Archie might be best known for the world of Riverdale and its inhabitants, but the comics company has done much more genre twisting than occasionally turning Jughead into a werewolf, or the exploring the magical escapades of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. In the days of its Red Circle imprint, the publisher was as much in the superhero game as DC or Marvel—and now, it’s bringing one of those classics back.
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io9 can exclusively reveal a first look inside the return of Darla Lang—aka the magical heroine Darkling—for a new one-shot set to release in November. Penned by YA author Sarah Kuhn, and featuring art from Carola Borelli and colors from Ellie Wright, the new book transposes Darla into a The Magicians-esque dark academia thriller, as she investigates Ivy Hollow University to uncover its darkest secrets… and explore a few of her own, like the magical teleporting cloak she wields as the Darkling!
“Our version of Darkling—aka Darla Lang—is a lonely outcast college student who longs to be free of what she sees as her ‘curse.’ Said curse takes the form of the voluminous black cape she wears everywhere, which gives her special powers and a connection to the supernatural world,” Kuhn told io9 over email. “We wanted to take Darla on a journey—from feeling alone in the world to making her first-ever friend, from fearing her powers to embracing her unique gifts, from shy loner to empowered superheroine. Those types of themes and arcs are some of my favorites to explore in stories.”
“I have always loved magic. I grew up with the Sabrina TV show and fantasy novels, so when I had the chance to give life to a project like this, I used all my knowledge and all the love I have for Gothic architecture and its aesthetics,” Borelli added. “These pages gave me the opportunity to experiment with blacks and effects, with atmospheres and details, as well as being able to play with outfits and draw meaningful female characters. I hope that you can see all the fun and love that I put into every panel!”
“We also got to surround Darla with some irresistibly haunted dark academia vibes—hidden passageways and secret libraries and a mysterious forest surrounding campus,” Kuhn continued. “We got to show her opening up, becoming vulnerable, and learning how to connect with other extremely cool weirdos. And we got to tell a story about a young woman learning to love and fully embrace the incredible power that lives within her.”
Click through to see a few pages inside the Darkling one shot, which is set to hit shelves November 22.
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