OneMetal.com book NEWS:
Zenescope Resurrects Charmed

Constance M. Burge’s Charmed (1998-2006) bubbled up from Spelling Entertainment and ensnared viewers with three gorgeous good witches. The original sisters—Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano)—later discovered an unknowing fourth, Paige (Rose McGowan), but despite the trio, the North American television series captured audiences with fashionable witchcraft, pulled them in with romantic ardor, and riveted them with murderous demons and dusty spell books. The premiere episode itself garnered 7.7 million viewers, shattering previous Warner Brothers Network records for most successful debut, and the show eventually nabbed the honor for the longest running hour-long show featuring all female leads.

Now, in an age when lifting the pop culture deceased to the comic book forefront (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) accommodates unlikely readers, the still cherished fan-favorite has emerged into a world that superheroes populate, zombies walk, and ordinary citizens undergo extraordinary changes. Zenescope Entertainment will showcase the eight-season television veteran’s first comic installment, licensed under CBS Consumer Products, this July at the famous and high-profile San Diego Comic-Con International. The new Charmed progresses from the show’s series finale, starring the latter three Halliwell sisters as they wage battle against evil in sunny San Francisco, California. Charmed novel writer Paul Ruditis (Leo Rising, As Puck Would Have It) will co-write the comic alongside Raven Gregory, pioneer of the successful Wonderland series, which Zenescope publishes regularly. In addition, Dave Hoover (Captain America, The Wanderers) will provide the book’s interior illustrations.

Editor-in-Chief Ralph Tedesco gave his perspective on the television-to-comic revival:

“The key to this series success is to strike a nice balance in creating a brand new, intriguing storyline for fans of the television show while also not alienating Zenescope and comic book readers who haven’t really followed it before but might want to now that it’s a comic. The great thing is that Paul and Raven have done just that with this story arc. Anybody will be able to pick up this series and follow it whether or not they ever watched the show before. Moreover, fans of the show are going to be thrilled when they see where this story goes.”

Charmed averaged 4 million viewers throughout its television career. Will the comic survive modern audiences?