The Huntsman (lost cancelled Image Comics series by Chris Claremont; 1992)
Status: Lost
The Huntsman was a creator-owned comic book series that was to be written by Chris Claremont, best known for his defining 16 year run on X-Men, as one of the flagship series of the newly founded Image Comics in 1992.[1]
History
Chris Claremont had left Marvel Comics alongside Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Erik Larsen, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino and Whilce Portacio, to found Image. It was to be focused on creator ownership, with each individual creator fully owning their own property.
Claremont's original title was Huntsman, about an assassin wielding katanas and firearms, and had the power to copy the skills of others. This idea was proposed to Whilce Portacio, and it's hinted that he, after initial consideration, ultimately decided not to do it in favor of his own project Wetworks.
In an interview on Amazing Heroes #202 (April 1992):
Amazing Heroes: I understand that you might be doing a book with Chris Claremont
Portacio: I've got a few ideas right now and Chris Claremont has a proposal, so we might work together, but we still have to over the project. It's just a matter of seeing if our ideas somehow mesh or if we could come up with something. But I would love to work with Chris.
Amazing Heroes: Can you tell us about a couple of things you're thinking about doing together?
Portacio: I don't what Chris' idea is, although I think it's called The Huntsman. But as for myself, I'm kind of thinking in terms of a team. One of the ideas that is real close to me is a Predator team - like Dutch [Arnold Schwarzenegger] and his team - a bunch of mercenaries who are soldiers and who are just looking for a cause.
Cancellation
Portacio instead focused entirely on Wetworks, and not pursue working on Huntsman. Claremont had attempted to secure a replacement artist, but all were either too busy with other projects at Image, or were only interested in working with Claremont on an X-Men title. With no realistic prospect of getting Huntsman made in a timely manner, Claremont left the Image team before the company was officially founded, and went to work for DC Comics. There, he created Sovereign Seven, which had a 36 issue run.
To date, no official artwork (covers, designs, interior art etc.) of this series has been made available to the public, which suggests that no art had been made at this time and only existed as a written concept.
Reintroduction
Later, Claremont would come to work for Image. He wrote several issues of Marc Silvestri's Cyberforce and Jim Lee's WildCATs. In the latter, Claremont officially introduced Huntsman in WildCATs #10 (April 1994) as an antagonist to Zealot. To date, he's only appeared in 8 issues within the WildStorm Universe, and is officially owned by Claremont himself.
Gallery
Images
The first proper appearance of Huntsman in WildCATs #10 (April 1994), by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee
