Named by director James Gunn as an influence for Gods and Monsters, the first chapter of the new DC Universe film and television slate, The Authority: Relentless by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, has just been re-released as a 360-page DC Compact Comics Edition.
This New York Times bestselling story, published before The Boys, which has similar themes, inspired the upcoming film, The Authority, characters who are heroes in only the strictest sense of the word.
Ruthless and unforgiving, this group of insanely powerful superhumans face down countless menaces to Earth, protecting mankind with their cold version of justice. An invasion from an alternate Earth, an international terrorist who is laying waste to major cities and a hostile alien intelligence who calls himself God all fall under their rule.
This is THE AUTHORITY. Pay allegiance. Or get your head kicked in…
The Authority, regarded as the first “widescreen comic”, was created in 1998 for US publisher WildStorm, owned by Jim Lee, later bought by DC Comics, with Jim Lee becoming VP and now Publisher/CCO of DC. Very much aimed at an adult audience, The Authority: Relentless was first collected way back in 2003 by DC Comics, a tale that follows the demise of most of her StormWatch teammates, and sees Jenny Sparks anxious to create a new super hero team dedicated to protecting Earth against threats of a global scale.
Joined by former StormWatch members Jack Hawksmoor and Shen Li-Min, Jenny recruits four new members, the Doctor, the Engineer, Apollo, and the Midnighter forming the ultra-powerful Authority.
Warren Ellis is the award-winning writer of Transmetropolitan, Planetary, The Authority, and the writer and co-creator of the graphic novel RED, which was the basis of two major motion pictures.
Comics artist and writer Bryan Hitch began his career at Marvel UK, working on titles such as Action Force and Death’s Head, before gaining prominence on US titles such as Wildstorm’s Stormwatch and The Authority, DC Comics’ JLA, and Marvel Comics’ The Ultimates. Real Heroes, his first fully solo creation, was published through Image Comics in February 2014. He is co-creator of Redcoat with Geoff Johns, published by Ghost Machine.
Bryan’s artwork and designs have appeared in direct-to-video animated films, television, and major feature films, such as the 2009 film Star Trek, for which he has been praised by director J. J. Abrams.
• The Authority – Relentless – DC Compact Comics Edition is available from all good comic and book shops | ISBN: 978-1799501992 | AmazonUK Affiliate Link | uk.bookshop.org Affiliate Link
A Caveat: In recent years, after widely reported accusations of sexual coercion and manipulation, documented on SoManyofUs.com, we are unclear if resolution was fully reached between Warren Ellis and those whose lives his conduct impacted. The last update statement on the site, posted in 2023, indicates that some progress was made, but not all that was hoped for.
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, US Comics
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