Looks like AWA Studios is making its move. The indie comics company has brought readers quite a few stories set in their own universe, which happens fairly often outside of the big two or Marvel and DC Comics. But, AWA has toyed with the idea of a larger universe within the company through “The Resistance.” Now the company has announced Gregg Hurwitz (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Vengeance of Moon Knight, Punisher) and Mark Texeira’s (Ghost Rider, Wolverine) upcoming title, Knighted, which appears to be the company’s move toward superhero-centric stories.
The series’ title character, the Knight, is the Batman for AWA’s shared universe.
“Batman meets ‘The Other Guys’ — an unlikely hero pressed into duty when the real hero goes down,” AWA said in its announcement of the book.
AWA Chief Creative Officer Axel Alonso:
“With ‘Knighted,’ Gregg and Mark are deconstructing and, in fact, reinventing an all-too familiar super-hero paradigm in the context of a brand-new shared universe that’s rooted in the 21st Century.”
Hurwitz on what readers can expect, as well as where his inspiration for “Knighted”:
“I was inspired by classic Lee-Ditko Spiderman, the two years I spent writing Batman for DC, and (Mark) Millar-(John) Romita Jr’s Kick-Ass,” he said. “Getting the right blend of humor and action, irreverence and suspense was important to me. Most of all, I wanted it to be playful.
“This story has lived in the back of my brain for over a decade now but I couldn’t find the outlet for it before AWA. I loved the idea of someone accidentally killing the primary superhero of a city — and then having to fill those shoes. A number of questions circled me as I first set pen to paper. What if the original superhero — effective as he may have been — was an [expletive]? What if our protagonist was pure of heart but much too meek for his own good? What would he have to learn about himself, his hidden reserves of power, were he to assume the role? And what parts of him might be liberated when he puts on that mask?”
In this action-packed adventure set in the universe of The Resistance, Gregg Hurwitz (Legends of the Dark Knight, Vengeance of Moon Knight), Mark Texeira (Ghost Rider, Wolverine), and Brian Reber (X-Men: Legacy, Spider-Man/Deadpool) introduce a masked vigilante for the 21st Century. Bob RyDee is a hapless bureaucrat whose bad luck streak comes to a crescendo when he accidentally kills the city’s masked vigilante, The Knight. Oops. Now, Bob is forced to take on the mantle of the legendary hero before the city descends into chaos. Good thing he’s got The Knight’s former butler/assistant to show him the ropes.
“Knighted” hits shelves November 3.
