Image Comics walks back publishing new work from Warren Ellis

2021 promo art for Fell by Ben Templesmith
(Image credit: Ben Templesmith/Image Comics)

Update: It seems artist Ben Templesmith was "speaking out of place" after all when he announced on June 21 the return of his and writer Warren Ellis's Fell through 𝐆Image Comics.

Following backlash over Ellis's return to mainstream comic books after allegations☂ of sexual misconduct led to the cancellation of several previously solicited works in 2020, walking back plans to publish new work from Ellis. 

Back on Wednesday, Image reportedly issued a statement that it would be publishing Fell once agaiꦬn with Ellis and Temples🍬mith.

"Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith's Image Comics series Fell will indeed return for its long-awaited final story arc in graphic novel format," Image reportedly on Wednesday, following Templesmi🌸th's Monday announcement. "We will have more details to share about this very soon."

Image's new statement from Friday walks this back, stati🐓ng that the announcement did not reflect their actual plans - though the publisher states 💧they are "looking forward" to returning to Fell under more appropriate circumstances.

"This week's Fell announcement was neither planned, nor vetted, and was in fact, premature," reads Image's statement. "While finishing Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith's Fell is something we've been looking forward to for years, Image Comics will not be working with Warren on anything further until he has made amends to the satisfaction of all invoಞlved."

Image also points readers to , a website in which Ellis's accusers lay out the steps they're asking El🐷lis to take toward restitution and restorative justice for all involved.

"It is our sincere hope that the conversations that are beginning now will result in positive changes for everyone🔯. Please visit SoManyOfUs.com," Image's statement concludes.

Original story follows

Artist Ben Templesmith has revealed on his and that he and writer Warren Ellis will re-team to continue their creator-owned⛄ title Fell at Image Comics. Originally published for nine issಌues starting in 2005, Fell has been on hiatus since 2008.

Templesmith states that the new chapter of Fell will be a "single-volume work", th𒅌ough he does not elaborate on the format. The news includes a new promo image, seen here.

The return of Fell marks Warren Ellis's first apparent neꦇw comic book work since allegations of sexual misconduct were levied against the writer by several young women, after which he issued a statement via his Orbital Operations email newsletter that did not address any specific allegations directly but acknowledged some culpability in what he referred to at the time as "these mistakes…"

Following the allegations, Ellis retreated from mainstream comic books, with several planned projects falling by the wayside including a story tied to DC's Dark Nights: Death Metal event. Warren did complete several other stories following these events, including DC's The Batman's Grave limited series, though he's since been abse🗹nt from comic b▨ooks.

Templesmith's statement only seems to refer indirectly to the circumstances, vaguely acknowledging Ellis's now concluded hiatus from ✅comic book work.

"Fell is finally going to be finished. Ok, it's finally happening. For better or worse, this is unfinished business to me. We really left it hanging. Obviously, so much has changed since those days. Yes, I know, so much," reads the statﷺement Templesmith posted on his Patreon.

"Not for me to speak for Warren, but I agreed to do the book and I'm glad he's going to be doing some comics again," the statement continues. "I don't think anyone thought he'd bugger off and work in a shoe factory or anything. He is, after all, one of the most important comics writers of the past few deca⛄des."

Fell tells the story of homicide detective Richard Fell as he investigates the violent and bizarre crimes that take place in the so-called "fe🦋ral city" of Sno🥂wtown, an urban center rife with hostility, mystery, and perhaps even magic. 

Originally planned as an ongoing title, Fell featured shorter page counts with an intent to keep the price of each issue to $1.99, which was a significantly lower price than standard comic monthly comic books even ba🌃ck in 2006. 

♑"It means a lot to me to finish this thing, finally, so I couldn't say no. I guess we'll let the market speak as to how things go," Templesmith states. "We're pretty much past the old concept of $1.99 comics, sadly, these ♓days, so from what I know this will be a single volume work."

"And I hope I'm not speaking out of place by saying yes, it'll still be through Image. Warren got m🐟e some script, so I'm starting on pages now," Templesmith's statement concludes. "So in addition tཧo the other projects I'm working on, Squidspit, Hair of the Dog, Urnakk Black Blood and the He-Bros of the Universe thing, the Squid Army Patreon is going to be privy to a bunch of my process work on all the pages. As always, Hail Squid and all that."

Templesmith's statement did not include any projected release date for🦄 the new volume of Fell. Neither Ellis nor Image Comics have released any statements about the returning Fell.

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and gener🌼al comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)