So what if HBO already has one vampire series? Writer Steve Niles says his “Epilogue” series –- now out through IDW -– would be perfect for the channel, and even though vampires are involved, it takes more of a bite out of crime, not necks.
“I love superheroes and I never get a chance to write them,” Niles said. “So I created my own.”
Ethan Smart has a wife and two kids, until his family is attacked by vampires. He barely escapes and becomes a vampire himself, but like a certain serial killer on HBO’s rival network, he has a code -– he’ll only feed off people who hurt other people.
“Imagine if your family was killed by vampires,” Niles said. “You probably wouldn’t be too thrilled by them. So he’s trying to hunt the vampires who destroyed his family, and he’s living by killing criminals and letting the police know about it. He has nothing to be afraid of.”
Since Smart is more of a crime-fighter, he’s less Blade and more Batman -– “if you can imagine Batman ramped up to the 100th degree,” Niles said. And for HBO’s purposes, “He’s more like the Crow than True Blood,” Niles said. Furthermore, Smart’s not that close to the other vamps’ trail -- “he doesn’t even know where to start,” explained Niles -– so the vampirism angle is more background than foreground.
“I’d love to do something for HBO,” Niles said. “This is much more a TV series than a movie. And it would be cool. You could really play with the whole morality of it.”
Have you read "Epilogue"? What did you think? Who would you want to play Ethan Smart?
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