| Summit Comics, the creator-owned indie publisher behind the expanding shared superhero universe launched with Summit: Pinnacle #1, is bringing The Diabolist #1 to Kickstarter — a new superhero noir series from creators Matthew Summo and Pete Collins (co-creators of ‘The Bardic Verses’).
The Diabolist follows Eric Weiss, a renowned stage magician and escape artist whose greatest escape begins after he is wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. With his life destroyed and a conspiracy still operating in the shadows, Weiss disappears behind the mask of The Diabolist, turning the skills that once entertained audiences into the weapons of a vigilante.
The Diabolist has no superpowers – just a lifetime spent learning how to make the impossible possible.
Set against the streets of Chicago, The Diabolist #1 blends the theatricality of the classic stage magician with superhero action, crime, mystery, and noir as Weiss begins unraveling the conspiracy that stole his freedom and discovers that his new crusade is pulling him into a world far larger – and considerably more dangerous – than he imagined.
“The idea behind The Diabolist was to build a superhero around a skill set we don’t normally see at the center of a superhero comic,” Collins says. “Eric isn’t the strongest person in the room. He can’t fly. He can’t throw a car. He’s a stage magician. His advantage is that he’s spent his entire life convincing people that what they’re seeing is real while always thinking three moves ahead.”
That philosophy extends to the character’s visual identity, combining the imagery of classic illusionists and escape artists with the darker silhouette of a street-level vigilante. His chains, cards, locks and other tools aren’t simply visual flourishes — they’re extensions of the same abilities that made Eric Weiss famous before his life was taken from him.
“I was always drawn to the so-called ‘street-level’ characters because here are human beings that can and will stand side by side with a venerable pantheon of powered beings and fight against insurmountable odds in the name of doing what’s right.” Summo says. “Any one of us could be these heroes trying to do the right thing.”
At its heart, The Diabolist is also the story of a man attempting to reclaim that life.
What begins as a mission to expose the people responsible for framing Weiss increasingly brings The Diabolist into contact with the heroes, villains and extraordinary events of the larger Summit Universe, where even the world’s greatest escape artist could encounter something that even he cannot escape.
The Kickstarter campaign gives readers the opportunity to help bring The Diabolist #1 to print, with multiple physical and digital editions, exclusive campaign rewards, original artwork, and additional comics from creators within and beyond the Summit Universe.
The Diabolist #1 joins the rapidly expanding Summit Universe, which launched with Summit: Pinnacle #1 and continues to introduce interconnected heroes, villains and stories from a collective of independent comic creators.
The Diabolist #1 is now live on Kickstarter. Readers can follow the campaign available exclusively through campaign at the link found here. |
