‘Spartacus’ Creator Steven S. DeKnight, Batman Exec Producer Michael E. Uslan Team for Oni Adventure Comic ‘Dr. Syn’ (Exclusive)

Logo text An obscure adventure hero is getting new attention thanks to Steven S. DeKnight, the creator of Starz’s Spartacus shows, and Michael E. Uslan, the longtime executive producer of the Batman movies. The two have teamed up with Oni Press for Dr. Syn, a four-issue miniseries based on the pirate adventure hero created by Russell Thorndike that appeared in a series of popular books and plays in the early part of the 20th century. The duo are co-writing the title. Sebastián Cabrol (EC’s Catacomb of Torment) serves as the artist for the series which will debut January 2027. “From film to comic books and back again, I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a hand in shaping many of the iconic characters that first fueled my fascination with heroes, crime fighters, and vigilantes,” said Uslan in a statement. “But even as I was bearing the torch to bring Batman to the big screen as a major film franchise or taking up writing duties on characters like Archie or The Spirit, there was always one more legend itching away in the back of mind: Dr. Syn, the proto-pulp avenger first created by author Russell Thorndike more than a century ago. He continued, “Fortunately, the immensely talented Steven S. DeKnight shared my fascination, and, together with the brilliant Sebastián Cabrol, we’ve hatched a fierce new vision for a character that could be best described as ‘America’s first dark knight.’” In the Thorndike stories, Syn was a vicar at by day and a smuggler known as the Scarecrow (mask included) by night, leading a double identity to help his parish at the turn of the 18th century. His dark past includes being a pirate, and in the tales he leads a crew on horseback that use phosphorous to give the illusion of supernatural. In the new telling, which adds some revisionist history to the proceedings and is set in 1775, Syn is a reverend doctor waging an insurgency against King George III. When he is captured, he is sent to the British Empire’s most inhospitable outpost — the American penal colony known as “Georgia.” With a mismatched team of allies fueled by the same burning vengeance for justice at his side, England’s most dangerous revolutionary has a chance to bring the empire down in an inferno of roaring flames, per Oni’s description of the book, with the backwater collection of pestilence-ridden colonies called America providing the spark. “The story of Syn couldn’t be more of a rollicking, historical tale of action and adventure. It’s also shockingly timely,” stated DeKnight, who is also known for showrunning the first season of Netflix’s Marvel show, Daredevil. “An aggrieved citizen fighting back against a mad tyrant and his oppressive government running roughshod over the common man? The echoes of this resonant throughout the ages and the vibrations from such are more relevant than ever. But that never overtakes the core of Syn, which in its bones is a thrilling homage to the serial adventures of yesteryear, chuck full of edge-of-your-seat daring heroics, narrow escapes, romance, swordplay, and everything else that makes this genre so incredibly entertaining.” The creators are describing the title as Inglourious Bastards, Quentin Tarantino’s down in the dirt revisionist World War Two movie, meets V for Vendetta, Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s anti-fascist British tale of rebellion. “It’s not just a modern refresh of the novel,” explained Oni president and publisher Hunter Gorinson. “It takes the kernel of this character – a British freedom fighter against the monarchy – and then puts it through a proto-superhero lens. What Michael and Steven, and now Sebastián, are doing is taking the character and Tarantinoing him. There’s a lot of threads to pull on and they intend to pull on all them.” Syn first appeared in Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh in 1915 and his adventures continued across six more novels, all serving up tales that could be read in the same era as stories of such characters as Tarzan. The character could be shaded as having been an early prototype for pulp heroes such as The Shadow and even later, Batman. Thorndike’s stories inspired stage plays in the 1920s and 1930s, segueing to film adaptations, including the 1963’s Disney feature film The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh. There was even a comic book series published by Dell Comics in that era. Oni will be giving a preview of the book at New York Comic Con later this week with Uslan set to join the company’s panel Oct. 9. Other panelists include creators George Northy (Yuletide), Oliver Mertz (A Ghost Arm Made of Angry Ghosts), Ryan O’Sullivan (Judge Dredd / Biker Mice from Mars), and Dave Baker (Halloween Boy) and Oni Press editors Karl Bollers and Bess Pallares. Check out a first look below. Dr Syn Comic Courtesy of Oni Press Dr Syn Comic Courtesy of Oni Press Dr Syn Comic Courtesy of Oni Press Dr Syn Comic Courtesy of Oni Press Dr Syn Comic Courtesy of Oni Press Dr Syn Comic Courtesy of Oni Press