The network has ordered not one, not two but four new pilots based on hit scifi and fantasy properties. Three are comic adaptations — Letter 44, Pax Romana, and Frank Miller's Ronin — while the other is The Magicians, based on Lev Grossman's hit urban, adult fantasy novels.
Let's break them down:
• Letter 44 is about a new president who discovers on his inauguration day that his predecessor's seemingly insane militarization was all to prep America for an imminent alien threat — one that he'll have to deal with. If you haven't definitely check the first issue, which you can read for free on io9!
• Pax Romana is a recent series by comics superstar Jonathan Hickman, about a group of World War III soldiers who get mysteriously transported to ancient Rome and try to fix the future by altering the present, along with their modern-day weapons and vehicles.
• Frank Miller's classic '80s series Ronin is about a 13th century samurai transported to modern-day New York City to kill the demon that murdered his brother; Syfy plans this as a miniseries.
• And last but not least, Grossman's The Magicians is about a college for magicians, and the attendees there who have to deal with adult problems and adult consequences — and a fantasy land described in a popular series of kids' books which turns out to be real.
All these were announced at Syfy's upfronts today, and frankly, we couldn't be more excited. Okay, if Syfy changed it's name back to Scifi, we'd probably be a bit more excited, but still, we'd rather have the shows than the name.