Astro City - believed to be the last fully-fleshed, stand-alone superhero franchise not adapted for other media - is finally becoming a TV show. FremantleMedia North America, who also produced the recent adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods for Starz, have picked up the television rights for the long-running and critically-acclaimed comic book and intend to adapt it into a live-action drama.

Set in the titular city, which boasts the highest population of super-heroes and super-villains in the world, Astro City first saw publication in 1995 at the height of what became known as The Dark Age of Comics. While other series were deconstructing the superhero genre and replacing classic characters with gun-totting anti-heroes, writer Kurt Busiek set out to examine what made superheroes so wonderful while exploring the realities of life in a world full of superheroes. With the aid of artists Brent Anderson and Alex Ross, Busiek developed a world that now features over 2000 original characters, spanning 16 collected volumes.  Though the series is currently published by DC Comics through their Vertigo imprint for mature readers’ stories, Astro City is still an independent publication which Busiek owns outright.

Deadline broke the story on the upcoming adaptation, for which Busiek will co-write the pilot episode with Rick Alexander, the executive producer on EuropaCorp Television’s series version of Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg!. Busiek appears to be enthusiastic about the project and hopeful the production team at FremantleMedia will bring his world to life, saying:

“It’s a thrill to be working with Rick, Gregory and FremantleMedia on this… Everyone, at every turn, is supportive, helpful and completely focused on capturing the feel of Astro City and bringing it to life as a TV show.”

 

It’s unknown what the plot of the pilot will entail, but a likely guess is that it may be based on the story of the first issue of Astro City, “In Dreams”, which is available to read for free on ComiXology. In addition to being a wonderful introduction to the world of Astro City, “In Dreams” won the 1996 Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story. Focused on The Samaritan - a tribute and analogue of Superman - “In Dreams” explores a day in the life of the most powerful man in the world. The reader is treated to a first-person view of The Samaritan’s day, as he tries to balance his duties as a superhero, the work life of his secret identity and steal away a little time for the one vice he allows himself - flying for the sheer joy of being able to fly.

While Astro City has largely devoted itself to exploring the emotional realities of a world full of superheroes through similar stories, it has not shied away from tackling more serious and controversial issues as well. The series recently came under fire from conservative groups due to Busiek’s introduction of The Resistor - a guardian spirit who emerges to protect the helpless wherever people stand against a corrupt authority. It is worth noting, however, that Busiek had also created a Christian superhero team called The Crossbreed, whose membership took their code names from Biblical figures that related to their powers.

Controversy aside, the anthology format of the Astro City comics does seem best suited towards a television adaptation. It is easy to see the series telling different kinds of stories every week, united only by the setting itself. This could also help keep production costs down, as the stories in Astro City rarely involve any epic superhero battles except as an event in the background. Either way, it seems likely that the new series will remain true to the spirit of the original comics with Busiek helping to write it. Hopefully, it will be as successful on the small screen as it was on the comics page.

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Source: Deadline