Steven S. DeKnight, known for creating Starz’s Spartacus series, and Michael E. Uslan, a longtime executive producer on the Batman film franchise, have partnered with publisher Oni Press to develop a new comic book miniseries centered on Dr. Syn. The character, originally created by author Russell Thorndike, first appeared in early 20th-century adventure novels and stage plays. Sebastián Cabrol serves as the artist for the four-issue miniseries, scheduled to debut January 2027.
In Thorndike’s original stories, Dr. Syn operated as a vicar by day and a smuggler known as the Scarecrow by night during the 18th century, using a double identity to aid his parish. The character drew on a dark history as a former pirate. The new comic adaptation reimagines the character’s story, setting it in 1775 with Syn portrayed as a reverend doctor leading an insurgency against King George III. After his capture, Syn is transported to the British Empire’s penal colony in Georgia, where he assembles a group of allies to conduct a rebellion against the crown.
DeKnight described the project as combining historical action-adventure storytelling with contemporary relevance, emphasizing elements of daring heroics, narrow escapes, romance, and swordplay. The creators are drawing thematic inspiration from Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Bastards and the graphic novel V for Vendetta. Publisher Hunter Gorinson characterized the adaptation as taking the character’s core concept and applying a proto-superhero framework to the material, positioning Syn as an early prototype for later pulp and superhero characters including The Shadow and Batman.
Thorndike’s original Dr. Syn stories spawned stage productions in the 1920s and 1930s, followed by film adaptations including a 1963 Disney feature and a Dell Comics series. Oni Press will present a preview of the upcoming miniseries at New York Comic Con later this week, with Uslan scheduled to participate in the publisher’s panel on October 9.
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