Reborn (Image Comics)

Reborn is a British fantasy comic book limited series written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Greg Capullo.^[2] Published by Image Comics, the series is primarily set in the afterlife of the Millarworld,^[3][4] following Bonnie Black, an 80-year-old woman who after her death is reborn in Adystria with a sword in her hand, searching for her husband while facing off against the evils of the neighboring Dark Lands.^[5]

Reborn
Publication information
Publisher	Image Comics
Schedule	Monthly/Bi-monthly
Format	Limited series
Genre	Fantasy
Publication date	October 2016 – June 2017
No. of issues	6
Main character(s)	Bonnie Black Big Tom Estelle White Lord Golgotha General Frost
Creative team
Created by	Mark Millar[1] Greg Capullo
Written by	Mark Millar
Artist(s)	Greg Capullo
Penciller(s)	Greg Capullo
Inker(s)	Jonathan Glapion
Letterer(s)	Nate Piekos
Colorist(s)	Fco Plascencia
Collected editions
Reborn Book One	ISBN 978-195012-8167

The series, originally published between October 12, 2016 and June 7, 2017, was collected as a trade paperback on August 2, 2017 and a hardback graphic novel on May 2, 2018,^[6] and was republished as an omnibus by Dark Horse Comics in 2024.^[7] Characters from the series would return in the miniseries Big Game in 2023.^[8] Receiving a generally positive critical reception, both a sequel and feature film adaptation of the series have been in development hell since its initial publication.

Premise

"The old world was just a dry run for this one. If you were good there, you're strong here. If you were kind to everyone, you're reborn unbeatable."

Where do we go when we die? Not Heaven or Hell, but Adystria or the Dark Lands, where one has to fight to survive, and the people of the past are waiting, good and bad alike. On dying of old age in her hospital bed, 80-year-old Bonnie Black finds herself reborn in the afterlife of Adystria, a realm ten times the size of Earth, as its physically 25-years-old "savior", with a sword in her hand and gun of her hip, forced to protect the realm from the evils of the Dark Lands, while searching for her husband Harry.^[9][10]

In other media

Big Game

Bonnie Black and her father Big Tom from Reborn return in the final issue of the 2023 limited series Big Game (again written by Millar and drawn by Pepe Larraz), the former decapitating Wesley Gibson after he awakens in Adystria on being shot in the face by Hit-Girl on Earth.^[8]

Film adaptation

Ahead of its initial publication, Mark Millar stated in June 2016 that the series had been produced with an adaptation in mind, having already begun negotiations to see one be made.^[5] By January 2019, Chris McKay was attached to direct a Reborn feature film for Netflix, with Sandra Bullock and Vertigo Entertainment producing,^[11][12][13] and Bullock being considered to possibly also star.^[14] By August 2020, Bek Smith came onboard as the film's screenwriter, along with Bullock's Fortis Films banner and additional producers Roy Lee and Miri Moon, and co-producer Samantha Nisenboim,^{[15][16][17][18][19][20]} with Bullock confirmed to co-star in the film by September, being produced for Netflix.^[21] Following this, the film entered development hell.