Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Adam Smith, alexandria huntington, archaia, beneath the dark crystal, boom, boom studios, dark crystal, jim henson, The Dark Crystal

BOOM! Announces 'Beneath the Dark Crystal,' Another Sequel to the Jim Henson Classic

Published Fri, 23 Mar 2018 23:07:24 -0500

by Jude Terror

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BOOM! Studios has announced another sequel to The Dark Crystal, to be published under its Archaia imprint this Summer. Jim Henson's Beneath the Dark Crystal will be a 12-issue series written by Adam Smith with art by Alexandria Huntington. The premise:

Kensho arrives at the Crystal Castle where he was once a lowly acolyte and is asked to accept the responsibility as leader of Thra. But he will have to rectify sins of the past before he can decide if he – or anyone – is fit to rule. Meanwhile, the realm of Mithra is being rebuilt by the newly-crowned Ember Queen Thurma, whose own quest to decide the future of her land is thrown into question when another Fireling makes a claim as the true heir to the throne.

"The Dark Crystal is undeniably about wonder and hope, a fantastical world to be explored and saved from evil," said Smith in a press release. "In Beneath the Dark Crystal, we're so excited to continue that exploration to the world beneath Thra, Mithra. The Jim Henson Company has always told undeniably human stories wrapped in magic and mysticism, and we hope that readers will not just join us, but connect in some way, to a new world of hope and wonder. The next stage of Thurma and Kensho's relationship is a very human story, just with Firelings, Gelfling, and a very powerful Light."

"The Dark Crystal has been one of my favorite films since childhood, and has largely inspired and influenced my illustrative work," added Huntington. "I am just really excited to add to that legacy. For me, The Dark Crystal transcends "fantasy" as the genre we know today, and harkens back to something more primal. It's more a myth than a story, and there is something intrinsically magical about that."

Also magical is the propensity of sequels to continue producing profits from the classic 1982 film, and that's the most magical magic of all. Look for the first issue in stores in July, with a cover by Benjamin Dewey and variants by David Petersen, Ramón K. Pérez, and Dave McKean.