JOHN WICK’s Derek Kolstad Deploys with BAD IDEA for PLANET DEATH #1 Alongside NYT Best-Selling Writer Robert Venditti and Visionary Artist Tomás Giorello!
BAD IDEA is proud to announce that blockbuster screenwriter Derek Kolstad, creator and writer of the internationally acclaimed, box office dominating motion picture franchise JOHN WICK, as well as the multi-award winning action-thriller NOBODY and its upcoming sequel for Universal Studios, will join New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (Superman ’78, Green Lantern) and visionary artist Tomás Giorello (Star Wars, Conan) for PLANET DEATH – an all-new BAD IDEA Prestige Format limited series beginning in March.
Millions of miles from home, hundreds of ships descend into the stormy atmosphere of a hostile frozen world. On board, an army of resolute men and women brace for the coming assault.Â
They are an invasion force, on an impossible mission — destroy the devastating enemy weapon garrisoned below. Corporal Scott and his battalion are in the vanguard but the human forces are no match for their brutal alien adversaries. Scott’s battalion is dead within moments. He is its lone survivor. The landing force annihilated, the battle is lost.Â
Against overwhelming odds, Scott dares the unthinkable — cross behind enemy lines, survive the lethal landscape, evade capture by ruthless enemies, resist natural predators, face human deserters and finish the mission singlehandedly. Locked in his suit of full combat battle armor, sustained only by what he can carry, and driven by Earth’s wrath, Scott must do by himself what an entire army could not.Â
Destroy the weapon.Â
Return home.
“Derek, Rob, and Tomás have built an absolutely massive story of the highest caliber in PLANET DEATH, and we’ve planned an equally massive promotional campaign to support it,” said BAD IDEA CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani.
“It all begins this month at the legendary San Diego Comic-Con with our PLANET DEATH convention exclusive giveaway comic spotlighting the book’s virtuoso art, a massive panel featuring the entire creative team appearing on stage, and a no-expense-spared live event in the book’s honor.”
Derek Kolstad created the JOHN WICK franchise, which follows Keanu Reeves’ retired hitman on his descent back into the criminal underworld, for Lionsgate Entertainment who launched the first film in 2014. That film has been followed by a trio of critically acclaimed sequels, each of which has grossed more at the box office than the one before. Kolstad, who wrote the first two films and co-wrote the third, has seen his work on the franchise expand to include the limited series, THE CONTINENTAL from Lionsgate/Peacock, which he wrote and executive produced on, and the much anticipated THE BALLERINA, an upcoming spin-off film starring Oscar nominee Ana de Armas.
Kolstad also wrote and executive produced the acclaimed action-thriller NOBODY starring Bob Odenkirk for Universal Studios, and penned the sequel which arrives in theaters next year. Among Kolstad’s many other credits are writing and co-executive producing Marvel’s 5x Emmy-nominated limited series THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER for Disney+, producing 20th Century Studios’ Joey King actioner THE PRINCESS for Hulu, and creating, writing and executive producing the 7x Emmy-nominated series DIE HART starring Kevin Hart, John Travolta and John Cena. Kolstad’s films have amassed more than one billion dollars at the worldwide box office to date.
Robert Venditti is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 400 comics and graphic novels including a celebrated 5-year run on Green Lantern, an acclaimed 3-year run on Hawkman, award-winning runs on Superman ’78 and Justice League for DC Comics, as well as the graphic novel Six Days, inspired by the story of his uncle’s participation in D-Day. His debut graphic novel The Surrogates was adapted into a feature film starring Bruce Willis and Ving Rhames for Walt Disney Pictures. He has also adapted Rick Riordan’s global bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus series. His most recent projects include Wesley Dodds: The Sandman, Ordained, Planet Death, and a whole lot of Bad Ideas.
“PLANET DEATH is my love letter to all of the comics and books I read, movies I watched, and games I played – late into the night with a grin on my face…from HARD BOILED and RONIN by Frank Miller to the films of Alistair MacLean like THE GUNS OF NAVARONE and WHERE EAGLES DARE to Bradbury, Asimov, and Heinlein, to games like STARCRAFT and everything in between,” said Kolstad.
“Some of my favorite stories are the ones that blend science fiction with elements of the war genre. From STARSHIP TROOPERS to ALIENS and EDGE OF TOMORROW. With PLANET DEATH we take this tradition and add all those things we love so much about comic books.”
“From my first conversations with Derek, I don’t know how to describe it, other than an engine clicked on. Writing the first issue, I was buzzing with adrenaline. I couldn’t stop until I got the whole issue down. I was swept up in Scott’s relentless will—always pressing forward, always pushing ahead,” said Venditti.
“I’ve written a lot of science fiction—but never from the perspective of a boots-on-the-ground, D-Day-style invasion. With every project, I want to push myself further. PLANET DEATH is bigger in scale and scope than anything I’ve done before.”
This coming March, blockbuster screenwriter Derek Kolstad, New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti and visionary artist Tomás Giorello unleash a monumental new comic book event in PLANET DEATH #1 – available in comic shops around the world! But fans at this month’s San Diego Comic-Con will get a first look on Saturday, July 27th at 2:30pm with a PLANET DEATH convention exclusive that will be given to attendees of the BAD IDEA panel in room 24ABC at the world-famous show.
For more information, visit Bad Idea online at BadIdeaCorp.com, X, and Instagram.
Founded in 2020, BAD IDEA is the last and greatest underground comics publisher. Committed to pushing the boundaries of excellence in the medium and industry, BAD IDEA produces only A-level comics storytelling from the medium’s leading talents in a prestige-format package. Breaking onto the scene with the explosive and hotly sought after secret drop of THE HERO TRADE, BAD IDEA followed up with a series of smash hit slates featuring titles like ENIAC, PYRATE QUEEN, THE ENDS, THE LOT and TANKERS among many others. Earning widespread acclaim, multiple sellouts and allocations, BAD IDEA continues to set the standard and then raise it.
With fans lining up outside shops overnight, funding record-setting crowdfunding campaigns, and jamming convention aisles, BAD IDEA is more than just comics. It’s an all-in lifestyle commitment to the best and most exciting name in comics today.
