Big Farscape comic news (or "the best Henson news NOONE is reporting")

[dwmckim]

This thread's purpose is twofold: to report some exciting news and also to comment on/discuss the lack of Henson fan/websites reporting on Boom!'s Farscape line...

First the press release...

WAR IS COMING TO FARSCAPE!

FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS #0
MARKS THE PRELUDE TO…
THE WAR FOR THE UNCHARTED TERRITORIES
AN EPIC FARSCAPE EVENT STARTS HERE!
WHO ARE THE KKORE?

April 17th, 2010 - Chicago, IL - At C2E2 today, BOOM! Studios announced an epic event that will take over all of FARSCAPE. There is a dark menace that wants to bring death and destruction to the civilizations of the Uncharted Territories. They are the Kkore! No one will be spared from war in the Uncharted Territories. And it all starts in FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS #0, on shelves now, serving as a prelude to The War For The Uncharted Territories.

Farscape show creator Rockne S. O'Bannon has architected this epic event that will span both of BOOM! Studios ongoing series FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS & FARSCAPE.

Very soon, Farscape fans across the globe will learn…

What role do Zahn's people, the Delvians, have in this coming conflict?

How can Scorpius benefit from the Kkore?

What plan does Scorpius have with Chiana?

To know the answer to these questions and more don't miss a single issue of BOOM! Studios' FARSCAPE ongoing series and FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS! The prelude to the epic war for the Uncharted Territories begins in the pages of FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS #0 with the threat taking over the entire Farscape Universe.

FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS #0 is written by Rockne S. O’Bannon and scripted by David Alan Mack, with interior art by hot newcomer Mike Ruiz. The debut issue features two covers in a 50/50 split, with art by Nick Runge and Chad Hardin, and a 1-in-10 incentive cover. This title carries a Diamond Code of FEB100749 and shipped April 14th, 2010.

FARSCAPE is an ongoing series written by Farscape creator Rockne S. O'Bannon and Keith R.A. DeCandido with sensational interior art by Will Sliney.

FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS is an ongoing series written by Rockne S. O'Bannon and David Alan Mack with art by red-hot newcomer Mike Ruiz.

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I can't believe that this - nor the announcement of Farscape: Scorpius' debut - NOR any reviews, scheduling info, announcement, acknowledgment, or ANYTHING having to do with Boom! Studios' line of Farscape comics is being reported ANYWHERE in the Henson website community! Muppet Mindset (which we'll give a pass since they don't care about any Henson property that's not Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, or Sesame Street), Toughpigs, Muppet Newsflash (not even its TWITTER account which is basically all the site sadly is now), the Muppet Central main site (or until i posted about it, the forum) - NOBODY is even acknowledging its existence while scads of coverage is given to the Muppet and Fraggle comic books! (Apologies if Muppetcast is reporting on them - until cd copies are made available, i don't have a chance to really listen so if they are giving them any coverage - good job! But somehow i doubt it.)

These comics are too good to be this ignored by the Henson fan community - they've enjoyed the same kind of phenomenal success Boom!'s Muppet line has (with copies selling out the day of release and issues going into THIRD PRINTINGS), are top notch, high quality, well written and (usually - depending on the artist) drawn...and they're actually carrying on the whole Farscape story - THAT'S HUGE! A Henson property with an official continuation - Even though the Henson Company has done a good job getting behind the Return to Labyrinth manga, i don't think anyone's going so far as to acknowledge that it's official canon. Not so with Farscape - this is the real deal...stories written by the series' creator, fully accepted (and advertised as) canon - while despite all the buzz, it's seeming unlikely that the proposed Farscape webisodes will ever really happen, new chapters of the Farscape saga come out on a monthly basis (actually twice a month if you count the different titles)!

The comic medium gives Rockne and Henson the chance to tell the stories they couldn't easily do due to budget/logistics onscreen - Rygel's return to his homeworld, appearances by characters who might have been tricky to use again due to actor availability...the latest arc of the main series is devoted to looking at PILOT'S homeworld!

It really breaks my heart to see these treasures get no attention at all - they deserve better. I hate to say it, but right now as a whole the Henson Company is in a state of releasing back catalog material to stay afloat as it announces big plans that keep getting pushed back or shelved due to funding, doing small web projects and mostly cgi-kids shows. But its Farscape comics come out regularly, are enjoyable, highly satisfying and the best source of entertainment coming out of Henson these days.

I fully concede that part of the lack of discussion may be due to spoiler concerns - i haven't started any Farscape comic discussion threads due to concerns of being able to have a really good discourse of them that's not spoiler-centric - especially at a time when many fans may still be getting caught up on the whole Farscape story soon after the release of the Complete Series dvd boxset. Each issue has typically has one big (usually several) surprises and unlike the Muppet/Fraggle comics, it's hard to really discuss them without putting spoilers fully on the table. Still that's no excuse to the Henson fan websites/community to IGNORE or gloss over this line completely! I call on all "Henson reporters" to correct this Farscape Comics news blackout! And i encourage all Henson fans - including and especially those actively reading the Muppet comics - to check out the Farscape comics. Yes, they'll be ultimately the most satisfying if you're caught up on all 88 episodes of the series and the Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars miniseries BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE! That's one of the best things about Farscape in the comic book medium - they're just as enjoyable/accessable to both old fans and those brand new to the Farscape universe who've never seen a single episode! Whereas one complaint in ragards to the original series was that so much happened so quickly and so fast that it was hard for new fans to get caught up - the comics reverse that problem by being a reintroduction to the world and being able to be read and re-read at one's own pace!

I simply can't say this enough - SUPPORT Boom!'s Farscape comics - whether by reporting on them, buying/reading them, and/or discussing/spreading the news on them. All the people at Boom! and Henson have been consistently and regularly doing too outstanding a job to get this kind of snubbing.

 

[Mystic Master]

The Farscape tv series was amazing - I own all the boxed sets of each season and the Peacekeeper wars - but you're talking about a comic...its not the same, nor anywhere near as exciting. If Rockne S. O'Bannon wants to wow us again - he should contact the SyFy network about doing a made-for-tv movie. The storyline was great, but the actors and Henson creations are what truly made the show.

 

[dwmckim]

The Farscape tv series was amazing - I own all the boxed sets of each season and the Peacekeeper wars - but you're talking about a comic...its not the same, nor anywhere near as exciting. If Rockne S. O'Bannon wants to wow us again - he should contact the SyFy network about doing a made-for-tv movie. The storyline was great, but the actors and Henson creations are what truly made the show.

Make no mistake - i would LOVE the Farscape story to happen onscreen (whether it be small, big, or computer). But it seems unlikely. How long now has Henson talked about doing webisodes? Plus being able to do a made-for-tv movie is not Rockne's call ... it was Scifi's (or however they're spelling it these days) decision to end Farscape in the first place (dishonoring the spirit of a two season contract). PK Wars would not have happened were it not for some financial investors that got wind of the massive Save Farscape movement.

So yes comics may not be as nice as a screen project - but it's not like they're the "year's supply of turtle wax" concellation prize either. They truly are the next best thing and while i do sometimes read thm wishing i could see what Ben, Claudia, Gigi and the gang (not to mention the directors) would do with various scenes (would kill to see them do that Leave it to Beaver dream sequence!), comics are really the best alternative medium to continue the story with - and as a gal named Martha would say, that is a VERY good thing.

Plus as mentioned, they're doing a bang-up job! Plus there are even some advantages - i touched on how they can do things with the comics that would be near impossible with the screen versions such as Rygel and Pilot's homeworlds but also there's no working around actor availability (anyone can pop up at any time), they come out regularly like clockwork - no months-long hiatuses...in fact there's TWO Farscape treats a month (three if they're still continuing the D'Argo tales in addition to the main title and Scorpius books) plus there's the way books allow the reader to use their imagination - while it would be nice to see the actors doing those scenes, the characters are strong enough to where one can "see" the show playing out in their head with very little effort as to how the actors/directors would do them.

I should also point out that everything in your post can easily apply to the Muppets - nothing compares to the performers, screen projects are more exciting than books, etc. But yet the Henson fans and websites are embracing the Muppet titles and every single site is posting regularly on them but the Farscape representation from the same fans/sites is very close to invisible which the point i was making. These comics deserve so much better than the deafening silence.

 

[RedPiggy]

Sigh ... one more comic to get ...