As much as I personally welcome motion comics into the sequential art fold as a promotional tool for generating interest in the medium, I admit to an underlying skepticism before viewing each new release. After all, motion comics are just like any other release and the quality of their execution can vary significantly.

That's why I was pleasantly surprised when I scrolled through the admittedly short "online graphic novel" (which avoids the term motion comic altogether) tie-n promoting AMC's new original series "The Prisoner," and yeah, the term "original series" does sound funny given it's a reimagining of the 1967 series.



The motion comic itself works in a way that I found pretty refreshing. Instead of playing out like a flash-animated version of original comic art, it "scrolls" around an unperceivable page, animating each "panel" with tasteful effects and decent voiceover work. Fans even scroll control when each panel plays, giving them time to absorb the story at the same pace they'd have reading a traditional comic book.

This first installment, or "Book One: As the Air, Invulnerable," as its called kicks off a ten chapter series that ties in with the events of the new television mini.

The show itself debuts Sunday, Nov. 15 and runs each night through the 17. Chapter two of the comic doesn't debut until after the final episode, so if you dig what you see, you'll have a little bit of waiting to do before the full story can be viewed en masse.

All in all, I'm a bit intrigued. Just imagine what AMC will do to promote "The Walking Dead" if it ever fully manifests.