The Ballad Of Sang – Ed Brisson’s New Cult-Cinema Inspired Series At Oni Press
by Hannah Means Shannon
In a major announcement from Oni Press, comic creator Ed Brisson will be launching a new series with the publisher, The Ballad of Sang. This will be his first project with Oni Press.
Brisson (X-Files Conspiracy, The Field, Comeback, Old Man Logan) will be joined by Italian artist Alessandro Micelli and colorist Shari Chankhamma (Codename Baboushka, The Fuse) for this new action/adventure series, as well as Crank! for letters. This is Micelli’s first major work on the American Market, though he is a member of Brand New Nostalgia, who published the story collection KaBoomBox with Boom! Studios.
Here’s the series’ official description:
Kidnapped off the streets of the Philippines as an infant and trained as a child assassin, Sang has never had a childhood. All he’s ever known is killing and the kindness of his master, Chen, the closest thing Sang has to a father. When Sang’s enthusiasm botches a job, it brings the wrath of Don Minchella down on the pair, resulting in Chen’s murder. Barely escaping with his own life—and with Minchella’s severed arm in tow—Sang swears revenge, while every gang in the city mobilizes to return him to Minchella, dead or alive.
Oni Press describes The Ballad of Sang as perfect for fans of “cult Asian cinema” such as the films of Takashi Miike and Park Chan-wook, and of comics such as Deadly Class, Big Man Plans, and Hit-Girl.
Brisson says he’s been working on the idea for this book for quite some time:
The Ballad of Sang is a story I’ve been wanting to do for YEARS. Back in 2010, I’d be telling my writer friends about it while acting out scenes. It’s something that sat for years, percolating until I could find the PERFECT artist for it, which I eventually found in Alessandro Micelli. It’s a project I’m very excited about that touches on my love of cult cinema and the trashy VHS treasures of my youth. So strap in and prepare for a high-octane, balls-to-the-wall story of revenge, love, gangsters, missing arms and all-out violence!
The first issue will have a variant cover by Marley Zarcone and is slated for release on March 7th, 2018.