Todd McFarlane Announces Spawn Dystopian Sci-Fi Series ‘Rat City’
by Olly MacNamee
Award-winning writer Erica Schultz (The Deadliest Bouquet, Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood) is the first female writer to take on a Spawn universe title with the announcement of Rat City from Todd McFarlane and Image Comics. Along for the ride on this ongoing dystopian sci-fi series will be artist Zé Carlos.
“Set nearly a hundred years in the future, Rat City explores a world ravaged by corruption and inequality and follows the gripping tale of former soldier Peter Cairn, known as ‘The Deviant.’ Unlike traditional HellSpawn, Peter’s transformation is not orchestrated by Hell itself, but instead by an unforeseen twist of fate, catalyzed by an unthinkable act from the original Spawn, Al Simmons himself.
Themes of loss, survival, and reinvention collide against the backdrop of a society divided between the privileged elite and the downtrodden masses. Through Peter’s eyes, readers will witness the harsh realities of a world where the line between right and wrong is blurred, and the consequences of one man’s actions ripple across an entire city.”
Talking about the new book, Schultz said:
“We wanted to tell a compelling story about a man whose life was turned upside down by circumstances beyond his control. Peter, and perhaps others like him, are collateral damage in Al Simmons’ war… we’ll see the consequences of that unending conflict.”
McFarlane added:
“Having other talented creators play within, and add to, the sandbox of Spawn’s history is always a pleasure to watch over. Erica is a highly sought-after talent as a writer, period. That she also brings along a female perspective is just an added bonus that will help flesh out some of these wonderful characters she has created. While artist Zé Carlos always delivers on bringing his skills to every project he works on… I’m glad this is his and Erica’s project right now! This book is also set in the future, so there is no need to have read past record-setting Spawn titles. You can use this book as a jumping point—as my goal for Rat City and other upcoming new titles is to give readers as many different options as possible. This book I’d put in the sci-fi category.”
Rat City #1 will be out on Wednesday, April 10th with a Final Order Cutoff deadline for comic shop retailers is Monday, March 18th.
