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DC Comics reveals next phase of Milestone Media with Blood Syndicate comic, animated movie and talent initiative
At last year's DC FanDome, DC Comics announced a long-awaited revival of Milestone Media with a comeback special and new series from both veteran and emerging talent, not to mention the news that a Static Shock movie is on the way. At this year's FanDome, DC not only celebrated what Milestone has become in the last year, but expanded on what's to come, including a new film project, new comics, and a new talent development initiative.
During the FanDome event on Saturday, Milestone co-founded Denys Cowan and Milestone writer and producer Reginald Hudlin revealed a number of exciting developments on the Milestone front, including the much-anticipated launch of a Blood Syndicate comic next year. Milestone was revived last summer with the Milestone Returns one-shot, which led directly into three new miniseries focusing on classic characters including Static, Icon and Rocket, and Hardware.
But as well-received as those three series were, they arrived without news of the vigilante crew known as the Blood Syndicate, one of Milestone's most popular original launches in the early 1990s. Now, we know that a Blood Syndicate book will arrive next year, with talent attached to the project announced in the coming weeks and months.
Alongside that eagerly awaited news, Cowan and Hudlin also confirmed that "Season Two" plans for all of the previously launched Milestone titles are underway, and that all the books will continue to create connections as part of a wider "Dakotaverse" of stories.
On the film front, Cowan and Hudlin confirmed that writer Randy McKinnon (Safety) is at work on the script for the previously announced Static Shock film, then dropped the news of an all-new film project. Milestone has partnered with Warner Bros. Animation for a new feature film set in the central Milestone city of Dakota, marking the first time since the Static Shock cartoon that Dakota has been revived onscreen. Milestone writer Brandon Thomas (Hardware Season One) is at work on the script for the project, which will revolve around "more than one" Milestone character.
“This has been the thing that Milestone fans have been dreaming about for a long time, and we’re happy to give it to you, finally," Cowan said.
While established Milestone creators are hard at work on the next generation of stories both on the page and on the screen, Cowan and Hudlin also confirmed the publisher's commitment to inclusion with a new initiative aimed at supporting up and coming talent. As part of DC Comics' new "Next Generation DC" project in partnership with financial services company Ally, Cowan and Hudlin announced The Milestone Initiative, a program that will "identify, support and elevate" new talent through a new creator development program. Successful applicants to The Milestone Initiative will be granted a one-week intensive training program at DC's offices in California, along with an eight-week virtual course at the prestigious Kubert School to help advance their comics storytelling skills.
“From its earliest years, representation, impact and mentorship have always been at the heart of Milestone Media, and we’re proud and excited to partner with DC, WarnerMedia and Ally on Next Generation DC and The Milestone Initiative, cultivating the next great wave of diverse storytellers," Cowan said.
Oh, and that's not all. If you're just looking for a whole bunch of Milestone Comics to add to your shelf, Cowan and Hudlin also revealed that February will see the launched of The Milestone Compendium, a massive 1,300 page softcover collection that will gather many of the foundational Milestone stories in a single volume. The Milestone Compendium One will feature the first 12 issues of Blood Syndicate and Hardware, the first 10 issues of Icon, the first eight issues of Static and Xombie, and Shadow Cabinet #0. That's a lot of Milestone history packed into one book.
Through all this news, one message was very clear: Milestone Media is back to stay.
