This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Elephantmen | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Comiccraft (Image Comics) |
Schedule | Monthly |
Format | Ongoing series |
Publication date | July 2006 |
No. of issues | 80 |
Creative team | |
Written by | Richard Starkings Tom Scioli Joe Kelly Jill Freshney |
Artist(s) | Moritat Chris Bachalo Rob Steen Chris Burnham |
Letterer(s) | Richard Starkings |
Colorist(s) | Moritat Nick Filardi Aron Lusen Gregory Wright |
Collected editions | |
Wounded Animals | ISBN 978-1-58240-691-6 |
Fatal Diseases | ISBN 978-1-60706-177-9 |
Dangerous Liaisons | ISBN 978-1-60706-268-4 |
Damaged Goods | ISBN 978-1-60706-137-3 |
No Surrender | ISBN 978-1-58240-980-1 |
Enemy Species | ISBN 978-1-60706-351-3 |
Elephantmen is an American ongoing monthly comic book published by Image Comics and written by Richard Starkings with art by Moritat and a number of other artists. Issue #1 was released in July 2006.
Some 200 years from now, the MAPPO Corporation, headed by the misanthropic and megalomaniacal Japanese scientist Dr. Kazushi Nikken, breeds human/animal hybrids in a secure, top-secret facility somewhere in North Africa. The Hybrids are composed of numerous African animal species including warthogs, elephants, camels, zebras, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, hyenas and crocodiles. The process involves implanting embryos into the wombs of kidnapped local women who are disposed of after giving birth. Each child is branded after birth, marking them as the property of MAPPO.
These Elephantmen are trained from birth to be the perfect emotionless super soldiers and merciless killers, and are indoctrinated with an Orwellian mindset to think of themselves as property of the MAPPO Corporation and to deny any concept of free thought.
Upon discovering these experiments, the United Nations send in an army to storm MAPPO's secret base. While their mission has not been elaborated at this stage, it seems to be a combination of liberating the Elephantmen, investigating the attacks on the local populace, and ending the development of MAPPO's illegal army.
MAPPO turns the Elephantmen on the U.N. troops, and horrendous casualties are inflicted on both sides. Ultimately, the U.N. succeed in subduing the Elephantmen and the MAPPO personnel are arrested. The Elephantmen are rehabilitated and released to establish their own lives in the outside world, where they are generally treated with distrust and horror from humans. Many of the Elephantmen were assigned jobs by the government.
Living with humans has proven to be incredibly difficult for the Elephantmen. The war in which they fought had great consequences as people from both sides (Elephantmen included) lost many loved ones. Not all of those who survived retained their sanity; in fact, some became active hunters who tracked down Elephantmen and then executed them. The series shows that the characters are haunted by memories that are still raw, with some people being driven to insanity due to being unable to let go of the past. It is evident that the Elephantmen themselves show some level of regret towards what they did during the conflict. It is also evident that crimes such as the ivory trade are seen as a good excuse to commit murder, and that even the Elephantmen themselves are involved with the seedy underworld and drug abuse. Women who befriend and become romantically involved with the Elephantmen are treated as outsiders, frowned upon, yet some have nightmares about their offspring and the chances of survival during childbirth. At this time in the series, the species do not accept each other.
The series as a whole is similar to the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? . Thus it also bears similarities to the film adaptation of the aforementioned book.
The Elephantmen series is a spin-off from the series Hip Flask , set in the same universe and expanding on details of various minor characters from that series. Elephantmen: War Toys is a three-issue mini-series prequel.
At WonderCon in 2010 Comicraft/Active Images said the option of their Image Comics series Elephantmen was bought by Zucker Productions for development into a film. Starkings himself was working on the draft treatment: "Jerry [Zucker] and I can't wait to bring the stories of Hip, Horn and Sahara to life on screen in a way that will simply take your breath away". [1] [2] The project's status is unknown.
Der Freischütz is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 1810 collection Gespensterbuch. It premiered on 18 June 1821 at the Schauspielhaus Berlin. It is considered the first German Romantic opera.
The Question is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the Question first appeared in Charlton Comics' Blue Beetle #1, and was acquired by DC Comics in the early 1980s and incorporated into the DC Universe.
The Thunderbolts are a antihero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team consists mostly of reformed supervillains. Created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, the team first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449.
The Darkness is a fictional superhero created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis and David Wohl, who first appeared in an American comic series published by Top Cow Productions in 1996. The character first appeared in Witchblade #10, set in the Image Universe. Jackie Estacado is a New York mafioso who, after turning 21, inherited the curse of the Darkness.
Stray Bullets is an independent American comic book series published in black and white by El Capitan Books and Image Comics. It is written and drawn by David Lapham.
Richard Starkings is a British font designer and comic book letterer, editor and writer. He was one of the early pioneers of computer-based comic-book lettering, and is one of the most prolific creators in that industry.
Joe Casey is an American comic book writer. He has worked on titles such as Wildcats 3.0, Uncanny X-Men, The Intimates, Adventures of Superman, and G.I. Joe: America's Elite among others. As part of the comics creator group Man of Action Studios, Casey is one of the creators of the animated series Ben 10.
Hieronymous "Hip" Flask is a fictional anthropomorphic hippopotamus who appears in comic books published by Active Images and Image Comics. He was created by Richard Starkings.
Archer & Armstrong is a superhero duo in the Valiant Comics universe. The two were originally created by writer and artist Barry Windsor-Smith and introduced in their own self-titled comic book series in 1992. After Acclaim Entertainment bought Valiant Comics in 1996, the two characters were rebooted in a series of one-shot comics entitled Eternal Warriors. Valiant Entertainment, Inc. relaunched the Valiant Comics universe yet again in 2012 and Archer & Armstrong Volume 2 introduced a new version of the duo. Their stories are a mix of dark superhero action and comedic adventures.
Nocturnals is a comic book title created by artist Dan Brereton which debuted as a six-part limited series in 1994–1995 under Malibu Comics collectively subtitled as Black Planet.
Gødland is an American comic book series by Joe Casey and Tom Scioli, set in the Image Universe and published by Image Comics from 2005 to 2012.
Jamie McKelvie is a cartoonist and illustrator, known for his both work on books such as Phonogram, Young Avengers and The Wicked + The Divine, and his approach to comic character design.
Trinity is an American comic book series published by DC Comics featuring the superheroes Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. The first series was published weekly from 2008 to 2009. In 2016, a second monthly comic book series was launched by DC Comics.
The Sword is a monthly comic book limited series created by the Luna Brothers and published by American company Image Comics. The first issue was released in October 2007 and the series concluded in May 2010 with a giant-sized 24th issue.
The Mice Templar is an American comic book series created by Bryan J. L. Glass, and Michael Avon Oeming that is published by Image Comics. The series is an anthropomorphic fantasy tale that follows the struggles of a small group of mice against an evil tyrant king.
Dark Avengers is a 2009–2013 American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that features various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers, with this version of the team - unbeknownst to the public in its stories - having several members who are actually supervillains and anti-heroes disguised as the established superheroes.
Chew is an American comic book series about a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agent, Tony Chu, who solves crimes by receiving psychic impressions from food, including people. It is written by John Layman with art by Rob Guillory and published by Image Comics. The series has won two Eisner Awards and two Harvey Awards.
The Invincible Iron Man is a comic book series written by Matt Fraction with art by Salvador Larroca, published by Marvel Comics and starring the superhero Iron Man. After issue #33 The Invincible Iron Man returned to its original numbering with issue #500. It concluded with issue 527, succeeded by the Marvel NOW!–imprinted Iron Man series.
Nathan Edmondson is an American comic book writer, best known for his creator-owned series Who is Jake Ellis?, published by Image Comics, as well as the runs on The Punisher and Black Widow for Marvel Comics.
"The Lies" is a seven issue comic book story arc written by Greg Rucka, with pencils by Liam Sharp and colors by Laura Martin.