Fango recently caught up with former BLOODRAYNE comics writer Steven O’Connell, who gave us the lowdown on his upcoming four-color chiller titled DARK 48. Coming January 30 from Digital Webbing Press, DARK 48 is a cross between “RESIDENT EVIL and ALIENS by way of 28 DAYS LATER,” according to O’Connell, who says of the two-part series, “It’s based on an unfinished screenplay I wrote about two years ago,” which after shelving he decided to approach again in printed form. “Since Hollywood seems to be interested in [cinematic adaptations] of comics, I figured that was my chance.”
DARK 48 features cover and interior art by Indro (who pencils) and colorist Joel Seguin, and O’Connell elaborates on its storyline: “The United States is plunged into darkness when a Soviet-engineered virus is accidentally let loose by terrorists who intercepted it. It attacks the Y chromosomes of males and induces rage.” The writer adds that the comic revolves around more than the typical “civilians on the run” scenario (the conceit of so many similar tales): “The [terrorist] cell doesn’t know what they intercepted. Their intelligence claimed it was a virus bound for the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, but they soon realize too late that it’s a highly volatile, manmade plague the Soviets were going to use in Afghanistan back in the 1980s. The Russians had hoped the Afghan rebels would turn on each other.” O’Connell took a slightly Joss Whedon-esque approach to the subsequent narrative, which “follows an all-female strike team named Battle Corp. Delta, whose mission is to traverse the contiguous lower 48 states searching for survivors, and hopefully a cure.”
It certainly does sound like it would make a good movie, and O’Connell agrees: “A comic book is essentially a storyboard, so it seemed a natural fit to me. It would make a great franchise, and one I’m sure would have legs for a few years to come.” You can check out sample pages and more info at DARK 48’s official website here.
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