by: S. Scott Stanikmas

Way back in the year 2000, when I was first getting back into comics, IndieRvolver EIC (who at that time was just my co-worker in a big box retail store at a dying mall) Jay Carlson introduced me to two particular books – The Amazing Spider-Man and Rising Stars, both written by TV powerhouse J. Michael Straczynski. Of the two books, Rising Stars was the one that hooked me deepest.

113 children born with superpowers due to a cosmic occurrence while they were in the womb who would eventually bring their powers out full force onto the world was a story made for the spectacle of TV or film. But here was Straczynski bringing his epic to the four color world.

Flash forward over 16 years from the debut of the first issue and now we might actually get to see JMS’s vision realized on the big screen. Deadline reports that MGM has optioned the rights for Rising Stars with Straczynski as the writer for the project.

While I’m excited for this I’m also a bit apprehensive. This isn’t the first time talk of bringing the Specials (as the superpowered beings were known) to life but with the increase in comic book properties being bought up by movie studios this might be the closest we’ve been yet.

I’m also curious as to how they’ll adapt the source material. The original story was 24 issues split up into three distinct arcs (with various mini-series rounding out the whole story). With most studios feeling “Trilogy Fever” over the last decade or so they could go that route – and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what we get.

I’ve always been of the mind that this kind of story would unfold much better as a multi-season show on a network like HBO, Showtime or Cinemax…but these days even FX or AMC would make a great home for Rising Stars.

The project is still in the very early stages (no director has been named yet) so we’re still a ways off from seeing Poet, Flagg/Patriot, Chandra, Ravenshadow and the others up on the silver screen. As this is a comic book near to my heart I’ll be following this one extra close. If any major news pops up on this you can be sure I’ll have a report right here.