Comics never really die. They become cult classics, cherished until they're revived, republished, and optioned by Disney. Such is the tale of Alien Legion, which is soon to enjoy a revival that'll have many a comic fan claiming they were there from the beginning. (I won't be one of them -- I'll openly confess that it passed me right by.)Creator Carl Potts described Alien Legion as "the Foreign Legion in space," and it's probably best described as melting pot of military and sci-fi, as Star Trek, Star Wars and The Dirty Dozen all influenced its vision of intergalactic soldiers banding together for honor, fortune, and adventure. It was one of Marvel's longest running series under their Epic Comics' banner, and it's been one that fans have continued to champion. Now it's being republished in a beautiful Dark Horse omnibus (which means out-of-the-loop losers like myself can finally read it), and getting four brand new issues from Dark Horse starting in 2010.
It's also on its way to the big screen. USA Today sat down all its creators, and Potts revealed that Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney were currently developing a feature film out of the series. Derek Haas and Michael Brandt are currently working on the third draft of the script, and Disney is undoubtedly hoping it could become another blockbuster franchise. I'd love to see the Mouse House actually develop a viable sci-fi franchise of their own, and Alien Legion is certainly a very promising series. Let's hope its cult of fans are rewarded with a good adaptation after all their years of devotion, and they don't resent the rest of us for coming to the party so late.
1. I was there at the beginning, and I think this is great news. I think this series would make a helluva movie and I hope it makes it to the big screen. Now I'm going to see if I can find any of my old copies.
Posted at 12:27AM on Nov 18th 2009 by hardcle