In just a few short months, Kristin Kreuk’s first trek into the comic book world will be released and Winnipeg is set to be at the forefront of the project. Kreuk, who is best known for playing Lana Lang in “Smallville,” co-wrote a comic book series called “Black Star.” It’s set in the early 1800s with the beginning of the Red River settlement posing as the story’s backdrop. Meanwhile, the events that take place are far more whimsical. “The foreground is about the beginning of this magical group that ends up having an outsized impact on Winnipeg itself and on each other,” Kreuk said in an interview with CTV News Wednesday. “It’s a pretty dark story about the overextension of power and how we can corrupt ourselves, even when we have the best of intentions, and about how a small group of people, through trying to protect many, start to hold on to that power in a way that limits everybody.” Work started on the series when she was in Manitoba filming the TV series “Burden of Truth,” teaming up with her co-star Peter Mooney, who is from Winnipeg, and writer Eric Putzer to develop a story. Kreuk said she loved being in Winnipeg so much and knew it would be the perfect place to tell a fantasy story. “There’s something about Winnipeg that is charming and weird. There’s a weirdness to the city that I adore, and when you start digging into it, that weirdness extends into the past,” she said. While writing, Kreuk said she learned about the Masonic symbolism and hermetic code hidden inside the Manitoba Legislative Building as well as the history of the occult in Winnipeg, such as seances being performed at the historic Hamilton House. All of that fascinated them, she said, along with the Canadian history that is entrenched all over Manitoba. “Where the Red and the Assiniboine (rivers) meet, and The Forks, there’s something about it that’s magical to us, and that’s why we thought it was the best place to tell a story like this.” Kreuk said writing this series has been her favourite creative process, as boundaries can really be pushed. She noted the artists that they’ve been working with have created some amazing pieces and really helped the entire story come to life. “You can say, ‘I want to do this crazy thing,’ and you don’t think about budget, you don’t think about any of it. Your limitation is only, ‘Is that possible in still frames?’ That’s it. And so, the sky’s the limit for us.” Before becoming a comic book, Kreuk said there were discussions about making this a TV series. She is hopeful that might still be possible one day. “We would love to work in Winnipeg again. That was always the plan,” she said. “If that were something that came out of this, we would be beyond thrilled.” If people are wanting to pick up a copy of “Black Star,” the first issue comes out July 29, and preorders are already available.
