WildStorm has developed in various dimensions since I came on staff in 2002—our creator-owned books and licensed titles are always in flux, but more importantly, the core books in the WS Universe have evolved. A few months after my arrival, we began the Eye of the Storm initiative and I found myself in the editor’s chair on WILDCATS Version 3.0 and STORMWATCH: TEAM ACHILLES, both terrific books to be part of.

The stories that Joe Casey and Micah Ian Wright told were compelling, exciting stuff compared to the ’90s material featuring the same characters. And the art? Damn…what better group to work with when starting at a new company than Dustin Nguyen/Richard Friend and Whilce Portacio/Scott Williams? A more friendly, professional, and talented group you’d be hard-pressed to find! And I also had the opportunity to wrap up the Garth Ennis/Glenn Fabry AUTHORITY one-shot, introducing readers to the wondrous Kev Hawkins and spawning several follow-up miniseries chronicling his sad, bizarre misadventures, I can’t help but laugh out loud while wondering: how many “heroes” get saved from their nemesis when he slips on a bar of hairy soap?

Eye of the Storm evolved into a different direction for the Universe and the challenging, though-provoking approach helped pave the way for and inspire World’s End. The creators involved approached the direction with gusto and excitement, which I think shows in the material produced to date, and we’re really only just getting started. At next week’s San Diego Comicon, more information will come available for the direction of the WildStorm Universe in 2010…

…and as a little nod to fans of Eye of the Storm check out a page from the next issue of Wildcats. Full circle, eh?

This week, we have a special treat for GEARS OF WAR fans: a Sourcebook filled
with some amazing pin-ups and a cool short story written by Joshua Ortega
and illustrated by acclaimed StarCraft artist Federico Dallocchio.

I love working on books like this (despite the logistics headache), because
they give me the opportunity to work on an incredible universe with a
variety of talented individuals. I get to hire guys like GREEN LANTERN
maestro Doug Mahnke to do a killer pinup featuring Cole and Baird, then turn
around and convince KILLAPALOOZA artist Trevor Hairsine to really get down
and dirty with the nasty Locust. Next the incredible Philip Tan makes
terrifying magic with a Berserker and Brian Ching takes a breather from his
STAR WARS duties to deliver a gorgeous piece. And those are just the tip of
the iceberg - look for dynamite pieces by Ben Oliver, Andy Smith, Jin Han,
Joel Gomez, Brandon Badeaux, and a trio of images from some talented Epic
art directors. Need I mention the gonzo cover by Stephen Platt?

Now, go check out this smorgasbord of awesome!

Exclusive preview time, everyone! The incomparable Shawn Moll and Drew Geraci will be taking over WILDCATS for a six-issue stint beginning next month (#13-18), as stalwart Neil Googe moves on to another project. I’ve worked with both of these terrific artists before: Shawn helped tell the definitive story of Pamela Voorhees in a two-issue FRIDAY THE 13th arc several years back…and Drew inked Carlo Barberi’s run on GEN13. Both of these guys are uber-talented, hardworking artists, and all-around great guys. Here’s your chance to take a sneak peek at the art!

I remember the first time I read PLANETARY, as a fresh-out-of-college newly minted assistant editor at Dark Horse Comics. There was a short preview in the back of another WildStorm book I’d purchased, and it blew me away—a fun, short story with some dynamite art.

At that point, my only introduction to Warren Ellis had been his terrific STORMWATCH work. With John Cassaday, I’d seen his unique and exciting DESPERADOES. But you could tell these guys were going to be huge. And with PLANETARY, you had the focus of two extraordinary creators with one singular story to tell…and boy, has it been one helluva journey! I would never have thought, all those years ago reading that short story, that someday I would be a senior editor at WildStorm Productions overseeing the final issue of this incredible, defining work. It’s taken some time to put all the pieces together, but I think it’s going to be a satisfying conclusion for all the fans who’ve patiently (and some impatiently!) waited all this time.

And I was right—Warren and John have definitely made names for themselves in the biz.

We’ve got another bonus this month for Warren Ellis fans—a reprinting of the killer RED series he did with the incomparable Cully Hamner (which is being developed into a movie, too, by Summit Entertainment!). It’s a special treat for fans of the story, as it reprints the miniseries AND has a ton of special “bonus” extras in the back (and it’s a solo reprinting, unlike the original version that had it as a flipbook with another series). Since I worked on the original mini, I thought it might be cool to have a peek at a couple elements that not even this exhaustive reprinting could show off. Enjoy!