ComingSoon is debuting an exclusive preview of Hard Bargain, the upcoming graphic novel from filmmaker Steven S. DeKnight and acclaimed artist Leno Carvalho, from renowned publisher Humanoids.
DeKnight is best known for being the creator, head writer, and executive producer of the Spartacus franchise for Starz. However, DeKnight has a long history working on extremely high-profile projects, including writing for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Smallville, Dollhouse, Netflix’s Daredevil series, and directing the 2018 film Pacific Rim: Uprising.
Carvalho is an artist who has worked on a litany of comic book projects in the past, including for DC, Marvel, and more.
Check out a handful of exclusive pages from Hard Bargain below:
What is Hard Bargain about?
Hard Bargain is a dark supernatural thriller that follows a “hard-boiled P.I. in 1940s Los Angeles who finds himself fighting not only the usual cadre of criminals and ne’er-do-wells—but also demons, monsters, and other malevolent supernatural beings—as he races to solve a deadly mystery before a horrific fate descends upon everyone it touches,” according to a brief description.
Hard Bargain is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter, which will run from today through July 25, and will include both a deluxe edition and slipcase edition for fans who want to pitch in and get the project funded.
“I personally find a huge difference between writing comics and writing a screenplay,” said DeKnight in an exclusive quote. “I always describe writing for comics as the intersection between art and math. You have to be keenly aware of what action falls on what page, so surprises are revealed when the reader turns the page. You also have to be cognizant of how many panels you have per page since you want to give the artist – the true hero of any comic or graphic novel – enough room to exercise their amazing craft. It’s a much more rigid and strict page by page structure than a screenplay.”
“Oh man, I’m a sucker for supernatural noir. Tough talking P.I.’s and double crossing dames, along with demons, magic and monsters, both the inhuman and human kind,” added Eric Kripke (The Boys) in a statement on the project. “Steven DeKnight’s Hard Bargain, loaded with hairpin turns, crackling dialogue, humor, horror, and tragedy, is one of the best versions I’ve read. James Ellroy meets Stephen King, with a healthy splatter of Sam Raimi.”
