It would seem we are living in the age of the reboot/continuation. While superheroes dominate the box office landscape, studios are relying on other established properties to reel in moviegoers and streamers. Now we can add Escape From New York to that list.
The reboot is very early in the development process, so details are few and far between. Carpenter is set to executive produce while the directorial team known as Radio Silence—Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella—will be behind the camera. The search is now on for a screenwriter and star.
Created by famed filmmaker John Carpenter, the 1981 movie helped establish Kurt Russell as a bonafide action hero. Doing his best impression of classic Western stars from decades prior, Russell brought Snake Plissken to life for the dystopian New York City setting. Of course, he would eventually land in the pages of various comic books beginning with these three.
THE ADVENTURES OF SNAKE PLISSKEN #1
With a character so ready-made for the world of comics, it’s hard to believe that Snake didn’t make his first appearance until 1997. Of course, this comic was published a year after Russell returned to the role for the underwhelming Escape from Los Angeles, which might account for why most collectors overlooked this series at the time.
At any rate, this is such a cool comic to own, and we are likely to see more from Snake on the comic front with the reboot in the works.
There have only been two graded online sales in recent years. In April, an 8.0 brought $30. Before that, a 9.8 sold for $180 in May 2021.
JOHN CARPENTER’S THE SNAKE PLISSKEN CHRONICLES #1
Six years after Adventures #1, Snake slithered his way to a new publisher and a new comic series. This time, John Carpenter attached his name to the title under the CrossGen banner. Being a smaller publisher, it’s no wonder that this issue flies under the radar.
It’s for that same reason that it is a gem to own for any Snake fan, though you will be hard-pressed to find graded sales. The only one on record is a 9.6 Cover B variant that sold for $45 in July.
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK #1
In 2014, Boom! Studios acquired the publishing rights to Carpenter’s classic sci-fi property, and the first Escape from New York comic adaptation was born. Although it’s not Snake’s first appearance, this is still an important issue for longtime fans and collectors being that it is based specifically on the movie, unlike the previous entries.
The standard cover, graded at a 9.8, last sold for $69 in 2017. Like practically every modern comic, this one comes with several variants, that’s where you’ll find the bigger values. There’s Cover E that sold for $225 last month while Cover B brought $185 in June. Don’t forget about the Emerald City Comic Con edition that’s floating around the auction sites. That one sold for $125 in October 2021.
SLITHERING ALONG
Sure, Kurt Russell forever and always will be Snake Plissken, but the potential for the character with a younger actor in the role is enticing. As the comics have shown, there’s plenty of stories to tell in and out of the wasteland New York City setting. It should be interesting to see where the reboot is headed in the coming months.
In the meantime, you can get your dose of Snake venom from the epic crossover, Big Trouble in Little China/Escape From New York comic.
