''Charmed'' comics were officially licensed continuations of the popular
television series of the same name, which ended
its eight-year run in 2006. The
comic books
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
were published monthly by
Zenescope Entertainment
Zenescope Entertainment is a comic book and graphic novel publisher headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania, United States, co-founded by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco in 2005. Zenescope publishes full-color action, fantasy and horror titles.
Unde ...
. ''
Charmed: Season 9'' served as a continuation set eighteen months after the events of the televised show's
final episode and was first released on June 16, 2010.
After concluding in 2012, it was succeeded by ''
Charmed: Season 10'' which debuted on October 8, 2014
and ended on September 14, 2016. Each season comprises 22-24 issues and one
story arc
A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...
spans between five and seven issues which is reprinted in
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
form.
The comics were set in the fictional "''Charmed'' universe" and all content was approved by
CBS Consumer Products
Paramount Consumer Products (formerly Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products, then ViacomCBS Consumer Products) is the retailing and licensing division of Paramount Global. The department is in charge of merchandising for Paramount-owned brands. ...
in order to adhere to the
continuity of the franchise.
The series narrative followed the Charmed Ones – sisters
Piper
Piper may refer to:
People
* Piper (given name)
* Piper (surname)
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics
* Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe
* Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe
Television
* Piper Chapman, lea ...
and
Phoebe Halliwell
Phoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Alyssa Milano from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The character was originally played by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot episode. However, Rom ...
and
Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead character ...
– the most powerful good witches in history who use their combined "
Power of Three
In mathematics, a power of three is a number of the form where is an integer – that is, the result of exponentiation with number three as the base and integer as the exponent.
Applications
The powers of three give the place values in ...
" to protect innocent lives from
demonic beings. After being reunited with their late elder sister,
Prue, who was
killed less than a decade earlier, the four sisters vanquish the demon Rennek in order to safeguard the existence and secrecy of magic. Writers of the comics are also involved in the publication of other
''Charmed'' literature, including
Paul Ruditis
Paul Ruditis is an American author.
Early life
Ruditis was born and raised in Philadelphia. He attended West Chester University where he majored in Theatre Arts with a directing emphasis. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles where he began ...
, author of ''Season 9'' and editor of ''Season 10'', whose novel ''
The War on Witches
The ''Charmed'' literary franchise is a series of novels and short stories based on the eponymous television show, which aired from 1998 to 2006. The franchise consists of forty-three novels and eleven short stories released in two anthologie ...
'' (2015) is set between the events of the two seasons.
The comics were generally well received. One graphic novel volume made
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list in early 2011.
Initially, only 12 issues were contracted by Zenescope but, due to the success of the first few issues, the contract was doubled to 24 issues per season. The first issue sold out of its initial 17,000 copies in the first three weeks, which prompted Zenescope to release a second printing in time for the release of Issue #2.
Production
Development
Rumors of a comic series began long before Zenescope made the news official in March 2010.
Speculation had started to appear online
about the possibility of a comic series much earlier, however, largely due to test sketches appearing on the
DeviantArt
DeviantArt (historically stylized as deviantART) is an American online art community that features artwork, videography and photography, launched on August 7, 2000 by Angelo Sotira, Scott Jarkoff, and Matthew Stephens among others.
DeviantArt, ...
account of
Dave Hoover
David Harold Hoover (May 14, 1955 – September 4, 2011) was an American comics artist and animator, most notable for his art on DC Comics' ''The Wanderers'' and '' Starman'' and Marvel Comics' '' Captain America''.
Biography
Early life
...
which featured
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series ''Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and El ...
,
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
and
Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
. Speaking on his DeviantArt page, Hoover said: Months before the title had officially been announced, and before Zenescope gained acquisition of the publication rights for the comic series, the first advertisement for the series featuring the famous
triquetra
The triquetra ( ; from the Latin adjective ''triquetrus'' "three-cornered") is a triangular figure composed of three interlaced arcs, or (equivalently) three overlapping '' vesicae piscis'' lens shapes. It is used as an ornamental design in ar ...
symbol and the
tag line
In entertainment, a tagline (alternatively spelled tag line) is a short text which serves to clarify a thought for, or is designed with a form of, dramatic effect. Many tagline slogans are reiterated phrases associated with an individual, so ...
"The Girls are Back" written in the
series font appeared in the December 16, 2009 issue of the Zenescope comic book ''
Escape From Wonderland #3''. However, Zenescope did not officially announce possession of the title until the company had successfully been granted the rights from
Fox Consumer Products.
Subsequently, the first
press release
A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public release. Press releases are also considere ...
from
Zenescope Entertainment
Zenescope Entertainment is a comic book and graphic novel publisher headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania, United States, co-founded by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco in 2005. Zenescope publishes full-color action, fantasy and horror titles.
Unde ...
indicated that ''Charmed'', based on the "ultra-popular"
media franchise
A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...
, would be a natural addition to the publisher's pre-existing "sultry and
strong female characters".
Editor-in-Chief Ralph Tedesco also announced that "the key to this series success is to strike a nice balance in creating a brand new, intriguing storyline for fans of the television show while also not alienating Zenescope and comic book readers who haven't really followed it before".
It was further announced that while the TV series had a difficult time due to casting and budget limitations, the comic creators would not have those problems, thus fans may finally see the return of popular characters like
Prue and
Cole
Cole may refer to:
Plants
* Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed).
People
* Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole
* Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole
Companies
*Cole Motor C ...
.
Although the comic books feature the likeness of the majority of the actors who appeared in the television series including
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
(
Phoebe Halliwell
Phoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Alyssa Milano from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The character was originally played by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot episode. However, Rom ...
),
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series ''Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and El ...
(
Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Holly Marie Combs from October 7, 1998 until May 21, 2006. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Piper on her second-oldest s ...
),
Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
(
Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead character ...
),
Brian Krause
Brian Jeffrey Krause (born February 1, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Leo Wyatt on The WB television series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and for portraying the lead role of Charles Brady in the 1992 horror film ''Sleepwalk ...
(
Leo Wyatt
Leo Wyatt is a fictional character from The WB Television Network, The WB television series ''Charmed'', portrayed by Brian Krause. A possible breakout character included in the writing initially as a love interest beginning in the first season ...
) and
Julian McMahon
Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian actor, former model, and the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia, Sir William McMahon. He is best known for his roles as Detective John Grant in '' Profiler'', Cole Turn ...
(
Cole Turner
Cole may refer to:
Plants
* Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed).
People
* Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole
* Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole
Companies
*Cole Motor ...
),
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
's (
Prue Halliwell
Prudence Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Shannen Doherty from October 7, 1998, until May 17, 2001. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Prue on her older sister. ...
) likeness does not feature in the comic books. Ralph Tedesc
officially released a statementthat
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
had not given her permission for the comic book creators to use her likeness in the series, saying that “Unfortunately Ms. Doherty has declined to be involved in the comic version of Charmed. This includes the use of her likeness. We had hoped that she would allow us to use her image and that we would be able to bring her into the Charmed comic book exactly as she was in the show but at this point that has become impossible. While Ms. Doherty’s likeness will not be used for the character we are still very excited about the direction we are going with Prue and we hope that fans of Charmed will feel the same way.”
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
revealed at Oz Comic-Con in 2013 that her decision to not give permission for her likeness to be used was based on Zenoscope's unwillingness to pay her to use her likeness.
CBS and Zenescope officially reached an agreement for a tenth season.
It was announced in April 2014 that Paul Ruditis stepped down as lead writer and would edit the series, while Pat Shand would write the new story and
Elisa Féliz would be pencilling.
The first issue of ''Charmed: Season 10'' debuted at
New York Comic Con
The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006.
History
The New York Comic Con is a f ...
during the weekend of October 9, 2014.
Writing and format
Author
Paul Ruditis
Paul Ruditis is an American author.
Early life
Ruditis was born and raised in Philadelphia. He attended West Chester University where he majored in Theatre Arts with a directing emphasis. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles where he began ...
was hired as lead writer of ''Season 9'' with established Zenescope author Raven Gregory co-writing the first three issues alongside him. Ruditis was already familiar with the "''Charmed'' universe" having previously published three
tie-in novels, two official
episode guides (co-authored with
Diana G. Gallagher
Diana G. Gallagher (March 14, 1946 – December 2, 2021) was an American author who wrote books for children and young adults based on television series. She contributed to book series based on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series), Buffy the Vamp ...
), and the
''Charmed Book of Love Spells''. Ruditis and Gregory also co-authored a special Issue 0, which acted as a
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
to the series by summarising the events of the television series in a style reminiscent to the
Book of Shadows
A Book of Shadows is a book containing religious text and instructions for magical rituals found within the Neopagan religion of Wicca. Since its conception in the 1970s, it has made its way into many pagan practices and paths. The most famous ...
depicted in the show. For ''Season 10'', Pat Shand assumed the role of writer and Ruditis acted as editor.
Artist
Dave Hoover
David Harold Hoover (May 14, 1955 – September 4, 2011) was an American comics artist and animator, most notable for his art on DC Comics' ''The Wanderers'' and '' Starman'' and Marvel Comics' '' Captain America''.
Biography
Early life
...
was hired to create the interior artwork while David Seidman was hired to design the covers for the comics, although various guest artists have contributed variant covers for each issue, including
Greg Horn
Greg Horn is an American comic book artist best known for his work as a cover artist for Marvel Comics and various other publications. Working primarily as a digital painter, he is well known for his pinup paintings of female characters. In add ...
,
Al Rio
Álvaro Araújo Lourenço do Rio (19 May 1962 – 31 January 2012) – known professionally as Al Rio – was a Brazilian comic book artist, best known for his " good girl" illustration work, particularly on the American comic book seri ...
, Tony Shasteen and
Mark Sparacio. Hoover departed the series after completing Issue 3. Since then various artists have been hired to create the interior artwork such as Marcio Abreu (4, 5 and 7), Carlos Granda (8), Tess Fowler (6 and 11), Dean Kotz (9, 12, 14 and 15), and Reno Maniquis (10 and 13).
Although the process of writing and receiving studio clearance was much the same as for ''Charmed'' novels, Ruditis explains, "The big difference now...is that with original episodes no longer airing, we have a lot more freedom than we did on the novels."
With the ''Charmed'' novels, nothing outrageous could occur to distort established continuity. Stories had to take place "between" episodes, usually in the first half of a given season. Ruditis notes that while "
e studio still has to approve the direction we take," no longer does "everything... have to reset by the end. That alone means that nothing is entirely safe."
Ruditis and Gregory claim they wanted the series to "grow and evolve" in the new medium, "expand
ngupon what worked and what didn't work."
The creators believe it stands out from the ''
Buffy'', ''
Angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
'' and ''
Pushing Daisies
''Pushing Daisies'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007, to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life ...
'' television-to-comic adaptations because ''Charmed'' has a unique focus on the dynamics of family drama.
According to Shand, the comics and
novels
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...
based on the franchise were part of the ''Charmed''
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western can ...
and follow the established
continuity of the series.
Publication
Issues
The first issue premiered during San Diego Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...
in July 2010. Initially only 12 issues were contracted by Zenescope, with around five issues comprising one story arc which would be reprinted in graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
form. A one-shot
One shot may refer to:
Film and television
* One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so
* ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake
* ''One Shot'' (2 ...
issue has also been announced for Issue #6, and another is followed when Issue #13 comes to start the new story arc.
Season 9 (2010–12)
Season 10 (2014–16)
Collected issue
Season 9
The issues were collected together into trade paperbacks
A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, ...
:
Season 10
The issues were collected together into trade paperbacks
A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, ...
:
Reception
Critical reaction was initially mixed for the first issue, with many reviewers complaining about the lack of story. Reviews for Issue #2 in relation to the story have been much more positive with Fandomania awarding the issue 3/5. However some noted that the issue does a good job at exposing the series to newcomers.
The artwork however has received the most criticism both for the characters likeness' and the colouring, which is deemed distracting by a Newsarama reviewer. Christina Flores of ComicImpact.com goes on to say that the interior art is inconsistent, with the character drawings not being as good as those of locations and backgrounds. However, she goes on to say that Ruditis and Gregory open with a strong story and says that ''Charmed'' fans will enjoy the issue. Fan response however has been promising with the first issue selling out of its initial 17,000 copies in the first three weeks, which prompted Zenescope to release a second printing in time for the release of Issue #2.
Cast reaction
*Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
has touched upon the comic series in interviews, talking about how she gave Zenescope her permission to use her likeness for her character.
*Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
and Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series ''Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and El ...
have discussed the comics on Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
, most notably joking about the cover for Issue #2 which pictures the Charmed Ones naked covered only in leaves.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charmed (Comic Book)
Charmed (TV series)
2010 comics debuts
Comics based on television series