HAUNTED AMERICA, coming in issues 9-12, starting in May. By the usual cast of lunatics, Erik Burnham, Dan Schoening, Tristan Jones, and Luis Delgado. The above image by Schoening & Delgado is the combined covers for 9 through 12.

Our big INFESTATION 2 event launches next week with the lead issue by Duane Swierczynski and David Messina. And while there are bigger, more important issues that tie in to that event, the one I’m personally fond of, for very biased reasons, is a goofy little one-shot that hits on Leap Year day, February 29. That is, INFESTATION TEAM-UP, written by me and drawn by my WEEKLY WORLD NEWS cohort Alan Robinson. It pairs of GROOM LAKE’s grey alien Archibald with the WEEKLY WORLD NEWS’ Bat Boy and is essentially a bit of a piss-take on the idea of big events. As such it references, mocks, or pays homage to lots of other past events. Just a fun pressure-release of an issue amidst the more ominous crossover event going on around it.

In addition to Eric Powell‘s cover for it, which has already been seen in PREVIEWS, Bill Morrison was nice enough to do the above image, a tribute to a book I loved as a kid, BATMAN: The ’30s TO THE ’70s (I know that the Infantino cover art is older than that book but that’s where I first saw it, anyway).

The great Sal Buscema is inking a number of new projects for us now, including one ongoing monthly we’ve yet to announce. But one thing we have announced and just approved to print is next month’s G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO ANNUAL 2012. On the first-ever RAH Annual, Sal inked his old cohort Ron Frenz, as well as fellow former HULK artist Herb Trimpe and Ron Wagner, too. Sal told me it’s been over 30 years since he last inked Trimpe, so it was fun to make that happen, as well as keeping the Ron-n-Sal team together, too. And with Ron Wagner doing the last chapter in this Larry Hama-written story, it’s a very fun flash back to all these guys who just anchored the comic business in the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and now beyond, too.

Ron and Sal will keep going on some issues of RAH as well, as evidenced by their cover here for issue 177. And Sal has been as charming a guy to work with as you’d ever hope, so it’s been a thrill for me all around. Here’s a look at Sal’s inks over all three guys, and a few colored pages as well. With much more to come.

 

So I know there’s a good prose anthology on the way–lots of plans in that regard, and the chapter illos for those stories look phenomenal. I’ll post all that soon and talk it up as the eBook shorts go live, which is happening soon–but there’s also to-do going on with the comics. One bit of news, I have to keep secret for now, but I can announce here that in May, I’ll be handing off comic stories to different writers for the first time.

In May, we’re doing the first-ever ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS ANNUAL, and bringing in some big guns for this one.

First, I’m happy as hell that Ashley Wood is back on-board for interiors: he and I will be doing a new 14-page story. But there are other people I’m really happy to have alongside us.

I resisted the idea of handing off ZvR comic stories to anyone else for a long time, but these cats are some people I really love, and more and more, I’m drawn by the idea of seeing what other people do with the goofy premise.

With the first ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS ANNUAL, I set up an anthology-like premise of “Seasons of War.” Each of the four creative teams will be doing a different season over the course of the book. Those teams are:

Daniel Wilson and Sam Kieth: Spring

Kevin Grevioux and Drew Moss: Summer

Rio Youers and Andy Kuhn: Fall

Me-n-Ash: Winter

Daniel’s the author of one of my favorite recent novels, ROBOPOCALYPSE (likely to be a major motion picture before ZvR, but I’m hoping it’s a neck and neck race) and I’ve wanted to have him do comics, or anything, with us for a while. Sam is also a perfect fit for this property, and I’m hoping this is just the start of him proving that fact.

Rio’s a helluva prose writer as well (I’m currently loving his DARK DREAMS, PALE HORSES collection, but he also had a very fun story alongside mine in the CLASSICS MUTILATED book we put out last year). He and Andy Kuhn, who I’ve wanted to get onto a ZvR project for a while, are a great fit.

Kevin is, of course, the brains behind UNDERWORLD and other thrilling comics, and he’s paired with Drew Ford, a really exciting new artist who has a pin-up in my INFESTATION 2 TEAM-UP issue out on Feb. 29, among other things.

And having the band back together with Ash back for a story is thrilling as can be, too (he and I will also have a new 4-page story in April’s HERO INITIATIVE comic. That one pays obvious tribute to a cartoonist I have adored since childhood).

The all-new DANGER GIRL miniseries, DANGER GIRL: REVOLVER, launches next Wednesday. That’s the issue that introduces an all-new Danger Girl to the world — it’s by Andy Hartnell and JACK AVARICE artist Chris Madden, with covers by Madden and also J. Scott Campbell. What you see above these words is Campbell’s wraparound issue 3 cover. While below the words is Madden’s cover to issue 2.

And if you like Madden’s take on DANGER GIRL, you’re going to be very happy about the crossover he’s doing after this series ends, too.

The first half of the TRANSFORMERS relaunch kicks off this Wednesday with TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE #1 (TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE launches two weeks later on January 25).

Below is the gatefold wraparound cover art and a 5-page preview of MTMTE #1:

The first B&W page of John Byrne‘s mysterious new superhero title he’s launching with us has made the rounds, as has the book’s title, TRIO, and logo. While I’m not here yet to offer up any new details about the series yet, I can say that anyone who’s a fan of JB’s past Marvel and DC efforts is going to really love what’s going on here. Especially once we reveal plans for the covers and the thrust of the series itself.

The team reveal? Still to come. But for now, here’s that page 1 in full, vivid color by Ronda Pattison.

Coming in May, the third volume of Darwyn Cooke‘s acclaimed, award-winning PARKER graphic novel series, THE SCORE.