The Exterminators (comics)
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| The Exterminators | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Vertigo |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series (canceled at issue #30) |
| Publication date | March 2006 – August 2008 |
| Number of issues | 30 |
| Main character(s) | Henry James Laura Stretch Page Christie Kevin Nils Peterson Dr. Saloth Sar |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Simon Oliver |
| Artist(s) | Tony Moore (interior art) Philip Bond (covers) |
| Penciller(s) | Tony Moore |
| Inker(s) | Ande Parks Sean Parsons Tony Moore |
| Colorist(s) | Brian Buccellato |
| Creator(s) | Simon Oliver Tony Moore |
| Collected editions | |
| Bug Brothers | ISBN 1-4012-1064-3 |
| Insurgency | ISBN 1-4012-1221-2 |
| Lies of our Fathers | ISBN 1-4012-1475-4 |
| Crossfire and Collateral | ISBN 1-4012-1685-6 |
The Exterminators was an American monthly comic book series, published under the Vertigo imprint by DC Comics. The comic was created by writer Simon Oliver and artist Tony Moore and follows the employees of the Bug-Bee-Gone extermination company.[1] The book is notable for its graphic and darkly humorous take on the extermination business. The first issue was released on January 4, 2006. At the 2007 San Diego Comic Con it was announced that the series had been cancelled and would finish at issue 30.[citation needed] The series had initially been envisioned as a 50-issue series.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] History
The Exterminators initial incarnation was a TV pitch and pilot outline[2] as writer Simon Oliver was working in the film industry at the time. After consideration Oliver realized the story wasn't really network material. Oliver then decided to pitch it to a comic book publisher. Luckily a film producer friend of Oliver had become good friends with Karen Berger of Vertigo Comics after they had discussed 100 Bullets.[1] Through this friend the pitch of The Exterminators reached an interested publisher quickly. After some reworking with editor Jon Vankin the project was greenlit and the first issue was released January 2006.[3]
A short preview of the comic before its initial release appeared in an issue of Y: The Last Man.
[edit] Story
[edit] Characters
The main character of The Exterminators is Henry James. Fresh out of jail, he starts working for his stepfather Nils Peterson's extermination company Bug-Bee-Gone. Henry lives in an apartment with his girlfriend Laura, a high level employee of Ocran Industries, manufacturers of chemical products. One of these products is Draxx, a new poisonous gel for exterminating cockroaches. Draxx has some serious side effects which have been discovered by Dr. Saloth Sar, the in house scientist of Bug-Bee-Gone. (Saloth Sar is also the birth name of the infamous Cambodian leader Pol Pot.)
[edit] Plot
[edit] The Box
The box in question is of unknown origins, though it carries a distinct Egyptian motif. Henry James found it in AJ's truck just before AJ died, and the subsequent flashback sequence indicates that the box was found during AJ's stint in the Marine Corps, in the Gulf War. The box appears to be made of stone, and has an elaborately carved scarab on one side. On another are four keyholes and a swastika. It is entirely possible that the box is Egyptian, as it may have been carried by Roman soldiers into Iraq, and then rediscovered sometime before AJ's military service.
The box's significance is elaborated on in issue 25.
[edit] Adaptations
[edit] TV
Showtime and Sara Colleton (executive producer for Dexter) have optioned the series for a television drama, bringing the history full circle, as the story was originally pitched as a television series.[4]
[edit] Collected editions
| # | Title | ISBN | Publication date | Reprinted issues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bug Brothers | ISBN 1-4012-1064-3 | August 2, 2006 | The Exterminators #1–5 |
| 2 | Insurgency | ISBN 1-4012-1221-2 | March 7, 2007 | The Exterminators #6-10 |
| 3 | Lies of Our Fathers | ISBN 1-4012-1475-4 | September 12, 2007 | The Exterminators #11-16 |
| 4 | Crossfire and Collateral | ISBN 1-4012-1685-6 | April 30, 2008 | The Exterminators #17-23 |
| 5 | Bug Brothers Forever | ISBN 1-4012-1970-3 | November 12, 2008 | The Exterminators #24-30 |
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Irvine, Alex (2008), "The Exterminators", in Dougall, Alastair, The Vertigo Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, pp. 67-70, ISBN 0-7566-4122-5, OCLC 213309015
- ^ First Books - Simon Oliver's The Exterminators
- ^ Comixfan Forums - Simon Oliver Exterminator for hire
- ^ Showtime buggy over 'Exterminators', Hollywood Reporter, July 9, 2008
