This title will surely only be read by a few people, most of them here, it would be good to see them try and break some new ground here as well.

[JOE SOAP]

Apparently the deal is part of Virgin's plan to develop a Dan Dare flick:

Link: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117970907.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564

[Adrian Bamforth]

I wish they wouldn't, not because of loyalty to the character, just that there's little about Dan Dare that is in tune with today's youth and too little space for a director to work with. All it has is brand recognition - just.

[JOE SOAP]

I agree, I even think a new comic is a bit of a stretch for such a dated character, putting any kind of modern edge or cliched added irony will only be a disservice.

[Noisybast]

Hugh Laurie for Dan Dare*!










well, he should be...

[Huey2]

I'm not sure Ennis will put some modern spin on Dare.
I've never read the original run of Battler Britain, so I might be about to start talking out of my arse, but - I'm guessing it was pretty true to the source material.  I think Ennis will be equally reverent here.
I'm also not sure how dated he will be. Are we all so jaded and cynical now that our heroes have to be psychotics with huge laser cannons?
Personally, I think it'll be great.

- Huey

[Funt Solo]

Coincidentally, I've just read over the early years of 2000AD in Thrill-Power Overload, and one of the things that was said about the then resurrection of the Dan Dare character, was that the Treen were too pathetic, and could've been beaten up by the kids who read the comic.

Personally, I've never seen the appeal of the Dan Dare character - he's such a British Empire crushes alien menace stiff-upper-lipped wanker, merrily enacting genocide without question.  However, if anyone can make him sympathetic, it's probably Ennis.  

The Revolver version was tedious and grim.  The 2000AD version had no soul.  

Oh, and anything with the name Branson attached to it, tends to provide incredibly poor service, in my personal experience.  I'm amazed that he still associates with his own products, to be honest.

[Leigh S]

Is he? I've been pleasantly surprised by the Dan Dare books - sure, theres some remnants of British Empire think, but he's certainly not genocidal!  Now Flash Gordon may be the man youre after there!

As for reinventing it... well, the books read a lot better than you'd imagine in my eyes - It's only really the idea of Britain being leaders in the Space Race that seem laughable - the rest (bar life on Venus etc) I think work very well.  If you were going to pitch it right for a film audience, I'd say go for a kind of a British Indiana Jones - dont try and update it and make it 'plausible' - just run it as a retro but inspired alternate universe style thing and you'd be a lot better served.  

After all, isnt Harry Potters  boarding school hi-jinks hideously outdated, and look how thats caught on.