Dynamite Entertainment and Double Helix Studios are set in teaming up, to bring the classic fighting game franchise Killer Instinct, into comics.
Killer Instinct was a quite popular video game franchise released in 1994, during the golden age of competitive martial arts based fighting games. The arcade classic was originally developed by Rare and published by Midway and Nintendo. Its sequel, Killer Instinct 2, arrived in 1996. After a long absence, a reboot developed, from Double Helix Games and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360, released in 2013. Since then, Killer Instinct has sustained its fandom and a special spot for many gamers, especially with the new KH: Definitive Edition on the Xbox One.
Now, the Killer Instinct story mythos shall come to the comic pages, written by New York Times best-selling author, and multi Eisner-award nominee Ian Edington (2000AD., Batman) with art by Cam Adams (Fallout World).
The Shadow Lord Gargos has been defeated, but the battle to save humankind from his Astral invasion has taken a terrible toll on the Earth. Our world lies in ruin, and a sinister new power called the Coven has risen from the ashes, vying with the megacorporation Ultratech to rule the shattered nations. The heroes Kim Wu and Jago-their Astral powers weakened by their devastating war against Gargos-must band together with the scattered remnants of the Night Guard to forge a pathway into the Astral Plane. Here, in the birthplace of The Shadow Lord and The Guardians, festers the secret malevolence that threatens to destroy them all…and enslave the world forever.
Writer Ian Edington said, “Killer Instinct has a colorful and diverse cast of characters, each with their own rich back-stories and with plenty more tales to tell. The Killer Instinct pantheon effectively comprises a superhero universe and it’s hard not to get overwhelmed with the wealth of riches there is to work with. I’ve taken a dozen or so characters – Kim-Wu, Jago, Aganos, Tusk, Aganos, Kan-ra, etc, and built a story around them that’s self-contained but can springboard into other series if need be. I’ve structured it to appeal to die-hard Ki fans and those coming to it cold. You won’t need any foreknowledge of the game to enjoy it. Likewise, there will be plenty of nods and easter eggs to the game for Killer Instinct fans. I’ve had a huge amount of fun writing this series. It’s a fantastic world to be permitted to play around in.”
The debut issue of Killer Instinct features a wide selection of cover variants, providing fans and retailers with the freedom of choice! The cover artwork features the talents of Yildiray Cinar (Teen Titans), Jonathan Lau (Red Sonja), interior artist Cam Adams, and Udon (Stree Fighter), respectively. Limited variant editions in “Black & White” and “Virgin” formats are also available as retailer incentives for comic shops that support the launch issue by achieving stocking thresholds.
Killer Instinct #1 swings into comic stores and various popular digital platforms, on September 13th.
COVER GALLERY BELOW: