This week I get the joy and honor to play in a very different sandbox than my usual. THE OLD GUARD: TALES THROUGH TIME is an anthology series from Image Comics that's been running for a few months now, featuring the badass, unkillable Old Guard characters (stars of a buncha awesome comics and a cool Netlifx flick), as created by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez. TALES THROUGH TIME has the Old Guard crew starring in all new stories from throughout their very long lives, told by a string of top-notch creators, like Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Avon Oeming, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Matt Fraction and David Walker. That's a pretty All-Star batting order, and this week, with issue #5, artist Rafael Albuquerque and I get to step up to the plate.
I've wanted to work with Rafael since he and I first met years ago, sharing drinks together at one of the world's best little comic cons, in Avilés, Spain. Seriously, that was one of the most memorable con experiences of my life, spent hanging out with fans at gorgeous little cafes and going for meals that seemed to last for five hours, then mingling with amazing creators from all over the world in a bar-tent that stayed open until the wee hours of the morning. I even took home the coveted Brian Azzarello award that week, for being the creator who stayed up the latest every night. A proud moment in my career. It sits on a shelf next to my Eisners. Anyway, turns out that whole experience was good research for the story Rafael and I do here, a story set in the 1970s that focuses on Booker, as he wanders into the wrong sort of church after a Times Square bender.
COVER A: LEANDRO FERNÁNDEZ. COVER B: RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE. COVER C INTERCONNECTING "BATTLEFIELD" VARIANT: LEANDRO FERNÁNDEZ.
Interior art by Rafael Albuquerque, colors by Daniela Miwa.
For a guy who never went to Catholic School, I sure seem to have a thing for nuns. I'll have to unpack that one later.
And hey, I missed this last week, but the HEROES REBORN trade also just came out.
I've talked a lot about this story over the last few months, as it was coming out, but I'd just like to take the moment again to say thank you for the response to this one. It meant a lot, for a lot of different reasons. Now I'm just thrilled to have it all packaged together and out in the world. It's an absolutely gorgeous collection of comics. One meant to impart joy in its purest form. And hopefully just the beginning of much more joy to come.
Cheers.