Universal Television, the television production subsidiary of the NBCUniversal Television Group whose current shows include Bates Motel and Grimm, has optioned the rights to The Wicked + The Divine comic by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie and Matt Wilson (and others), just as it has earned three Eisner Award nominations, including best new series.

Matt Fraction and Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Milkfed Criminal Masterminds will produce the project through the two-year production deal announced back in February, which will also see Matt and DeConnick’s Sex Criminals reach the small screen.

In addition to adapting their own comics and developing original concepts, Fraction and DeConnick plan to use Milkfed as a TV launchpad for other comic creators’ IP, and a The Wicked + The Divine TV deal is the first fruit of their tie-in with Universal on this front.

“I’m so happy to be working with Matt and Kelly Sue,” said James on Twitter as news broke of the deal.

“I’m glad we can finally share the news,” said colourist Matt Wilson.

Launched last year by Image Comics, The Wicked + The Divine, which won the Best Comic at the 2014 British Comic Awards, features a group of people with superhuman powers known as “The Pantheon”.

Gillen – a guest at this year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October – and McKelvie first sprang to the attention of comic fans with  their 2006 cult Image book Phonogram. They later collaborated for their GLAAD Award-winning run on Marvel’s Young Avengers.

Gillen’s comic credits also include Marvel’s Star Wars: Darth Vader, Iron Man and Uncanny X-Men; Avatar’s Uber and Mercury Heat; and Image’s Three.

McKelvie’s other work includes comics such as Defenders and X-Men Season One, character costume design and cover work.

• More about Wicked + Divine at www.wicdiv.com

• Kieron Gillen’s Work Blog: http://gillen.cream.org | Follow Kieron on Twitter @kierongillen

• James McElvie: www.jamiemckelvie.com | Follow James on Twitter @mckelvie

• Matt Wilson: http://mattwilsoncolors.blogspot.co.uk | Follow Matt on Twitter @colornmatt

• Milkfed Master Criminals: http://milkfed.us

• Kelly Sue DeConnick: http://kellysue.tumblr.com | Follow Kelly on Twitter @kellysue

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Explorer (previously known as Star Trek Magazine) and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War and “Dan Dare”. He’s the writer of "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: downthetubes Comics News, Other Worlds, Television, US Comics

Tags: Image Comics, James McKelvie, Kelly Sue Deconnick, Kieron Gillen, Matt Fraction, Milkfed Criminal Masterminds, Universal Television