Posted in: Comics | Tagged: boom, boom studios, Giannis Milonogiannis, greg pack, ronin island

Pak and Milonogiannis Explore Post-Apocalyptic Samurai in Ronin Island in March

Published Thu, 15 Nov 2018 13:00:29 -0600

Explosive publisher BOOM! Studios has announced a new series by superstar creative team Greg Pak and Giannis Milonogiannis, set in an alternate-history 19th-century where Japan, Korea, and China are devastated by a mysterious apocalyptic event, leaving the survivors to flee to a secret island. From the press release:

BOOM! Studios today announced RONIN ISLAND #1, kicking off a new five issue limited series from superstar writer Greg Pak (Firefly, Star Wars, Mech Cadet Yu) and fan favorite artist Giannis Milonogiannis (Old City Blues) that examines how we move forward when our past divides us, set against the backdrop of a post-disaster Feudal Japan.

RONIN ISLAND #1 arrives in stores March 2019 and features a main cover by Milonogiannis, along with variant covers by David Lafuente (Ultimate Comics Spider-Man).and award-winning artist Ethan Young (Tails).

After a mysterious attack devastates a great swath of 19th century Japan, Korea, and China, survivors from all three lands find refuge on a hidden island and build a new society. Hana, the orphaned daughter of Korean farmers, and Kenichi, son of a great samurai leader, have little in common except for a mutual disdain for the other. But these young warriors will have to work together when an army invades the island with shocking news: the Shogun has returned and the Island is expected to pay fealty in exchange for protection from a new threat…a mutated horde that threatens to wipe out all humanity.

Said Pak:

I'm loving every minute of working on RONIN ISLAND for a hundred different reasons,. It's a gonzo genre mash up of samurai movies and horror, which I adore. It's an achingly relevant story of how a community built of multiple diasporas stays true to its shared values when assaulted by an authoritarian enemy. It's got a glorious pan-Asian cast and stunning art by the great Giannis Milonogiannis. And it's all about young heroes struggling to do the right thing — and sometimes coming to opposite conclusions — in a dangerous, complicated world with sky-high stakes. Big genre action, eternally relevant themes, and massive heart. It's my favorite kind of story, and I couldn't be more excited!

And Milonogiannis:

Now and then, a project comes along that just seems to be a perfect fit. As someone interested in Japanese period dramas, atmospheric horror, and a fan of Greg's previous work, I'm beyond excited to throw myself into RONIN ISLAND and for readers to join us in this fight for survival.

And what would one of these press releases be without the obligatory editorial quote, this time from Editor Cameron Chittock:

With RONIN ISLAND, Greg and Giannis have created a world that, while filled with the fantastic and monstrous, reflects that timeless struggle between the idealism of youth and the often-immovable structure of the authorities that shape our everyday. long with a supernatural threat, Hana and Kenichi face timeless questions asked of any person entering adulthood and the challenges of the real world.

The first issue of this five-issue mini-series will hit stores in March.