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Skybound Entertainment's Universal Monsters line of comic books will expand this April with Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!, a four-issue limited series that will serve as a full-on sequel to the original film series, including a very classic looking take on production artist Millicent Patrick's beloved Gill-man design. The series arrives just in time for the original 1954 film's 70th anniversary.
Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! will be co-written by Dan Watters and Ram V, with art from Matthew Roberts and colorist Dave Stewart. Along with the classic Gill-man monster, the comic will bring back the character Doctor Edwin Thompson, played by Whit Bissel in the original 1954 film.
They'll be joined by a new character named Kate Marsden, a journalist who is hunting down a serial killer named Darwin Collier in the Amazon rainforest when she encounters the eponymous Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Here's a gallery of covers for Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! by series artist Matthew Roberts, Joshua Middleton, DANI, Joëlle Jones, and Alex Ross, along with some interior pages by Roberts:
"We're so thrilled to announce our second book in the Universal Monsters line," says Alex Antone, editorial director at Skybound, in a statement. "Dan Watters and Ram V are two of the most exciting writers in comics, and to be able to turn them loose with longtime Skybound creators Matthew Roberts and Dave Stewart has been an absolute treat."
"And while James [Tynion] & Martin [Simmonds]' Dracula was an adaptation of the original film, Creature is a brand-new story featuring beloved Gill-man," he continues. "Each book in the Universal Monsters line will feel different from the last, with each creative team bringing their own unique flavor and passion to these iconic horror characters. I can’t wait to share what else we have planned!"
The original Creature from the Black Lagoon is one of the standout films of the original Universal Monsters movie era, thanks to its beautifully terrifying monster, and breathtaking underwater visuals. Later film sequels took some strange turns, with the Gill-man undergoing surgery to live on land among humans and eventually running amok. It will be interesting to see a team of up-and-coming creators (anchored by veteran horror comic colorist Dave Stewart) get back to the core of the creature's story for this comic book sequel.
Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! will mark the second entry in Skybound's Universal Monsters line, following 2023's Dracula from writer James Tynion IV and artist Martin Simmonds. It launches with Universal Monsters: Creature From the Black Lagoon #1 in April.
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