DC makes Plastic Man darker than Batman in wild new body-horror comedian

Plastic Man has by no means been A-team DC character like Batman or Superman, regardless of his elastic potential. He got here shut; earlier than and after The Matrix, the Wachowskis toiled away on a film for the character, calling it “the closest script to a comedy we’ll write,” however it by no means acquired made. Possibly James Gunn’s rebooted DC cinematic universe will give Patrick “Eel” O’Brian his mainstream breakthrough, however within the meantime, a brand new pair of creatives are doing the Lord’s work within the pages of DC Comics correct.

On Thursday, DC introduced Plastic Man No Extra!, a brand new four-issue DC Black Label sequence launching in September from the Eisner-nominated artistic crew of Christopher Cantwell (Halt and Catch Hearth, Batman: The Courageous and The Daring, Iron Man) and Alex Lins (Immortal Hulk, Monarch).

“I don’t find out about you, however after I take into consideration Plastic Man, I instantly consider David Cronenberg,” mentioned Cantwell in a press release. “There is a component of physique horror to his story that I’ve all the time discovered fascinating. And I additionally discovered myself questioning lately — How would Plastic Man truly die? What would that appear to be? Is he immortal? After which I considered the lengthy and notably nasty method actual plastics and petroleum merchandise break down when and in the event that they lastly do. That’s how I realized about depolymerization and the chemical strategy of ‘unzipping’ — from a very morose afternoon on the ol’ Web, picturing what may occur to Eel if his whole mobile construction began to offer method.”

Cantwell says Plastic Man No Extra! will grapple with Eel’s previous as a crook-turned-hero, and discover the member of the Justice League coming to phrases with a “profound concern of growing older” and what demise for a boneless, stretchable superperson even seems to be like.

“So fairly catastrophically, [Plastic Man] instantly finds himself determined, asking WHAT NOW? HOW DO I FIX THIS? ‘THIS’ being his very physique, his very cells, as nicely his connections to the folks he loves. And simply WAIT till you see how horrifically and hilariously Alex Lins and Jacob Edgar [supplying additional interior art] have rendered this referendum on our vanguard ultra-bendable former-criminal-turned-hero-guy,’ Cantwell mentioned.

Immortal Hulk for Plastic Man? One can solely hope. Plastic Man No Extra! #1 is written by Cantwell with artwork and major cowl by Lins, extra artwork by Edgar, shade by Marcelo Maiolo, lettering by Becca Carey, and tons of variant covers by Michael Allred, Chris Samnee, and Tyler Boss. Earlier than it debuts in native comedian ebook retailers on September 4, 2024, right here’s a preview.