Of all the indie publishers at Emerald City Comic Con, Bad Idea was a standout due to its slate of titles. I’ve been aware of Bad Idea since I signed up for their mailing list, and don’t let the title fool you: the folks in charge actually have some good ideas for making comics. The official Bad Idea panel featuring CEO Dinesh Shamdasani, sales rep Siena Fallon, and Jonathan Wayshak unveiled a slate of high-concept titles featuring some great creators.
The crown jewel of Bad Idea’s new slate was Planet Death, co-written by Derek Kolstad (John Wick, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and Robert Venditti (Superman ’78) with Tomas Giorello on art.
A trailer complete with colored art laid out the story: a soldier leads his troops in an incursion to an alien planet so that they can destroy a superweapon and return home. But the soldier’s entire battalion is massacred, forcing him to complete the mission on his own.
Giorello’s art looks gnarly, gritty, and downright epic. Shamdasani discussed how Kolstad came to co-write Planet Death, as Arrival‘s screenwriter Eric Heisserer, working on comics, inspired Kolstad to try his hand at it.
Venditti also has two other titles in the works from Bad Idea: Survive with Doug Braithwaite, where two sailors have to race to escape a submarine that’s sinking to the bottom of the sea, and Ordained with Trevor Hairsine.
Ordained had a John Wick-esque pitch that immediately made me want to read it – a priest conducts last rites for a man who turns out to be a member of the Irish mob. But in a cruel twist of Fate, the mobster survives and sends his men after the priest…only to learn that said priest had formerly served in the army!
Bad Idea is also dipping its toes into horror. Wayshak is co-creating Cul-De-Sac with Mike Carey, which is the story of a group of kids who learn that their parents are vampires. But they don’t want to inherit their parents’ bloodthirsty tendencies, leading to a blood-chilling pursuit.
Wayshak showed off some of his art, which was disturbing yet enthralling; the best comparison I can make is with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
Another horror title, Habitat, comes to shelves courtesy of Joshua Dysart (Harbringer), David Lapham (Stray Bullets) and Bill Sienkiewicz (Moon Knight); its focus is on a billionaire’s private retreat turning into a horror show.
Finally, two science fiction titles are in the works. One is Save Now by Matt Kindt (BRZRKR) and Giorello, about a man with the power to stop time and “relive” parts of his life; the catch is that he still ages in real-time. The second is a new edition of Eniac, Bad Idea’s first series from Kindt and Braithwaite. Fallon let the audience know that anyone who signed up for the Eniac Kickstarter would receive a Planet Death lithograph featuring art by Joe Quesada.
The goods aren’t just limited to a panel though. Bad Idea has a gachapon machine at its booth in Artists’ Alley, with color-coded mints that give visitors a chance to win a different exclusive comic. So far it looks like Bad Idea is coming up with nothing but good ideas, so comic fans should keep an eye out for future titles.
Planet Death #0 will be available wherever comics are sold on April 30, 2025.
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