The series will be written by George Mann (Dark Souls, Warhammer Black Library), who has been involved in shaping the Warhammer 40,000 universe for more than a decade though games and novels. Art will be provided by Tazio Bettin (Independence Day) and Enrica Eren Angiolini. Issue #1 will include covers from Tazio Bettin & Enrica Eren Angiolini, John McCrea & Dee Cunniffe, Fabio Listrani, Boo Cook, and Nick Percival, as well as a blank sketch cover.
The first story arc, called Will of Iron, will follow Baltus, a newly elevated Dark Angel Space Marine as he is baptized in battle and learns the price his Chapter has paid for victory. Secrets as old as the ancient Horus Heresy may be revealed.
“Of course,” he said. “The trick and the challenge, as always, is to make sure that the lore that's in the comic is there in service to the characters and the story, rather than just heaped in by the ton because we have access to it.
“For long-term fans of the games, novels, and universe, there'll be plenty of tantalizing hints and A-list cameos, but for those comics readers who are just looking for an engaging new science fiction comic, we pride ourselves on making it completely accessible. All you need to join the story is in the #1.
“We view much of the story through the eyes of Baltus, a squad-level Space Marine. There's no such thing as an 'ordinary' Space Marine – even the lowest ranks are capable of astonishing superhuman feats – but Baltus knows little of the wider universe, or of the secrets of his chapter, the Dark Angels. He's trained – and made – to obey orders, to do what must be done. But as he witnesses inhuman horrors and experiences deeply personal revelations, and grows as a result, the readers will be right there with him.
“The Warhammer 40,000 universe is vast, intricate, and packed with amazing characters, planets, species, weapons, battles, and historical events. But those are all the backdrop to this story being told through the eyes of a Space Marine, an Interrogator Chaplain, and an Inquisitor.
“We plan to tap as much of the amazing lore as we can, of course, but with the luxury of an ongoing series, we have the time to explore all the facets of Warhammer 40,000 to the full. And with the Calaphrax Cluster, the immense region of space in which our series takes place, we have the benefit of an entirely new and unexplored sector of the universe in which to play.
“The Calaphrax Cluster has been closed off to the wider universe by warp storms since the days of the Horus Heresy, ten thousand years prior. Who knows what treasures, mysteries, and ancient technologies the region holds? Fans can read the series to find out!”
Warhammer 40,000 has been a perennial resident of the ICv2’s Top Miniatures Games lists over the years, typically at #1 (although it fell to #2 in the most recent period, deposed by the force of Star Wars (see “Top Miniatures Games – Fall 2015”). The Warhammer 40,000 miniatures game is currently in its 7th Edition (see “Sales of '40k 7th Edition' Beating '6th'”). The property was last used for new comics in the mid-00s, by BOOM! Studios (see "BOOM! GW Line Expands").
The property has also been developed in video games, with the newest iteration, Dawn of War III, planned for release in 2017 (see “ICv2: Digital Side of Tabletop Games Grows”).
Check ICv2 tomorrow for an exclusive preview of the story in the first issue.
Click Gallery below for large versions of the A and B covers.
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