Twice before comic book creators have tried to resurrect the popular 1967-68 Patrick McGoohan television series. The first was created by comic book giants Jack Kirby and Gil Kane in the 1970s. In an odd twist as strange as the series itself, the Kirby/Kane comics never made it to publication. Lucky for fans of these creators and fans of the show, the 1970s story will be available later this year as The Prisoner: The Original Art Edition, including Kirby’s first issue, 18 pages of Kane’s artwork, and a contemporary follow-up story by Steve Engelhart that would have continued the series. It’s available for pre-order now here at Amazon or from your local comic book store. A second attempt at a comeback came in 1988-89 with the prestige format DC Comics mini-series The Prisoner: Shattered Visage. With powerful artwork full of symbolism from Mister X creator Dean Motter and co-written with Mark Askwith, the series raised more questions, and was reprinted in a trade edition that is still available (here).
Today a new beginning is coming to comic book shops with Titan Comics next continuation of the series, 50 years after the series wrapped. Written by Peter Milligan (X-Statix, The Mummy) and illustrated by Colin Lorimer (The Hunt, Harvest), with colors by Joana LaFluente and lettering by Simon Bowland, The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machine introduces a new Number Six to the Village. It’s a cool, stylish re-introduction to the strange world from the original TV series. Milligan engages readers from the initial action sequence, and Lorimer’s re-creation of the Village is a perfect homage for fans of the original and the real-life location in Wales where the show was filmed, Portmeirion. This Number Six’s partner was taken while both were on assignment with MI5. Can Number Six confront Number One, rescue his partner and find his way to become the second agent to ever leave the Village, and the first to leave with his mind intact?
Here is a preview of Issue #1 of The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machine, courtesy of the publisher, with six covers and two exclusives (one from Diamond/Vice Press/Chris Weston, and one from Big Finish), including a Kirby original (also seen in the forthcoming The Prisoner: The Original Art Edition), and a Michael Allred cover. We also added a first look at later covers from the series:
