This Wednesday, September 17th, the fifth and penultimate issue of DC Special: Cyborg is in stores. Illustrated by Carlos Magno and inked by Jonathan Glapion, I'm really excited about this issue because it's not just me taking familiar DC characters and putting them in new situations. I've created a group of new characters - The Phantom Limbs - maimed veterans who were given Vic Stone's cybernetics by the mercenary known as Mr. Orr (from Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee's Superman Run). Their catch - they only get to keep their new limbs if they continue to kill for Mr. Orr - no matter who the target is.
Are these Phantom Limbs (the title doesn't just refer to their literal cybernetic limbs; "phantom limbs" refers to the sensation that amputees have of still feeling their limbs even after they lost them) - friend or foe? Well, the glib answer is read and find out. But what I'm really hoping is that, just like I'm using other creator's characters, The Phantom Limbs will be part of my legacy on Cyborg. That someone else, somewhere down the line have fun with the toys I've added to the wonderful toybox that is the DC Universe.
Speaking of DC, many of you might be wondering where the second issue of Two-Face: Year One is (some of you may even be saying, wait, there's a Part Two?). It was scheduled to come out already, and I'm not sure why it hasn't - I've seen the finished art and lettering - but it's been rescheduled to come out on Wednesday, October 8th. I've said this before, but I think it's one of the best things I've ever written.
It keeps the same noirish tone of the first issue, and spotlights the cops that Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka created in - Gotham Central - they're Jim Gordon's "untouchables", the only honest cops in the Gotham City Polic department. But the story moves away from Two-Face's origin and deals with Two-Face running for D.A. against a corrupt former mob lawyer. And if an election-themed story sounds boring, don't worry - it's fulled with bullets, Batman, and more Bat-villains than I thought could an artist could fit on a page (sorry, Jesus...and by Jesus, I mean artist Jesus Saiz). Did I mention it's got Batman.
It looks like I'll be doing an appearance in NY the day before Two-Face hits, on October 7th...more on that as it gets sooner.
The following Wednesday, October 15th, the sixth and final issue of Cyborg should be in stores. That's where I pit both Cyborg and The Phantom limbs against The Cyborg Revenge Squad, a team of supervillains designed specifically to take out, well, cyborgs. I also wrap up everything, and there's a major change in Vic's personal life.
Finally, on November 19th, Wildstorm will be printing the first two-part webcomic I did for NBC's Heroes as part of a hardcover collection. In additon to featuring stories by my good friends Pierluigi Cothran, Christine Boylan and Heroes writer/editor Chuck Kim, Heroes Vol. 2 will showcase the print version of my Suresh story, "Blackout", illustrated by fan-favorite Jason Badower. (Interestingly enough, that story was published in a special issue at Comic Con this year, of which I only have one copy. If anyone wants to give - or sell me a copy - please e-mail me).
And that wraps up my publishing schedule for 2008. It's been a pretty remarkable year. I've had at least one book come out every month with the exception of December. Fearless and Hazed from Image, Cyborg and Two-Face: Year One from DC, as well as stories in BOOM!'s Cthulhu Tales and Tori Amos' Comic Book Tattoo. And that's not even including my Heroes webcomics...
I'm not sure what next year will bring. I'm working on at least one creator owned series, for one of the publishers I mentioned above. Hopefully, the work-for-hire offers will continue, and there will be good news about the pilot for Cartoon Network I've been working on.
I mention this not to pat myself on the back, but to thank all the talented collaborators I've worked with, and more importantly, all the readers who've continued to follow my work. I promise you that whatever comes next will be full of surprises and better written than what's come before.
