Netflix developing another cult favorite comic book as a TV series

Having seen the roster of Marvel shows canceled and sent back into the waiting arms of Kevin Feige, Netflix has since opted to adapt lesser-known properties as the basis for episodic shows, and for the most part it’s worked a treat.

We can’t pretend that Jupiter’s Legacy wasn’t a colossal flop, but that’s been significantly offset by recurring favorites including Sweet Tooth, Locke & Key, Warrior Nun, Raising Dion and many more besides. As per Deadline, the streaming service is back at it again after acquiring the rights to David F. Walker’s The Hated.

A female-driven revisionist Western, the comic tells the story of Araminta Free, a bounty hunter in an alternate reality where the Civil War ended with a truce between the North and the Confederacy. As a result, America has been divided in two, with Araminta crossing behind enemy lines to track down wanted war criminals.

The Hated is being developed by Michael Starrbury, a regular collaborator of Ava DuVernay who already has a development deal with Netflix in place. To further that connection, creator Walker’s Naomi is also in production at The CW with DuVernay executive producing and helming an episode. A high concept action-packed Western set in a different pocket of history is an enticing prospect, one that could yield top-tier television if handled correctly.