The Leading Man (comics)

Last updated
The Leading Man
The Leading Man Comic.jpg
Cover to The Leading Man #1 (Jun. 2006).
Publication information
Publisher Oni Press
ScheduleIrregular
FormatStandard
Publication dateJun. 2006 - Jan. 2007
No. of issues5
Creative team
Created by B. Clay Moore, Jeremy Haun
Written by B. Clay Moore
Artist(s) Jeremy Haun
Inker(s) Jeremy Haun
Colorist(s) Dave Bryant
Collected editions
The Leading Man Volume #1 (2007) ISBN   1-932664-57-2

The Leading Man is a 5-issue limited graphic novel created by B. Clay Moore and Jeremy Haun for Oni Press in 2006 and later compiled in one volume in 2007. Also is known as the first full-color series from the publisher. [1] Universal Pictures is working on a film adaptation with Justin Lin as director.

Contents

Plot

Nick Walker, a successful Hollywood movie actor is also a superspy working for The Agency, a secret security organization, as a double agent. Nick is filming a movie in France, when he gets the mission to perform reconnaissance on an underground base that belongs to Code Black, a terrorist organization, close to the place where he is filming his latest movie. But he didn't count on various unexpected problems: the actress and his co-protagonist Kim Carlisle followed him in his recon mission, Alison Frost, who's also an actress of his film, is revealed as other The Agency spy, and he's captured by Code Black. Now, Nick has to get free and stop Code Black to accomplish their plans.

Main characters

Nick Walker: Nick is a famous Hollywood actor who has a double life: in one side, he's a successful movie star, and for the other, he's a secret spy working for The Agency. He approached the filmation of his last movie to recon a Code Black secret underground base close to the set, but things goes wrong and he was caught by Code Black members and taken as hostage, but finally manages to escape.

Kim Carlisle: Kim is a television actress who co-starred the film and has a crush with Nick. Enough of being rejected by Nick to go out with her, Kim followed him to the cave where Nick has to recon the underground base, when she was caught by Nick, who was unaware of her presence. After that incident, she involves more with Nick and later helps Travis and Alison to rescue Nick when he was caught by Code Black.

Alison Frost: Alison is the other actress apart from Kim which works with Nick in the movie they're filming in France. But after a while, is discovered that she's another secret agent for The Agency as well Nick is. With the help of Conrad and Sarah, they planned how to rescue Nick after being prisoned by Code Black squad.

Travis Conrad: Walker's "right hand". Travis is the personal assistant and old friend of Nick, who helps him with his missions with equipment and information. Also, he's the one who tells Kim all the story about him and The Agency to avoid she makes more questions and keep her in silence.

Sarah Diamond: Walker's personal stylist and her best friend, she's one of the few characters who knows about Nick's double life as a secret agent and helps him along with Travis. She's the only character that uses glasses and is a cold person.

Randall Foley: One of the heads of The Agency and Nick's boss, who also works as his representative agent. Randall sends Nick to the recon mission, as well he manages the production goes to France, the place where Nick has to make the recon mission.

Colonel Maxwell: Member of Black Code organization, former CIA agent and leader of the training operation, it's a man with just one eye, and a big scar in right eye. He discovered Nick, Kim and Alison trespassing his training facility in France and captured Nick.

Cardinale: Her real name is unknown. One of the Maxwell's trainees and the only woman in the group. A blonde short hair young girl with a sadistic manner who's the favourite of the group of Code Black assassins in training. She knows about pop culture and is the few who recognizes Walker as a famous actor.

Reception

In general, The Leading Man received good reviews from the public and the critic. Static Multimedia wrote: "The Leading Man is a good solid piece of work by both writer and artist with promise for the future." [2] Static Frontier wrote: "It's a perfectly packaged concept for a comic, and one of writer B. Clay Moore's trademark moves is taking pop culture icons and concepts and tweaking them beyond our expectations, then adding a healthy dose of dry or surreal humor to make it all click. No less is true of The Leading Man. Jeremy Haun's art is tight, a perfect fit for the spy/thriller genre. Nick has flare to spare, and the reader sees confidence in his every move, thanks to Haun's dynamic pencils." [3]

But not all the critics are favourable for this comic. Playback:stl wrote: "Overall, The Leading Man feels amateurish and unfocused. The story has a great deal of potential, but does not live up to it in this volume. Where it should have been quick-paced and funny, the plot drags and falls flat. It is essentially as shallow and forgettable as those action movies it pokes fun at." [4]

Film

In 2011, Universal Pictures bought the rights to adapt the series into a live action film, and later confirmed that Justin Lin would direct. [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Fury</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1, a World War II combat series that portrayed the cigar-chomping man as leader of an elite U.S. Army Ranger unit.

<i>Danger Girl</i> Comic book series

Danger Girl is an American comic book series created by J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell that started in March 1998 and is still published as a new series. The comic stars an eponymous group of three sexy female secret agents—Abbey Chase, Sydney Savage and Sonya Savage—who engage in adventures in the vein of other fictional characters like Charlie's Angels, James Bond and Indiana Jones. They are led by a former British Secret Service Agent named Deuce and guided by teenage genius Silicon Valerie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falcon (comics)</span> Comic book superhero

The Falcon is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was introduced by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan in Captain America #117, and was the first Black American superhero in mainstream comic books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Carter</span> Comics character

Sharon Carter is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers, the character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #75. Sharon Carter is a secret agent and an ex-field agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. under Nick Fury. She is also a love interest of the superhero Captain America / Steve Rogers. Sharon Carter was originally the younger sister of Peggy Carter. She was later retconned as Peggy's grand-niece because of the unaging nature of comic book characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Lin</span> Taiwanese-American filmmaker (born 1971)

Justin Lin is a Taiwanese-American film and television director, producer, and screenwriter. His films have grossed over $3 billion USD worldwide as of March 2017. He is best known for his directorial work on Better Luck Tomorrow (2002), the Fast & Furious franchise from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) to Fast & Furious 6 (2013) and F9 (2021), and Star Trek Beyond (2016). He is also known for his work on television programs like Community, and the second season of True Detective.

<i>Secret Avengers</i> Fictional comic book group

Secret Avengers is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring a fictional black ops superhero team of the same name. The series started with Ed Brubaker on writing duties, depicting a black-ops sect of Marvel's premier super hero team, the Avengers, which operates under the guidance and leadership of Captain Steve Rogers. The series is part of the Avengers-line relaunch as part of the "Heroic Age".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabe Jones</span> Fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics

Gabriel "Gabe" Jones is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, he made his first appearance in World War II war comics series Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valentina Allegra de Fontaine</span> Fictional comic book espionage agent

La Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Steranko, she first appeared in the "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." feature in Strange Tales #159.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jasper Sitwell</span> Fictional character

Jasper Sitwell is a fictional character, an espionage agent appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B. Clay Moore</span> American comic book writer

B. Clay Moore is an American comic book author, best known for the series Hawaiian Dick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S.H.I.E.L.D.</span> Fictional intelligence agency in the Marvel Comics Universe

S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism government agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this agency first appeared in Strange Tales #135, and often deals with paranormal activity and superhuman threats to international security.

<i>Fast & Furious 6</i> 2013 action film directed by Justin Lin

Fast & Furious 6 is a 2013 action film directed by Justin Lin and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to Fast Five (2011) and the sixth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise. The film stars Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto and Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner, alongside Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Sung Kang, Luke Evans, Gina Carano, and John Ortiz. In the film, Toretto, O'Conner, and their team are offered pardons for their crimes in exchange for helping DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) apprehend a mercenary organization led by former British SAS major Owen Shaw (Evans), one member of which is Toretto's former lover Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez).

<i>R.I.P.D.</i> 2013 American film by Robert Schwentke

R.I.P.D., also marketed as R.I.P.D.: Rest in Peace Department, is a 2013 American supernatural action comedy film starring Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds. The film was directed by Robert Schwentke and written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi based on the 1999 comic book R.I.P.D. by Peter M. Lenkov. The film also stars Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, Stéphanie Szostak, and Marisa Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gisele Yashar</span> Fast & Furious fictional character

Gisele Yashar is a fictional character portrayed by Gal Gadot who appears in the Fast & Furious franchise. Introduced in the film Fast & Furious (2009), she helps Dominic Toretto and later his team in Fast Five (2011), where she forms a romantic relationship with Han Lue. The character was supposedly killed in Fast & Furious 6 (2013), until Fast X (2023) which confirms that she is still alive. Gisele was Gadot's first major film role, and American director Justin Lin hired her due to her past military experience. Gadot performed her own stunts while shooting the films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-in comics</span> Stand-alone or limited comics by Marvel Comics

The Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-in comic books are limited series or one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics that tie into the films and television series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The comics are written and illustrated by a variety of individuals, and each one consists of 1 to 4 issues. They are intended to tell additional stories about existing characters, or to make connections between MCU projects, without necessarily expanding the universe or introducing new concepts or characters.

<i>The 355</i> 2022 American film by Simon Kinberg

The 355 is a 2022 American action spy thriller film directed by Simon Kinberg from a screenplay by Theresa Rebeck and Kinberg, and a story by Rebeck. The film features an ensemble cast, starring Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger, and Lupita Nyong'o as a group of international spies who must work together to stop a terrorist organization from starting World War III. Édgar Ramírez and Sebastian Stan also star. The title is derived from Agent 355, the codename of a female spy for the Patriots during the American Revolution.

<i>Fast X</i> 2023 film directed by Louis Leterrier

Fast X is a 2023 American action film directed by Louis Leterrier from a screenplay written by Dan Mazeau and Justin Lin, both of whom also co-wrote the story with Zach Dean. It is the sequel to F9 (2021), the tenth main installment, and the eleventh installment overall in the Fast & Furious franchise. It stars Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto alongside an ensemble cast including Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Scott Eastwood, Daniela Melchior, Alan Ritchson, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Rita Moreno, Jason Statham, Jason Momoa, and Charlize Theron. In the film, Toretto must protect his family from Dante Reyes (Momoa), who seeks revenge for his father's death and the loss of his family's fortunes.

References