Martial Arts Shared Universe Expands With Fa Sheng: Origins (Exclusive)
Immortal Studios is expanding its new action-fantasy line up beginning with the tale of an outsider hero in the time of China’s Boxer Rebellion.
BY ANDREW FIRESTONE
PUBLISHED 5 HOURS AGO
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Coming from LA-based Immortal Studios, Fa Sheng: Origins is a new epic action comic designed to expand the publisher's shared universe based in the classic “Wuxia” story style. Based on the writings of the late famed author Shiao Yi and curated by his son CEO Peter Shiao, Fa Sheng: Origins will feature the mighty Shaolin warrior from Immortal’s previous 2020 series Adept as he battles through wartime China at the turn of the 20th Century as a hero for the downtrodden amidst the Boxer Rebellion. “There’s never been a better time than now for people to discover what makes Wuxia so excitingly relevant,” said Shiao in a press release, “it’s a thrill to honor my father’s legacy, as one of the pioneers of modern Wuxia.”
The Wuxia genre is among the oldest and most influential styles of action story, originating in ancient China, and coming to the fore in popular culture in recent years thanks to its emphasis on larger-than-life heroes and stylish, imaginative martial arts action. “Wuxia is a fantasy genre of transformation and romanticism from the East that also has its roots in real history,” said Shiao. “It is the story of the commoner who becomes extraordinary, the outsider wandering hero, who is compelled by circumstance to stand against injustice and champion the common person.” According to solicitations, Fa Sheng will use his incredible martial arts abilities to fight against ruthless villains in an effort to empower the people to rise up against evil. Fa Sheng: Origins #1 will be illustrated by Dexter Wee, colored by Omi Remalante, Jr., lettered by Deron Bennett, and edited by Brian Cunningham.
Immortal Studios has announced a new Kickstarter campaign to fund Fa Sheng: Origins, with details forthcoming at their WonderCon panel on April 2. In a statement to Screen Rant, writer and ordained Zen Buddhist monk Rylend Grant said that Fa Sheng’s journey will be one of struggle. "You’re not born into enlightenment. It’s earned. It’s fought for, tooth and nail, over time. It is too often a byproduct of tragedy and strife,” said Grant. “In FA SHENG: ORIGINS, we watch as our titular martial hero is forced through the meat grinder of the Boxer Rebellion, of China’s Warlord Era. He witnesses unspeakable evil is dealt horrible defeat, but he rises, in the end, from the ashes of the carnage, a changed man, a better man, an enlightened man with a mission, deputized by the powers that be in the fight against all that Dharmically ails us." Check out this exclusive first look at the cover:
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Dharma is an Eastern concept found in Buddhism and Hinduism which refers to the underlying cosmic balance of the universe, and the duty an adherent to those faiths needs to perform to be more in harmony with existence. The elder Shiao made a career on bringing the genre of Wuxia into modernity, including his featuring of women as protagonists, and including ****sexual relationships in his novels. Immortal Studios plans to continue on the same path.
“We’re creating a new and different chapter for Wuxia, one that’s different from my father’s generation,” said Peter Shiao. “Our vision is to break new ground by creating dynamic stories set in the contemporary world. We’ll honor the past, and we’ll do that by crafting stories for the future and creating a modern Wuxia for a new generation.”
But what bloody adventures await Fa Sheng in his quest for enlightenment? Find out in the upcoming Fa Sheng: Origins #1 from Immortal Studios with details to come at Wondercon 2022.
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Andrew Firestone (241 Articles Published)
Andrew Firestone is a writer of sentences, paragraphs, chapters and words, cultural enthusiast and a hard news junkie from Allston, Massachusetts. An editor, audio engineer and evangelist of all things awesome,
