This week marks the release of “OLYMPUS” scribe Nathan Edmondson’s long awaited “THE LIGHT” which pairs the writer with “SURROGATES” illustrator Brett Weldele. The duo have been working together on the project for some time now, and according to early reviews the apocalyptic tale is the missing link between Niles’ “30 DAYS OF NIGHT” and Cormac McCarthy’s literary masterwork, “THE ROAD”. Inside you can draw your own conclusions on the title by reading the synopsis as well as a 4 page preview of the book. Oh, and there’s that whole “why you should care” thing thrown in there, too. Read on for the skinny.

WRITTEN BY: Nathan Edmondson
ILLUSTRATIONS AND COVERS BY: Brett Weldele

“Outbreak.’ The new series from the writer of Olympus and the artist of The Surrogates. In Oregon, a mysterious virus infects anyone that looks into an electric light. An abusive father blindfolds his daughter and together they escape town as people are burning alive from the inside out.”

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

A few months back we ran the news that award winning “SURROGATES” illustrator Brett Weldele would be lending the pencils to Nathan Edmondson’s (“OLYMPUS”) apocalyptic thriller, “THE LIGHT”. The series has been compared to such genre favorites as Steve Niles’ “30 DAYS OF NIGHT”, but in this writer’s opinion it is a lot more original.

The basic premise of “THE LIGHT” is that all over the world people become ‘infected’ by simply looking into electrical lighting. This might seem a bit ridiculous until you actually stop to think about it. Imagine a world where you could be driven out of your mind (or killed) by just looking at your computer screen, flipping on a light switch, or walking past a street lamp? Edmondson furthers the dramatic plot of his story by throwing a cog into the usual survival story by centering it around an abusive father and his young daughter. This dynamic is not only original in that it veers away completely from the usual ‘hero’ factor, but it also makes for some fascinating possibilities in future issues.

“THE LIGHT” is getting a lot of attention from critics for its unflinching look into the lives of a broken family unit, and it has even been compared to Cormac McCarthy’s bestselling novel “THE ROAD”. (Although I’d be willing to bet that the two leads are far less friendly toward one another.) Edmondson has already made quite a name for himself by penning his first Image release “OLYMPUS” that garnered him wide praise from fans and critics alike. On the other side of the coin Brett Weldele has been one of the most sought after names in comics since making his mark with “THE SURROGATES” and is currently working on a prequel to Richard Kelly’s (“DONNIE DARKO”, “THE BOX”) science fiction film, “SOUTHLAND TALES”.

Regardless, “THE LIGHT” has a lot of promise for chills, thrills, and plenty of dynamic character dilemmas. For those of you who enjoy such stories as “THE WALKING DEAD”, “30 DAYS OF NIGHT”, and “THE ROAD” you could do far, far worse than checking out Nathan Edmondson’s little title from Image.

“THE LIGHT” Issue #1 Drops This Wednesday From Image Comics! (MSRP-$2.99)