Hey folks,
This newsletter is gonna be a bit of an info dump. There have been a lot of announcements over the past few weeks as the bottleneck of work seems to finally have loosed itself, spewing out news like a goddamned volcano.
I’m going to try to move through it all swiftly without bogging everyone down too much. That said, I am thrilled to finally be able to talk about a lot of the work that I’ve had cooking for the last little while. Some of these announcements I’ve been sitting on for as long as a year.
Table of Contents
• Out This Week
• Announcements, Announcements, Announcements
• Currently On My Nightstand
• It’s Lasagna’s Birthday
Out This Week
But, first up! In stores today:
BEYOND THE BREACH VOLUME ONE: LOSING CALIFORNIA
After suffering delays due to paper and shipping issues (thanks, Covid!), BEYOND THE BREACH, VOL 1, is finally in stores!
Not familiar? Well, here’s the official description:
Vanessa was dying to get away...but it’s the trip home that might kill her.
Life sucks for Vanessa. Her mother just died, and her boyfriend is cheating on her (with her own sister!). To clear her mind, Vanessa is taking the California road-trip that she’s been dreaming about for years.
Her postcard-perfect drive through old growth forests quickly turns when the Breach hits. A bizarre anomaly in the sky plunges California into a nightmare-world populated with strange, extra-dimensional creatures. Now Vanessa, along with Dougie, an orphaned child, and Kai, a strange, fuzzball of a beast, must fight to survive if they ever hope to make it back home. If there’s even a home to return to.
From writer Ed Brisson (Uncanny X-Men, Ghost Rider, Old Man Logan) and artist Damian Couceiro (Old Man Logan, Iron Fist, X-Force), this fantastical sci-fi road trip adventure about perseverance and finding family in unexpected places contains issues #1-5.
Want a little taste before buying? No problem, I’ve got you. You can check out a PDF of BEYOND THE BREACH #1 right here.
Also in shops today is this bad boy:
BATMAN FEAR STATE SAGA HARDCOVER COLLECTION
Apparently, it was in stores last week, but I somehow missed it.
The Batman: Fear State Event is collected like never before!
Gotham City is on the brink of martial law as Batman fights a two-front battle! The Scarecrow is unleashing a devasting attack on the city while the Magistrate have made their move to invade! Gotham City is on the brink of a violent evolutionary path and the danger level to Batman and his allies reaching a fever pitch!
The Magistrate now have full support from the mayor to handle high-level law enforcement in Gotham and have branded the Dark Knight as Public Enemy #1. Batman must also contend with the return of the Scarecrow who pursues his own terrifying agenda as he takes this chaotic moment to launch his FEAR STATE.
And that's just the start of the Dark Knights twisted tale in Batman: Fear State Saga collecting Batman #112-117; Batman Secret Files: The Gardener #1; Batman Secret Files: Peacekeeper #1; Batman Secret Files: Miracle Molly #1; Batman: Fear State: Alpha #1; Batman: Fear State: Omega #1!
Announcements, Announcements, Announcements
Since we last spoke, I’ve had FOUR things announced. Sounds crazy and feels even crazier. There are still a couple more announcements to come, so keep your eyes on this space.
Taking them in order of release:
BATMAN 2022 ANNUAL
I’m writing a Batman! Editor Ben Abernathy has brought me in for a few DC projects and I couldn’t be happier. He’s been an absolute pleasure to work with. His excitement for projects is highly infectious and as a result, I’ve been having a blast working on the few projects that have come my way.
Official solicit:
Following the events of the Abyss story arc, Batman has now tasked Ghost-Maker to finance and lead Batman Inc! First order of business for the new management? Clean up a huge mess Luthor created in Chechnya…but is this new group ready to face the fearsome new threat of the Gray Wolf? And prepare yourself for the evolution of Clownhunter!
I’m feeling pretty lucky to be working with John Timms on this book. His pages have been absolutely stunning. Just jaw-droppingly beautiful. I cannot wait for everyone to see what we’ve got in store.
Cover art by Mikel Janin with a variant by Chris Burnham.
BATMAN 2022 ANNUAL will be in shops on May 31st, 2022.
DEATHSTROKE INC.
Starting with issue #10, I’m taking over writing duties on DEATHSTROKE INC, kicking it all off with a six-part DEATHSTROKE: YEAR ONE storyline. Artist extraordinaire Dexter Soy and I will be delving into everyone’s favourite contract killer’s history — before The Teen Titans, before Batman.
Official Solicit:
Slade Wilson’s blood-drenched past and exploits are well chronicled, but how did he become the infamous assassin and mercenary known as Deathstroke? What dark turns did his life take that set him on the path of destruction that would tear his family apart? Find out as DEATHSTROKE: YEAR ONE begins…
Cover art by Mikel Janin.
DEATHSTROKE INC #10 hits shops June 26th, 2022.
THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH PATRICK TODD
My next creator-owned book is finally here!
Very excited to be working on this book with artist/co-creator Gavin Guidry. I first met Gavin at HeroesCon in 2017 and have been following his work since. When I first had the inkling of an idea for this book, I knew that Gavin would be the perfect artist for it and I wasn’t wrong (not that I ever am).
Chris O’Halloran was kind enough to grace us with colours and my favourite letterer (and yours!) Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou is back to give our characters voice.
I’m thrilled to be working with the fine folks at Aftershock once again.
Official Solicit:
Fifteen-year-old Patrick Todd lives on the run, hiding out in seedy motels, living out of his backpack and making sure that his mom – recently struck down by a mysterious illness of the mind – is well cared for. But doctors cost money. A lot of money. And, so, Patrick turns to a life of crime. Using the telepathic abilities he’s been hiding all his life, he forces the worst of the worst to rob banks, taking the money before making them turn themselves in to the police.
But someone has taken notice of Patrick’s schemes. A reckoning is coming. Will the police find Patrick in time to save him, or will he become yet another victim of the killer called Zeus?
Written by Ed Brisson (BEYOND THE BREACH, Uncanny X-Men, Old Man Logan) and illustrated by Gavin Guidry (Captain America: The Ghost Army, Going to The Chapel), THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH PATRICK TODD weaves a web of intrigue, deceit and hot pursuit as danger closes in from all directions.
Keep an eye on this space in the coming months as I’ll be teasing pages and process on this baby.
THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH PATRICK TODD #1 hits shelves on July 6th, 2022.
PREDATOR
Finally! Finally. Finally. Finally. PREDATOR was originally supposed to launch last summer, but due to circumstances beyond my control, we got pushed back and it has been killing me. KILLING ME!
Speaking of killing, Kev Walker has been killing it on this book. I’m lucky to be working with him, lucky to even be in his orbit. I wish that I could post the opening sequence to the first issue here, just to give you a taste, to get you all hooked. But, all you need to know is Kev BRINGS IT. You do not want to miss out on this book.
Official Solicit:
HUNT. KILL. REPEAT. In the near future, a young girl sees her family slaughtered by the deadliest and most feared hunter in the universe: a PREDATOR. Years later, though her ship is barely holding together and food is running short, Theta won’t stop stalking the spaceways until the Yautja monster who killed her family is dead…or she is. Ed Brisson (IRON FIST, GHOST RIDER) and Kev Walker (DR. STRANGE, DOCTOR APHRA) forge a violent, heartbreaking, unforgettable new chapter in the PREDATOR saga not to be missed!
PREDATOR #1 hits stores on July 6, 2022.
Currently On My Nightstand
I’ve just started digging into Alex Segura’s SECRET IDENTITY and so far, it’s just as great as I knew it would be. A murder mystery set in the comic community in the mid-70s…what more do you want?
It’s Lasagna’s Birthday
It’s been a bit of a rough couple of months for my handsome man. He got sick in February, then again in March, and had to be on a bunch of medication, which dealt with the illness but left him dealing with some pretty crappy side effects. BUT, he’s all better and back to his old self, just in time for his 9th birthday.
The first photo is from the day I brought him home (after a near 12-hour round trip) and the second is one my wife took of him recently.
Okay, this newsletter is already far too long, so I’m going to sign off now. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks!
Ed
Happy birthday cat. Dogs rule cats drool. Are you going to be doing any con's in the States this year?
All this news is great, Ed, especially new books news. But mostly I'm here to wish Lasagna a happy birthday. I love you Lasagna! (also, Janet's picture is ICONIC!)