The Twilight Zone #1 is written by Dan Watters and is published by IDW Publishing. Artwork is by Morgan Beem and letters by Sandy Tanaka.
The Twilight Zone #1 is available now, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
A terrified citizen regales a detective with a story about people suddenly frozen like statues. A once-bustling metropolis becomes quieter by the minute as people are replaced by featureless versions of themselves. Where one would have found hopes, laughter, tears, and struggles, one can now only find BLANKS…here in The Twilight Zone.
Review
The Twilight Zone is arguably one of the most iconic and influential TV shows to ever exist. It helped birth the concept of the anthology series and gave a platform for groundbreaking sci-fi and horror stories to be told. Now, just over 65 years since it first aired on television, the series has been brought back in comic book form thanks to Dan Watters.
The anthology approach to storytelling already lends itself perfectly to the comic book format. Short, snappy stories that work within a single issue, and thankfully, Dan Watters proves that this does indeed work.
‘BLANKS’, which sees billionaire Edward Kane wake up to find everyone turned into featureless statues of themselves, is a simple but effective tale that does feel very reminiscent of something the original show would do. The paranoia of the situation from Edward’s perspective is palpable on every page once the incident occurs, almost in a similar vein to the classic gremlin on the plane story.
Morgan Beem’s artwork also does a great job of recapturing the look and feel of the original show, whilst also feeling refreshed at the same time. The artwork maintains the black and white aesthetic of the show, along with a sketchbook illustration style, which complements the types of stories synonymous with this series.
The imagery of featureless faces is perfect for a franchise like this and, again, feels like something they could have done in the show when it first aired. Watter does manage to inject some added body horror into the mix with a panel that sees Dr Culloch’s face morphing and melting into a featureless head. It’s a striking image that really works, and I can’t wait to see Watters and Beem push the horror in more as with this series.
The only downside, which is an inherent problem with anthology-style storytelling and isn’t just unique to The Twilight Zone, is that you leave the issue wanting more from the story. The very nature of this one-and-done approach is to be expected, especially given the show’s context. Still, it does end in a manner that enticises further exploration, which hopefully Watters is willing to do in a future issue.
Besides that one minor issue, this series gets off to a great start. The Twilight Zone #1 captures the heart and soul of Rod Serling’s show, whilst breathing new life into the franchise that will only flourish with each new instalment.
Verdict
Dan Watters and co. have expertly translated the essence and style of the original TV show onto the page. This first instalment of The Twilight Zone is just as chilling and disturbing as you’d want it to be.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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