Ekos is both a new and an old concept, created by a newbie comics player teaming up with a long-time player who is actually a veteran player.
That may seem confusing, but it’s Comics 2024. Everyone is working together to create a new universe.
But let’s take a closer look: Echos is a new universe inspired by the art and creations of Michael Turner and Geoff Johns, and produced by Marvel Studios founder David Maisel.
Turner was a much-loved artist who tragically passed away in 2008. He left behind a rich body of work and several ideas that were never fully realized, and now Maisel is working with Aspen Comics, the company Turner founded, to bring one of those ideas to life: Ekos. Aspen has survived since Turner’s death, with co-owners Frank Mastromauro and Peter Steigerwald keeping characters like Fathom alive, but now it’s been given an entirely new setting.
The original Echos series stars Grell, who first appeared in the 2003 comics written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Turner. Grell embarks on a journey to explore the world of Echos. Along the way, Grell meets many beloved characters from Michael Turner’s work, including Aspen (Fathom) and Grace (Soulfire), who join forces with Grell on their shared mission.
This story will debut in Ekos Volume 1, whose Kickstarter campaign launches on Tuesday, September 17. Sign up here to be notified when it launches.
Ekos’ creative team includes colorist Peter Steigerwald, artist Alex Konat, writer JT Krul, inker Mark Roslan, and letterer Josh Reed. Superstar cover artists for the various Kickstarter editions include Alex Ross, Joe Quesada, J Scott Campbell, Francis Manapul, David Mack, Joe Benitez, Siya Oum, Jerome Opeña, Khary Randolph, and Kendrick Lim.
Today, Beat is exclusively revealing three covers with remastered artwork from Michael Turner, all of which have been recolored by Steigerwald. These three covers will be available to anyone who wants Ekos Vol. 1 as three standalone issues, rather than as part of the hardcover.
I actually had a chance to chat briefly with David Maisel at San Diego Comic-Con, where Echos was literally inescapable, as his artwork was displayed at the entrance where everyone had to check in to get into the show, and his booth in Aspen loomed over the show floor. Maisel is a legend in his own right, as the man who conceived the idea for Marvel Studios and put together the risky deal to finance the first Marvel movie by using the characters themselves as collateral. Since serving as executive producer on the other films that launched the MCU, including Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor, Maisel has worked on the Angry Birds movies and won a Tony for the Broadway show Fosse. He clearly has nothing to prove, but he’s about to get sucked back into it with Echos anyway. As a self-described lifelong comic book fan, he had no other choice.
“We brought Iron Man here (SDCC) in 2007, so this is similar to what we did back then,” he said of Ecos’s large presence at the convention in 2024. “I’ve been collecting Michael’s art for 16 years, and when James Cameron let all those rights expire, Frank (Mastromauro) called me and I jumped in and got involved!”
As THR recounts in its project announcement, Maisel founded Mythos Studios a few years ago as a new production company and acquired a 50% stake in Aspen to develop Echos and Grell. “During COVID, I came up with the idea for a universe with all these characters, including Grell, and I was excited about it. It was something that stood out from my babies at Marvel and everything else that’s going on right now,” Maisel told me.
Maisel is very interested in exploring animation in a possible future Ecos film. “The visuals, the DNA of the universe will be very close to what Michael and Peter Steigerwald created 20 years ago. When you look at the movies and the graphic novels and the theme park rides, it makes you feel like you’re part of this world visually. I’m very excited about that, because I never got to do that with Marvel live-action. But now that I’ve done it, I have more options. I could have started directly with the movies first, or whatever, but I love comics. Frank loves comics, Peter loves comics. This origin comes from where we’re at now and the love of comics that Michael had.”
Releasing their books on Kickstarter allows them to connect with consumers. “We love being able to talk to[our readers]directly,” Maisel says. “When Kevin[Feige]and I were doing Marvel, the only place we could talk to our fans was in Hall H at Comic-Con. Now, with Kickstarter, we can talk to people all year round, and they can join us in this project.”
With that in mind, here are three covers by Turner and Steigerwald: Look for plenty more Ecos news to come in the coming days.
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