One ofThe Expanse’s greatest strengths has remained consistent across the entire franchise. While the six-season TV adaptation wrapped up four years ago on Syfy and Amazon Prime, comic continuations likeDragon Toothhave kept the universe alive with must-read stories for longtime fans. A recent interview shed light on a specific quality that defines both the show and its comics, a storytelling strength that continues to set The Expanse apart.
In a podcast conversation on Ty & That Guy with The Expanse co-creator Ty Franck and comic writer Andy Diggle, the co-writer revealed Amos Burton will return inaMan on Fire-typesequel. Diggle went on to express his excitement for the project, noting thatThe Expanseis versatile and allows creators to"play around with the different subgenres"speaks to the franchise’s greatest strength.The Expanseconsistently bends genre across all mediums, especially in the comics, where there’s even more creative freedom to explore.
“One of the things I really like about The Expanse is you play with genres… the show is more tonally even, but in the novels there’s a bit of, ‘this is noir, and then that’s kind of a western on Ilus, and this is space horror.’ You can play around with the different subgenres, and I think there is room to do that in the comics, too. So it’s not exactly a revenge thriller, but it has that kind of vibe to it. A noir revenge thriller. And just letting Amos go ‘full Amos.’ I describe it as ‘Churn Mode.’ But it has to be about something.”
The Expanse’sGreatest Strength Is Its Genre-Bending Versatility
The Comics Showcase How The Expanse Thrives Across Multiple Genres Simultaneously
Audiences who have only watchedThe ExpanseTV seriesmay not realize how much broader the franchise’s tonal range can be. The show maintains a consistent tone throughout its six seasons, which makes sense given the nature of television. It’s easier to keep an audience engaged over time when each episode feels familiar, and even a small shift in tone can risk losing viewers. While that consistency works well on screen, it doesn’t fully reflect the genre-blending creativity that definesThe Expanseacross its other formats.
The original book series is far more flexible when it comes to experimenting with genre.Across the novels and novellas,The Expanseexplores elements of noir, western, horror, and thriller.The Churn, one of James S. A. Corey’s novellas, is a strong example of what happens when the franchise leans into a grittier, more suspenseful tone. Diggle even refers to it as"Churn Mode"because of its intense, revenge-thriller vibe. Since books rely more on the reader’s imagination, the format allows for greater freedom in playing with different tones and subgenres.
The ExpanseComics Stay Truest to the Books' Original Tone
Only the Comics Fully Capture What Makes the Original Series Unique
By extension, theExpansecomics amplify the franchise’s strength in genre versatility, visually capturing the voice and tone of the books. Alongsideexpanding the lore with game-changing theories, the comics come closest to replicating the tonal flexibility that defines the novels. This doesn’t mean the TV series is any less valid for maintaining a consistent tone, as that’s often necessary for television. However, for fans ofThe Expanse’snovels, the comics offer the most faithful representation of the books’ storytelling style.
