The Twilight Zone set a standard for allegorical sci-fi and terror. While many attempts have been made to revive the series, Rod Serling’s groundbreaking run of the series has transcended generations. His haunting vision of social commentary and terror left an indelible mark on pop culture, resulting in attempts to reboot the concept in a number of mediums. This latest attempt to revive the series comes from IDW, which aims to keep its anthology format intact, consisting of five different issues and a unique story for each issue.

This first story, “Blanks,” comes from British comics writer Dan Watters and artist Morgan Beem. Dying billionaire Edward Kane flies to an island to get treatment for what ails him. While his doctor discourages this request, as the treatment is a deadly virus and can take ten years to be considered safe for human use. Kane insists he doesn’t have the time and demands to be patient zero. The drug is administered while he is sedated and heals him, but at what cost?

Morgan Beem’s art is fantastic, but unsettling. Presenting it in black and white aligns the story with the original series’ air date. There are some shots in this book that feel lifted from the original series, in a good way. Her interpretation of the show’s visuals works where many others have failed. Sandy Tanaka’s lettering serves the words well, but remains subtle in a story reliant on reveals rather than dialogue.

Right away, the hallmarks of the original series are there. Even if his face is covered, Serling’s presence is felt with a wisp of smoke from the always-lit cigarette, as he gives a meta narration with sage-like advice. While Watters’ story dabbles in some social commentary, it leans more into the sci-fi and light horror of the Twilight Zone rather than the analogous aspects of an entry.

My hope is that the other four issues will delve a little bit more into the commentary than this first issue, but I also recognize that a comic book’s single-issue page count is a limiting factor. Given that our main character is a billionaire, it feels ambiguous as to whether this story takes place in the original era of the show or a more modern one, but that may be the throughline throughout the rest of the issues.

Dan Watters has some big shoes to fill. While it’s great to have your name associated with an intellectual property, some are harder to emulate than others. Dan Watters’ attempt is off to a great start. It may not rewrite the rules but it abides by them, and that’s more than what could be said for other reboots.

Creative Team: Dan Watters (writer), Morgan Beem (artist), Sandy Tanaka (letterer)
Publisher: IDW Publishing
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