Netflixannounced Monday its second comic-book franchise from Mark Millar, a series named Prodigy.
Prodigy will be illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque, known for his work on Batman and American Empire comics. The new comic book will tell the story of “the world’s smartest man [who] isn’t content with running the world’s most successful business.” He takes on challenges when governments have trouble solving a particular problem.
One year ago, Netflix bought Millarworld, a comic book publisher founded by Millar that controls titles such as Kick-Ass, Kingsman, and Old Man Logan. The acquisition was notable for being the first time that Netflix had bought a company in its 20-year history.
In late May, Netflix unveiled the official trailer for its first comic book, “The Magic Order,” written by Millar with art from Marvel artist Olivier Coipel.
Disney, which owns Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixar, has been working on a direct-to-consumer video offering that will compete with Netflix in streaming video. Disney is expected to build the service around its Marvel and other franchises, putting pressure on Netflix to build up its own tentpole franchises.
Prodigy will be released in stores and online on Dec 5.