IDW crashing Hollywood with Rivers, Ballad for Sophie, and more

Comics are set to be just part of publisher IDW’s game plan, as the company currently has five projects in work, spread out across as many outlets.

Comics-wood

At this point, I guess it’s not all that surprising when a comic book or graphic novel gets picked up for a TV or movie adaptation. After all, we’re still in the era of the MCU and whatever it is that DC is doing.

But even so, what happens when those comics that are being adapted aren’t of the superhero variety? Well, it’s a little more interesting, that’s what. And that happens to be the case with all 5 of the projects that IDW is talking up this week.

Not settling on having one or two books heading to the small screen, the publisher has a whopping five at present. While one of them might be a little ‘superhero-y’, they’re all pretty unique.

Here’s a look:

• Dark Spaces: Wildfire (UCP), a thriller series written by Scott Snyder (celebrated writer of Batman and American Vampire) with art by Hayden Sherman (The Few, Wasted Space, Thumbs, and Old Man Logan), follows a group of female inmate firefighters deep into the smoldering California hills, where their desperate heist of a burning mansion will lead them to the score of a lifetime…or a deadly trap! 
• “The Delicacy” (WBTV) is a stunning graphic novel from award-winning artist and one of Scotland’s most imaginative young cartoonists, James Albon (A Shining Beacon), about rare and delicious fungi that spell trouble for an ambitious restaurateur. Tulip and his brother Rowan have left the simple comforts of their remote Scottish island with a plan: to grow succulent, organic vegetables in an idyllic market garden, and to open a restaurant serving these wholesome culinary delights to the busy sprawl of London. The world of fine dining seems impossibly competitive…until they discover a deliriously scrumptious new species of mushroom. 
• “Rivers” (HBO Max), created by Dan Berry and David Gaffney, is about three ordinary weirdos and one recurring dream. The acclaimed minds behind The Three Rooms in Valerie’s Head return with a whimsical and ambitious portrait of human connection in the age of digital fragmentation.
• “Ballad For Sophie” (Universal International Studios), by Portuguese musician Filipe Melo and artist Juan Cavia and four-time nominee at this year’s Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, is a sweeping tale about what happens when a young journalist prompts a reclusive musical superstar to finally break his silence. Pouring out an astonishing saga of rivalry and regret, starring child prodigies, bitter old men, beautiful dancers, demonic managers, Nazi commandants, compassionate nuns and lifesaving animals, Ballad for Sophie is a stunning graphic symphony exploring a lifetime of ambition, betrayal, compassion anguish, long-buried secrets and flying pianos.  
• “Brutal Nature” (Ánima Studios), created by Luciano Saracino and Ariel Olivetti, Brutal Nature is about a collection of masks that transforms a young man into innumerable beasts and monsters. Using this awesome power, he embarks on a battle that pits the indigenous Mayan people against the encroaching Spanish empire. But can one man hope to beat back the massive forces of the conquering Spaniards?

But wait, there’s more

Along with all of the above, which is already a fairly impressive slate, there’s even more IDW stuff floating around out there. For one thing, there’s Locke & Key on Netflix. That show is still going, despite what you might or might not have heard, and debuts its latest season today (August 10th).

Then there’s also that IDW is “co-producing” season one of Surfside Girls, which is set to run on Apple TV+. Look for that August 19th.

At IDW, our commitment is to continue to build upon our legacy by having our Entertainment and Publishing divisions work in tandem to bring a wide range of projects to the masses across multiple platforms,” said Ezra Rosensaft, CEO, IDW Media Holdings. “This provides an unprecedented opportunity for our creative community to expand their IP across numerous verticals. We are also thrilled to see that some of our new Originals, launched as recently as April, are already resonating within the industry.

Ezra Rosensaft, CEO, IDW Media Holdings