MARVEL CHECKLIST

Vao · **SUPERBANANE** Moderator Beiträge: 5647

Ever since the first issue of "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born" was released, the comics serialization of the popular Stephen King series illustrated by Jae Lee and adapted by Peter David, fans of King's have wondered if any other King novels might be serialized in comics form.

Last February at New York Comic-Con, King noted that he and Marvel were kicking around the idea of bringing "The Stand" to comics.

They're done kicking around the idea and are ready to move forward. In an interview with NPR's Talk of the Nation radio program last Wednesday promoting the release of the latest chapter of "The Dark Tower" to come to comics, "The Long Road Home," King confirmed what many fans have been hoping for.

"I did go to Marvel and ask them if they would have any interest in adapting 'The Stand' as a graphic novel and they are going to do that," King told Talk of the Nation. "Marvel is going to do 'The Stand' as a graphic novel."

A Marvel spokesperson simply offered "no comment" Sunday afternoon when asked for further details including creative teams, format and when this may see release.

Stephen King's apocalyptic novel "The Stand" first debuted in 1978. The opening of the novel detailed how society is destroyed when a biological weapon, a superflu virus, is released. The superflu nicknamed "Captain Trips" kills the majority of the world's population. As the novel progresses, the survivors in America find themselves strangely drawn to two destinations. A handful of seemingly good survivors head for Colorado and the home of a mysterious 108 year old black woman, while the seemingly sinister make their way to Las Vegas and join the society of the powerful and malevolent Randall Flagg. Eventually a series of events lead these two camps into an apocalyptic showdown.

In 1990 King rereleased the novel as "The Stand The Complete and Uncut" edition. In this edition, King further expanded the background and details of the novels setting by including text that was cut from the original edition for length. He also changed the setting of the novel from 1978 to 1990 and changed things that dated the previous version like pop culture references. The uncut version of "The Stand" was over 1,000 pages and also featured illustrations by legendary artist Bernie Wrightson.

King's epic novel was adapted in 1994 as a six-hour ABC mini-series featuring a script written by King and directed by Mick Garris. Gary Sinise played Stu Redman, one of the book's main protagonist, while Jamey Sheridan played Randal Flagg, the main villain.

"The Stand" is also a noteworthy novel for fans of Marvel Comics' adaptation of his "Dark Tower" series. After appearing in "The Stand," Flagg would go onto menace King's cast of characters in his 1986 novel the "Eyes of the Dragon" before appearing in "The Dark Tower" series as Roland Deschain's adversary Marten Broadcloak AKA Walter o'Dim.

Staff writer Dave Richards contributed to this story.