Batwoman Team Blends Sci-Fi and Fantasy In New Image Series Echolands
The powerhouse team that brought fans Batwoman is partnering with Image Comics on the release of the highly anticipated, genre-mixing, Echolands. The series is set to be an epic adventure that merges sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and more into one in order to bring readers a unique adventure like they've never seen before.
Creators J.H. Williams III (Promethea, The Sandman: Overture, Batman) and W. H Haden Blackman (Star Wars, Elektra) are pioneers behind modern day Batwoman and have received various accolades in celebration of their work together. Although Williams III and Blackman left the title back in 2013, their names are still strongly tied to the character. Additionally, Williams III returned to DC back in 2020 to work on Batman: Black and White. Now, the duo are rekindling their creative partnership by teaming up with Image Comics to bring to life to a new comic series a decade in the making.
Image Comics is the home to many innovative stories, so the publisher is no stranger to the world these creators are building. The powerhouse duo are joined by colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Todd Klein. The team hopes to push the boundaries of storytelling and produce stunning, fresh content in a unique landscape format, all the while melding together a hodgepodge of popular genres into one epic adventure taking place in what they call a "bizarre future world." Williams III describes Echolands as "a lifelong dream years in development, featuring an amazing cast of characters that we believe you’ll love as much as we do." One of those amazing characters is the main protagonist, a thief by the name of Hope Redhood, whom the story follows as she explores the past and fights to escape the grasps of a tyrannical wizard and daughter duo. Check out previews for the upcoming series below!
The art is vaguely representative of a darker version of one of the fairy tale books parents give their kids when they're younger; one of the ones full of mystery and secrets, letters and intrigue, monsters and adventure. And the world building seems to be vast and incredibly imaginative, oftentimes brimming with an explosion of thoughts and ideas. The images seeming to be almost collage-like in nature. Blackman claims that "what began as a story about a thief on the run from an evil Wizard has evolved into a worlds-spanning adventure," and that "Image is the perfect home for this eclectic project."
From a thief whose road seems to lead to a war between worlds, to a society that has forgotten its history in a world full of a plethora of monsters, technology, and magic, anything seems possible in this mythical adventure. Each issue of Echolands will feature a Raw Cut edition with art from Williams III himself, just as it looked when it first left his studio. This will allow readers to opportunity to see the unedited imagination that's being put into every issue. For anyone who loves the trials and tribulations of dystopian futures, exploring the ins and outs of magic wielders and their incredible powers, lives for the evolution of an anti-hero, or just enjoys an explosion of eclectic creativity, Echolands will be one adventure they won't want to miss. Step into the bizarre adventure with Echolands #1 available online and in stores August 25th.
Source: Image Comics