"I am not a number!"
DC Comics published an authorized sequel to the late 1960s television series of the same title. Original series star/executive producer/sometimes writer/sometimes director Patrick McGoohan and three-times guest star Leo McKern granted permission for the uses of their likenesses for the depictions of their characters here.
The original television series, my "all-time" favorite television series, presented the story of a man who, after resigning from a top-secret government agency, finds himself the prisoner of an unknown power in an ominous wonderland known only as The Village. A strong theme in the series questioned the nature of an individual's relationship to society.
DC Comics The Prisoner introduces a female No. 6 whose real last name is Drake; this is a reference to the character John Drake played by McGoohan in the television series "Danger Man" (broadcast in the US as "Secret Agent") and the fact many fans believe The Prisoner to be John Drake. John Drake appears in the US comics Danger Man (Dell Four Color #1231) and Secret Agent (Gold Key).
The Prisoner #1
"book a arrival"
Written by Dean Motter & Mark Askwith.
Art by Dean Motter.
Drake's full name is not given during the 4-part story.
"book b by hook or by crook"
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| Steed, Peel & Bond accounted for! |
"book c confrontation"
A funeral scene includes appearances by many other secret agent characters, including The Avengers John Steed & Emma Peel, the Sean Connery's James Bond and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'s Napoleon Solo, & Illya Kuryakin! Cool!
The Prisoner #4
"book d departure"
Features a character who closely resembles Number Six and, therefore, may or may not be Number One as seen in the TV episode "Fall Out". Mrs. Butterworth is a former Number Two featured in the TV episode "Many Happy Returns" (the only Number Two to be referred to by a name).
The Prisoner Shattered Visage TP Published under the DC Comics & Warner Books imprints.
The wonderful painting for the wraparound cover shows the signature on the back.
Editorial and production credits, indicia and central image from #1's cover superimposed over a map of The Village.
Biographies of Dean Motter and Mark Askwith, flanked by the central image from the cover of #4 of the miniseries, on top of a drawing of a penny-farthing bicycle
"Ozymandias"
A recreation of the finished penny-farthing bicycle image (from the original TV series' closing credits), underneath which is the text of Shelley's poem, "Ozymandias"
"Communique to Mrs. Butterworth"
A highly classified communication from MI-5 (British Intelligence) "Excavations Officer" Thomas Drake to retired "Divisions Director" Mrs. Butterworth, setting up the events of the story to follow.
Alongside the text on the first page is a column of new comic panels; the other pages are illustrated by stills from the television series itself, some in black-&-white, some hand-colored, one (of The Village) in actual color.
Since the Jack Kirby & Steve Englehart/Gil Kane Prisoner comic books never saw print, it's nice to have a Prisoner comic book actually published.
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| Constantly in print, enjoy a new adventure of The Prisoner! |
For those inclined, The Prisoner Companion is a terrific book covering the show and it's view on society. Not only is it in print, but also on Kindle. All of these books are highly recommended, once you get hooked on the ground breaking series, or if you already are a gigantic fan like I am. The Prisoner Video Companion was included in the DVD collection.
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| One of the best book about the show published! |
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| File #1 of 3 with amazing music & dialogue from the series! |
The Prisoner television series is on DVD & Blu-ray with 3 volumes of soundtrack music on CD & digital. Trading cards are out there! There's a nice scale model of the Lotus Super Seven you can pattern after the car from the show. You can literally lose yourself in this show just like I have. And that's not counting the items you can get over in the UK.
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| I still find it hard to comprehended a Kirby comic not published! |
Here's the address to my Jack Kirby Prisoner post:
http://beachbumcomics.blogspot.com/2014/09/jack-king-kirbys-dynamic-prisoner-comic.html
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| The same with a Gil Kane comic book, unpublished! Incomprehensible. |
Here's the address to my Gil Kane Prisoner (with the script) post:
http://beachbumcomics.blogspot.com/2014/05/one-of-prisoner-comics-that-was-not-to.html
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| "Be seeing you." |
Live Large My Friends!
Thank You!
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| More Gil Kane art for the unpublished comic book! |
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| Kirby did a Fantastic Four storyline inspired by The Prisoner! |
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| Fantastic Jack Kirby panorama in The Village! |
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