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Tony Lee Returns to Markosia for 'Also Known As' and 'Dark Lines Of London' Launching at London Film And Comic Con 2018

Published Sun, 15 Jul 2018 09:30:19 -0500

I got to chat with Tony Lee the other week, over lunch at Soho House's new White City outlet in London, and very nice it was too. He told me he was back working with British comic book publisher Markosia which, considering our mutual past history with the publisher, almost led me to choke on my lamb and rhubarb gratin.

He was also able to tell Markosia's London Film and Comic Con plans, working on the comics side for that show for a second (and final, he promised) year.

In previous decades, Tony Lee saw his Midnight Kiss, Harker and Hope Falls published with Markosia, the latter now in development as a film, with a screenplay by Tony written and a director just moments from being announced. He wrote three Starship Troopers GNs and an ongoing Troopers series for them.

He was also Group Editor of Markosia for about twenty minutes, about ten years back. But apart from re-releases of his older work, Tony hasn't written for Markosia for about seven years.

But that's ending.

At this year's London Film and Comic Con, Markosia's booth will have two convention exclusive special releases – the first is Also Known As, the graphic novel that Tony, artist Christopher Jones and producers BoxFly released at the 2016 SDCC under the Arcana banner.

But from what I understand, recent issues with Arcana has meant that BoxFly have taken back the book and will now be publishing it, both digitally and physically through Markosia.

Originally a film pitch, Also Known As focuses on a war between Heaven and Hell, or more rather the Reapers and the Rogues, constantly fighting to send souls on in their relevant directions. However Reaper Lucas Wilson starts to doubt his work – and when he finds himself about to 'reap' the reincarnation of his late wife, a should that should already be safe in Heaven, Lucas starts to learn the truth about the 'angels' that both sides work for – and what really happens to the souls. But more importantly, he learns the truth about his own past – and it's the last thing he could possibly have expected.

Also Known As will have its Markosia release at the convention, and both Tony and Christopher will be signing copies at London Film and Comic Con.

The second project is a new one – so new in fact, that it hasn't even been announced until right now. Dark Lines of London is a new Graphic Novel based on a story by comics newcomer Stephen Saleh, a tale that spans two timelines – the first is contemporary London, where student Sam Carter has a 'Da Vinci Code' style adventure, as he tries to stop the end of the world with notes left in Dr John Dee's Monas Hieroglyphica and clues found on a selection of buildings laid out upon a particular Ley Line of power, while the second story, set back at the end of Elizabeth I's reign sees John Dee fight against the emerging greed of his secret society The School of Night, as members Christopher Marlowe and Frances Walsingham (the daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham) attempt to gain immortality through a terrible ritual – one that will cause the end of the world in our current time.

Now this isn't new; many books, especially Kate Moss's Labyrinth comes to mind here using the 'dual timeline' plot device. But Stephen, knowing that this was going to be a hard sell was clever and brought in Tony Lee, known for his time-bending Doctor Who stories for IDW to add a 'timey-wimey twist' to the tale – and the resulting product, written by Tony and Stephen is a tale that not only spans two timelines, but also has characters interweaving back and forth through them – with Sam Carter sent on this quest by a note by John Dee himself, asking for Sam by name; a name told to Dee years earlier by Sam. Confused yet? Good. With art by newcomer Mariela Malova, an artist who draws with a confidence that belays her experience, Dark Lines of London could be one of Markosia's break out books. If people don't think it's Rivers of London, being published by Titan Comics with, frankly, a similar look…

It won't be breaking out until March 2019 however – so at London Film and Comic Con Markosia will be releasing a 40 page, limited edition ashcan of the first 28 pages, as well as some back matter about the creative team, the story and the inspiration; and a signed, limited edition poster to anyone who buys a copy, or who attends the Sunday Markosia panel.

I've seen a preview of the book, and I can't wait to see the finished item. But as I won't be at LFCC this year, you'll get to see even before me…

LFCC is happening, entertainly, the weekend right after San Diego…

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