Daredevil and Spartacus showrunner Steven S. DeKnight is debuting his first-ever original graphic novel at publisher Humanoids in 2024. Dubbed Hard Bargain, this new story combines hardboiled detective fiction with a dash of the supernatural.
IGN can exclusively reveal the first details and preview art for Hard Bargain. Get a closer look at the graphic novel in the slideshow gallery below:
Hard Bargain is illustrated by Leno Carvalho (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Special), and the creative team also includes colorist Bruno Hang and letterer Troy Peteri.
Hard Bargain is a noir thriller set in 1940's Los Angeles. It focuses on a private detective named Frank Harding, who makes a living hunting down ordinary criminals and clashing with demons. But Frank may have bitten off more than he can chew with a case that ties back to his own past and touches on the city's history of racism and discrimination.
“Hard Bargain has been a dream thirty years in the making. An idea that sprang from my love of two-fisted, hard-boiled detective stories and matinee creature-features of days gone by,” said DeKnight in a press release. “I’m thrilled to finally have that dream realized via the incredible artwork of Leno Carvalho and the good people at Humanoids.”
"Hard Bargain is a new universe of possibilities with new challenges and new rewards,” said Carvalho. “A strong, concise narrative rich in twists and turns that combines the charm of old detective stories with the action-packed thrillers of today."
Hard Bargain will be released in print and digital forms in August 2024.
DeKnight is keeping very busy these days. We recently learned he's executive producing and showrunning a Spartacus revival called House of Ashur. DeKnight also recently called out Marvel for what he describes as a "scam" regarding the naming of Daredevil: Born Again.
For more on what's coming in the world of comics, you can also check out all the biggest new comics of December 2023.
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